This is set just after Christine and the phantom plunge down into the opera house dungeons after the Don Juan performance. He kidnaps her and takes her to the country expecting to start a new life together – useless to Christine's complaints.
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I do not own the rights to Phantom of the opera the movie, the musical or the novel. If I did I would be very rich and not bothering with writing stories!!!!
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Christine and the Phantom slammed brutally into the ground of the underground level of the opera house after possible a twenty metre drop. Erik had layered down towels and cushions to protect them against the hardness of the floor but he had landed on top of Christine after the confusion of the final moment of the Don Juan performance. He had not expected her to unmask him, or humiliate him the way she did. He pushed aside his annoyance and concentrated on moving as quickly as he could – there was not much time.
Christine Daae had been with the opera house since she was a small child, she had explored every known part of the four leveled masterpiece and yet she had not seen this underground tunnel before in her life. In fact she did not know where she was at all whether they were still under the opera house. She cried for Raoul in desperation and frantically tried to wrench her arm out of the Phantom's vice like grip.
"Let me go" she pleaded desperately as her ankle started to throb sharply, the fall must have been harder than she realised
"Raoul" she screamed again in fear
Christine's pleas only made Erik grip her arm tighter – perhaps too tight, he did not want to hurt her but there was no other way at the moment – she was coming with him whether or not he had to drag her unwilling. Erik swore loudly, they had to hurry; he had to get himself and Christine to his carriage at the end of the dark tunnels and into the French countryside before his route was properly discovered. Christine winced painfully as the phantom pulled her down yet another unreconiseable corridor.
"What is it" Erik asked sharply concern deep in his voice
"My ankle" Christine replied "angel please let me go, I cannot walk my ankle I fear it may have broken in the fall, I will not betray your escape please angel Raoul will be searching for me" "he loves me" she finished sobbing
It panged painfully at the phantoms heart to hear Christine speak to lovingly about Raoul. What kind of love did she know from him? A boyish crush from childhood not a grown mans devotion. Raoul could never take care of Christine as Erik could, surround her by music love and laughter. He would make her see – make her realise that there was only one man for her. Him.
Christine was struggling, she had used most of her energy trying to fight of the phantom and screaming desperate unanswered cries for help and now her suspected fractured ankle was slowing her down. The pain was almost unbearable. She felt like she was going to collapse from pain.
Erik sensing her weakness stopped and scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. Grunting and quickening his pace as the rioters loomed. He could now hear their chanting. The long underground tunnels were no deterrent to Erik, he had roamed these tunnels since he was a small child rescued from the circus by Madame Giry and the fact that he finally had Christine with him hardened his resolve and within ten minutes he had arrived at the carriage he had set up in preparation at the end of the arching tunnels.
He approached the carriage opened the carriage door and place Christine tenderly onto the leather seat and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. He shut and bolted the carriage door quickly and climbed into the driving seat taking the reins and moving the carriage quickly the horses at a gallop. Erik was pressed for time, he wanted to be in the countryside by dawn and he could not leave traceable tracks.
After three hours of steady riding Christine was awoken quite brutally. Sunlight blared through the open carriage window and she blinked heavily trying to soak in the light and get her bearings. Feverishly she tried to move towards the carriage door hoping to find it unlocked but as moved her legs felt like lead. She shifted her body hastily over to the window of the carriage. They were definitely moving and they were going out of the city, she could see the golden hills of the countryside moving closer and closer to her.
All her energy now gone in trying to pry open the door she gave herself away to delirium trusting in the phantom enough that he would at least not harm her physically. He loved her enough for that she hoped. As she closed here eyes and sank away she thought of Raoul – the only man who could save her from a dark and desperate fate.
Four hours later and Erik had finally arrived at the old mansion he had owned for some time now. He stopped the carriage at the main entrance and climbed down to the ground desperate to check on Christine. He quickly unbolted the door and checked on his beloved. Luckily it was not as bad as he had feared three hours ago when he had first placed her into the carriage. She was certainly feverish with small beads of sweat on her forehead and neck with a heavy temperature but nothing that he could not handle. He closed and re-bolted the carriage door leaving Christine inside. He had some preparations to make before he could take her inside.
Erik unfastened the horses and led them around to the stables making sure they had plenty of food and water. He then headed inside his modest (though dated) mansion and began to get organised. It was a seven bedroom house with beautiful grounds for walking and a wonderful flower garden stocked with roses. He remembered how Christine loved roses. It was secluded enough for privacy and was one hundred kilometres from the next town it was his haven, he did not have to wear his mask here – it was here where he felt finally free from the world and its many injustices.
He had been coming here twice every week since he formulated his plan to kidnap Christine; he had a modest amount of clothes ready for use and had stocked the library, kitchen and bedrooms modestly in the hopes of having Christine see this place as her new home.
He sighed and ran back to the carriage to carry Christine inside. He carried her inside and placed her in one of the many bedrooms. He placed her on the bed and wiped her face with a damp cloth and removed her stockings. Modesty would play no part now she needed to get well.
For two unbearable nights Erik had to endure her many mutterings through her feverish sleep. She talked to her father Raoul and even the phantom himself in some heart racing moments but mostly she cried for her mother with whom she had the littlest time with. Erik felt pity for another human being for the first time in his life as he watched Christine struggle through the illness.
Christine woke from her fever two days after she was brought to the mansion. She gingerly opened her eyes and slowly adjusted to the past days events. She remembered there was a carriage, and the phantom was taking her somewhere and she was unwilling. She was in the countryside. However she was not familiar with the French countryside having not gone there since she was a small child with her father. How was she to escape with no way knowing forward or back? Her mind was racing. A quiet voice broke her out of her thoughts:
"Good morning my beloved – at last you are awake and well"
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