The Diary of Erik Lenoir

[Erik Lenoir]

The Diary of Erik Lenoir

I have never before kept a diary. I have never felt the need for putting my life, such as it is, to paper. And of course, a document such as this, should start with a date. I certainly would put a date on it if I had any idea of what day and month today is…I don’t even know the year.

The reason that I am writing this is to commit to paper the strange events that I am experiencing, and in the event of my death, perhaps these notes will help someone else unravel the mystery.

After leaving the Opéra Populaire in quite a hurry, I found myself in a strange place. And here I shan’t go into detail, for it is not the telling of my former life with which I am concerned for this document. I am only writing the facts of the strange and unusual situation which seemingly has become my life as of late. It all feels like a nightmare, a bad dream from which I cannot seem to be awakened.

Some hours ago, or maybe it was days…I cannot be sure…my pocket watch stopped running and it is no longer of any use to me until I find out the true time and then I shall wind it again…but I digress…in any case, some time had passed since I left the opera house and I had escaped to a tunnel below my lair, itself five cellars beneath the opera house. I woke in confusion, especially when the dark passageway opened into of all things, a library.

A library indeed…many centuries old…crumbling books met my fingertips and strange frightening people in paintings looked down upon me. Cobwebs yards long hung from the ceiling and the once lovely furniture was more ready for the fireplace than it was for sitting upon. Finally finding a way to leave this cryptic room, I entered an empty and dark corridor.

I heard some noise, and following it, found a lovely girl who called herself, of all things, Christine Daaé! I grew a bit angry at hearing her name, (how dare she use the name of my Angel) but then realized the girl was being completely honest, at least in her own opinion…The girl was small and unassuming, yet beautiful, with dark brown curls and large brown doe eyes. I must have frightened her and I immediately felt sorry for this. I questioned her and she said the mansion was occupied by several other people, some of whose names seemed strangely familiar to me…and then she mentioned she had seen a ghost…I did not know how to take this last; it seemed impossible and incredible. Perhaps the girl really is deluded…or then again, this may be a strange and very real nightmare…

[Erik Lenoir]

I had been planning to add to this diary every day or so, however, I must admit to being lax about that for several reasons. One is that I have felt I must continually look for a way out of this place and that has been my pressing concern. The other is that, I cannot, for the life of me, understand how time passes in this place. I thought I had only been here a few days, and yet it seems like weeks.

I have met, as I said before, the lovely Christine Ellen Daaé. Oddly she carries the name of my Christine, and she is definitely not her, but she has many of her qualities and oddly some of her memories. She says she has seen a ghost, which of course I heartily question.

Christine and I found each other in the hallway a distance away from the Library. We made our way into a music room where we found a piano, in desperate need of repair. I was able to tune it and Christine sang for me. It was a pleasant interlude, in an otherwise dull and boring, but also disturbing existence.

Christine and I then found a most interesting, and at the same time frightening room. It contained what looked to me like futuristic equipment and machines. The room was filled with an strange electric sound. The machines were full of light and flickering pictures and there were typewriter keyboards without a place to add paper. As Christine and I watched, we saw several people with jerking movements and as the pictures changed, we recognized some places we had been and some we hadn't. And then both of us saw it...a strange white figure that simply glowed and then blinked out of existence! Christine swore it was the ghost she had seen. I am much more skeptical, but I do not disbelieve the girl entirely. We shall see.

We continued on, as we both were becoming hungry, to find if there were a place to eat. We did find a dining room and a kitchen. This is where I am writing now, at the dining room table. There appears to be food in the kitchen, but we have not found the place where the inhabitants, present or former, warm and cook the food. I shall come back to this later in the diary and tell what we found.

Besides meeting the lovely Christine Ellen, I have met a lovely dancer named Lydia Constanzi. She did not want to see me at first, for I had saw her dancing and she apparently does not care to have anyone watching her unaware. She was upset when I saw her turn her ankle and refused my help. However, she has also met Christine Ellen and a man whom she has said is rather rude. I believe she said his name is Alexander. I have yet to meet this chap.

