Chapter 13: Running With Darkness
A/N: the duet Erik and Christine sing is Sun and Moon from the Broadway musical Miss Saigon (which by the way is an AWESOME musical…the ending is sad though) I just switched parts so Erik sings Kim's part and Christine sings Chris' part!
Erik slowed Julius and looked around. Then glanced down at Christine and blushed, embarrassed. He had made her leave in such a hurry that she was still wrapped in the bed sheet only. He halted the great black stallion and dismounted, careful not to wake Christine. He quickly slipped into the woods and hurried to the town they had passed a few miles back. He hoped that he would make it there and back before Christine awoke. Who knows how scared she would be if she awoke alone? The thought made him break into a run and soon he arrived at the town. Quicker than he expected actually. Making sure he still had his money he walked into the town market, hoping that at least one store would still be open. Just as his luck would be, one store was open. And the store in question was, in fact, a dress store. He smiled grimly and walked into it. The woman behind the counter barely stifled a gasp as he walked in; he checked to make sure his mask was still on. Upon confirming it was he strode up to her.
"Mademoiselle," he began smoothly, "my wife and I are traveling and the coachman seems to have lost her favorite dress. I came down here to see if I could find her a new one?"
The woman stared at him for a few moments, before snapping out of it and nodding, "ah…yes!"
Erik forced himself to smile, "thank you, Mademoiselle."
"No, thank you Monsieur." She smiled.
When Erik had found the perfect dress for Christine, a pale blue which would definitely bring out her violet eyes, and paid, he hurried back to where he had left Christine and Julius. Upon arrival he found Julius eating some grass and Christine still asleep on his back. He smiled, an actual smile for the first time in a long time. Well an actual smile that wasn't part grimace. He walked over to her and gently shook her awake.
"Christine…you need to get up." He murmured softly near her ear.
She mumbled something unintelligible and swatted at him.
He jerked back and rolled his eyes, "come now Christine. Don't be a child! You need to get up!"
This time she mumbled, "Angel…oh my Angel…how I love you…your kisses so sweet, your touches so light, your voice…so seductive."
Erik blushed and shook her again, "Christine!" he yelped, his voice cracking a bit.
She woke with a start, "Angel?"
He sighed, "Nice of you to wake up. Erm…here…" he held out the dress to her.
She glanced down at her makeshift dress and blushed, "thank you. I will pay you back…"
Erik felt highly offended, "Mademoiselle! I pride myself in being a gentleman! I would never make a lady pay!"
Christine smiled, "pardon me then." She dismounted Julius and stepped behind a tree.
Erik tied Julius to a different tree and began finding some wood for a fire, he was rather tired and needed some rest.
He heard a twig snap and Christine lightly clear her throat, he turned and his golden eyes widened. She looked even more beautiful than ever. Suddenly an overwhelming hunger filled him.
He stood, "Christine…" he whispered.
"Yes Erik?" she murmured taking a step towards him.
"Please…sing for me…"
"I have not sung in so long…" she whispered, looking down with tears in her eyes, "I am afraid…"
"Your voice is that of an Angels Christine! And I must hear it once more…if never again…just now."
…
Christine looked at her Angel, and felt a painful tug on her heart, "on one condition."
Eagerly he answered, "yes, love, speak it and I will follow!"
"We sing a duet."
"A duet…? Are you sure?"
"Positive, either we sing together or I will not sing."
He sighed, but nodded, "very well my dear. We will sing a duet…"
Christine's heart leapt with excitement, to think! A duet with her Angel…
Erik began:
You are sunlight and I moon
Joined by the gods of fortune
Midnight and high noon
Sharing the sky
We have been blessed, you and I
Then Christine began to sing as well:
You are here like a mystery
I'm from a world that's so different
From all that you are
How in the light of one night
Did we come so far?
[Erik] [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [
Outside day starts to dawn
Your moon still floats on high
The birds awake
The stars shine too
My hands still shake
I reach for you
And we meet in the sky!
You are sunlight and I moon
Joined here
Bright'ning the sky
With the flame
Of love
Made of
Sunlight
Moonlight
After they had finished singing they noticed that they stood in front of each other, their hands clasped together, trapped between their bodies.
Erik gazed at her for a long while before breaking away and walking to Julius.
Christine walked to him and grabbed his sleeve, "Erik…" she whispered.
He broke away and went to crouch by the fire, "I do not know why you were afraid to sing, your voice is lovelier than it ever was. Angels wept tonight, my dear."
She felt tears in her eyes, "if you love my voice so much, and you say you love me than why won't you look at me?"
He didn't answer her question, but simply said, "are you cold?"
She was now getting angry with him, "stop changing the subject!" she growled striding towards him.
He sighed, "I'll take that as a yes?" he said, and then pulled of his cloak and handed it to her, "that should keep you warm."
Angrily she pulled it on and stepped in front of him, "Erik. Look at me, now."
He still didn't look up.
Christine bent and grabbed his chin, forcing his face up, "good. Now listen to me!"
He tried to look down; Christine didn't expect this and her hand slipped up, which knocked his mask off.
…
Erik stiffened as his mask was knocked off, then a thought hit him; its over. Everything…she's definitely afraid of me now…she hates me…he could hardly bring himself to look up at her. But when he did he saw that she stumbled back away from him and was shaking in terror. He felt tears sting his eyes, and he jumped up, not bothering to grab his mask he ran into the forest. Not caring where he was going, not caring if he got lost and died. It would be a right ending for a beast. To die in an unknown forest where animals would feed on his corpse…
…
Christine stared at the spot where Erik had been, then bent and picked up his mask. She trembled again…his face…where there should have been a nose there was…more or less nothing. His golden eyes were sunken into his eye sockets, and his pale yellowish skin was stretched taut over his cheekbones. Tears formed in her eyes, a living skeleton indeed. But she loved him…his pain had touched her heart and she wanted to erase it all…forever. As she closed her eyes and brought the mask to her lips her tears spilled over. The warm drops of salty water ran down her face and onto the cold, unfeeling mask.
"Oh Angel…" she whispered, "come back to me…"
…
Erik didn't know how long he had been running but it felt like eternity. Whenever he got a sense of direction he would immediately move off into another or run in circles randomly until he was to disoriented to go anywhere of use. His legs felt ready to give out, what with all his running, no food for at least a week, and no sleep for two to three weeks…it was a miracle he could even move…. Then he decided he didn't care anymore and let himself collapse onto the ground. He dragged himself over to a tree and leaned against it, breathing heavily. He could hear nothing but the blood pounding in his ears and his own heavy breathing. However long it took before his breathing returned to normal he did not know. All he knew is that when his breathing was stable again he threw up. Since he had not eaten it was all stomach acid, which coated his throat and burned. He smiled bitterly, he knew he was still alive. He didn't want to be…not for the first time did he wish that he had been born with a normal face…maybe if he had then his mother would have loved him and his father wouldn't have ordered him killed. He winced as he thought of his mother…weren't all mothers supposed to love their children no matter what? He had heard that somewhere…that all babies were beautiful in their mothers eyes. He had scoffed at that and a woman had angrily asked if he didn't believe them. He had replied that they were stupid of they believed that…and how right he had been. His own mother had hated his hideous appearance. Called him a monster on a daily basis and refused to name him or let him leave the house…oh how he longed for her affection…any of it…even just a little tiny morsel. But she baited him with it. Like holding a piece of meat just out of a starving weak dogs reach…he leaned his head back against the tree trunk and allowed the tears to stream down his hideous face…how he hated himself…