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Chapter 9: Don Juan
By PittsBurghFuzz
It was the day. The day that Don Juan Triumphant would premiere. It actually received incredible box office considering the drastic move the opera house was making. To show such a sexual show after their long string of lighthearted productions, such as Ill Muto. The managers had a tough time trying to advertise such a disturbing topic for 19th century audiences. Raoul had convinced the managers to allow the police to patrol the area during the performance. Raoul had also deprived Christine of having total privacy in her dressing room, and had a guard stay in her room everyday. The only way Christine was able to contact her angel, was through the efficient (at times, irritable)services of Madame Giry. The managers could not fire her, otherwise, they would suffer the wrath of the Opera Ghost.
Erik was playing on his large organ, a bit from Don Juan Triumphant. Erik stopped for a moment, thinking he heard something.
"Could it be Christine?" Erik murmured to himself.
Erik dismounted from his bench, and turned around, only to see the motionless lake. Erik grunted and kicked a wall after realizing he was only hallucinating. The Phantom decided he should get ready for his performance.
Christine walked into her dressing room, in preparation for Don Juan, and to get away from the chaotic crowd. The young soprano found a red rose, with a black ribbon tied to it. On the ribbon, in gold writing, were the words:
Eternally Yours
Christine held the rose close her chest and breathed heavily. Then, she heard a loud knock at the door.
"Who is it?" Christine asked innocently.
"Its Raoul." was the reply.
Christine unlocked the door to let him in.
"You didn't need to do that, I already have a key."
"Raoul!" Christine said to Raoul with shock.
"With all of this Phantom business going about, I had to make sure you were completely safe."
"What do you want?" Christine said coldly.
Raoul lowered his eyebrows at Christine's question. "I thought you would have liked the fact that I am trying to protect you."
"At the cost of my privacy?" Christine spat at the young man.
"Life is about trade-offs." Raoul replied as he twisted his mustache.
"I think you are merely doing this to be a stalker, and not to protect me." Christine yelled.
"And this Opera Ghost isn't? I mean, isn't the man thirty years your senior?" Raoul questioned.
Christine slapped Raoul. "Get out, you miserable low-life." Christine told Raoul, as she pushed him out of the room, and slammed the door shut.
As the angered lover left the room, he did not notice that the daroga was watching everything. He noticed that Raoul had called in more guards around Christine's room, so the Phantom would not abduct her. Nadir shook his head, and slowly walked away.
The Opera House was packed on opening night of Don Juan Triumphant. The managers were overwhelmed at the large crowds that came to see this odd show. The seats were packed, and there were people willing to stand in order to see this Don Juan, a rarity by Firmin and Andre's standards. Madame Giry attended Box Five as usual, but more police force was used to watch over the area. However, it was difficult for the police to survey the area with so many people in the present location. The managers went to their private box, and found a note. It read:
My managers,
Congratulations on this triumph. Even though it was my idea, I still have to give you two numbskulls credit.
Your obedient friend,
O.G.
The managers gulped when the curtain rose. The stage was like a fiery red hell, with little puppets above the stage acting as little demons, and men and women all over the stage were wearing very suggestive clothing and were singing of hell and damnation. In the chaos, a prostitute(played by Carlotta), was surrounded by several men, singing of the seductive Don Juan. The scene changed when Don Juan(played by Piangi) and Passarino were speaking of plans involving the seduction of a young girl. Piangi went away to hide, when a masked figure robed in black, descended on the poor Piangi, and killed him. Christine entered the stage while singing to herself, and holding a basket of roses. Erik came out from behind the small curtain and started to sing. The silence of the audience was almost disturbing. They were in awe of his seductive voice, and the sexually driven lyrics. The way Erik and Christine were playing off of each other made it seem that their souls were truly one. Their singing was a match made in heaven, or hell in the case of Don Juan. Christine's heart was beating fast, and she felt as if she entered a dream world, where all that mattered was her and Erik. Christine looked at Erik for a brief moment, and took off his mask. Erik almost didn't know what happened. Christine covered her mouth in shock that she would actually do that. The audience was screaming in sheer terror of his horrid face. Erik then unleashed a trap door, taking himself and Christine into it. Raoul was telling the police to search for the Phantom.
