CHAPTER NINE
(Gustave POV)
There's something wrong.
I just know it.
I look around the bar but before I could see anything different, I hear mother's scream pierce the room. In a flash, I see Mr.Y rush to the cliff. "Father!" I manage to say as I run to where he is, my heart pounding in my chest. Raoul is dangling on the edge of the cliff with father holding a fistful of his collar in one hand. He mumbles something I can't understand. "Raoul," Mr.Y says puffing, having a hard time lifting Raoul with just one arm. "Take hold of my hand." He says. He hesitates for a moment, but he takes it and father shoves him up.
My heart is beating, every beat ringing in my ears. Whatever he has done to us, he has still been my father for ten years. And somehow, I am not scared right now. Why though? Is it because I feel so much safety when Mr. Y's here?
With a violent shove, puffing and having a hard time, he lifts him up from the cliff, away from his chances of leaving this earth. He sets Raoul as far as possible from the cliff, all over to the other side of the bar. Once he sets him down, I see Raoul shudder. I take a step near him, and hold his hand, cold to the touch. I look into his eyes, confused and frightened. What must he be thinking?
(Raoul POV)
I am about to fall. I say goodbye to all the pain and bid the earth farewell. I am ready.
Suddenly, I feel a violent shove and realize that the beast is holding on to me by me collar. Oh, so this is the moment he chose, of all moments, to be self-righteous with me? The fool.
"Let go. I know you want to." I say, breathless. With a pang of realization, i notice that it is not readiness for death that I feel, but fear. I hadn't felt fear in a long time, only feeling it last when Christine had chosen to sing. At that moment I had longed for relief from the fear, so I sought the only thing i believed to be the answer. Alcohol, with all it's exhilaration and excitement. And that was why I had not left Coney.
He instructs me to take hold of his hand, and I do, feeling a wave of gratitude. He had saved my life. The beast I had feared, the monster who had almost killed me on that night under the opera house had saved me.
I am shaking and shuddering as they bring me to the other side of the bar. Erik and Christine look at me with worried and speculating eyes. My own eyes float to Gustave's who takes hold of my cold hands, giving them warmth.
"Go back to the hotel, Christine," the beast says, the love in his voice for Christine unmasked for the first time. "Go with Gustave. Please." he continues. "I don't want him to see Raoul this way." he says to her, almost a whisper so Gustave could not hear. She nods, understanding. She takes Gustave's hand and gives the Opera Ghost a tender kiss. "We'll wait for you there." she says, giving him one last look of concern before she finally heads out, Gustave with her.
"Why did you do it?" I say, once they are gone, my voice a questioning whisper. "I don't see any reason why I shouldn't have." he says. "Oh shut up and stop with the damn philosophical answers, Erik." I say, realizing this is the only time I have ever said his name out loud. He realizes too, his eyes wide. "Well," he starts out, thinking hard of what he should say next. "it was for Christine." he says finally. "Christine doesn't even care anymore," I start to say. Suddenly, he cuts me off. "Yes she does." he replies. "Do you think it was that easy for her to choose between the two of us last night?" "She was choosing between staying with you because of her love or staying with me for the boy's sake. I don't think that's too hard of a decision to make, Erik." "Yes, it is hard!" he cuts me off again, almost shouting, his voice filling the bar. He breathes deeply, apparently trying to calm down. "She loves you, Raoul. They both do. Do you seriously think they would've stayed with you all these years even with all your shortcomings if they didn't?" he says softly, his eyes baring into mine, searching for an answer.
"Thank you, Erik." I say after some time, ending the silence. He offers his hand to me, and I shake it, and we finally let all our hatred slip away, already forgotten. "Your debts have been paid, Vicomte. If I remember rightly, there is a trip going back to Paris in a few hours. Would you like to go back?" he says, a curiosity for my answer playing in his voice. "Yes," I say after a moment's thought. A new life sounded lovely. Somehow, someday, I will find a way to get out of this damn mess that I am in, but at this moment, I finally decide to be forever in debt to the man who saved my life and helped get back up.
•••••
I am already on the ship bound for Paris that is getting ready to leave. The horn blows. As the ship leaves the dock, my eyes catch sight of a happy family. Erik, Christine and Gustave, the boy I once called my son, waving goodbye. I wave back, realizing that I will miss him. I will miss them.
You will see them again someday, I say to myself, and with a final glance, look at Coney Island, in all it's glory, one last time.