And then, strangely enough, I came face to face with my nemesis, The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny! The first person I truly recognized. But oddly, he did not recognize me. He claims that he was kidnapped or at leasst taken from Christine's dressing room where he was about to speak to her right after the Hannibal opera where she sang so sweetly for the first time on stage. I told him it was six months ago and he didn't believe me. I think a time anomaly is the only thing that accounts for this strangeness. We spoke for quite some time and came to an uneasy alliance. He too is looking for a way out, as are all of us.

The Vicomte not only does not recognize me, but he hadn't known that I tried to kill him and Christine. I foolishly told him that when I was trying to get him to recognize me. If I had not let that fact out, he would have been much easier to deal with. He does not know where Christine is, although at first, I accused him of hiding her. But I do trust that he is telling the truth now. As it is, I believe we shall trust each other as far as it goes. Not completely of course.

[Erik Lenoir]

Since my last entry in this diary, several things have happened. I have met two more girls named Christine Daaé! They are both different not only from each other, but from the Christine Ellen and also from my very own Angel, whom I long to see again. I would not treat her badly as I did earlier, indeed it was just before she kissed me and forgave me for my horrific acts. She made me ashamed of what I had done and how terribly I had treated her. My Christine is truly a forgiving Angel and I hope to see her again... if I never find a way out of this nightmare mansion, perhaps...perhaps my darling Angel will find her way here and I shall have a second chance with her. But again I digress with thoughts of my lovely Angel.

Of the last two Christines I met, Christine Joy is a small fragile girl whom I found in the library, the same place I had awakened. She is frightened, as are all of us. She was so fearful and dreadfully famished that on our way to the dining room, where I had cooked with Christine Ellen, this girl fainted. I brought her to the dining room and found some smelling salts which brought her around quickly. Then I brought out some of the food we had made earlier and the girl seemed to feel much better. At least we know there is a place where we can find nourishment. I am not much for eating, perhaps once a day or when I am composing, perhaps every other day. But still, I do need nourishment at some point, and it was a lovely repast that we enjoyed.

The latest Christine Daaé that I have met is another slight girl with blonde hair. She is of a sad and melancholic disposition and it appears to me that she has had a difficult and sad life, although it is only her manner that makes me think so; she has not spoken much of her past. I have only gathered that she is afraid of the dark. She has spoken to the Vicomte and denies that he is the man she was in love with. Of course I believe her on that count, for it unfortunately was my Angel that was in love with de Chagny.

I spent quite a bit of time with this Christine. Again, her story and Christine Joy's story have quite the similarities with the rest of us. Christine Joy had not even met her so called Angel of Music yet, but this Christine has. I cannot pry much information out of her for she is a bit closed mouthed.

We had spent much time together because we became locked in a dungeon through a strange series of events. I found a key outside the door and opened it, placing the key in my pocket. I had a lamp and soon I heard someone coming and blew out the lamp. It was Christine and she was carrying a blanket, having come into the mansion in her nightgown. The blanket caught on the door and we were trapped. I lit the lamp again and we met. I was about to unlock the door when I discovered the key had disappeared. Finding we were locked in, we looked for another way out. We found torches, a tunnel that someone had tried to escape from, the shovel, several skeletons and of all things, some tools for picking locks. I was excited because I know how to pick locks. We hurried back to the door and oddly enough, again, the tools were missing from my pocket! But more on that story later.

De Chagny and I had decided to work together to find a way out of this place. He and I ldecided on a time to meet again and we eft the Opera House which looked exactly like the Garnier, and he pointed me in the direction of the dormitories where he had found a place to sleep. I could not find what he was talking about and wondered if he had played a cruel trick on me. But then I found a strange "lift," futuristic looking and I entered and found perhaps 15 buttons, one on top of each other and there were names on a few of them. I blinked when I saw my name, Erik Lenoir, next to one of the buttons. I pushed it and exited into a small corridor with one large door. Upon opening it, I found myself back home at the opera house, looking at the beginning of the long trail of hanging bridges that led on down to my lair. There was the gondola down below, with the haze rising from the lake as always. I propelled the gondola to the far shore where I alit among all the candles I normally kept burning there.

My organ was there and beyond, my suite of rooms where I found my own coffin bed. I undressed hastily and washed, happy to remove the dust from my body. I then went to sleep, the first sleep I had had since coming to this odd place. At least my "lair" as they called it, was a place of refuge for me. Hopefully no one was after me anymore. But it seemed not.

