Disclaimer: I absolutely do NOT own, nor do I gain any monetary subsidies, for this fan fiction story. The characters, setting, names belong to the author that created them (Leroux, Kay), BUT the plot is all mine!
Author's Note: Ha ha, it seems I always update around the holidays. I got a laptop for Christmas: I am thrilled. Please ignore grammatical errors! This is IT: the BIG UNMASKING SCENE!
R&R please and thank-you!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Chapter Eleven- Unmasking the Masked Man
There was no way for Erik to stop what was happening. His heart shattered to pieces within his chest as the porcelain mask itself tumbled to debris on the wood floor. Both he and Christine stood rigidly still, facing each other face to face for the first time.
Erik subconsciously closed his fist as he fought back the inner demons he had controlled for a long time; however, when the look of pure disgust passed through Christine's eyes, he knew he was going to lose the battle.
Christine stared at him with a sickly abhorrence, and her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull with fright. She stumbled backwards, tripping over the coffee table to blot out what her eyes were seeing.
A white skull with two large black holes and two gold orbs of fire glared at her; eerily, he seemed to hover like a ghost with a floating head because of the black attire he wore.
Christine could easily distinguish the blue and red veins that were set on yellow parchment-textured skin. He was so deathly pale: he looked like Death himself. The worst part of the entirety of Erik's countenance was the hole in the middle of his face where there should have been a nose. To her utter horror, Christine let out a shriek as he gave her a ghastly look of hatred. The protuberant eyes made the slits of his vacant nostrils snort in derisive anger.
Christine tried to conjure up words, but they, too failed her. This could not be her gentle teacher, guardian, and protector. Where had her handsome prince gone? Where was the man that she fell in love with months ago?
She turned, desperately trying to get away from the repulsive face, but Erik was not about to let her get away.
Erik's demons forced their way into his mind in blind rage. He could see or hear nothing except Christine's scream repeatedly. Christine's face and Lily's face flashed through his mind so much so that their faces intertwined into a look of pure repugnance.
He did not remember what happened next as he forcefully grabbed Christine's arm and twisted it painfully behind her back.
"You little twit! You wanted to see me: your handsome protector! What is wrong, my angel? Do you not like what you see! Do you not like what I really am: a monster?"
She pleaded for him to let her go, but he refused and continued in his cynical and morbid banter.
"Are you afraid of me now, Christine? You should be; consequently, my soul is as hideous as my face! Why are you squirming? Surely, you are not afraid of your teacher: the teacher that molded you into a perfect star!"
Christine pushed and clawed at him to get away, but he was too strong and easily overpowered her. Her eyes flickered to his face and the door in pure terror as rivers of tears poured down her pretty face.
"Erik, please, let me go! I thought I could handle it, b-but I j-just cannot!"
A frighteningly evil snicker emitted from Erik's throat as Christine watched his gold eyes turn almost completely black from his pupils' dilation.
In sheer terror, she kicked him in the groin. Erik immediately groaned as he dropped her arm. Running to the door, Christine screamed as Erik grabbed her from behind and threw her on the couch.
Forcefully, he grabbed her hands and pressed her fingernails into his sickly yellow flesh on his cheeks, and mocked her.
"What is it, my dear? Are you afraid of me? Do you believe that this atrocity is also a mask?"
He pushed her nails into his flesh, blood poured down both their hands, as he scraped them down his cheeks.
"Well, if this, too, is a mask, then take it off!"
He made no movement or shout of pain; he just maniacally laughed. When he would not stop, Christine made one last desperate effort.
Erik's eyes gazed at her for a moment, registering her words. When the rage had finally died down inside of him, Erik realized the dreadful magnitude of what he had done. He looked down and saw both of their bloodied hands.
Christine was shocked when Erik hurled himself into the nearest dark corner and muttered to himself in Arabic. She could not think or breathe, so traumatized by the whole incident. How long had he suffered to hide his hurt with anger and violence?
She had set off his fuse. She had been so blind. Why did she not consider he was deformed and had to wear a mask to prevent people from reacting as she had done?
As much as she hated it, his face repulsed her. It was hideous, but his face was not his fault.
She still cared for him, but she could not get past his violent behavior. He was insane! He could have killed her! Christine decided to try to calm him down so he would not hurt anyone else.
"Erik?"