"Sir, what do you want us to do when we see him?" a soldier asked Raoul.
Raoul turned around and said to him, "Shoot to kill, we take no prisoner. Just don't hurt the girl."
Erik was carrying Christine into his lair, because she passed out from the shock of falling. He was crying as he descended into his lair with his beloved in his arms. Erik then set the girl on his extravagant bed and set up his defenses. He knew he had to activate his torture devices in order to try and defend himself. Erik knew the incompetent police would never figure out how to get past his devices. Erik was like a madman, it seemed that the one bit of sanity he had left him. Erik felt as if he were setting up another torture chamber for the khanum. Christine woke up, terrified of a nightmare she had. She ran out of bed hearing the enticing sound of Erik's organ. Erik's music seemed angered and controllable. She lightly tapped Erik on the shoulder and he stopped. He turned around with his mask off, which frightened Christine a little. She saw that Erik had tears in his eyes.
"Erik, what's wrong?" Christine asked with her sweet, little voice.
Erik smiled a little and went on his knees. "Oh Christine, could you ever forgive me?" he asked.
"Erik! I should be the one apologizing, I ruined your masterpiece."
"Don't say such things child," Erik said as he grabbed Christine, "you were the best part of the show. The actors could never understand such a complex work, their minds are too small. The closest thing to my vision, was the music."
"I don't mean that Erik." Christine said looking down.
Erik lifted her head by her chin. "What is it? Lifting my mask off?" Erik said while laughing. "They needed a good fright." Christine gave Erik a smile.
"What were you doing Erik? I heard noises while I was sleeping."
"Did I wake you? I am terribly sorry, I was working on something."
"What Erik?" Christine asked again.
Erik looked down for a moment.
"Erik?" Christine said to Erik as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
Erik turned to look at Christine. "I need to defend myself."
"You're setting up the..."
"Torture chambers?" Erik answered. "Yes, I didn't want the pesky police in the way and that young man..."
"Raoul? Please, if was what you were worried about, then I am shocked."
"Shocked? At what, my ability to feel jealousy? Yes Christine, even I can feel emotion. However, the funniest thing in this entire scenario is that Raoul was jealous of a man he knew damn well he could never have you."
"Erik, you don't understand."
"Understand what? That Raoul kissed you on top of the opera house and you let that happen? Yes, I knew about that! I am as obsessive as he was! I watched your every movement."
"Erik, please you really don't understand."
"You have no idea what it is like down here alone. Every damned moment without you felt like an empty void of pointlessness. I felt like there was nothing that could fill that void quite like you could."
Christine covered her mouth and blushed. "Erik, I wanted to stay with you." Christine told her masked love.
"What about when you first saw my face? You couldn't stand the sight of my abhorrent face!" Erik yelled.
"I was confused, I didn't know what I wanted."
"I think its fairly obvious what you want Christine, and I can't blame you either. That young de Chagny boy is not only more human than I, he is also but better looking than myself. Then again, it isn't hard to look better than myself."
"But I don't love him. It would shame his family name if I were to marry him. Also, his family is rather cruel." Christine said while twiddling her thumbs.
"No wonder the boy is such an ass." Erik said crossing his arms.
"Erik, I want to stay down here."
"Why? So you could get frightened again by my temper or my disfigured face? Take your pick!" Erik spat.
"I love you Erik." Christine said softly.
"Ha, you could never love me! I am too morbid to be loved by an angel." Erik said while laughing.
"Why do you deny me loving you so much? Do you find really find it that impossible to find someone like you attractive?"
"Yes, I do! In fact, after being hunted down by hundreds of people, I would say that it is kind of hard to find me attractive."
Christine approached the tall figure slowly, to touch his shoulder. Erik was breathing heavily, and Christine felt his sweat trickle down his neck onto her hand. Her angel placed his right hand on her left hand, which at the moment, was on Erik's shoulder. He turned around, Christine's hand and stared into her eyes. It seemed that Erik's horrid face had softened a little, and he even smiled.
