Chapter six
"Meow."
Christine turned around, gripping the shawl around her shoulderightly. Her heart beat in her chest quickly, scared by the sudden sound.
She looked at her feet and let out a sigh. Ayesha, Erik's felinompanion, sat at the sidewalk's bend, staring at her tentatively.
A soft beam of hope shined in Christine's eyes as Ayesha stared aer, her thin tail swishing around. Erik hadn't appeared for her lessons,
leaving her alone and near tears in her dressing room. Meg had stopped in,
before she left, to see what she was doing. Amazed to see her friend iears, they spent an hour talking. Finally Christine had gathered hehings and left, knowing Erik wouldn't come to her.
"Hello there!" Christine mused, kneeling down to stroke Ayesha's fur.
The Siamese cat purred happily, closing her eyes to the loving touch.
"What are you doing out here?"
Ayesha meowed in reply.
Casually Christine picked Ayesha up, letting her shawl fall to thround, and held her in her arms. "Where's Erik? I didn't think he'd leou out of his sight!" She began to walk, stroking the cat's fur anistening to the soft purring. "You know, your master didn't show uonight. I was waiting for hours, Ayesha, and I didn't hear a sing worrom him. Were you the source of my problems? Maybe you ran off and had to go after you. Oh well! At least I have you and you can get back to
Erik safe and sound."
"Excuse me, Mademoiselle!"
Christine glanced over her shoulder, coming to a stop. A man camunning up to her, her scarf clasped in his hand. Ayesha fidgeted anumped from Christine's arms. The cat hissed viscously at the stranger,
causing him to come to a stop a few feet from them both. The man looked at
Ayesha nervously, the cat arching her back and her fur standing on end.
"Yes?" Christine asked, nervously.
The man held out the scarf, with a slight smile. "You dropped youhawl. A person shouldn't be out in the cold without one.
Gingerly Christine took her shawl and wrapped it around herself.
"Thank you, Monsieur. I would have never noticed." she said with smile.
Ayesha let out a meow and Christine looked down at her. She sighed.
"Well, I must go. I must return this cat to her master. Good night."
As Christine began to pick Ayesha up, the man stopped her, placing and on her shoulder. Christine spun around, her eyes wide with fear withe sudden invasion of personal space. Ayesha hissed once more, sensing
Christine's trouble. The man drew his hand back, slowly.
"Please answer me one question, Mademoiselle." the man said. Hiyes studied Christine's face. "Have we met before?"
Christine shook her head. "I don't think so. You must have gottee mixed up with someone else. Good night!" Christine quickly grabbed
Ayesha and began to walk away.
"Isn't your name Christine Daae?" the man called.
"Good night, Monsieur!" Christine called, her heart skipping a beas the man said her name. She hurried away, Ayesha growling in her arms.
**********
Erik gazed across the street, his eyes burning with an anger he haever felt before. He watched as Christine hurried away, Ayesha in herms as if she was her only defense. The stranger stood, watching heisappear around a bend with a reflection of sadness in his eyes.
With a snicker at the man's failure, Erik turned and walked down thtreet. His mind lingered on the way the man had approached Christine. Hnew her from some where, but Christine seemed to forget, her mind only oeturning Ayesha to Erik. Erik felt pride with that single thought.
Christine was dedicated to him, just like she had promised.
A fog slowly rolled down the street. Erik smiled as he remembered
Christine's conversation with Meg Giry. The way her cheeks grew rosy witvery mention that she or he showed an inkling of affection for each other.
Erik had been amazed by the act and left his spot from behind Christine'irror. His mind and body was betraying him with every thought of
Christine. He couldn't go on with Christine's first lesson without an odilence lingering between them both.
"Erik?"
Erik spun around, his hand tucking away beneath his cloak gripping ahe end of his Punjab lasso. His heart skipped a beat as the fog seemed telt away from Christine's body. Ayesha called to Erik, jumping from
Christine and into Erik's arms. Erik looked around as Ayesha nuzzled heead against his chest. He walked faster than he thought. The opera housas about three blocks away.
"Why didn't you come to me tonight?" Christine asked, her voicingering in the misted air.
"I had my reason's, Christine." Erik replied, trying not to be curt.
He bent down, letting Ayesha stand and rub her body against his leg. Hooked at Christine and noticed a hurt expression on her face. She haxpected to hear him, and Erik knew he had crushed her hope to sing anear him sing.
Lowering her head and eyes from Erik's view, Christine let out avering breath. "I shall see you later then, Erik. Good night."
As Christine walked away Erik took her arm and pulled her bacowards him. Christine let out a startled gasp as her body came to met
Erik's. She looked into his eyes, her heart beating franticly. Erik'yes softened as he looked into her face.
"Come with me, Christine." Erik whispered. He held her close aneld back a shudder as Christine rested her head on his shoulder. "Come ty home again. The house felt empty with out you gracing its rooms. Thoom you slept in hasn't been touched since your left."
Christine didn't move. "I must return to the opera tomorrow, though.
Mme. Giry wont have me late again, and I must get my dancing as perfecs possible."
Cupping Christine's chin in his gloved hand, Erik lifted her face tis. Christine's breath caught in her throat as Erik's lips grazed acroser cheek. His voice began to sing a soothing song that Christine couldn'elp but follow.
Erik stopped, smiling at Christine's dazed look. "Will you come wite, my angel?"
"I would never leave you, Erik."
A smile crossed Erik's face as Christine took his arm. The twalked, with Ayesha leading the way. He was happy, now sure that Christinouldn't leave him. She was under his power and her true feelings werlowly surfacing.