She took a tentative step forward. He rocked in a fetal position muttering, "What have I done?" continually to himself.
He did not acknowledge her presence, and the only movement he made was to grip his shoulder.
"Erik, I need to take you to a hospital."
"NO! I cannot go back to a hospital. I will DIE!"
She jumped from his furious outburst.
Erik stood up with excruciating pain. When she hit him in the shoulder, the wound that Stacia had doctored ruptured. Christine tried to step closer to him, and he hid his face further in the shadows.
"Erik, please let me do something to help you."
He stood there pathetically holding his wounded shoulder with a sorrow-filled expression on the ugly face. He glared at her in anger before hissing, "Haven't you done enough?"
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door loudly.
"Christine, it's Raoul. I am here for our date!"
Christine's heart jumped in alarm. Erik would kill him! She rushed to the door and spoke to Raoul, "I'll be there in a minute. Hold on just a second."
Christine planned to soothe Erik's broken heart; however, when she turned around, no one was there. He was gone, but he left something behind.
Panic aroused in her as she read a message he left her…in his own blood.
When I fell in love with a girl so divine,
I vowed in all ways to make her mine,
She broke my heart with her lies
She will suffer my pain until her demise
Christine, my dear, my soul is in dismal pain because of your lying game.
Be prepared for what I do next.
Simply,
Erik
Christine immediately picked up her coat, and ran outside. Raoul raced after her as she bolted into the night.
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Meanwhile…
Stacia awoke; it was around two o'clock. Yawning she turned over and noticed a piece of paper on a pillow next to her head. She was reminded of an incident that occurred two nights ago.
Nadir told Stacia that Christine Daae went shopping with Meg Giry. Erik had disappeared. He left a vague message on her phone simply stating that he and Christine were not on good terms.
Around eleven o'clock that night, she had stopped William from killing Erik Desslar. He would have been dead had she not intervened. Shutting her eyes, she relived the memory.
After a brief meeting with some police officials regarding the senator's murder, Stacia headed up to the station's rooftop to get some air. A sinking feeling had filled the pit of her stomach, but she chose to ignore it.
When she opened the door to the roof, she was surprised to find a black attired man putting together a sniper rifle. Stacia gasped when he rose and his face was revealed. It was William!
"Hello, my angel. I am pleased to see that you have joined me.
"William, what the deuce are you doing up here with a rifle?"
He smiled an eerie smirk before assembling the body of the gun. He briefly glanced through the scope and put his finger on the trigger.
William then turned back to her and motioned for her to follow him to the edge of the roof. Curiosity got the best of her and she followed him.
However, when she peered over the edge, she saw nothing except for empty streets and sidewalks.
Facing William, Stacia looked at him inquisitively. He glanced at her before setting the rifle to face the direction of the door to the neighboring building. Not taking his eyes from the scope, he spoke to her.
"Within the next two minutes, Erik Desslar will be stepping out of that music store, and I intend to rid the world of this rogue agent once and for all!"
With emphasis, he placed his finger on the trigger, ready to pull it at any moment. Stacia's heart lurched within her chest and she placed her hand on the gun. Immediately, he relinquished.
He icily hissed, "Why are you stopping me? Have you developed feelings for that man?"
Stacia retorted back with anger, "Of course I don't love him. I love you only, but Erik saved my life!"
William's eyes flashed with emotion. He placed the gun in his lap and turned to her.
"What do you mean? Who tried to hurt you?"
Sighing heavily, she told him the story about the escapade with Joseph Buquet. At the end of the tale, William remained silent as he absorbed all of the information. Then, he responded to her story.
"So, this rogue agent went out of his way to save you from that French pig Joseph? Well, I suppose that I will spare his life."
"What did you two do with Buquet's body?"
He stopped questioning her when it became obvious that she would not answer the question anyhow.
William then took the sniper rifle apart and placed it back into its case. His golden hazel eyes flashed with irritation. Stacia placed her hand on his back.
"Thank you, William; I know you spared his life for me. That makes me love you even more."
He grunted with mild annoyance and stood. Her breath caught in her throat as some strands of his golden hair fell in his face, while his eyes caught hers in a passionate display of his love.
Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he started to leave the roof; nevertheless, he spoke once more before he disappeared as he usually did.
