His voice reverberated through the stone passageways as the young lovers poled their way to the exit. His anguish was like nothing either one of them had ever heard, and just as the woman thought it had ended she heard his final scream and the cacophonous sound of glass being smashed into a million pieces.
She chanced a glance behind her, but they had turned too many corners and her former captive was no longer visible. She continued to gaze back at the misty waters but she felt a tug on her hand and an urgent whisper. Her head was once more facing the man she had chosen, and although she tried her best to look reassuring, she knew her eyes lied.
hr
Once the couple had made it to the surface they were greeted by Madam Giry. The ballet mistress urgently bid them to cover their mouths because of the thick black smoke that was billowing down the hallways of the opera house and without wasting any time with needless words she led them out of the opera house by a secret back entrance. After the trio emerged on the street the two women hugged fiercely. Madam Giry pressed a paper containing her address into the younger woman's hand and then turned to leave without a backwards glance. After a small tug from her fiancé the other woman too turned and made her way home.
hr
Neither one of them said a word as they sat on comfortable leather couch in the man's posh town house. Maybe that was because she couldn't stop crying and he was too busy trying to soothe her. He lifted his head slightly so he could eye the great grandfather clock and his eyebrows rose in surprise as he realized that it was nearing three o-clock.
"Christine, come, you need sleep desperately." His voice was gentle and after she failed to respond he tried to stand, but she clutched his arm fiercely and stared into his eyes with such desperateness that he froze.
"No, I can't sleep tonight. I fear I won't be able to sleep any other night either. Not after what I did…" Her voice was cracked and hoarse, a combination from crying and the smoke she inhaled on their escape from the opera house.
"Christine, you didn't do anything wrong—"
"Yes Raoul, I did. I left him there…what if the mob got him? They won't understand, they'll kill him!" Christine stood up, her eyes wild, "Oh God! What have I done? He'll die because of me! I left him there for dead! After all he's done for me, I am a selfish child, I am! I am the one who deserves to die, not him! He didn't know any better, no one taught him! He—"
"Christine! Calm down! Listen to yourself, you're hysterical. What you need is to go lay down and rest."
"No! What I need is to go back there and save him!"
"Absolutely not! I almost died saving YOU from HIM, the last thing I want is for you to become his prisoner again!" Raoul grabbed her arms and pulled her small frame into a tight hug. He could feel her heart beating frantically against his chest and he wasn't surprised when he felt the sobs start to leave her small body once more. "Christine, if you had not left you would have had to stay down there forever. You made the right choice. You chose love and freedom. You would be miserable living in a world where light never shines, becoming a slave to a monster every time he sang a note." Raoul pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her chocolate curls, "Christine, please, come lay down. I'll stay with you and help you through the night."
Christine didn't respond but instead stayed limp in her lover's arms until he picked her up with ease and carried her to the guest bedroom. With utmost care he laid her down and then pulled the covers over her. Once he was sure she was comfortable he pulled up a chair next to her and started to take off his shoes.
"You are too kind to me, do you know that?" Her voice was just a notch above a whisper and for a second Raoul wasn't sure she had said anything.
"And you think too highly of me, do you know that?" He offered her a tired smile and she did her best to send him one too. Raoul was happy when he heard her release a tired yawn and he felt relief wash over him as her lids started to flutter close. Once he was sure she had slipped off to sleep he rose from his seat, gathered his shoes and made him way to his own bed.