Chapter XII
Christine
"These things 'happen' all the time!" Carlotta shrieked in fury. Christine and Meg could hardly contain their laughter as the redheaded woman angrily pointed at the fallen set piece near her body. If it had fallen on her it wouldn't have been a laughing matter, she would have probably had a few bruises, but it was her rage that Christine found hilarious.
Carlotta had been performing a song in front of the new managers, who Christine found to be more than ignorant about the way things worked in this Opera House, when suddenly a set piece almost fell on her. Instantly people looked up to the man in the scaffolding above them, Joseph Buquet. He angrily pointed out that he was not in charge of set pieces actually on the stage and that he had nothing to do with it.
"Senora –
"No!" Carlotta shrieked, throwing on her scarf in a flourish with a red face, "There will be no performance until this Opera Ghost is taken care of!"
Christine rolled her eyes, Opera Ghost? How silly.
"Senora, you're our star!" Monsieur Firmin begged with her, his slicked back hair glistened against the light of the chandelier, "We need you!"
"You will not have me until this is taken care of!" Carlotta yelled with fury and then stomped off wildly towards the exit, the two managers stared after her with shock and outrage as she stomped and muttered under her breath.
Everyone stood silent and shocked as well.
"We're ruined!" Monsieur Andre, the shorter plumper man with the upturned moustache on his upper lip and the bald scalp cried, "Our first production and we must cancel!"
"This is a catastrophe!" Agreed Monsieur Firmin and put his fingers between his eyes, pinching at the bridge of his nose, "a disaster!"
"Christine Daae could sing it, Sir!" Meg suddenly leaped forward.
Christine's eyes bulged as she turned to Meg in a state of shock, "Meg!"
"A chorus girl? I do not think so." Andre disagreed, "She does not have training-
"She has been well taught," Madame Giry stepped forward now. Christine stood frozen and stared at Madame Giry with fear, Erik is not here, how will I sing when Erik is not here? I have never done this before except in front of Meg – Christine thought as her heart sped up.
"Daae? A curious name, any relation to the violinist?" Firmin asked with an interested gaze.
"My father, Sir." Christine squeaked through her tight throat.
"Well we must give her an opportunity, unless you wish to cancel the production without knowing what could possibly happen." Monsieur Firmin stated with a look of defeat towards his partner.
"Alright, sing Think of Me, Miss Daae." One of them said, she did not know who, she was only staring at the floor with shaking hands as they pointed her to where she should stand and handed her the multicolored scarf. She looked to the wings, fear coloring her heart horribly. This was not going to turn out well if Erik was not here!
The music started and Christine struggled to not run off the stage at that moment, as soon as she opened her mouth the sound was unnatural, she heard the groans behind her, "Think of me, think of me fondly w-when we've said goodb-ye."
…
What was she doing? Erik's hands fisted angrily. You know better than this Christine! Have I taught you nothing!
Her posture was all wrong! She was slightly hunched, and she was gazing nervously around the auditorium, looking for what, he had no idea. But then again, he did not care to find out, Erik glared angrily, willing her to straighten up and sing! She was ruining everything they had worked for! Her face was a perfect statue of confusion and fear. What was wrong with her!
"Remember me ever so of-ten." Her tone cracked. Erik stepped forward from the shadows with an angry gaze, willing her to look up at him now. Look at me Christine – he silently bid her, breathe deeply, straighten up and sing Girl!
He watched Christine take a deep breath and then her eyes wandered over the auditorium again, now higher up, it seemed she caught something because her wide eyes suddenly narrowed and then widened again as one of the managers groaned and turned his back to the singing girl.
"And on that day, that not so distant day, when you are far away and free, if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."
Yes Christine…
…
Her voice cleared and soared as she sang. She heard the gasps behind her as she controlled her voice and stared up at the yellow orbs in the distance. It was Erik, she knew it was Erik. Christine smiled broadly now, "We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea. But if you can still remember – stop and think of me. Think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been."
"You've got the part!" Cried out Firmin.
…
"Ange! Ange!" Christine's voice was hushed but excited in the dressing room as she waited impatiently for him. He smiled slightly behind the mirror and pulled it open with little difficulty. Christine's eyes widened at him as she stepped through the mirror and took off into a rapid speech, "Did you see me? I saw you! I did not think that I could do it but then I – I think I saw you, was it you in the upper parts of the auditorium? I thought it was you. Did you hear me? I sang for you." Her voice was fervent as the shadowed figure watched her with mild amusement.
