1 The Phantom, The Vicomte, or Neither
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except Esther. All the others belong to Gaston Leroux and so forth…
All was silent in the city of Paris. The air was chilled and there was no moon or stars out. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps rushing down the empty stairs and corridor and the click of a key as it opened the door to the flat. Christine Daae closed the door behind her and leaned against it trying to catch her breath. She hurried to windows and locked them. She turned to the mirror hung up on one of the walls. A wave of guilt and terror swept over her and she shivered, but not because of the frigid air outside.
She found some cloth and sheets and quickly draped them over all the mirrors, even the small hand-mirror, which she covered with a handkerchief. Her blue eyes fell on the windows once more and she pulled the curtains over them. She glanced around the room and grew frightened. It was too dark. She quickly pulled the curtains apart but it still seemed much to dark.
In her haste, she had pulled one of the curtains down completely. She helplessly stared at the material and let it fall from her hand, collecting in a pile on the floor. Christine lit a lamp and fell into a chair. She brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. Everything had gone as planned. They had performed the phantom's opera but immediately afterwards he had come for her and Raoul had followed.
She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to get the picture of her childhood sweetheart caught by the Punjab Lasso. And the both of them, forcing her to choose between them. How could she choose? She couldn't. She ran away from both of them. In her many trips down to the Phantom's lair she had come to know the passage ways well. Now she was alone in her flat, not knowing what had happened to either of them. And she was still wearing the wedding dress that Erik had given her.
Christine sighed and went to her room. Perhaps sleep would help clear her mind. She took the dress off and carefully hung it in her closet making sure her other clothes would not crush or wrinkle the delicate fabric. But sleep didn't come easily to Christine Daae. She kept tossing and turning in the night, thinking of all the things that could of happened after she had left.
The next morning, Christine forgot about breakfast. She needed to find out what happened. If she didn't she was sure she'd go mad. Maybe Meg knew but if not surly her mother, the ballet mistress, did. She paced about her flat and silently scolded herself for stalling. What was she afraid of? Was there anything to be afraid of? She bit her lip and stood in front of the door. Her hand timidly reached the door knob.
Suddenly a knocking came from outside the door. She took a few steps back and eyed the door. Who was behind it? Could it be Meg? Had something happened? Or was it just the landlady come to complain about her pacing? She was startled out of her thoughts by the knob twisting. She heard a soft sigh from behind the door. It could be nothing but Christine secretly prayed whoever it was would just go away. There was a scraping sound like that of metal against the keyhole. Was this person trying to get in?
There was a click and the door slowly pushed open. Christine stood frozen in place and held her breath. A woman stepped into the room. She looked up and her soft brown eyes widened a bit at seeing Christine. She wore white from head to foot. She was slightly taller than Christine with tightly curled blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. She had a rosy color to her skin and wore no make-up or jewelry. Her lips pulled back to show her teeth which were fine except for two that pointed on her top jaw.
"Honestly, Christine," she spoke softly. "I may be infamous but I wouldn't expect my own sister to shut me out."
Christine's lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise.
"My sister? But she was left in a…" She started. The woman finished for her.
"Convent? You didn't expect me to stay there and join the order did you? Oh no, as soon as I was able I came looking for you. I didn't think you'd still be here. In fact," she paused and laughed lightly. "I hardly recognize you."
She held out her arms to Christine. Christine hesitated before rushing to her sister's arms.
"Oh, it's so nice to see you, Christine." She said in almost a whisper. Christine paused. Erik had said her name like that. She shook the memory out of her head.
"It's nice to see you too, Esther." She said happily. Finally, after all those months something nice was happening.
"Christine," Esther started and then blushed slightly. "I hate to ask but do you think you could put up with me for a few days? Just until I find some place else?"
"How can you ask such a question?" Christine asked, pulling away. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like!" She brushed a tear of joy from her eye.
"Thank you." Esther said softly and closed the door behind her.
Christine breathed a sigh of relief. Her father couldn't take them both travelling so her elder sister had to stay behind. It had been awful leaving her but now she was here and she felt so grateful to be able to talk to someone. Especially now. Esther surveyed the flat and glanced upon the mirrors.
"If those were black I'd think someone had died." She commented quietly. Christine paused and turned to her sister.
"Esther, papa is…" She started but Esther held up a hand to silence her.
"I know." She looked down at the floor. "But now I can take care of you."
Christine smiled and picked up a photograph and looked at it.
"Unless, of course," Esther added, smiling. "You've found a gentleman friend to do that for me."
Suddenly reality struck Christine and the picture fell to the floor making a loud clatter. Esther froze then spun around sharply to find the cause of the loud noise. When she saw the fear in her sister's eyes she frowned in concern.
"Christine…what is it?" She asked timidly.
Christine turned to her and a tear fell down her cheek. She had to tell someone. She started to tell her of Raoul first because she had known him but not as well. For a moment she grinned. Christine was confused at first but then blushed remembering how she teased them about liking each other. Then she told the rest in an emotional outpour. About Erik, about what had happened, and everything else. At the end she was sobbing uncontrollably and looked for some reaction from her sister.
"So what should I do?" She choked out.
"Nothing." Esther hissed.
Christine was surprised at her tone even though it remained soft. Esther cleared her throat.
"I mean, I don't think you should do anything. From what you've told me I almost don't want to believe you but you never usually make up the stories, you just dream about them. Raoul was a very nice boy but he seems to have grown a habit of jumping to conclusions or so we might say. But this other one, who claimed to be the Angel of Music…" She clenched her fist and took a breath. "I'm not really in favor of either. I don't know them but I think they've both acted horribly. So your solution is, either choose one now or start over and tell them not to rush you. If they don't play nice, choose neither."
