Chapter 40
A few hours later, Erik is dreaming away until suddenly he finds himself hearing voices. He tosses and turns as the voices grow louder and echo in his mind. In his dream, Erik finds himself wandering around in pitch-black darkness. As he walks around, he hears the sound of a crying child and someone in pain.
"ERIK! Help me!" A voice echoes in pain. Recognizing the sound of that voice, he wonders if the woman in distress could be Christine. But why and what could be causing her pain. He begins to run and panic as the voices continue to become louder and louder.
"Christine? Where are you?" Erik shouts.
Suddenly he finds himself in a room, a small dark and gloomy bedroom. As he looks around, he notices a woman sitting in a chair; sad, looked as if she had been crying for days, maybe months. Erik slowly walks towards her and asks, "Christine?" The young woman looks up. It is Christine, with red puffy eyes from crying and her face white and pale. Erik is horrified and confused as he slowly walks towards her. "Christine."
Christine stands up slowly and mumbles, "Erik." They hold each other in their arms. Christine shakes as she feels emotional and overwhelmed to see him. "What are you doing?" He asks her. "What's happening?"
Christine slowly backs away from Erik. "Isn't it obvious? You've done this to me!" Christine replied. They look deep into each other's eyes; however, Christine looks and turns away from him. Erik tilts his head, confused about what she meant by that. "All I ever wanted is to be with you, but now I have nothing."
"I don't understand."
Christine turns back around and replies, "What don't you understand? Ever since that night, all I could think about was you — nothing else. I've tried to move on like you would have wished, but I just can't. I can't live in this lie anymore. I don't know if I can keep living like this."
Christine turns and walks to her desk. As she moves to her desk, Erik notices that her face is numb. "Christine. What are you talking about?" He demanded in a calm and clear tone.
She takes a deep breath, opens the drawer, and pulls something out. "What are you doing?" He asks Christine with concern.
As Christine turns around, Erik notices that in her hand that she is holding out a dagger. Erik is shocked, confused, and afraid of what she is going to do. "I'm so sorry, Erik," she apologized. "But if I can't be with you, then what's the point? I can't live my life without you. You have left me no choice." She shakes nervously as she is conflicted about making a decision. Erik slowly raises his hand and says, "No! Christine don't!" Christine sheds a tear and puts the dagger in her chest. She moans.
"NO!"
Christine blinks several times as she feels extreme pain. She then quickly takes out the dagger and falls to her knees. "Oh, my God! Christine!" Said Erik as he immediately rushes to her side and holds her in his arms. He puts his hand on top of the wound to stop the bleeding. However, as he puts pressure on the wound, Christine gasps as she has a hard time breathing until she looks into his eyes. As she looks into his eyes, Erik suddenly begins to cry.
"Why did you do it, Erik? If you only believed her." Erik looks up as he sees Madame Giry and Christine's uncle standing behind them. "You know that the boy has hurt her, and she loved you more than anything." Claimed Gabriel.
"But instead of believing her words, you chose to believe what you saw," said Madame Giry.
Erik glances down at Christine as the bleeding is getting worse. "Madaline?" Erik asks as he looks back up. "Help me." Madame Giry disappeared. Panicking, Erik turns to Christine's uncle as he sees that he is staring at them. "Please help me. Mr. Daae, please, she's your niece. Help her!" Gabriel, however, slowly disappears as well. "No, please! Anyone! Someone help me!"
Erik looks down as Christine puts her hand on his face. "Erik, you have to let me go," Christine said softly.
"No," Erik mumbled. "I can't. I won't let you. I know that I hurt you, but please believe me when I say that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I love you, Erik," Christine said passionately. Erik begins to cry. Christine moves a strand of hair from his face and whispers, "Erik, there's something you need to know." However, just before she can tell him, she gives him her last breath and dies in his arms.
"No! NO!" He yells. "Christine! Come back! Come back to me!" He shakes her but sees that she is will not move. But that she is truly dead. He weeps uncontrollably. "Please! No. NO!"
