I could feel the weight of my final decision on that fateful night before it was even made. I knew as I left your side that it would inevitably destroy you…it was only a matter of time. Although I pursued a different path that led away from you, I never truly left you. I wandered as you once did, becoming your shadow, and never letting you get too far out of sight. All I could do was silently watch as you climbed to the rooftop and flirted with the edge of the roof, full of promise. Unable to so much as speak, I just watched, silently praying that you would survive this moment of pain…
Christine dared to venture out from her hiding place and speak Erik's name softly, the feel of its very letters caressing her lips fondly, bringing back intense memories of their precious time together.
Erik turned to meet the sound of his name, giving her a tear-stained glance before collapsing to his knees. "Christine…" he spoke pitifully, his only shred of delight coming from the sound of her name spoken from his lips. "Why have you returned?"
Christine closed the distance between the two of them and bent down to caress the unmasked side of his face. "I never left you," she spoke lightly, smiling.
"I thought this whole time that the feeling of your presence was a broken-hearted illusion. And yet, here you stand…"
"I have truly wanted to return to you, Erik. I should have never walked away."
"But you could never have a life with me…" Erik spoke with remorseful realization.
She responded to his statement with a gentle rubbing of her thumb across his perfect features. "I don't deserve you. I don't know how to love an angel…"
"I am no angel, Christine," he spoke, the admittance nearly breaking him. "I will always be the creature from hell."
"You will always be my angel of music," Christine corrected, taking Erik's hand hesitatingly and placing it softly over her rapidly-beating heart. "You will always be here," she promised.
Erik dropped his head to his lap as sobs overtook his body, his entire form shaking from the intensity. "What have I done in my life to deserve your affection," he asked in a broken voice. "How has this tainted soul earned your perfect touch?"
Christine brought his hand to her lips and lightly pressed them to his shaking hand. "What have I done to deserve your love? I have constantly turned from you and betrayed you, and yet your love has never faltered."
"Christine, I love you…" He dared to reach up and caress her face with his free hand. Much to his surprise, she did not deny his touch. She didn't turn away in repulsion or shun him. She just gently leaned into his touch, desiring to be closer to him. "Regrettably, however, I was not meant for this world."
With a sharp intake of breath, the weight of Erik's plan hit Christine, making it hard to breathe. The worst part, however, was that she knew that what he said was true. From the moment that he was born, he was never meant to exist in this mortal world. "No," she agreed, "you were meant for something greater. The confines of the world could never contain you."
Another stream of tears fell from Erik's eyes. While he was sweetly overwhelmed with Christine's care and support, he still grieved the loss of anything to hold him back from his untimely demise. They both knew what had to be done, yet it remained an unspoken truth permeating the very air surrounding them. Christine squeezed Erik's hand tighter, letting him know that she was here for him. Still, fear and premature regret took over him.
"As much as I long to escape this wretched world, I begin to wonder if what's next will truly be any better. There is no doubt that I will be spit right back into the hell from which I was born. I have done nothing in this life to deserve anything more than being damned back into the fiery pits of hell."
"I believe that there is a road to heaven for everyone. Although you often chose the path of darkness, you do have a heart of gold. There is a light at the end of time…a light that breaks through the darkness."
"How can a heart like mine even dream of being gold? I am nothing more than a manifestation of chaos. I destroy everything in my path, Christine. You are a prime example of that." Erik lowered his head, refusing to meet Christine's gaze, terrified of her expression. Christine raised his head with her free hand, forcing him to look at her expression, devoid of rejection and judgment.
"There is an unseen lesson in the tears that we have cried. We have both learned from each other, and from each experience, even those that have hurt us. I am beyond the point of blaming you for anything."
All that Erik could do in response was cry harder still. To be absolved of all blame and guilt was such a foreign, albeit welcomed concept for him. At least, if nothing else, he would die a forgiven man.
The sun began to peek out across the horizon, and Christine began to realize that their time was quickly drawing to a close. After a period of silence, she spoke once more.
"I can feel the pain inside you, and it's more than you can hold. It's more than the hearts of a thousand men could contain. You have known no end to suffering, and now may you finally find peace. Tonight you shall live among the angels," Christine spoke, trying hard to suppress her inevitable tears. "Tonight you shall know what it feels like to ascend to the golden sky, away from the disappointments and heartbreak of the world."
Erik was not as successful in holding back more tears. He was already in the presence of an angel…an angel whose company he knew he did not deserve.
One last time, Christine dared to lift the mask off of Erik's face. Despite his grimace and attempt to pull away, she lovingly caressed the source of a lifetime of pain and suffering. Erik closed his eyes and leaned into her touch with a grateful longing that begged for more. Christine released their grip on each other to bring her other hand to rest gently behind her head. She urged him closer, finally taking the initiative to close the space between their lips. She met his bloated lips, hesitant at first, then with more urgency and desire. Erik's hands lay limp at his sides until he gathered the courage to entwine them in Christine's beautiful curls. He dared to run the tip of his tongue across her bottom lip, begging for the chance to full taste her. She opened her mouth slightly, permitting him to gently stroke her tongue with deft and graceful movements. Erik felt the vibrations of her lips as she let out a slight moan against his mouth.
Christine regretfully broke their mouths apart before bringing their lips back together for one final, chaste kiss, savoring the last taste of him. They drew back, both with tear-stained faces, and shared one final, loving gaze before Christine buried her face in the crook of Erik's neck.
"I can't believe this is it," Christine said between sharp breaths as she gripped Erik's form tighter to her. Erik returned her touch, pressing their bodies closer together and rubbing circles on her back. She drew back and weaved their fingers together one last time.
"I have to go, Christine," he spoke with hurt in his voice as they both stood and made their way to the edge. Erik carefully climbed up, never once releasing his grip on Christine's hand.
Christine gazed longingly upon her angel, who truly looked resplendent framed by the golden glow of the rising sun. Tears flowed freely down her face as Erik looked out to the horizon, taking in its beauty one last time and savoring a moment of contentment that he had never known in his life.
"I love you, Erik." She cherished the feel of those words on her lips….the words that she had always wanted to say, but never did.
"I love you too, Christine," he spoke lightly, not daring to turn around for fear of abandoning his decision.
Christine squeezed his hand with an encouraging touch and spoke her final words to him. "I wish I had the power to change the world and make it suitable for you. I wish that I could promise a life with you devoid of further pain and heartbreak. I wish that I could spend the rest of my life with you, kissing away every tear and every ounce of pain that your life has seen. But I know that I am not capable, and all I can do is let go…"
With her final word, Erik's body went limp and dropped off the side of the opera house, almost of its own accord. Christine held his hand in her firm embrace until the moment that the force of his falling boy broke their grip apart. She let out a broken cry as soon as their hands released and fell to her knees, sobbing into her hands. "Erik," she spoke longingly. "My Erik…My angel…" She continued crying without inhibition, calling his name out to the empty air, hoping and praying for a response.
In her grief, she did not notice the figure of a man manifest behind her. An ethereal figure with a flawless face stepped closer to her and tenderly embraced her within the comfort of beautiful angel wings. Without a word, he continued to embrace Christine's sobbing form, offering her unseen comfort.
For a moment Christine lifted her head. Although she could not physically see her angel, she could feel his unmistakable presence, and in her heart, she could feel his happiness and relief. She smiled knowing that her angel was near, and that he was watching over her.
You can fly now…