Madness and Hope

Christine found all three men peacefully asleep. She decided to cover Erik with a blanket too, so he wouldn't be cold. Then she just sat there, trying not to think about the future that lay in store. She had agreed to be a real wife for Erik and was terrified he would force her to keep that promise. She would have to let him touch her, kiss her and even make love to her, something she dreaded beyond everything else. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be taken by a man, she shuddered with disgust at the mere thought of that. She had never desired any man exept the handsome, gentle Raoul and now it would be Erik, the ugly, creepy, violent Erik to take her - and she wouldn't have any right to deny him!

"Christine?" she heard Raouls voice from the couch. She rushed to his side, embracing and kissing him. "O Raoul, my love, how do you feel?" she whispered, fearing to wake Erik. "I... I don't know... I'm so tired..." Raoul answered, then asked what had happened and Christine told him everything she knew.

"He really is asleep", Raoul said, as Erik didn't move in his chair. Christine nodded. "Quick, get me a knife or something like that", Raoul said, "I'll deal with that monster!" "No, Raoul, you will not kill him", Christine objected. "But he is a murderer and a kidnapper! He wouldn't hesitate to blow up the opera house in the middle of a performance!" Christine stated firmely: "No, HE wouldn't. But he promised to let both of you go free and I do trust him to keep his promise. So there is no need for you to stoop so low as to kill him in his sleep."

That moment Erik stirred slowly and Raoul was terrified, what he might have heard. But Erik was calm as he asked Raoul how he felt and gave him some tea, then telling him to go back to sleep. There must have been something in the tea because Raoul really fell asleep again just after he finished the cup of tea. Erik turned to Christine: "My darling, you look tired. You should get some rest, maybe you go to sleep in the music room? I do not want you to exhaust yourself. I will care for them." Christine did obey but she was sure she wouldn't be able to rest after all she had gone through.

Erik returned to his chair and stared at the two sleeping men before him. Never had he dreamed it would turn out like that, never! He had been convinced that either he or these two or maybe all of them along with a few thousand other people would die. Erik closed his eyes as he let the thought to sink into his brain which hopefully was back to its normal function. A few thousand people would have died in the explosion. A few THOUSAND. Erik shuddered at the thought as he remembered how close he had been to the grasshopper. He was a murderer but a few THOUSAND lifes were far too much to be on his conscience. He would have gone to hell, no doubt of that. Right now he felt relieved, he hadn't killed one man this night, but he knew that this wasn't his doing but hers. He was more than ever convinced that if there was any hope for salvation for him it could only be with her help.

The Persian woke and found himself in a bed, Erik sitting on the bed beside him. "How do you feel, you booby?" Erik teased with a friendly smile. "Sick" was the only reply he got. "You shouldn't have risked your life", Erik said, "How often did I tell you to stay away?" The Daroga didn't reply, he was too weary to count their quarrels, there had been too many of them. Erik shrugged and went to the kitchen to fetch a cup of tea for his friend who refused to drink it before Erik himself had taken a sip from the cup. Erik huffed at the other man's request but complied. "Why would I save you only posion you? I might be crazy but I am not stupid", Erik rebuked. He didn't tell that there was a sleep-inducing drug attached to the tea, a drug Erik had used on himself far too often to block his nightmares, it would take a far higher dose to affect him anyway therefor he was sure he wouldn't even notice the small sip he had taken.

Erik decided to bring the Daroga back to his home, but first he had to lock the Vicomte up somewhere. There was the old Communards dungeon and it would serve his purpose well. Erik just took Raoul and dragged him to the dungeon, where he locked him up. Then he decided that the Vicomte needed his clothes, some blankets, a mattress and a bucket and maybe a bottle of water and some food. Erik went back to his flat to fetch the things and brought them down to the dungeon. Raoul was awake, shivering in the cold.

"What are you doing to me?" Raoul inquired weakly. "Keeping you hostage", Erik answered seriously, "I promised to set you free but I will not risk Christine going back on her promise. No, you will stay here until after our marriage. Is there anything you need, Monsieur, anything I haven't already thought of?" "Yes, it is so dark", Raoul pleaded, "Please leave me a lamp or at least a candle and a watch so I know the time." "Very well, I'll get you a lamp and matches and a watch if you insist. You like something to read? Reading helps to shorten the time." Erik went back again to fetch an oil lamp, matches and a few books which he gave to Raoul. "Do not overexercise yourself now. You should try to rest as much as you can now. I'll bring you lunch when it is twelve o'clock."

Raoul was left alone in the dark room with the metal bars. Three walls were stone, one was made of stone and metal bars and the door was made of bars too. It was depressing and cold and so Raoul had no choice but wrap himself in the blankets, lit the oil lamp and wait for whatever was to come.

Erik would have loved a chance to get some sleep but he had to drag the Daroga, who was still asleep, to the small door in the Rue Scribe, where he fetched a cab and told the driver where to go. Erik could only hope that in this early morning hour the driver would mistake them for two drunkards on their way home. That would at least explain why the Daroga wasn't able to walk on his own legs and Erik had to drag him along. The driver even helped getting the daroga to the door of his house and rang the bell. Darius opened. The faithful servant had been worried about his master's fate knowing all to well what it meant to fight against the infamous Phantom of the Opera alias Trapdoor-Lover alias Angel of Doom.

Erik returned to the opera house just before sunrise. Christine was awake and close to panic because she had found herself alone in the flat. "I'm sorry", Erik greeted her wearily, "I should have left you a note. Please, my darling, I am too exhausted to take care of you now. Please allow me a few hours sleep and then I will prepare lunch for us."

Erik slept a few hours, but it wasn't a good sleep for he was plagued by a terrible nightmare. The nightmare showed him the situation in the Louis Philippe Room, with him and Christine standing at the mantlepice looking at the scorpion and the grasshopper. But in his dream Christine did not turn any of the figures, leaving it to him to turn the grasshopper. Then everything burst into flames but there was no explosion. The flames consumed Christine, burning her, deforming her until she was nothing than black bones. Erik screamed and tried to turn the scorpion, tried to get away, tried to extinguish the flames but he couldn't move, he was locked into his body which had become stone. He woke screaming and bathed in sweat.

When he sat up, he noticed that the lights were turned on in his bedroom and Christine was standing next to his coffin. She was pale and lokked at least ten years older than a week before. "Are you in pain?" Christine asked worriedly. Erik shook his head, then touched his face with his fingers to make sure the mask was in place and she wouldn't have to endure the sight of his face. "Just a nightmare... don't worry, it is nothing..." Erik assured her despite the fact that he longed to touch her, to hold her, to find comfort in her embrace. He didn't trust himself that he would be contend with an innocent touch, he was afraid of the darker desires which lurked within him and which he hoped Christine would never find out about. She was a good, decent girl and he wouldn't dare soil her with his filth. Never.

Erik climbed out of his coffin and stretched, faking a yawn. "I'll take a bath and then I'll fix lunch for us", he stated. Christine just nodded and returned to her room.

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Thank you for reading and please review! I'm sorry if there are mistakes, English isn't my first language.