No One Would Listen, No One but Her

Lights filled the windows of the once great opera house for the first time in a year and a half. Construction was rushed, the people of Paris couldn’t live without their opera for too long. But, tonight the public wasn’t invited. This great Bal Masque was for performers only. The managers needed to find their once great stars and replace ones that had moved on.
One man stood out from the rest, not because of his looks but because of who he was. He wasn’t considered a performer to anyone. But, he had the talent to, if only people would listen to him of give him a chance. He returned to this opera house that was once his home as well only on a different aspect. Walking down the dark corridors kicking away rats and pushing cobwebs out of his face it became evident that no one bothered down here while rebuilding the opera house. His walls were just as he had left them though they were covered in cobwebs. It relieved him, this was the only place he felt like he had belonged and to see it untouched gave him that sense he has missed for a year and a half. After trudging through the murky water he came to the large gate he had set up. Erik swished his foot around in the water trying to find the small lever he had placed there so many years ago. Finally finding it he kicked it hard thinking it would be stuck and his gate and curtains rose in the same order that they used to.
His lair wasn’t how he had thought it would be. It was torn to pieces probably by the cops and cast. But everything seemed to be there. Thankful for that Erik picked up some of his belongings, after all he had time to kill.
Portraits of Christine and music written especially for her piled up on his table. Coming here he told himself she was with Raoul and had a family. She never wanted to see him again, and it would be better off to rid himself of memories of her. His mannequin, one of his most prized possessions was thrown into that pile. He didn’t want to see it go but he knew it had to. With a lit candle he set fire to everything that reminded him of her tears welling up in his pitiful eyes as he did so.