What did I tell you? I knew he'd destroy it! I just knew it. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it I knew it! He can't keep a promise! He promised me, and he broke that promise.
~Flashback~
The performance was going just smoothly, everyone was the way the cast was set by the managers, meaning I was the Silent Role. "And you cannot speak, but kiss me in my husband's absence." Now this was the part of the 'happy story' where Erik would tease Carlotta. But, no, he had to do it differently. I should have been prepared for this; he can change his plans at anytime.
"Box…Box FIVE is not empty…" his voice boomed throughout the theatre, I stood still shocked, unable to move. No…You promised me, Erik! You said you wouldn't do anything tonight!
"Ahem… And you cannot speak, but kiss me, in my husband's absence." I felt Carlotta tug me over to the chaise behind us and pull me down. Was she completely insane?! Did she expect me to continue to perform knowing that it was the wrong choice?!
"I instructed you all, to leave BOX FIVE EMPTY FOR ME! Do you not remember the consequences?!" he shouted again, I had no choice, I stood straight up and ran off the stage, I wasn't going to be kept captive on stage like a criminal! And that's when I saw it.
A corpse; Joseph Buquet's corpse; hanging by a thick rope right in front of me, his eyes still open and his skin turning blue. I screamed, and fell to the floor, my head in my hands. I couldn't believe it was happening. After all he promised, all his words that he said were once true were now like toads spilling off of his tongue. Ugly, horrifying toads that made me realise a huge amount remorse for ever trusting him.
I had soon drawn attention to myself with my screams, my makeup had now ran down my face leaving black streaks where my eye makeup once was and I had been helped up off the floor by Raoul/Hadley and he took back to my room, only to be met by Erik himself.
"Give her to me, now." Was all he said, and held his hand out; what was I? A sack of money that he had been waiting ages for?!
"No, you're not going to take her…you…monster! Christine is staying right here, you are not going to take her anywhere without me."
"STOP! PLEASE! I need to tell you the truth!" I pulled myself from the grip I had been in and turned to face Raoul, "I'm not Christine! Stop calling me that! I am not her! I'm not her I'm not her I'm not her!" I shouted, holding my head in my hands and shaking from left to right, before sitting back into the chair. I immediately found my hands being held by Erik, my tears were still streaming down my face and was took out of the seat was just sat in and felt myself embraced by him. I kept my arms by my side and didn't properly take the hug. When he finally let go of me he took my hand and began walking towards the direction of the mirror, my other hand, however was took by Raoul and was tugged away from his grip like I was some sort of Christmas cracker.
"You're not going with…with THAT! I won't allow it!"
"I think you may find my good monsieur that she doesn't want to go with you…" he said still trying to take me with him.
"Actually, I don't want to go with either of you." I began to say; again pulling away from both grips that I had been took into, "I don't particularly love you, Raoul. You are an old friend reunited and nothing more." I said, turning around to face Raoul, then turned to face Erik, "and you, you broke your promise! You said you wouldn't intrude on this performance! You said that nothing bad would happen! And look what did! You killed a man, Erik; you killed a man out of pure Jealousy because I didn't get put as the lead role! That's low, even for you! Now please, I'd like both of you to leave, right now."
"But, Christine–"
"I told you! I'm not Christine! Now please, just go." I said, looking at both of them through my ever-still watery eyes until they left my room.
"Alright, if that's what you want, then I will…leave." Raoul said, before walking towards the door and leaving the room.
"Me too…" Erik said before going to leave himself, not giving a second look at me.
"Erik, wait for me please," I said, a hushed tone in my voice, running over to the mirror and grabbing his sleeve, and he stopped still in his tracks.
"I thought you wanted me to leave?"
"I did…But I want to come with you…" I said to him, looking up at him and smiling, "You are the only person I truly want to be with, I don't want Raoul, but you. So please, take me with you, take me where ever you go, just don't leave me, please."
He took a firm hold of my hand and stepped down off the ledge in the mirror, helping me down and we walked through the passageway. I heard him laugh briefly, quiet, but I heard him, "What's so funny?" I asked him.
"It seems so odd. It feels like...it feels like I'm not myself, for some odd reason... I don't know if I am myself or not." He replied to me, his face twisting in confusion.
"What makes you think that? There is absolutely no reason why you should feel different about yourself, your still Erik, are you not?"
"I guess I am, I must be working myself too much, I should relax for a while, and take a break from writing music."
"If that is what you want, then you do that." I said, and we carried on walking down the long-winded passageway.
Eventually we ended up where I was happy, and I could finally relax again, knowing I was with Erik. All my worries melted away, I wasn't going to be harassed by Carlotta, bugged by the dancers and more importantly, I'd never see Raoul again. I guess you could say, 'Happy Ever After', but I couldn't call it a Happy ending. Heck, the best I could possibly call it was 'incomplete' because I was still stuck in France. I just need to find a way to get home, and still be with Erik.
And I think I might know just exactly how to do it...