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except Esther. All the others belong to Gaston Leroux and so forth…
All was silent in the city of Paris. The air was chilled and there was no moon or stars out. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps rushing down the empty stairs and corridor and the click of a key as it opened the door to the flat. Christine Daae closed the door behind her and leaned against it trying to catch her breath. She hurried to windows and locked them. She turned to the mirror hung up on one of the walls. A wave of guilt and terror swept over her and she shivered, but not because of the frigid air outside.
She found some cloth and sheets and quickly draped them over all the mirrors, even the small hand-mirror, which she covered with a handkerchief. Her blue eyes fell on the windows once more and she pulled the curtains over them. She glanced around the room and grew frightened. It was too dark. She quickly pulled the curtains apart but it still seemed much to dark.
In her haste, she had pulled one of the curtains down completely. She helplessly stared at the material and let it fall from her hand, collecting in a pile on the floor. Christine lit a lamp and fell into a chair. She brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. Everything had gone as planned. They had performed the phantom's opera but immediately afterwards he had come for her and Raoul had followed.
She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to get the picture of her childhood sweetheart caught by the Punjab Lasso. And the both of them, forcing her to choose between them. How could she choose? She couldn't. She ran away from both of them. In her many trips down to the Phantom's lair she had come to know the passage ways well. Now she was alone in her flat, not knowing what had happened to either of them. And she was still wearing the wedding dress that Erik had given her.
Christine sighed and went to her room. Perhaps sleep would help clear her mind. She took the dress off and carefully hung it in her closet making sure her other clothes would not crush or wrinkle the delicate fabric. But sleep didn't come easily to Christine Daae. She kept tossing and turning in the night, thinking of all the things that could of happened after she had left.
The next morning, Christine forgot about breakfast. She needed to find out what happened. If she didn't she was sure she'd go mad. Maybe Meg knew but if not surly her mother, the ballet mistress, did. She paced about her flat and silently scolded herself for stalling. What was she afraid of? Was there anything to be afraid of? She bit her lip and stood in front of the door. Her hand timidly reached the door knob.
Suddenly a knocking came from outside the door. She took a few steps back and eyed the door. Who was behind it? Could it be Meg? Had something happened? Or was it just the landlady come to complain about her pacing? She was startled out of her thoughts by the knob twisting. She heard a soft sigh from behind the door. It could be nothing but Christine secretly prayed whoever it was would just go away. There was a scraping sound like that of metal against the keyhole. Was this person trying to get in?
There was a click and the door slowly pushed open. Christine stood frozen in place and held her breath. A woman stepped into the room. She looked up and her soft brown eyes widened a bit at seeing Christine. She wore white from head to foot. She was slightly taller than Christine with tightly curled blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. She had a rosy color to her skin and wore no make-up or jewelry. Her lips pulled back to show her teeth which were fine except for two that pointed on her top jaw.
"Honestly, Christine," she spoke softly. "I may be infamous but I wouldn't expect my own sister to shut me out."
Christine's lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise.
"My sister? But she was left in a…" She started. The woman finished for her.
"Convent? You didn't expect me to stay there and join the order did you? Oh no, as soon as I was able I came looking for you. I didn't think you'd still be here. In fact," she paused and laughed lightly. "I hardly recognize you."
She held out her arms to Christine. Christine hesitated before rushing to her sister's arms.
"Oh, it's so nice to see you, Christine." She said in almost a whisper. Christine paused. Erik had said her name like that. She shook the memory out of her head.
"It's nice to see you too, Esther." She said happily. Finally, after all those months something nice was happening.
"Christine," Esther started and then blushed slightly. "I hate to ask but do you think you could put up with me for a few days? Just until I find some place else?"
"How can you ask such a question?" Christine asked, pulling away. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like!" She brushed a tear of joy from her eye.
"Thank you." Esther said softly and closed the door behind her.
Christine breathed a sigh of relief. Her father couldn't take them both travelling so her elder sister had to stay behind. It had been awful leaving her but now she was here and she felt so grateful to be able to talk to someone. Especially now. Esther surveyed the flat and glanced upon the mirrors.
"If those were black I'd think someone had died." She commented quietly. Christine paused and turned to her sister.
"Esther, papa is…" She started but Esther held up a hand to silence her.
"I know." She looked down at the floor. "But now I can take care of you."
Christine smiled and picked up a photograph and looked at it.
"Unless, of course," Esther added, smiling. "You've found a gentleman friend to do that for me."
Suddenly reality struck Christine and the picture fell to the floor making a loud clatter. Esther froze then spun around sharply to find the cause of the loud noise. When she saw the fear in her sister's eyes she frowned in concern.
"Christine…what is it?" She asked timidly.
Christine turned to her and a tear fell down her cheek. She had to tell someone. She started to tell her of Raoul first because she had known him but not as well. For a moment she grinned. Christine was confused at first but then blushed remembering how she teased them about liking each other. Then she told the rest in an emotional outpour. About Erik, about what had happened, and everything else. At the end she was sobbing uncontrollably and looked for some reaction from her sister.
"So what should I do?" She choked out.
"Nothing." Esther hissed.
Christine was surprised at her tone even though it remained soft. Esther cleared her throat.
"I mean, I don't think you should do anything. From what you've told me I almost don't want to believe you but you never usually make up the stories, you just dream about them. Raoul was a very nice boy but he seems to have grown a habit of jumping to conclusions or so we might say. But this other one, who claimed to be the Angel of Music…" She clenched her fist and took a breath. "I'm not really in favor of either. I don't know them but I think they've both acted horribly. So your solution is, either choose one now or start over and tell them not to rush you. If they don't play nice, choose neither."