Disclaimer: Erik has yet to give me rights to POTO or it's 'characters', so until then, I only own my short plot. :)
Haunting Love
Christine awoke with a start, sitting up in bed panting. It took her a few moments, as it always did, to realize that she wasn't in her dormitory room at the Opera Populaire. No, not anymore. Now she was in a large white house that Raoul had bought her to live in until their wedding.
It was cold in her large bedroom, and she quickly reached over and wrapped her robe around her, tying it securely. Really, it wasn't cold in her room. Only in her guilt-ridden heart. She had had another dream about Erik, which was far from the first. They were so vivid...his eyes, always emphasizing on his glowing, pain filled eyes that burned with passion. Passion for only her...his angel. The one person that he had trusted in this world to never hurt him...
She walked over to her closet and pulled all her dresses away from the back until she saw it - the wedding dress that Erik had given her. After that night of the fire, Raoul had brought her back to his residence, and ordered for the dress to be burned. But she stopped the maidservants from doing so, and instead, hid it. And when Raoul bought her this house, she had one of her own maidservants fix it up. They had done an amazing job - it looked just like it had hanging on that mannequin that was identical to her. And on a shelf right above it was a few dried roses with fading black ribbons on them. Raoul's innocence of these things hurt her, and she knew when she married she'd have to give them up...but she simply couldn't bare to part with them yet. Not yet.
These were the things she'd turn to whenever she felt she needed to get her guilt out about Erik. And it would work, and least until nightfall again. For no dress or flower would grant her peace from those deep anguished eyes...
"I could have sworn I felt you touch my cheek this morning. It felt so real. And your voice singing in my head...you sounded like you were right there! Right there, singing like my Angel of Music that you once were. I thought when I left you, I'd have my safety. My freedom. I thought I'd feel complete and whole again. I didn't know that it would be like this! I didn't know that you were the other half of me. Your dangerous side that I feared was in my heart. I wanted that to be replaced by Raoul's safe love. I wanted it so bad...and I got it. So why do I feel so alone? I was so used to you...always being there for me, always ready to hear whatever I had to say. Always eager to see me...how I miss that! That joy that you brought me whenever you beckoned me to come stand beside you and ask me to sing. Sing for my angel. I was so used to you always making me happy and lifting my hurts far away from me. I never dreamed that when I'd wake up in a fancy bed made for the future Vicomtess that I'd feel so empty and missing you. I miss my singing lessons...or the times afterwards when we'd sit by your little fire and drink tea as you read poetry. Or the way you'd make me laugh when I was frustrated on some song or note. I had gotten used to all that. To being with you...for being loved unconditionally...at every moment, knowing I was on your mind. The way I always knew you were loving me wholly and completely for everything that I am. Erik..."
A knock on the door hushed her.
"Yes?" She called, wiping stray tears from her cheeks.
"Excuse me, Mademoinselle, but he Vicomte is here to see you."
One of her maid's announced.
"I'll be right down, thank you."
She hurried up from her knees and put on a nice dress, then pulling back her mass of curls and tying them in a ribbon. Then she hurried down the stairs and to the door.
But he looked at her in dismay. "Christine, you've been crying." He said in concern.
She offered him a sheepish smile, but said nothing.
He caressed her cheek with his fingertips. "Another dream?" He whispered, swallowing hard.
She nodded.
"One day you shall forget that monster, Christine, I promise you. He will not haunt us with his anger and betrayal forever."
Christine simply nodded, but when he walked in to the other room to get her coat himself, she whispered sorrowfully, "No, but he shall forever love meAnd that shall haunt me forever."