Disclaimer: I do not own any of this...WHAAAAA! Gaston Leroux owns the original story, but this fanfic takes up from Andrew Lloyd Webber...no likie, no readie...

A/N: Hi! If you read my last story, you know that it kinda went down the tube...but, I will try again! This idea came to me during our Social Studies class while I was bored...we were watching a boring video SO SUE ME! Hope you like! R/R please!

I. The cold darkness was too much to bear, the pain and angst too much to experience, the drama being portrayed in the dungeon below was too much to watch, let alone be a part of.

Raoul de Changy was hanging on for dear life while his lover stood before him with the mortal choice. His neck was in a noose and his heart had jumped into his throat for fear that she would make a wrong decision. He kept telling her to say no to the beast who tried to condemn her to a lifetime of darkness with him...a lifetime that was not really a life at all.

"If you refuse me, your lover dies!", Erik yelled to Christine, telling her what she already knew, "If you take me, he will be let free, and you agree to be my bride..." he said in a little calmer tone. Erik had loved her ever since he first heard her sang. He was not going to let her go to another man.

"Christine," said the viscount, talking in a whisper for he could not breathe much, "tell him no! You do not need to surrender your life to this damned place for my sake. Say no...say no..."

Christine remained silent for many moments which seemed like lifetimes. She was so scared, scared for Raoul's life, scared for Erik's life, scared for her own life. How did it come to this?, she thought. How could I have let it come to this?

The minutes went by, and Raoul's breath was becoming short. Erik was becoming very angry, violent, and worried that she would say no. The cold room in which they stood was soon being washed over by the sound of the mob coming to take Erik away and execute him for the crimes that he had committed. If Christine did not say her decision soon, they would all be executed.

That night had been the performance of the opera Don Juan Triumphant, Erik's lifetime masterpiece. The emotions in the opera had not been unlike the composer's very own for his whole life: betrayal, angst, longing for compassion. He was sitting in Box 5, waiting until the right moment to sweep Christine from the stage into his lair. Killing Piangi was easy...just lure him to the right place, get him caught in the noose, and pull hard. Then, he went onto the stage in the most dramatic moment of the opera with Christine as Aminta, the lead lady part. When the time was right, they both disappeared down into the black lair below them. Raoul, being in love as he was, looked for a way down, but help found him before he found help. Madame Giry lead him into the lair of the man she knew as an Angel of Music, but she only lead Raoul as far as the pitch black lake. There, Raoul swam across, and went into the house where the love of his life was captured by the monster. Those events lead up until this moment.

The room was still and quiet as Christine thought. Her choice would decide the fate of everyone. On the one hand, Erik had never been loved by anyone in his entire life, but on the other hand, Raoul was who she really loved. She could not really bear looking upon Erik's face day in and day out. How could she? In her actions she had shown fear, but inside, she was dying of misery when she saw the mangled, misshapen flesh...the twisted face...death's head...

"You try my patience...make your choice!", Erik thundered. He was still waiting for a moment or two until someone finally spoke.

"Christine, you need to think about it...how could you stand to live with him? Say no...you cannot live this life with him. Don't care about what happens to me, just say no, for pity's sake!", said Raoul. This was not the life he wanted her to live.

"Monsieur, I think the decision all relies on Christine," said Erik tensely.

They were both staring at her, waiting for her to make the final choice. She simply could not choose yet. Live with Erik, seeing his disfigured face all the time, knowing that Raoul is somewhere else, longing for her? Or say no, be returned to the world above without a man to care for her, settling with the fact that Raoul was dead, and knowing that she had lost both Raoul and Erik. She had to choose quickly, for the mob was approaching quickly, and they were almost to the lake, which they could get across in minutes.

"CHOOSE!", Erik yelled, his anger at a boiling point.

"SAY NO!", yelled Raoul at the same time.

After one moment of silence, Christine spoke, "Erik, I cannot live with you, I cannot be your wife, and I cannot love you."

"So be it," he replied in a harsh voice.

Raoul began to feel a tightening on his throat. He knew that it would all be over soon, though, knowing Erik, it would be slow and painful. He could hardly breathe. He found himself beginning to close his eyes. The Punjab lasso was tightening slowly, strangling him. Then, he had enough breath to say his last words, "Christine, I love you." His body fell limp, dead. Christine screamed and fainted.

A/N: This is only the first chapter if you liked it so far...I'm sorry to all you Raoul lovers, I just had an idea where what if Christine said no? so I had to try it! I'm sorry if it is a little too harsh or bad...and I'm sorry if someone already used this idea...please R/R! (and I really didn't mean to be mean to Erik...I love him! But I had to put it in to set the drama of the moment)