Chapter Eleven
A Death In The Family
William made his back to the lair. When he entered, he found Christine
singing along to his brother's music. William sat down in his chair and
waited for the two to finish. When they were done, Christine was the
first to notice William.
" Hello William. How's Meg?" asked Christine.
" She's fine. Although that rotten patron, Raoul, interrupted her lesson
and started demanding answers from her." William threw his arms into the
air and let them fall to his side. " I mean, how nosy can that miserable
boy get?"
The Phantom gave his brother a look that told him to keep quiet.
Christine turned away.
" Don't be upset Christine, I'm sure that Raoul isn't as annoying as
William says he is," said the Phantom.
" Yes he is!" shouted William. The Phantom stared at his brother
furiously. William thought it would be wise to keep his opinions to
himself.
" You sounded beautiful today Christine. Soon you shall be greater than
Carlotta!"
" She's always been greater than Carlotta. Everyone's better than
Carlotta!" exclaimed William.
" Really?" asked Christine. " She always told me that I sounded like a
wilting sparrow." The Phantom trembled in fury.
" When did she tell you that?" hissed the Phantom.
" Just before you started teaching me," said Christine.
" Well she can just go to the Devil!" growled the Phantom. He reached
over and took Christine by the hand. She let out a yelp and jumped back.
" Your hands! They're cold as ice!" cried Christine. The Phantom had
forgotten to put his gloves back on. He snatched them from the organ and
put them on his hands. Christine ran over to William and grabbed his
hand. William jumped in his seat. Christine began to rub his hand. "
Your hand isn't cold. It's warm," said Christine. William pulled his
hand loose.
" Miss Daae! I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't think it's very
appropriate to grab someone!" The Phantom sat down in his chair, next
to William's.
" Do you know that your brother's skin is as cold as a corpse's?" asked
Christine. William glared at her.
" Now Christine! I think that was very uncalled for! Comparing my
brother to a corpse!" snarled William.
"I just find it hard to believe! I never felt skin so cold before,
especially from someone who was alive! It's just that he's not like a
normal human being!" William leaped out of his chair and approached
Christine as if he meant to strike her. Christine stumbled backwards and
fell upon the Persian carpet.
" Miss Daae, I'm not a violent person. But I will not tolerate you
talking about my brother like that!" roared William.
"William," The Phantom cried softly. The young brother instantly turned
away from Christine and walked over to his brother. William kneeled by
his brother and took his hand. Christine got up and very cautiously
approached the two. William looked at her and growled like an
animal.
" Calm yourself William." The Phantom looked up at Christine. " I can
understand how shocked you must have been when you felt my skin. I was
born a living corpse Christine. Those who saw me at first thought I was
dead, but they were wrong. Do not let my coldness deceive you. I can
assure you that my heart is as warm as the sun's rays." Christine
continued to approach them.
" I have always been the only one who has actually treated Erik with the
decency he deserves. That's why I was so angry Christine. The last thing
my brother needs to hear is you calling him a corpse. I can assure you
Miss Daae, Erik is as human as you or me," William said softly yet
sternly.
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The next day, Simon arrived with a few of his friends. Firmin and Raoul
met with them.
" I wonder why Andre is so late. I guess will just have to start without
him," said Firmin. Raoul and Firmin approached Simon. Firmin shook his
hand. "Hello Simon, I'm so glad you could come." Simon took out a piece
of newspaper.
" 'Wanted: any person or persons who knows the whereabouts of the
Phantom of the Opera Populaire will be rewarded,' " read Simon.
" Tell me, how did you find out where the Phantom lived?" asked Firmin,
" My brother Joseph always kept me informed about what he learned about
the Phantom, and his brother," said Simon.
" We don't know much about the brother," said Raoul.
"The Phantom's brother is very wicked. He is very talented with a
violin. He has worked out a system with his brother on how to get rid of
trespassers. The brother's playing can entrance those who listen,
leaving them helpless prey to the Phantom," said Simon.
"Oh dear. I think you better start moving. We believe he has one of our
ballet girls. You will get rid of him, won't you?" asked Firmin.
"Monsieur, that creature murdered my only brother in cold blood. He
will not get away with it," hissed Simon. Simon and his friends each
held out small wooden clubs. Then put them back in their pockets.
"Christine is my true love, I'm going too!" shouted Raoul. Simon, Raoul
and the others started their way to the Phantom's lair.
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Down in the lair, William and the Phantom were watching Christine sleep.
"Erik, you have to take her back. She can't stay with us forever," said William.
"What if she chooses to?" asked the Phantom.
"Erik, they'll start looking for her. If they found us, we could be
sentenced to death." The Phantom sighed.
"You're right William." The Phantom leaned over Christine and shook her
gently to wake her up. Christine looked up at him.
"Yes Erik?" asked Christine.
"Christine, William and I both think that it's time for you to return
to the theater." Christine nodded.
"I understand." She got up and the Phantom started to lead her out of the lair.
"I'll be back soon William," said the Phantom. The two left. William
picked up his violin and began to tune it.
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Simon's group slowly made their way through the maze. In the lair, the
warning bell began to ring. William picked up his violin and began to
play entrancing music. The mob heard it and covered their ears. Raoul
continued to listen.
"What a charming composition," commented Raoul. Simon shook Raoul
breaking the trance.
"Don't listen Raoul! It's one of the Phantom's tricks!" Raoul
covered his ears and the group continued to move. Upstairs, Christine
was led into her room through the mirror. She looked at the Phantom.
"Will I ever get to return to your home?" asked Christine.
" Maybe, Christine I just don't want the managers to get worried. If you
stay too long they might send the police after my brother and me. You
understand, right?"