"Meow."
Christine turned around, gripping the shawl around her shoulderightly. Her heart beat in her chest quickly, scared by the sudden sound.
She looked at her feet and let out a sigh. Ayesha, Erik's felinompanion, sat at the sidewalk's bend, staring at her tentatively.
A soft beam of hope shined in Christine's eyes as Ayesha stared aer, her thin tail swishing around. Erik hadn't appeared for her lessons,
leaving her alone and near tears in her dressing room. Meg had stopped in,
before she left, to see what she was doing. Amazed to see her friend iears, they spent an hour talking. Finally Christine had gathered hehings and left, knowing Erik wouldn't come to her.
"Hello there!" Christine mused, kneeling down to stroke Ayesha's fur.
The Siamese cat purred happily, closing her eyes to the loving touch.
"What are you doing out here?"
Ayesha meowed in reply.
Casually Christine picked Ayesha up, letting her shawl fall to thround, and held her in her arms. "Where's Erik? I didn't think he'd leou out of his sight!" She began to walk, stroking the cat's fur anistening to the soft purring. "You know, your master didn't show uonight. I was waiting for hours, Ayesha, and I didn't hear a sing worrom him. Were you the source of my problems? Maybe you ran off and had to go after you. Oh well! At least I have you and you can get back to
Erik safe and sound."
"Excuse me, Mademoiselle!"
Christine glanced over her shoulder, coming to a stop. A man camunning up to her, her scarf clasped in his hand. Ayesha fidgeted anumped from Christine's arms. The cat hissed viscously at the stranger,
causing him to come to a stop a few feet from them both. The man looked at
Ayesha nervously, the cat arching her back and her fur standing on end.
"Yes?" Christine asked, nervously.
The man held out the scarf, with a slight smile. "You dropped youhawl. A person shouldn't be out in the cold without one.
Gingerly Christine took her shawl and wrapped it around herself.
"Thank you, Monsieur. I would have never noticed." she said with smile.
Ayesha let out a meow and Christine looked down at her. She sighed.
"Well, I must go. I must return this cat to her master. Good night."
As Christine began to pick Ayesha up, the man stopped her, placing and on her shoulder. Christine spun around, her eyes wide with fear withe sudden invasion of personal space. Ayesha hissed once more, sensing
Christine's trouble. The man drew his hand back, slowly.
"Please answer me one question, Mademoiselle." the man said. Hiyes studied Christine's face. "Have we met before?"
Christine shook her head. "I don't think so. You must have gottee mixed up with someone else. Good night!" Christine quickly grabbed
Ayesha and began to walk away.
"Isn't your name Christine Daae?" the man called.
"Good night, Monsieur!" Christine called, her heart skipping a beas the man said her name. She hurried away, Ayesha growling in her arms.
**********
Erik gazed across the street, his eyes burning with an anger he haever felt before. He watched as Christine hurried away, Ayesha in herms as if she was her only defense. The stranger stood, watching heisappear around a bend with a reflection of sadness in his eyes.
With a snicker at the man's failure, Erik turned and walked down thtreet. His mind lingered on the way the man had approached Christine. Hnew her from some where, but Christine seemed to forget, her mind only oeturning Ayesha to Erik. Erik felt pride with that single thought.
Christine was dedicated to him, just like she had promised.
A fog slowly rolled down the street. Erik smiled as he remembered
Christine's conversation with Meg Giry. The way her cheeks grew rosy witvery mention that she or he showed an inkling of affection for each other.
Erik had been amazed by the act and left his spot from behind Christine'irror. His mind and body was betraying him with every thought of
Christine. He couldn't go on with Christine's first lesson without an odilence lingering between them both.
"Erik?"
Erik spun around, his hand tucking away beneath his cloak gripping ahe end of his Punjab lasso. His heart skipped a beat as the fog seemed telt away from Christine's body. Ayesha called to Erik, jumping from
Christine and into Erik's arms. Erik looked around as Ayesha nuzzled heead against his chest. He walked faster than he thought. The opera housas about three blocks away.
"Why didn't you come to me tonight?" Christine asked, her voicingering in the misted air.
"I had my reason's, Christine." Erik replied, trying not to be curt.
He bent down, letting Ayesha stand and rub her body against his leg. Hooked at Christine and noticed a hurt expression on her face. She haxpected to hear him, and Erik knew he had crushed her hope to sing anear him sing.
Lowering her head and eyes from Erik's view, Christine let out avering breath. "I shall see you later then, Erik. Good night."
As Christine walked away Erik took her arm and pulled her bacowards him. Christine let out a startled gasp as her body came to met
Erik's. She looked into his eyes, her heart beating franticly. Erik'yes softened as he looked into her face.
"Come with me, Christine." Erik whispered. He held her close aneld back a shudder as Christine rested her head on his shoulder. "Come ty home again. The house felt empty with out you gracing its rooms. Thoom you slept in hasn't been touched since your left."
Christine didn't move. "I must return to the opera tomorrow, though.
Mme. Giry wont have me late again, and I must get my dancing as perfecs possible."
Cupping Christine's chin in his gloved hand, Erik lifted her face tis. Christine's breath caught in her throat as Erik's lips grazed acroser cheek. His voice began to sing a soothing song that Christine couldn'elp but follow.
Erik stopped, smiling at Christine's dazed look. "Will you come wite, my angel?"
"I would never leave you, Erik."
A smile crossed Erik's face as Christine took his arm. The twalked, with Ayesha leading the way. He was happy, now sure that Christinouldn't leave him. She was under his power and her true feelings werlowly surfacing.