Chapter 2
"Raoul…" Christine breathed, gazing at her beloved. He was clutching the Iron Gate desperately, eyes flashing wildly as he gazed at them both.
He looked as if he had been through hell, Christine examined sadly. His once fine dress shirt was hanging off his body in tatters; his black trousers were covered in muck and slime, and his waistcoat, jacket and tie were nowhere to be seen.
"Christine!" he cried out desperately as she ran to the gate, not caring if her gown got soaked with water. Christine reached out, clasped their hands as she swept a lock of dark hair from his eyes with her spare hand.
"Are you hurt?" Raoul asked, eyes searching her for any sign of harm.
"I'm fine," she whispered, soothing him. She stroked his cheek gently as he turned his cheek into her hand. Their happy little reunion didn't last long though.
"Monsieur, what an honor to have you here tonight!" Erik said walking to the water's edge, "We surely didn't want you to miss such a fine occasion as our union, did we?" Erik glanced at their clasped hands for a moment. Christine could almost swear she saw some remorse in his eyes, but it was over as quick as it came.
"You monster!" Raoul roared, "Free her at once! You have no right to keep her here! Do you have no compassion for her well being?"
Raoul was fuming; Christine could feel him shaking with anger. This was something she hadn't seen much of at all.
"Compassion…" Erik repeated, taken aback. "The world has shown no compassion to me! Why should I be any different?" Erik fisted his hands tightly at his sides, scowling at Raoul, "The world is a cruel place Vicomte," He regarded Raoul's title with a sneer, "I suggest you get used to it."
Christine felt tears of hopelessness well up in her eyes. The world isn't as much of an awful place as Erik made it out to be. She only wished she could show him this, to make him see that his life could be so much better, if she could only help him understand somehow…
A soft voice broke Christine from her thoughts.
"Christine…" Raoul said gently, noticing the tears that were now spilling down her pale cheeks.
"Let me see her!" Raoul plead, not bothering to try to sound threatening anymore.
Erik straightened up, and spoke with a tone of somewhat unnerving humor. "Why, be my guest sir."
Erik walked over to his Organ and flipped a switch that seemed to Raoul that it was hidden under the keyboard.
Christine jumped away from the portcullis as it started to rise from the water, droplets falling from the sharp iron spikes that hit the war with a soft 'plop.'
Raoul moved cautiously, slipped beneath the murky water and swam under the threatening spikes that loomed overhead. Christine wondered worriedly for a moment if Erik would drop the gate on him.
But Erik was nowhere near the switch; he was leaning against the back wall, watching them almost casually. Christine found the sight rather unnerving, but did not have much time to dwell on it, for as Raoul emerged from the murky water, he instantly pulled her into his arms, arms circling her waist.
Christine sighed in relief, burying her face into his chest and circling her arms around his neck. "We- we have to get out of here, Raoul," Christine stuttered, still recovering from her tears.
"As soon as we can, Mon amour, I promise," Raoul whispered pressing a kiss to her head.
"Monsieur, how joyous of you to be here at last," Erik bellowed as he leaned down to retrieve something from under the Organ, an action that the sadly oblivious couple didn't notice.
"Quite foolish if you ask me that you would think I would actually harm her though," he went on, lingering at the Organ still.
Christine was clutching onto Raoul quite tightly now, eyes tightly closed. Something bad was going to happen, she could sense it. But since Raoul was with her, she thought, nothing bad could happen, not while she was safe in Raoul's arms. But sadly, she was dead wrong…
The gate behind the couple hit the bottom of the lake with a loud thump, water splashing everywhere. The two turned at the movement, but as soon as they did, Raoul fell back a pace, gasping for breath.
Christine whirled around in horror to the sight of Erik dragging Raoul through the water by a rope around his neck. Christine screamed, running to the shore as fast as the water and her damned wedding dress could carry her.
Erik managed to skilfully connect Raoul's noose to a wire that was connected to the ceiling in mere seconds.
Christine cried out in desperation and ran to Raoul, who was gasping for breath and had to stand on his toes to prevent from getting hung faster.
"Let him go please!" Christine pleaded to Erik pitifully, who was looking very pleased with himself.
"I don't think so, Christine; this is my game, so you play by my rules. That is," Erik smirked distortedly, "If you want him to live of course."
Christine looked horrified, backed a pace, clutched a nearby chair to support herself from being ill.
"Wha- What are these rules then?" Christine stuttered nervously.
Erik looked to be enjoying this a little too much. "Well let's see then," he said twistedly, "If you stay with me for the rest of your days, I'll let him go." Christine sucked in a harsh intake of cold air.
"But if you refuse me," he grinned darkly, "I'll kill him and burn his remains."
"You- you can't do this," Christine gasped, tears returning to her eyes.
Erik strode up to her, seized her arm roughly, Christine squirmed, trying to break out of his iron grip. "Oh, but I can and I will," he said darkly, clutching her even tighter by instinct.
Raoul looked as though he wanted to lunge at the Phantom for daring to harm her like that. But he seemed very limited as to what he could do without killing himself, because the noose was still hanging tightly around his neck, and Raoul knew it he had to hold on for Christine, he had to try to keep himself alive so there was a least a little hope for them to be together…
Christine fell into sobs, sunk to the ground in agony when he finally released her.
"I… I do not know you anymore, you are not my friend as you were before, and you are nothing to me now. I hate you."