Suddenly he wakes up, panting and sweaty. "What an awful and horrible dream!" He said as he gasps for air. He sits up and covers his face as he realizes that what it meant. He jolts out of bed and says, "Oh my god… I'm such an idiot! She's told me over and over again that she does not love the boy anymore. Yet, instead of believing her, I believed that she was using me and believed that she never loved me. Frightened if his dream is warning him of something that might happen, he grabs his clothes, quickly changes, and heads out the door. "Oh, god! What have I done?! I could lose her forever. I have to go back and apologize to her before it's too late!"
Meanwhile, at the same time at the mansion, Ralph and Emily sit in the parlor talking. Ralph notices the expression on her face and asks, "Emily, darling, are you alright?"
"Yes, I am," Emily replies. "I'm just worried about Christine."
"She will be fine, darling. Christine has always been a strong woman. She always has been. We just have to let her do what she thinks is right."
"Sweetheart. It's not that. It's just what if this doesn't work. What if Raoul finds out?"
"Emily -"
"Good morning," said Raoul as he enters the parlor with a small bouquet. Emily looks at her husband with concern. Ralph stands up and replies, "Morning, son. How are you?"
"Good. I was thinking about having breakfast with Christine this morning, so I could apologize for the way I behaved Yesterday. However, for some reason, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I've looked everywhere I could think of. But I just can't seem to find her. Have you seen her?"
"No, we haven't," his father lied. Emily turns slightly and suggests, "Have you checked the library? She might be in there."
Raoul smiles and says, "I didn't even think of that. Thank you, Emily." He leaves and heads to the library. After he leaves, Ralph whispers, "Well, hopefully, that will distract him. Plus, I believe that's where Christine's letter is."
"I hope this works," Emily whispers.
One minute later, in the library, Raoul finds a letter on the desk for him. He opens the letter and is distraught. He immediately runs out of the room and to the parlor. Ralph and Emily stand up as Raoul shouts, "Father! Emily! Get me the police, hurry!"
"Why? What happened?" Ralph asked.
"Just hurry, please!" His son demanded. Ralph does as his son asks and goes to the next room to call the police.
One hour later, Erik sneaks into Christine's room through the window. He whispers, "Christine! Christine!" However, he notices that there is something wrong. Her wardrobe is not in the closet, and some of her belongings are not in her room. This concerns him and makes him question what is going on.
At the same time, Madame Giry and Meg are at the doorsteps. They knock on the door; then, a servant opens the door. "Good morning, Madame Giry," he said.
"May we come in?" Asks Madame Giry.
The servant opens the door, allowing them to enter the mansion. As they walk inside, Erik searches endlessly throughout the house and panics. Opening closed doors but doesn't find her, "Christine? Where are you?" Before he opens another room, he stops as he sees Madame Giry and Meg behind a door talking to Raoul. He peaks through the door and listens to their conversation.
"Good morning Raoul," said Madame Giry.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Ralph as he raised his eyebrow.
"What are you talking about, Monsieur?" Madame Giry asked as she turns to Ralph.
"Haven't you heard? Miss Daae is missing," Ralph replies.
Erik's heart suddenly stops as he hears the worst. Imagining that is beyond him. "Christine is missing?" He mutters as he slowly turns around and sits on the floor.
"Are you sure?" Asked Madame Giry.
"I don't know," Raoul replies. "I mean the way she wrote this letter; it's just hard to believe that she would. I mean, why on Earth would she write me this? Why would she write me this note?"
"What did she say?" Madame Giry asks.
Raoul opens the letter and reads it out loud. "Dear Raoul, I'm so sorry that it has to come to this. But I just can't live like this anymore. I don't want to live a life when a man won't keep his promises and assumes that after he marries someone, they're only supposed to do what the husband tells them. That's not what I want. I want to live my life the way I want, and if it means leaving you, then that's what I'm going to do. I'm leaving France, and I'm never coming back. I hope you will understand, and I hope that maybe one day you'll find someone else to call your little Lotte.
Sincerely,
Christine."
Raoul put's the letter down.
Erik has tears in his eyes then immediately leaves the mansion without Anyone seeing him.
"I'm so sorry, son. I know it is hard to hear and read. But maybe she just wasn't the girl for you." Ralph suggested with sympathy.
"No. I'm not letting her get away again. She has made the biggest mistake of her life."
"Son."
