Chapter Fourteen
The Managers Meet Their Fate
The next morning, Christine waited for the Phantom in her dressing room.
When he arrived he led her back through the mirror and to the lair. When
they entered, the Phantom went immediately to his brother's grave and
placed a rose next to the violin that was on the grave. Christine
noticed her vase of flowers next to the grave. The flowers still looked
healthy and strong.
" Why Christine? Why did they have to take my brother? The worst he did
was get the overdue money, I was the one who did all the terrible
murders!" Christine stared at him.
" You're the murderer? Then that means you're......"
"The Phantom, yes." Christine thought about running away, but she
remembered the maze and decided to stay. The Phantom stoked the violin.
"Oh Christine, we never even got to finish Don Juan."
"I didn't know much about your brother. Would you tell me how you both
got here?" The Phantom took a deep breath and began to tell the story
of his past.
"When my mother first had me, she locked me in a room and had another
child. William, he was all she ever wanted. William was a well-behaved
boy. He was allowed to go anywhere in house, except my room. I can still
remember the first day I saw William. He was around five years old. I was twelve.
My brother didn't know I had existed, but I knew that he did. You don't know how
shocked I was when I saw that little guy walk in my room. At that time I didn't have
a mask. At first he was scared, but when he realized that I was his brother, all his fear
seemed to vanish! Christine, he wasn't afraid of me! But then our mother came into
the room and began yelling at William. I feared for his safety, so I grabbed him and
ran out of the house. I never stopped running until I reached this theater. Once inside, I
discovered a trap door. My brother and I made our way through this maze. Soon we
came upon a lair with all kinds of instruments. It had an organ and everything. My
brother eyed a violin. I had heard him play the violin at home. He was very good at it,
but I taught him to play even better. Soon we decided to make this our new home. "We
took the role of becoming the theater's ghosts so that we could continue to live there.
That's basically it Christine. Oh Christine! My brother! He could look at my face without
any disgust! He would not draw away from my cold touch. He would
sometimes even kiss my hand! Christine! My own mother wouldn't kiss me!
Let alone look at me! When William grew old enough to go off on his own, I gave him
the choice to leave. He refused to leave Christine! He said that he wouldn't
abandon his brother! He chose to stay with me rather than start a new
life! This man treated me with all the kindness one could ever ask for,
and now he's gone! Gone forever!" wept the Phantom. Christine walked
over and took his hand.
"I'm so sorry Erik," said Christine.
"They're going to pay! Every last one of them! They're all going to pay!" snarled
the Phantom.
"Please! Don't go on a killing rampage!" cried Christine.
"Christine! I can't let them get away with murdering my brother!"
" But think this over! Innocent people might get hurt!" pleaded
Christine.
"If that's the way it has to be, then it has to be," hissed the Phantom.
"I can't believe I'm hearing this! You sound like a monster!" The
Phantom started to run out of the lair.
"Erik! Come back!" screamed Christine. The Phantom stopped and looked
at her. He then grabbed his mask, tore it off and threw it to the
ground. Christine shrieked in terror.
"I will no longer wear this stupid mask! Let the murderers see my face!
Let them see the monster! I no longer care!" Then the Phantom dashed
out of lair.
Christine got up, grabbed the mask and ran over to William's grave.
"William! Your brother has changed. He's almost as terrible as his face!
What should I do?" She then thought about what she was doing. "What
am I doing? You're dead, you can't give me advice." Then a voice came
into Christine's head.
'No Christine, I can give you advice.' It was William's voice.
Christine was beginning to wonder if she was going mad. 'Christine!
Listen to me! You must stop Erik! Don't let him kill!'
"What can I do?" cried Christine.
'Use your voice! It soothes him! Sing to him Christine! Quickly! If he
kills again we might not be able to save him from the theater's hatred!'
"But will he listen?" There was no answer. "William, answer me!"
'Go now! Quickly! Before it's too late! Use the passage way behind the
pipe organ! It will take you directly above!' Christine ran over to
the pipe organ and pulled on it. The organ pulled out revealing a
staircase going up.