"I saw you," he said smoothly, "I heard you." He added, he took a deep breath at the sight of her grin, "you were wonderful."
"It's all because of you, you know that Erik, right?" Her hands reached forward for his, she took them in the dark. "Thank you Erik." She whispered with a teary gaze.
Then she embraced him.
What is she doing?
Erik's entire body felt that it had become ice. It was very painful to breathe with her body pressed against his. He was certain he would faint for a moment, he had not had her do this since she was a child, and now as an adult woman it caused him to shudder, he could feel the pressure of her breasts against his chest. It took everything in him to not groan with the foreign feeling and the sense of confusion that swirled inside him.
Her hair smelled like fresh air, further teasing him about the things he might never have.
"Christine," he said with a stern voice, "we must practice."
Christine pulled away quickly, a blush colored her face, "Yes, yes Erik." She watched him as he turned on his heels and took off into the darkness of the tunnel towards the lake. She sighed heavily, what overtook me just then? I should not have held him that way. Erik does not like being touched… but Christine could not get the feel of Erik's powerful form crushed to her out of her head as she was with him in the boat. Even as she ranted about the play itself and how unbelievable it was that she had gotten the part.
That night after her practice with Erik she lay in bed quietly, she could not get to sleep, she could still feel his light breath stirring through her curls and touching her skin. It was very warm, and after a few seconds it had stopped altogether and she knew he wasn't breathing anymore.
His arms had never returned her embrace, which made her think instantly of how wrong she was to embrace him. She imagined however, that if he did return the embrace she would be able to feel the power beneath the fabric of his clothing easily, crushing me further to his frame.
She turned angrily in her bed. I should not be having these thoughts. Erik would not approve, father would not approve. I do not approve!
And yet she could not stop thinking about it. She just continued twisting and turning in her bed with a pooling feeling in her stomach as she remembered the masked mans breath at her neck. She felt a strange pressure between her thighs and groaned into her pillow. What in the world was this?
And what was it that he had sung so perfectly to her? Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness which you know you cannot fight. Erik's voice was a horrible teasing in her head, she glared into the dark. She would fight whatever this was, Erik did not wish to be touched, and so she would obey. This darkness, whatever it was – was not going to torture her forever.
Christine was finally able to fall asleep after saying a small prayer and thinking of the upcoming performance set to occur in two days.
…
Erik couldn't sleep in his room either.
I am evil incarnate- Erik thought grimly as he sat hunched on his bed. It was as if Christine's arms were still around him. He could feel them there. He could feel the pressure of her body against his and her womanly form-
"No, no, no, no!" He growled deeply at the clenched feeling of his trousers, it was only getting worse! I am the most terrible kind of monster. A weak, pathetic, creature who cannot handle the embrace of a woman without reacting like a boy, and yet the strained feeling did not go away. He stood and walked around his room, pacing angrily. Why would she grab me that way anyway, has she no idea what she might do to a man such as myself, is she so naïve!
The feeling tightened as he thought of her form pressed flush up against him. Erik pressed his forehead against the wall with frustration. He did his best to think of things that were not Christine, and even this did not work. She was still there, lingering in his psyche horribly.
"Oh, Christine…" He whispered thickly, resisting the urge to touch himself. Instead Erik lay down in the bed and did his best to try and sleep. When he could not he dove into composing for Don Juan Triumphant.
A short chapter that holds a lot of tension (in my opinion) but do you want to know why it's so short?
Because I'm leaving to go to Broadway and see Phantom of the Opera with Sierra in a few minutes! I'm so excited, I'm tempted to try and record a bit for you guys but I know it will be nearly impossible! I wanted to make this one longer but I could not, I promise you however that the next chapter will be longer :)
I'M SO EXCITED TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE!
Questions:
1) Who is your favorite Phantom? Mine is Ramin Karimloo and then Ben Lewis.
2) Do you think that Erik is wrong to feel aroused by the sudden contact? And would he have been wrong to 'take care' of it?
Many would argue that it would be wrong, but others would say no, we're all mature, so let's discuss this!
Review!
