AN: I really need to stop updating practically once a year like this….this chapter should be exciting though! Whoever still cares to read my story, I send virtual glomps to you. (glomp=huge suffocating hugs)

Chapter 29

While Erik was looking at their ratings online and was generally just fooling around on Christine's laptop, the doorbell rang. Christine got up to answer it, very curious as to who was ringing this late at night. When she opened the door, she immediately felt hot blood rise to her cheeks in anger.

"What do you want, Raoul?"

For once he didn't seem apologetic or pleading. He only held up a black device that looked like some sort of recorder and he grinned in triumph, almost smugly.

"Just listen to this…"

Christine went from red to white—she never could have predicted what she heard right then. It was definitely Erik's voice, and he was….

"He set me up to get to you", said Raoul simply "I eventually tracked down this tape at a brothel. There's no one else who would want to make it look like I cheated. And plus, after dating me so long, shouldn't you have been a bit skeptical of the situation too?"

All Christine could do was swallow and stare at the recorder. She absolutely couldn't believe it…but it was true. Shakily, but with growing outrage in her tone, she called, "ERIK! Get in here!"

Raoul leaned on the wall with his arms crossed, quite pleased with himself as he heard the padding of bare feet on the hardwood. Then, Erik came into view, appearing rather burnt out, until he saw the young man and the look on Christine's face.

"What's going on?", he asked hesitantly, as if he'd never seen this enemy before. The blonde snorted and replayed the tape, to Erik's horror. Christine gazed at him with mixed emotions—disbelief, rage, disappointment, betrayal.

How did he….

It was no use denying it and hopeless to apologize. She could never forgive him. Now it was over—Raoul's threat, initially seeming powerless, had come true.

She hates me…, thought Erik in despair. Matters only got worse when Raoul spoke.

"You know, he probably stole your dog too just to give it back and look like a hero…"

That was it. Erik snapped. Making a running start lunge, he attacked the boy, knocking him to the floor. Raoul threw punches everywhere his fists could reach and Erik struggled to grab his throat. Neither of them could hear Christine screaming at them, and they continued madly trying to kill each other. Though covered in what would soon be black and blue, Erik finally pinned his rival down with a deadly grip on his neck. For a while, Raoul kept fighting the man strangling him, but as he ran out of oxygen, slowly he grew more and more limp. As Raoul weakly choked for air, all Erik could think of was the animalistic rage coursing through him screaming "KILL."

But just before life left Raoul's grey eyes, someone else's screams broke into Erik's mind.

Just as quickly as he attacked, he released and jumped back as if shocked by a charge, looking at his hands, which almost made him a murderer. All was silent except for Raoul's panting for air and finally, Christine said, without looking at Erik, "Get out."

She didn't even need to say it that one time. He stumbled to the door and began running. With no direction in mind, not even to his former home, Erik raced his own thoughts until he seemed to lose time and the road in a senseless alternate universe where Christine hated him. He only stopped when he couldn't take anymore and just collapsed in a pathetic heap somewhere far away from people.

A few hours later, when he had the energy to, Erik pulled himself up, finding that he had actually managed to land in a shadowy redwood forest. How he ran so far or got there, he had no idea. But this was of little importance. All he had ever really cared about was Christine, and he had lost her forever because of his own mistake.

Christine leaned over Raoul, very lightly holding a bag of ice to his damaged neck. When he had finally stopped heaving for air, he attempted to say something but it only came out in an unintelligible rasp.

"No, no don't speak. It'll only hurt you more", she warned him gently, looking at him with pity. He gazed back sadly and reached out a hand to her face, lightly stroking her cheek. Smiling weakly, she took his other hand, only to have him wince in pain and choke. Three of his fingers were twisted unnaturally, most likely broken.

"Oh God…okay I'm going to drive you to the hospital. Can you stand?"

He nodded, and with her help, he staggered to his feet. Step by step, they made it to Raoul's car, then drove off to Briarwood Hospital. Once his hand was in a cast and he was laying in a white cot that somehow passed as a bed, Raoul wanted nothing more than to speak. Eventually, Christine brought him a notepad and with his left hand, he clumsily scribbled, "I still love you"

She sighed and said, "I love you too—but for obvious reasons, I really need a break from relationships. I'll just have some alone time to think and then maybe…"
He nodded in understanding but looked a little disappointed. Christine's eyes drifted to the finger-shaped bruises on his throat and she shuddered. Had Erik killed before? Had she been in love with a murderer? Or just a psycho bent on having her to himself?

Raoul only had to stay in the hospital a few more hours before the doctor suggested that he simply not speak for two weeks and take liquids that would help heal the inside of his throat. So finally, the two were alone in their own separate homes, wounded physically and emotionally.

Erik didn't know how long he wandered aimlessly through the forest before he finally reached a road. As he walked, trudging like an undead corpse might move, he just replayed what had happened over and over in his mind. The labyrinth of redwoods didn't help to ease t he overwhelming feeling that was slowly eating away at him like a disease. Before, his life was about music and survival. Just those things. Then, his life permanently became centered on Christine.

I know that was not an illusion of a real feeling or simply a madman's twisted obsession…I did become obsessed, yes, but it was not just a hunt to own her like a prize. I respect her, I care for her needs and wants, I want her to be happy…I love her. And for a while, she seemed to love me back. But now she's gone. I shouldn't even attempt to win her back. Since I love her, I will let her go.