Christine dashed up the stairs. In the theater, Firmin and Andre were
looking at the scenery on the stage. The Phantom appeared before them.
They took one look at his face and drew back in fear. Their faces began
to turn white as sheets. Andre quickly made the sign of the cross, for
he believed at first that he was face to face with the Devil.
"Merciful God!" cried Andre. Firmin stared in disbelief at the horribly
deformed face. There was a big hole where a nose should have been. He
could easily see the blue veins on the pale yellow-colored skin and the
large gashes that were all around the sides of the face.
"The time has come! You shall now pay for my brother's death!"
"Stay away, you beast!" screamed Firmin. The Phantom approached.
"A beast? I, the beast? My brother was killed under your orders! It is you
who are the beast!" Andre put his mouth to his partner's ear.
"There's an exit just down the aisle. We can make it if we run,"
whispered Andre. Firmin turned to Andre.
"You run, I'll hold him off."
"Wait." The Phantom said as he silently drew out a dagger. " Die you filthy animals!" shrieked the Phantom.
He dashed towards Andre. The old manager crouched in terror. Firmin grabbed the Phantom by
the wrist, preventing him from injuring his friend. Now the Phantom tried to kill Firmin.
"Go Andre! Run!" screamed Firmin.
" But Richard....!"
" GO!" screamed Firmin. The old manager jumped off the stage and ran out the door. The Phantom broke free of
Firmin's grip and stabbed the manager in the chest. Firmin let out a shriek of pain. The Phantom removed the
dagger from Firmin and let him fall to the stage. He then noticed that Firmin was still alive. So he decided to
give Firmin, a few words of farewell before finishing him off.
"This is how it felt for my brother Firmin. How does it feel to know
you're about to die- It's not a good feeling, is it?" The Phantom
kneeled down and raised the dagger above the manager. Firmin squeezed
his eyes shut and waited for the end. Christine then ran into the
theater.
"Erik!" she shrieked. The Phantom looked up at her. Christine began to
sing. The Phantom started to rise up as he listened to her sing. Seeing
his chance, Firmin began to crawl off the stage. The Phantom shook his
head, breaking the trance. He glared at Firmin.
"Where do you think you're going?" roared the Phantom. He dashed over
and grabbed the manager and pulled his head back.
"Erik! Don't!" shrieked Christine. In one slash the Phantom cut
Firmin's throat open. The Phantom dropped the lifeless manager.
"That was for you William," said the Phantom softly. He turned to
Christine. She stared at him shaking her head in disbelief. The Phantom
tried to explain the situation to her. " Christine, I--- He deserved it! He
ordered the men to kill my brother."
Christine ran out of the theater sobbing. The Phantom looked at the
bloody dagger, then at Firmin. He then dashed off. Outside the
theater, Andre found Raoul.
"Raoul! Quickly! Into the theater! The Phantom is attacking Richard!"
The two ran as fast as they could. When they entered the theater, Raoul
saw the manager's body lying on the stage.
"Andre! Look on the stage!" Andre saw his partner and ran as fast
as he could to the stage.
"My God! Richard!" Andre looked at his friend's body that
was now covered in blood. " Oh Richard," Andre cried softly. Raoul
looked at Firmin, grimly. Andre glared up.
"Murderer!" screamed Andre
"Careful Andre," warned the Phantom.
"Slayer!" he roared.
"Remember your blood pressure."
"Assassin!"
"You might give yourself another heart attack."
"Curse you! You monster! Now you shall be the one to pay!" roared the infuriated manager.
"I don't believe so Monsieur Moncharmin," snarled the Phantom. "Don't
worry though. Killing Richard Firmin has been my revenge on both of you."
"You cold-hearted beast! If your brother were still alive, he would
abandon you now!"
"If my brother were still alive, Monsieur Firmin would be as well!"
roared the Phantom. Then it was silent. Andre kneeled down by his
partner's body and for the first time in many years, cried.
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