The air was cold, and left behind a feeling of uncertainty and fear as it mingled with the frost to create a fog that chilled Christine to the bone. It was early morning, but it felt like the opposite of that when Erik asked her if she would like to go for a walk. She had been begging him for some time to let her visit the aboveground world, and yet every time she did he would always come up with some excuse to block her out or reject the idea. Christine wasn't used to not being able to see the sun every day, and it was bothering her.
It had been three months since she had been out. Three months since her wedding day. They had a small ceremony in a nearby church and that was it. Her fate had been sealed, and she knew that it was her that chose it. But of course she did, after all, who would let everyone die? It was one thing that she would die, but no one else deserved that fate. They had no association with the strange affair between her and the opera ghost, and she only wished that Raul didn't either. She was not sure where he was, or whether or not he was even still alive.
Now, as the slight wind bit at her flesh and stung her face, Christine was seriously rethinking her pleas to come out here. It wasn't much of a difference in temperature, but at least underground there was no wind. Just the lack of sunlight and happiness. She sighed and looked at Erik. He was inspecting a nearby pond, frozen over by the cold. Sensing her gaze, he looked over at her. His expression was hidden by his mask.
"It's awfully cold today, isn't it?" Said Erik, trying to make conversation. Their relationship is not the best, and they both regard each other with awkwardness and unease, but even in these months since Christine stopped responding to Erik's efforts to make her happy, he still tries to talk to her in any way he can.
"Yes, very much so." She replies curtly.
"Are you quite cold?" Erik asks, concerned for her. Christine shakes her head.
"I am fine, thank you." The truth is she wasn't, but she was enjoying the sun way too much to let him drag her back inside. Erik takes a step closer to her and raises his arm as if to touch her, but then lowers it.
"If you insist, though we must be going back soon. You seem quite flushed." He answers.
"You mean cold? It's cold both ways." She responds. "No matter where I-we are, it's always cold."
"I can.. Turn on the heat. I admit to not feeling temperature the same as you do, due to my.. Poor.. um, Christine, where are you?" Erik asks, looking around for his wife, who was wondering off. "Christine!" he trots after her. "Christine, if we are to go out, you must stay where I can see you. Else how will I know if you are safe or not?"
"By whether or not a million people are dead." she responds
"Dear!"
"Dear" she mocks
"Christine! Get back here immediately!" He orders, running after her. She stops a good few feet away and plops down on the snow. He catches up to her, out of breath.
They sit in silence for a while.
"I'm always so cold. I don't think it will ever go away. Even in the summer, it will never go away." Christine breaks the silence. "I miss the sun. I miss singing. And freedom. And ice cream." She sighs. Erik looks away bashfully.
"I almost let you go, you know." Erik says, "That… day."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because… Raul didn't seem to love you. I saw him one day, after you two had one of your… dates. He was talking. And I wasn't very happy with what he was saying."
"Raul would never-"
"You need to be less trusting. Your open mindedness was what drew Erik to you, but he's not the worst thing you can attract. He knows he's ugly, and mean, and unworthy of you, but there are some things more… mundane. Mundane in a way that will chew pretty girls and spit them out in broken pieces… not that you are broken, no one could ever break pretty christine…"
Erik said, in a far away voice and eyes to match. He said it in a way that made Christine wonder the motivation of his words.
"You mean he…"
"Raoul wanted a trophy. A Christine sized trophy. With pretty curly hair and blue eyes… he did not want a wife." He said. Christine swallowed.
"I don't believe you. He loved me." She said
"Maybe some part of him did. But you know I'm right." He said
"He said he would marry me after. He would have, too, if not for you. There is nothing he's done to say otherwise." She says.
"I love you anyways." Says Erik.
Christine does not respond.