Chapter one
"You've tried my patience, make your choice" Erik growled. Christine took a deep breath and gazed at her broken angel, struggling to accept what she must do. She glided through the fog-coated water and called to him in her lilting voice, "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" After only one moment's hesitation, she brushed her soft, trembling lips to Erik's misshapen, desperate mouth.
Erik came to life at the kiss of his beloved Christine. The cruel, empty world around him became smaller and smaller as he flew away from it, into Christine's embrace. He let his head fall a little onto her warm, delicate face and he loosened his grip on Raoul's rope without meaning to; Raoul also barely noticed the ropes sudden slackness, as he was too deep in the jealous despair of seeing his little lotte, his fiancé; kissing another so much more passionately and beautifully than she had ever kissed him.
Christine carefully broke of the kiss and looked up at Erik with the lovely eyes of a lost puppy. Erik gave her a bitter sweet smile and caressed her wet cheek gently with his knuckles. He turned and began to roughly and impatiently untie Raoul. Christine felt the knot in her stomach fall and before she could feel so much as a prickling behind her eyes, the flood gates opened. She sobbed uncontrollably and rushed to Raoul, Erik reluctantly allowed her to hug Raoul and say her sorrowful goodbye.
Raoul was also crying at this point "I'm so sorry Christine" He cried "I should have been stronger, I should have fought harder" He sobbed into her shoulder; she shushed him and stroked his beautiful hair. "No, Raoul, you have given me so much joy and I will never forget you. I will be okay, I will go on with my angel and you will go on to find a sweet, normal wife to bear you're children and hold you on stormy nights. I'm sorry it won't be me, that it can't be me." She sniffled but tried not to let him hear her tears, "There will never be a day when I don't think of you, my love, my light." She finished in a broken whisper. She pulled back from his embrace a little and touched her forehead to his. "I love you for now and always, I will not forget you but I will let you go." they shared a somber, passionate kiss that made Erik's heart ache, but he had to give her this. They broke apart as the angry chants of the mob grew louder. All three looked up in their own form of fear. "Run Raoul!" Christine cried as she and Erik jumped though the hidden door behind the mirror and ran towards a new life together.