I find myself unable to decide.

I could chose Raoul: true love or a 'godly number of the human race?' If I want to protect everyone, the scorpion must be the one destined for my fingers to touch. Is that my sad destiny? My fate? To be loved by a monster for all my life? Oh, that face-the face of the devil. The face of Satan. It makes me weep. Even though I have tried my hardest, some of his 'skin' is still visible under my fingernails. Just another way I am bonded to him.

Traveling down my hand, my eyes reach the gold bond which hugs my bony finger. Try as I might, the ring does not let go of my skin. A million thoughts are pulsing through my mind. Are these my last few minutes of life? What of Raoul? Erik? In the back of my mind, I can hear Raoul's screams of encouragement. Both he, and his companion, are both yelling for me to make the right choice. My fingers slowly creep towards the scorpion. If I chose it...will...Erik cheat me? Like I cheated him? If I do decide to stay with him, will he make my world crumble?

Erik is coming back now, humming a tune I have heard: his Don Joan. I shall give him this; he does not lie. The music, it burns my soul, makes me weep. "Have you decided yet?"

"Please Erik, turn the light in that room off! It is making it hard for me to make my choice." I said, in my most innocent voice. I knew he knew who was in there...but if I could pretend...I have decided! I must chose no! It is that or to live life dead: with the living corpse!

11 o'clock...what to do?

"So you can not decide? Then I will just turn the grasshopper for you. All those people up their...dead and buried under the opera house!" Erik said, his face making me turn away.

I was fully prepared to be blown up. Anything is better than this thing being my husband. Oh, but what a sad day! My 21 years have seen not enough. My voice, only having been blossomed months ago! My gift...

"Wait! I will chose the grasshopper." I whispered. He turned it for me, for I was too scared to do anything but stand still. I heard water...it must have been Raoul! He was drowning!

"No! You lied!"

"Well, lets start our life over again. I am Erik, and you are my wife!" we can't start our life again! If I can't have Raoul, I should at least be allowed the memory. What did he possibly mean by 'starting life over?' Well, I am done trying to understand Erik; I was done a long time ago.

He picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and marched out. He placed me in the gondola which sat on the serene lake. Before he stepped in, he entered the house again. Thrown to the other side of the boat was the body of M. Philippe, Raoul's brother. We had only met once, but he had made it clear that he disapproved of me and Raoul's love. He had allowed me to call his Philippe, but I still had to acknowledge him as my superior. He assured me it was so I wouldn't think me his friend. Now, his lifeless body lay only feet from me. I felt like taking him by the hair and throwing him into the lake, but I was too weak to even stand. As I looked at myself in the lake, I couldn't help but feel used. Philippe had used me before to get to Mlle. (Insert name here), Raoul has used me as a playmate when he had none when we were children, and Erik had used me to find a wife.

Sudennly, I heard a divine voice, like that of an angel. As I looked up, a string of light was falling from the smallest hole. Above, I could hear the footsteps of the normal people living their normal lives. Why did I have to be chosen? Why was I the one given a gift...? I just wanted my normal life back, where I had no friends, no voice, and no angels.

The light fell upon the lake, creating many shadows and figures. One of them seemed like an angel. The voice would not leave my head. It echoed the words my father had sang to me when I was but a child. It told me to never lose faith and to go with my heart.

"A heart in the body of he who has no soul does not love or believe, but merely beat."

The angel left, but before she did told me that my soul was somewhere. It was with Erik. So to keep faith, I had to live with whoever held my soul. The light died, and once again I was left in agony and darkness.

Erik closed the door to his home, holding Raoul and the Persian. He threw them to the floor of the gondola and began to row forward.