"Stacia, I have spared his life for your behalf, but I will not stop making him pay in other ways than his life. I will make sure he suffers physically and emotionally for what he has done to me…to us."
And as quickly as he came, he left as silent as a whisper.
Picking up the small paper with familiar handwriting on it, Stacia read it to herself.
Stacia,
Go to the hotel's ballroom.
Do not arouse any suspicion. I have a surprise for you. Be dressed in the dress I bought for you. It is hanging in the bathroom.
Yours truly,
William
P.S. I am well aware of the time of the day
Stacia smiled in spite of herself. What was he up to now? She slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready. When she finished her shower and slipping on the dress, she looked in the mirror.
She had make-up on, but it was subtle: the way that William liked it. Her olive toned face was accented by her emerald green eyes. Stacia accented her eyes with a bronze eye shadow and a shimmering pink lip gloss. Her hair tumbled down her back in brunette curls.
Her dress was absolutely stunning. It was a satin, soft royal blue color gown that tumbled to the floor delicately. It had a corset style cut with glittering crystals that sparkled along with the matching chandelier earrings.
When she was satisfied with her appearance, Stacia made her way down to the ballroom floor.
She walked slowly and quietly to the doorman who stood outside the entrance. As he saw her approach, he opened the grand wood doors for her to enter. Stacia gasped at what she saw.
The ballroom was dazzling! The white marble floor was accented by the stucco-styled white walls. There were dozens of beautiful paintings of nature scenes filling the four immense walls.
There was a table in the center of the room with two silver platters and covers. The white table cloth was covered in red rose petals, and the centerpiece of the table was a crystal candelabrum with six lit candles that made the table even more beautiful. Above the table a large chandelier hung overhead. The ceiling had a colorful painting of a blue sky that appeared almost realistic.
Stacia smiled even more with excitement from wonder of William's motive. She scanned the ballroom in search of him, but she could not find him. She was alone in the immense room.
"William, where are you?"
She startled only slightly when she felt warm arms envelope her. Feeling his lips on her neck, she closed her eyes as a beautiful voice whispered into her ear.
"I am right here, my angel."
Stacia turned around in his arms and brushed her knuckle on his cheek. He closed his eyes in total ecstasy, and Stacia kissed his lips softly.
He pulled away suddenly to her disappointment. He stood in front of the table, and Stacia was able to absorb his form. He was dressed in a fine Italian tailored suit with tuxedo tails. His black tie was luminous against his black shirt made of Egyptian cotton.
His Italian suit pants were fitted to perfection and black shoes gleamed in the candle light. Stacia was incredibly attracted to him.
William pulled out her chair for her.
As he pushed her seat to the table, he took his own seat across from her. A waiter came out of nowhere and removed the candelabrum from the table so the two could see each other.
She waited for William to say something. When he did not, she took the opportunity.
"What is all of this?"
He smiled a stunningly white smile that Stacia adored. Motioning with his hand, a waiter brought two glasses of champagne. As soon as the waiter left, William raised his glass. Stacia did the same.
He toasted to a very special night.
After they both took a sip of the bubbly drink, William folded his slender but strong hands.
"To answer your previous question, I have created for us a romantic dinner. I wanted to treat you like a queen because I love you deeply."
He always had treated her like a queen, so Stacia found this entirely suspicious. It was obvious that he was hiding something from her.
"William, you always treat me well: what are you hiding?"
His dazzling smile faded as he gazed into her eyes. Grasping both sides of her face, he kissed her deeply.
"You win. I will tell you everything…after we dance and eat and enjoy each other."
Stacia gave up and took his extended hand. At his command, music from the speakers resounded in the immense room, surrounding Stacia in bliss. He knew Coldplay was one of her favorite bands, so he had one of her favorite songs the group had sung played on their romantic night.
As they danced, William pressed his cheek to hers, and kissed her. He then began to sing along to the song's melody much to Stacia's delight.
Still my heart
And hold my tongue
I feel my time
My time has come
Let me in
Unlock the door
I never felt this way before
And the wheels just keep on turning
The drummer begins to drum
I don't know which way I'm going
I don't know which way I've come
Hold my head
Inside your hands
I need someone
Who understands
I need someone
Someone who hears
For you I've waited all these years
Chorus:
For you I'd wait
Till kingdom come
Until my day
My day is done
Say you'll come
And set me free
Just say you'll wait
You'll wait for me
(A/N: Song "Kingdom Come" from Coldplay)
Stacia had closed her eyes and set her head on William's shoulder, almost lulled to sleep. When the song had finished and his amazing voice ceased from singing, he led her to the table.
