Erik's POV
I lay awake all night long beside my beautiful, sweet Christine. I was still in awe at what had happened between the both of us just hours ago in this very bed. Christine had came to me. Yes, she came to me and found where I hid! Just having her come back to me made my song take flight once again, but then she did something I had never expected her to do. She had made love to me. Christine, my angel, had made pure passionate love to me. She made love to me! Me! The hideous monster! A sweet perfect angel had my love to an angel of Hell. I would never think in a billion years that a glorious creature such as her would even touch a monster like me let alone make love. Christine had made my every dream come true. For one night alone, she loved me. That was all I could have ever asked her to do was love me and she did it. She loved me despite of my distorted face. Although, we could barely see a thing do to how dark it was in my lair so she probably couldn't see my face, but all in all, she kissed my monsterous lips with her own perfect ones. For this one night, I felt like a normal man. All my life I was treated as the devil child, but this night, I was treated like any other man.
I sighed happily and turned on my side to face Christine's sleeping form. Oh, how beautiful she was even when she was asleep. A small smile formed at the corner of my lips. Just the sight of her beside me made me so happy, but my smile slowly vanished once I realized what had to be done next. I had to leave her. I don't want to leave her, I never would, but I have to. Tonight, she will be wed to her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. My blood boiled and my heart ached at the same time. Even though Christine and I had spent this perfect night together, I knew that it was only pity for me. Christine could never love such a hideous creature like me, but for this night she pretended to. Even though she pretended to love me, it still made me happy knowing that she would make love to a monster to make me feel loved for the first time in my entire life. I wish I could just stay here and spend forever with her, but her heart belonged to another and I could never force her to be with a man she could never love.
I pressed my eyes shut, holding back the tears and sat up in my bed. I glanced at Christine again as a single tear fell down my distorted cheek and onto the black satin sheets. I shook my head softly. "Oh, Christine.." I whispered, gently gliding the back of my finger down her flawless cheek. "Why can't you find the man beneath the monster?" I slowly crept out of bed, gathering and putting on my clothes that were spread out all over the floor. Once I was completely dressed, I placed on my black wig that was slicked back, then my white leather mask, and finally, my black leather gloves. I gathered all my compositions and extra music sheets to use to compose with later on. I also grabbed several suits and night attire. I started to walk out of my lair until I looked back at Christine. She was still sleeping so peacefully. I couldn't leave without giving her an explanation. She needed to know why I left her all alone. I walked over to my desk, set down my music sheets and compositions, picked up a piece of parchment and quill pen and began writing.
My dear Chrsitine,
I am sorry that you have woken up alone, but this is how it needed to be. I could not stay here with you knowing that you will marry the Vicomte later on this day especially after what happened last night between the two of us. What happened shouldn't have happened. No, I do not regret one thing that happened, but it shouldn't have. What I took from you wasn't meant to be mine. It was meant to be the Vicomte's. You were suppose to be pure on your wedding night. Oh, Christine, I am so sorry. Never will I regret what we did, but now, I must go. I'll be far far away from Paris by the time you awake. Please, if you know what's good for you, don't come looking for me. Last night was the last time you will ever see me. I wish you and the Vicomte the best life possible. I will always love you.
Forever yours,
Erik.
I folded the note then placed it on the pillow beside her head. I carefully leaned over the bed and placed a lingering kiss to her forehead as silent tears fell down my cheeks. "Goodbye, my sweet Christine," I whispered. I gathered my belongings and left, this time without looking back.
I slipped into the dark volts of the charred Opera House and into the darkened Paris streets. I stopped in the middle of the street, not knowing where to go or what to do. All I knew is that I needed to get out of Paris as fast as possible, but how? There was no one I could trust fully. Besides, everyone had thought I had died, but several people still had their suspicions because a body was never found. I was on the most wanted list in Paris and there were guards almost everywhere looking for the dangerous masked man. There was one person I could trust; Madame Giry. I made my way through the streets in the shadows to the Giry's flat. I crept up the steps and knocked on the door. After a few minutes of waiting, I started to lose my patience. I pounded on the door. "Giry! Open the door!" I growled. Shortly after that, a half asleep Madame Giry opened the door. "Erik?" she questioned in her thick French accent. "What are you doing here? It's only almost 3 in the morning." I moved swiftly into her home, shutting the door behind me. "We need to leave Paris right away," I told her. Giry raised a brow curiously. "Why? I thought you knew how to hide from the guards.." she stated. I slammed my fists against the stand next to the door. "Dammit Giry! It has nothing to do with the blasted guards!" I growled angrily. "I.. Something happened last night and it shouldn't have happened and now I desperately need to get out of here," I said, desperately wanting to get out and leave as soon as possible. "I'll explain later, just please get me out of here.. Please.." I begged. Giry could tell how desperately I wanted to get out of Paris and nodded her head, agreeing to help me escape from here. "There's a ship in Calais leaving for a place called Coney Island in New York in a few hours," she told me. "Then let's be on it!" I quickly replied. "Get Meg and gather your most precious belongings," I told her. Giry stood there, still wandering why I needed to leave so quickly. "Now Giry!" I commanded. "Erik, you know will have to sneak you on, yes?" she questioned. I rolled my eyes. "Yes! Yes, I know! I don't care what it takes, I will be on the damn ship to get me the hell out of here!" I replied, growing very impatient with her. "But how will we-" she started before I cut her off yelling, "Now!"
Once Giry had left to gather her things, I leaned up against the wall taking deep breaths, grabbing the left side of my chest. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. My heart was weak and the stress was only causing it to grow weaker. My heart had always been a problem for me since birth. Stress and pain would only make it weaker. Also, I was getting up in my years which didn't help my heart health at all. Once I calmed down, I waited and waited for the Giry's to be ready to leave Paris once and for all.
Soon, the Giry's were done and ready to go. We snuck into the streets and rode on stolen horses and a boat all the way to Calais just in time to sneak aboard the ship without anyone seeing us. The Giry's shared a room and I got my own. I tossed my compositions and blank music sheets on the table in the corner before I changed into my night attire. I took of my mask and wig, letting my deformity and gray locks free. I crawled into the bed and buried myself under the blankets. I laid there and all I could think about was my Christine. My sweet, sweet Christine. Oh, how I was going to miss her. If I knew that last night was going to be the last time I would see her, I would have made it even more special than it was. It was then I felt the ship start to move. Just as it moved, tears rushed to my eyes for I realized I would never see my beloved Christine ever again. "Christine.." I cried. "Oh, my sweet Christine.." With those last words, I cried myself to sleep that night and almost every night after that until we reached Coney Island weeks later.