The next morning, today, I climbed out of bed, washed and dressed in clean clothing. Minus my had and cape, I made my way back to the place that resembled the Opera House. I was early, so I sat down in front where I had been before to await de Chagny's arrival. That is where I am now and where I take pen to these pages. I hope he arrives soon...

[Erik Lenoir]

I have been so incredibly busy that I have not had a chance to add to my diary for four months! I am normally meticulous about everything, however with this, I have been so involved in many things...one of course the refurbishing of the old opera house. The other makes me seem like a social butterfly which I have never been and would abhor being called by anyone...however I have become much more social than my solitary lifestyle would indicate.

I have been placed in the odd position of tour guide, strange as that may sound. But of the many people that I have met, many had just arrived at the mansion. To give them a good impression of myself, I have shown them about the place, finding the kitchen and the dormitory suites, two places they need to know about. I had a difficult time finding them when I first arrived.

So, I shall give a list of some of the people I have met and my impressions of them. Since many people are named the same names, I shall classify them together.

My first acquaintance at the mansion was a Christine, so I shall start with them:

The Christines:

Ellen - my first acquaintance here. She is a lovely girl, beautiful, quiet and helpful. We found the kitchen together and cooked a meal. I like her.

Emilie - I met her in the garden and mistook her for someone else. This lady is about 30 years of age, more mature than some of the others, and very beautiful. She and I have gone through a few traumatic sessions, mostly caused by her very jealous husband Edouard de Chagny. We have been together perhaps more than good taste allows, but we have done nothing untoward. More on her husband later.

Christine - a small blonde lady, very young, and soon to be married to Raoul de Chagny. The girl says what she means, which I like, however, she can be a bit sharp tongued at times. She seems to be prone to spells of fainting, so perhaps she is of a weak constitution. She is sweet in her own way. I met her in the dungeon of all places, and she accidentally locked us in that very horrid place. Later I saved her life when she tried to commit suicide. For that, and for saving her fiancé, she brought me some type of Swedish treat. She brought it to my living quarters, we sang together, I gave her a tour and then she fainted, became frightened and left quite abruptly. I could not understand it.

Svenna - my own beautiful Christine...My beloved to whom I gave music lessons. My Angel of Music! I am delighted that she has appeared. I have longed for her to come. She is finally here, but seems offish with me; afraid of me for some reason. I assume it was the falling chandelier that frightened her. I never meant for her to be frightened. She should have known I would look out for her. Thankfully my beloved Svenna did not appear after any of the other bad events at the opera house. Like the accidental killing of Piangi, of which I was being accused....She may have even believed that. She has seen my face... I am not sure what will happen. Perhaps I can mesmerize her to make her forget all that happened before. But I did promise myself not to do that. I shall just have to be patient...which isn't a trait I find easy....

Joy - A small Christine with brown hair and blue eyes. A sweet, trusting girl, another one with a penchant for fainting though. We met in the library and she fainted before we made it to the dining room. I have not seen her lately though. She is apparently waiting for her Angel of Music to appear. It seems most of the Christines have one.

The Raouls:

Raoul - This fellow is a Comte as opposed to most of the others who are Vicomtes. All noblemen, these de Chagnys. This one is engaged to the small blonde Christine. He is young and seems to think I am his best friend because I gave him the tour when he appeared. The circumstances came to pass where I actually saved his life, first from the evil mermaid in the bathhouse pool and secondly when his fiancée decided to kill herself by jumping off the balcony. I actually saved both of them. This is why he is so devoted to me. Good lord...I saved a de Chagny...twice.

Edouard - my very good friend Emilie's husband. What can I say, then man is despicable. A drunkard, a gambler and he treats his wife atrociously, giving her ultimatums and spying on her everywhere. I can barely abide his behaviour toward her. However, I must say that he did come through to help me and Raoul de Chagny when the blonde Christine was being kidnapped. I must say he quite impressed me. But still I do not like him for he is quite rude to his wife. I almost killed him one day and would have if it were not for Emilie...

Jacques - a rather handsome young fellow with ridiculous hair. He also thinks that I am his best friend and he has quite less to go on than Raoul de Chagny. I merely took him to the kitchen and showed him the dormitory suites and now he is my slave forever. Oh well, worse things could happen.