They enjoyed a delightful meal of some gourmet pasta. After they finished a cheesecake dessert, Stacia waited for William to tell her everything.
Once he was through, he watched Stacia intently, soaking up her every detail.
"Okay, as I promised, I will tell you. First, I created this entire evening in order to create something for me to remember you. I will be gone for the next week, and you will not be able to see me. If my plan for Desslar wrecked, then I will be arrested. I want to remember you, my angel. I want to remember us when we loved each other deeply."
Stacia flew to the other side of the table as he stood. He took her in his arms as he always did, and Stacia desperately grasped at his suit's lapels.
"William, it does not have to be like this! You and I together is all that matters! I love you…You promised me that you'd never leave me, and yet you are going to throw me away like garbage!"
He gripped her arms and pulled her deeper into him.
"I am not doing this selfishly, Stacia. Do you have any idea what Erik would do if he finds out that I am still alive? I could never throw you away…I would go mad. You are the only reason I am sane now! Leaving you is not my plan, but it is entirely plausible that my plan would be foiled. Please my angel, go now."
Stacia only held him tighter much to his disappointment. She would not leave without a fight.
"Kiss me, William."
He moaned as he fought hard against his desires. William was a resilient man with strong character, so it was a rarity for him to plead. Yet, he began to plead.
"Please, my angel, I am begging you to go. I cannot…I can't…"
Right as his resolve began to crumble, Stacia's cell phone rang. She reluctantly picked it up.
It was Erik. He stated he desperately needed to meet her at the Opera House in dressing room #103.
Putting away her cell phone in her purse, she gave him a look of pure longing. It was a look that tore William's heart into shreds.
As she left to help Erik, William contemplated his plan to destroy Erik.
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Amidst the turmoil of Erik, Christine, Stacia, and William, it was Nadir and Madame Giry trying to discern the truth about Erik's past.
Madame Giry and Nadir had gone to the Opera House to her ballet rooms. When they reached her office, Nadir sat down in one of the leather chairs as he watched Antoinette go to her file cabinet to the back of the room.
Pulling out the first drawer, she reached in the back of it, and pulled out a secret compartment. There, she pulled out a dusty picture in a frame.
Handing it to Nadir, she sat down across from him. Nadir gazed at the aging picture. It showed a young woman of twenty-eight and a young handsome man of thirty stood next to each other in some park. In her arms, she held a child with a mask- Erik.
Madame Giry poured them both two glasses of wine.
"Madeline gave me this photo many years ago. It is of her, Erik's father Paul McLean, and Erik."
Nadir gazed at the photo, searching for any clues. When he found none, he attempted to hand it back to Madame Giry.
It slipped from her grasp and crashed on the floor. The glass broke into shards as the wood splintered into pieces. To their surprise a letter that fluttered to the floor.
Nadir and Antoinette looked at each other in curiosity. What was this letter? Nadir was the one brave enough to pick it up and read it aloud to Madame Giry.
My Dearest Madeline,
You are the light of my heart. I live and breathe for you. I love you more than anything. And to my amazement, you are having OUR lovechild together! I cannot wait to hold my child in my arms with you by my side.
I love you deeply!
Forever yours,
M.T.
Nadir and Madame Giry then realized that their adventure had only just begun. In this letter lay a greater mystery to be solved. Who was Erik's true father? They both vowed to investigate further.
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Raoul ran after a distraught Christine who ended up at the Opera house. Before he could stop her, she ended up in her dressing room. The dressing room was at the end of the hallway.
He called after her, but she did not hear anything that he said to her. The door was slammed shut and locked right as he reached the doorway. Raoul banged on the door with his fist.
"Christine! Christine, please tell me what's wrong? Don't hide from me! You can trust me."
His pleas were met with silence. However, Raoul was not easily put off. He continued to make a commotion.
"What in the world is going on here?"
He turned around to find that Madame Giry and a foreign person staring at him in complete bewilderment.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait in an update. My New Year's resolution is to be more diligent in an update! Au revoir! R&R
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