Disclaimer: I do not own "The Phantom of the Opera"; all elements belong to their respective owners.
Based On: The 4th shooting script draft, upon which, the final ending was based, written by Elliot Clawson and Raymond Schrock.
Erik threw back his head and laughed with maniacal glee as he whipped the horses onward, driving the barouche wildly through the street as the mob chased after them.
A deafening cacophony of sound rang through the street as the shouts of the mob combined with the clattering of the carriage thundered through the night.
Erik was insane with twisted joy. He cackled once more as he thought of the woman he had trapped within the carriage. Christine was finally his…his! Forever! Nothing could stand in his way now!
As Erik careened the carriage around the corner there was an ominous creaking noise as the barouche suddenly tipped and crashed into the cobblestones, sending Erik tumbling from the driver seat. The horses reared and danced around with terror, attempting to bolt forward.
"Christine!" Erik cried, getting to his feet and starting toward the carriage.
"There he is!" Simon Buquet hollered as he spotted the toppled barouche. "Come on men!" He cried, leading the men onward, their blazing torches forming a sea of fire as the rushing through the street like a burning wave.
Erik drew back in fear as he saw the mob rushing toward him, closing the distance between them. If he stayed a moment longer they would catch him.
With a regretful glance at the carriage, he turned and ran fast as he could from the charging cabal.
Erik knew the assemblage wouldn't harm Christine, it was him they wanted not her…she would be safe.
Erik frantically looked for some sort of refuge as he ran. Perhaps if he hid the fools would lose him in the maze of Parisian streets.
Panic took over as a bullet whizzed past him, without thinking, Erik ducked into an alley…only to discover that there was only one way in…and one way out.
Erik turned to try to flee the alley only to find the mob closing around the entrance…. Just then, Erik noticed a ladder climbing to the roof of the unfinished building….
"We have him trapped now!" Someone yelled, cries of rage rose from the crowd. Joseph Buquet would be avenged!
"Look!" Someone cried pointing to an ascending figure. "He's headed for the roof." Without hesitation, Simon Buquet ran forward and quickly scaled up the ladder after Erik, the rest of the mob followed suit climbing up one-at-a-time after him.
As Erik reached the rooftop, he discovered that he was once again trapped; there were no buildings close enough to jump to and it was nearly a two story drop to the ground.
Erik spun around in terror as Simon Buquet and the other members of the mob alighted onto the roof.
"Tonight, my brother will be avenged!" Simon Buquet cried, rage twisting his countenance as he advanced toward the Phantom, ready to kill.
Erik backed away from them in terror as they scrambled up after him. Without warning, the Phantom suddenly lost his footing on the steep roof…With a cry of horror, Erik tumbled down the roof and to the street below with a sickening thud.
Cries of victory went up from the assembly as the crowd quickly surrounded the Phantom's broken form, morbid curiosity getting the better of them as they jockeyed to get a glimpse of the beast that had terrorized them.
A lone figure determinedly fought through the crowd, grimly making his way to the "Ghost's" side.
"Get back!" The Persian yelled, shoving the men to the side and kneeling beside the Phantom.
To the shock of the mob, the Persian quickly touched Erik's neck, feeling for his weak pulse.
"Daroga…." The dying Phantom choked deliriously, addressing him by his former title as chief of police.
"All I wanted, Daroga, was to have a wife like everyone else and to take her out on Sundays…." With that, the Phantom's pulse stilled and he silently relaxed against the cobblestones.
Author's Note: A special thank you to "LadyLuly", "newbornphanatic" and "Samantha Michaelis" for their reviews and time. (I also tip my hat to "Horses of Shadow and Night's" "The Lost Ending" for giving me the inspiration for this series)
If you are interested in the information I used to write these stories, here is my list of sources:
Lost Ending 1: Mentioned by film historian Scott Macqueen in an audio commentary on "The Phantom of the Opera: Ultimate Edition" for the 1929 Phantom of the Opera (disc 1).
Lost Ending 2: Stills can be found on the disc 2 special features in "The Phantom of the Opera: Ultimate Edition", it is also spoken of in great detail by Scott Macqueen in the 1929 audio commentary.
Full recap of this version can be found on page 196 of Philip Riley's "The Phantom of the Opera" Classic Silents Vol. 1
Lost Ending 3: Mentioned by film historian Scott Macqueen in an audio commentary on "The Phantom of the Opera: Ultimate Edition" for the 1929 Phantom of the Opera (disc 1).
Full recap of this version can also be found on page 38 of Philip Riley's "The Phantom of the Opera" Classic Silents Vol. 1
Lost Ending 4: Mentioned by film historian Scott Macqueen in an audio commentary on "The Phantom of the Opera: Ultimate Edition" for the 1929 Phantom of the Opera (disc 1).
Thank you for reading.