"Yes," she answered. " Could you just sing with me once more?"
"If you wish." The Phantom and Christine began to sing. Down in the
lair, William's fingers began to hurt. He stopped playing.
" That should hold them off," said William. The mob then appeared
through the entrance. " Sweet mother of God!" screamed William. Simon
pointed to William.
"It's the murderer's brother! Get him!" roared Simon.
William dropped his violin and started to run. He stumbled on the
Persian carpet and fell to the ground. Two members of the mob caught him
and picked him up by the arms.
"Leave me be!" cried William. Raoul dashed all across the lair calling
out Christine's name, but not getting a response. Simon approached
William. He took out a club that was in his pocket.
" You and your brother are going to pay for your crimes. Specifically
the murder of my brother," snarled Simon. He crashed the club upon
William's skull. William shrieked in agony as others began to club
him. The Phantom, having finished the song, began to make his way back
to the lair. But as he got closer, his brother's cries became clear.
"William?" The Phantom started to run as fast as he could. Wishing he
had not stayed to sing with Christine. " Hang on dear brother!"
But the mob had finished their work. The Phantom's little brother was no
more. Raoul dashed over to Simon. Raoul had been so worked up about
finding Christine, he didn't even notice that the mob was attacking.
" What happened Simon?" asked Raoul. The mob members backed away,
revealing William's mangled body. Raoul stared into the lifeless blue
eyes. Simon turned to his friends.
" Well done, maybe next time we'll get the other one," said Simon. Using
his club, Simon raised William's head. " Was he the older one? I think
he was." Simon then moved the club letting the deceased brother's skull
crash to the floor. The Phantom appeared through an entrance, but backed
away so that he wasn't seen by the mob.
" I couldn't find Christine!" cried Raoul.
" Well, either she is back where she belongs in the theater, or she's
lost in the maze. Come along Raoul," said Simon.
" But if she's lost in the maze, she won't find her way out! We must
look for her!" shouted Raoul.
" It was hard enough to find my way here! I'm not going to get lost in
this labyrinth!" Simon and his friends left the lair. Raoul walked over
to William and kicked him with all his might in the ribs.
" Curse you and your brother!" snarled Raoul. He then spat on William
and ran after Simon. The Phantom dashed into the lair and held his
brother close.
" William? William?" he asked hoping for a response, but got no answer.
The Phantom gulped as he took his brother's pulse. His eyes widened with
horror. " No! Not my brother! Why God? Why him?" wailed the Phantom. He
picked up his brother and carried him to the organ.
The Phantom placed his dead brother next to the organ. The Phantom sat
down at his organ and began to play Don Juan- the music he and his
brother had composed. He then laid his head on the keys creating a
terrible sound. The Phantom looked at his brother and held him in his
arms again. " You are already turning cold William. Now you're just like
me. Cold, deformed and a corpse."
The Phantom placed his sibling's head under his chin. Suddenly something
besides sorrow started to fill the Phantom's stomach. His saddened eyes
started to turn red with anger. He felt the urge to kill, and kill, and
kill. Kill his brother's murderers. Kill the managers that brought the
murderers to the theater. Kill the patron who couldn't leave his
brother's body to rest. And finally, kill the man who led the mob to the
lair. The Phantom picked up his brother and hurried out of the lair.
Upstairs, Firmin was waiting for Simon's return. Andre dashed over to him.
"Sorry I'm late Richard! My stupid clock was off!" explained Andre.
" It's no problem Andre. Really," said Firmin. Then Raoul, Simon and the
others walked over.
"Oh, you must be Simon. I'm glad you came. We wanted you to remove the
two phantoms out of the theater," said Andre.
" And we did just that!" said Simon with a grin. " Or, at least one of them."
" You only got one?" asked Firmin.
"There was only one in the lair!" explained Simon.
"And we didn't find Christine either," cried Raoul.
"Find her? I just saw Christine on my way inside," said Andre.
"What?" shouted Raoul. He smiled. " You mean she escaped! Thank the
heavens!" Andre looked around.
"You said that you got one of the phantoms?" asked Andre.
"Yes," answered Simon.
"Where is he?" Simon took out his bloody club and placed it in
Firmin's hand.
" That's some of him," said Simon. Andre stared in horror at the club
that was now in Firmin's possession.
"You don't mean you killed him!" cried Andre.
"Well of course we did! Wasn't that the plan?" Andre slapped the club
out of his partner's hand.
"Was it you who told them to kill?" thundered Andre.
"Andre, I thought that was the reason we got Simon. To get rid of the
Phantoms," explained Firmin.
"But not to kill them!" roared Andre. " I can't believe you could do
such a thing Richard! It's murder!" Firmin covered his ears.
"I'm not going to listen to this Andre!" snarled Firmin.
The Phantom then appeared before them. He still had William in his
arms. "Cold-hearted men! All of you! Your hatred for me has now gotten
out of hand! You came down to kill me, I wasn't there, so you killed my
younger brother instead!" bellowed the Phantom. Simon was shocked.
"Younger? You mean he was your little brother?" asked Simon. The
Phantom's lips twitched and he stared at Simon furiously.
"Oh! Does it matter that he was younger? Would it make you feel prouder
of your kill if he was older?" shrieked the Phantom. He held his brother
close to him. " You wanted revenge," he said softly. The Phantom then
held his brother out. " Look well! Here's your revenge! But don't think
that this is over! No! You will all pay for murdering my brother! I will
not rest, until you have all paid dearly! You have made the greatest
error of your lives! Beware, for you shall be facing the full wrath of
the Phantom of the Opera!" He glared at Raoul. " You were the last to
strike my brother, so you shall be the first to pay!" Then the
Phantom and his brother disappeared.
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