The Eriks:

Érik - A very tall fellow with yellowish eyes who wears a black full mask. He has a brusque manner that I don't like and moreover I don't like his arrogance! He had the gall to want to take over the opera house refurbishment project! I told him in no uncertain terms that he could not do this! Strangely I have not seen him about the mansion since then...and I must say...good riddance!

Carrière - Another tall fellow. Light hair and blue eyes, wears a three quarter mask. Seems rather quiet and even nice. I am letting him help me in the project. He seems calm and level headed. Not one to question my authority, hopefully. I think he can be trusted.

Lavalais - This fellow looks almost exactly like Érik, although I have not seen either, nor any of the other Eriks without their masks. I am certain they are all as ugly and atrocious as I am. Lavalais and Teressa Lavalais have a relationship they call companion. I am not sure what they mean by that, but is seems more like father /daughter to me. He is quite protective of her as any good father should be...And yet, he seems to be opposed to me courting her...He is too protective, I say.

Destler - a truly despicable and evil man. He kidnapped the blonde Christine and took her to a mausoleum, nearly frightening her to death. Who knows what would have happened to her if her fiancé, had not gone looking for her with the help of Edouard de Chagny and myself. I think the man is wildly insane.

The Ghosts:

King William Leverich - This fellow claims to be several hundred years old. He is soft spoken, genial and cordial. He was trying to tell me he was a ghost, but it seemed so absurd that I could hardly believe him. Later I discovered it was true.

Emma Ravenhearst - A very fearful female ghost. This spectre is being held by someone she calls Charles Dalimar. I met this spectre in the graveyard but I have not met said Charles. I suspect I have no real wish to meet him unless it is to ask for Emma's release.

Josephine - Another ghost, this one is terribly evil. I cannot even write on these pages the horrors she put me through and the degradation. She loves to torture. I first met her in the library and did not recognize her as a spectre, but she has proved herself to be the most evil of ghosts. I do not wish to meet her again.

Jack Darker - The ghost of a Portuguese soldier, this fellow loves to play tricks, but they are not mean, just humourous. He played several pranks on me. But this ghost finally convinced me that there are such things as spectres.

Olivia - This poor lady was killed by her wicked father who had also killed her mother. I wish that I could comfort her, but all I can do is speak soothing words to her, being that she is incorporeal. It is sad that this happened to one so young and beautiful.

The Megs:

Jules - a sweet young girl, similar to the one who was Svenna's close friend in the corps de ballet at the Opéra Populaire. I gave her the usual tour. Perhaps we will meet again.

Meg who calls herself the "Ooh La La Girl" - This Meg I like very much, but she has a very odd relationship with me. And I don't know what it is. She has apparently worked on Coney Island on some shows with a mysterious man named Mr Y. Seems an odd name, but no matter, she has done some singing and dancing for me. Unfortunately she has left her lovely ballet behind, although she has not forgotten it by any means. She does a vaudeville act and while I don't care for the modernity of popular music, perhaps the audience will appreciate it. So I may allow Meg to do such a thing on my stage. However, I have made her my assistant and she will be in charge of advertising our productions in the village.

Others:

Maria Gianelli - This lady is an opera singer like many of the Christines but she came from Vienna. She is American by birth and she is quite the feisty and interesting lady. She has a lovely voice and is exceedingly beautiful. I hope that someday we can become close friends.

Alexander Arjon - I only met him once, and just for a moment. The man is mad, I am sure. He was writhing on the floor and I have no idea what he was saying. I don't care to meet him again. If I do, I shall step over him and say nothing, going upon my way.

Madeleine Fontaine - A very interesting lady. I don't know too much about her, but intend to find out more. I am not sure why she appeared at the mansion really.

Detective Emma Brook - A nosy inquisitive person if there ever was one. She wants to know everything there is to know about us and I am not sure I should even be talking to this woman. She has a manner I don't care for and ...well, we shall see.

Roselin Soulle - This 14 year old girl from the village is rather a delight to talk to. She is very sweet and bubbly and has told me some interesting things about the future. But most of the time I can't for the life of me understand what she is talking about...

There are many more people and ghosts that I have not met yet. I shall add them as I meet them. Here are some I have heard about, but not met as of yet:

Charles Dalimar
Erika Elishiva Urban
Christine Nicole/Giselle Daaé
Gustave de Chagny