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The Paris Opera House is filled to capacity as Phantom begins
its second week. This time Box Five has two occupants: Tatiana and
yourself.
You still don't know how Michael managed to get you out of the
Phantom's Lair or what his plan was. However, you're sure he'll tell you
in his own time.
The lights dim and the play begins. You look at the fairy girl
who is seeing Phantom for the first time as a spectator. She is sitting
gingerly on the edge of her seat as not to mash her folded wings. Tatiana
is a very pretty in her green satin evening gown. Earlier she expressed
her excitement over getting to be a "real human" for a night.
On stage the Phantom is just about to lead Christine through
the mirror when Michael joins you.
"Hi, Michael," you say as he takes a seat in between you and Tatiana.
You do a double take.
"Michael?"
Tatiana beats you to asking,
"If you're here, then who's on stage?"
You both know what a dedicated performer Michael is; he wouldn't miss
a performance for almost anything. You can't believe he's here with you.
There's a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Who do you think?"
"Erik?!" You and Tatiana exclaim at the same time.
He nods. "Erik never hated the show, despite what he said. He was hurt
that he wasn't asked to do it. After all, it is his life. Of course, no
one knew he was real."
Michael shrugs, looking content. "You could say he just wanted
his fifteen minutes of fame. I simply arranged it for him."
Tatiana beams proudly, then laughs. She gives you a friendly smile
and says, "And all this time we thought it would be a woman who would get
through to him. Were we ever wrong!"
You laugh. Things certainly didn't turn out the way you thought.
But they turned out for the best.
The night turns into the biggest success yet. Erik truly must
be the Angel of Music. Of course, he made everyone else on stage sound
like an amateur. He receives a thirty minute standing ovation.
During the curtain call, Tatiana nervously asks,
"Erik does know that everyone will think it was you up there tonight?"
Michael nods. "Yes, we planned everything out, and he didn't care."
The curtain closes for the last time and everything goes black.
Michael awoke lying in the hall of an empty Opera House. He sat up slowly,
disoriented. Blinking, he rubbed his head and looked around. Memories of
the past few days came back to him. He stood up quickly, looking for something...
someone...
From behind a column shone a bright light. The light moved in
front of the column. Gossamer wings rhythmically beat the air.
Michael looked up hopefully. "Tatiana?"
The fairy smiled sadly. "Yes?"
"What happened? How did we get out?"
"You won," she said as though it was common knowledge. "You defeated
Erik. You've won."
"That's it?" he asked, still leery. "That's the end. It's over."
Her smile became even sadder. "It's over."
"Where's Erik now?" Michael asked a bit worried.
"Home," the pixie stated simply.
"Where's home?"
"In the hearts and minds of those who love him."
Michael nodded thoughtfully. "I'll miss him."
Tatiana raised herself up until she was floating eye level with
him. There was silence as their eyes met.
"'Say it, Michael. Say it and mean it.'"
He smiled. "'I believe in fairies."
Tatiana's light grew brighter and whiter. Her face shone like
the sun. Her wish had come true.
Then before his eyes she began to grow small.
"What's going on," he asked anxiously.
Tatiana gave him a puzzled look. "It's done. Erik's home. You're safe.
My work is done."
Michael felt his eyes becoming wet.
"Will I ever see you again?"
She titled her head to the side. "'You know that place between
asleep and awake? That place where you still remember dreaming? That's
where I'll always be waiting for you to come back.'"
She continued to grow small until she was no bigger than a fist.
Michael didn't know what to say and nothing needed to be said.
He knew he was going to miss her very much.
The morning light streamed in the window and fell on Tatiana.
Michael could no longer tell the difference between her light and the sun's.
Suddenly, he couldn't bare the thought of her leaving. "Tatiana?"
Tink, tink, tink. He turned around to see a janitor coming down
the hall.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Crawford," said the man cheerfully. "Up early,
yes?"
Michael glanced over his shoulder. No one was behind him. Sadly,
he faced the janitor.
"I was just leaving."
As for you, you found yourself back in your hotel room with your
momentos of Phantom and your trip to Paris. As well as vivd memories
of the past days which you promise yourself you will write down. Exhausted,
you were about to collapse on your bed when something on your desk caught
your eye. On the desk was a large brown leather bound book with gold trim.
The title read in elegant gold lettering, The
Phantom of the Opera. But this was not your copy. Mystified,
you picked it up and opened the cover. Inside it read:
So that you can always
relive the adventure.
Tatiana and Erik
The night of the last show of the production's run, a tired, but happy
Michael Crawford entered his dressing room. There was a lingering sadness;
he was ready to go home, but sad that it was over. It was a sense of loss
that was very familiar. In fact, he was sure he had experience it recently.
But the memory always escaped him. It passed too quick for him even to
glimpse what it was.
He was about to change out of his costume when he saw a large
book sitting on the table. He walked over to it and picked it up. The book
was bound in green leather and trimmed in gold. Large, Old English letters
spelled out the title: Peter
Pan.
"Where did this come from?" he wondered aloud.
Gingerly, opening the cover , he saw the was a note on the first
page. The first part was written in delicate script:
So that you will never
forget. I'll always be waiting.
With love,
Tatiana.
Below it in large red, childlike penmanship was:
Merci.
Erik
The End