"Father, you've always told me to fight for what I believe in. And I believe that she is the one for me. And I'm not going to lose her again."
"RAOUL!" Ralph shouts at his son. However, Raoul ignores his father and leaves.
Ralph sighs as he knows that his son will not give up so easily on getting Christine back. Emily walks towards her husband and says, "Let him go, darling. It isn't worth it."
"I know. I just wish he would understand," Ralph replies.
Thirty minutes later, Madame Giry and Meg head to the village to check on Erik. Before they head inside Erik's secret hideout, Madame Giry turns to her daughter and whispers, "Meg, let me do all of the talking, please."
Meg nods her head and responds softly, "Yes, mother."
At the same time, Erik is weeping, feeling sad as he realizes why Christine decided to run away. He also looks back at some of the memories that she and he had made together. As he is reminiscing on the past, Madame Giry and Meg enter. However, once they come, Madame Giry and Meg realize that something is wrong with Erik. Madame Giry slowly walks towards him, kneels, and asks him, "Erik? Are you alright?"
"You look like you haven't slept," said Meg with a concerned remark. Madame Giry turns to Meg as she gives her a look, then turns back to Erik as he wipes away his tears.
Erik turns to them and responds, "The reason why she left, it isn't just because of the boy's cruelty towards her. She left because of me." Madame Giry backs away as she is confused about what Erik is talking about. "Didn't she? Christine."
Madame Giry puts her hand on his back and asks, "What do you mean?"
"Yesterday I saw that she and the boy had an argument but then he kissed her. I got frustrated that I thought she was just manipulating me to stay with him again and not with me. I realize I'm not rich and as handsome as he is, but I know I could have given her so much."
"Erik, how do you…" Madame Giry said quickly until she has a realization. "- were you at the mansion?"
Erik stands up and replies, "Yes, because I felt awful after I told Christine that I didn't love her and that I didn't want to see her again." Meg stands behind her mother and is shocked by Erik's comment. "But that's not true. I can't stop thinking about her, and when I'm not with her, my heartaches. I sometimes get the feeling that something happened to her." Madame Giry turns to Meg with a concern. Erik stands up and paces in his room. "Honestly, Madame, I'm in love with her, and if there were a chance to have Yesterday again, I would not have argued with her. I would have believed her and -"He stops as he turns and notices a note left for him on his desk. He walks towards it and recognizes Christine's signature.
To My Angel of Music
Erik gently picks up the letter, "… that's strange. I didn't see this here this morning."
"What is it?" Asks Madame Giry.
Erik turns to Madame Giry and replies, "It's a letter from Christine." Erik opens the letter and begins to read. As he reads the letter, tears appear.
"My dear Erik,
By now, you probably have heard that I have left. Firstly I want you to understand that I left Raoul because I can't stand him and I don't love him anymore. Secondly, I want you to know that I went on my own accord. I didn't want Anyone to know about me leaving. If someone did, they would have told Raoul that he would have tried to stop me. Thirdly, I went not only because of the pain you left me. But I left cause there are too many memories of us that are just too painful to be reminded of. I know you will want to look for me, but I'm begging you to please don't. Move on without me. Let me follow my destiny. But know this, my darling, I will never forget what you've taught me, and I will always remember the love we shared, which is why I leave this for you to remember me by. I wish you a life full of happiness.
Love now and always,
Christine"
Erik falls to the floor and begins to cry. "It's my fault. Everything."
Madame Giry stands up and questions him, "Why did you do it, Erik? Why didn't you believe her?"
"Because after they kissed, I thought I lost her again!" He answered sharply. Meg and Madame Giry stare at him and sigh. "To him! If I could go back and change what I've done, I would. I would have never made Christine believe that running away would solve anything. I would have done what she asked."
Meg gently asks, "What did she ask of you?"
Erik replies, "She asked me to run away with her. So we could start a new life. Maybe get married, have children. But now…" Erik covers his face and cries.
Feeling guilty and knowing the truth, she lies yet comforts him by saying, "Erik, maybe this is God's will."
Erik shakes his head as he looks up and replies, "No. Something isn't right. She wouldn't just run away unless something happened."
"Erik," sighs Madame Giry.
Erik quickly gets up to find his coat and says, "I have to find her. If I don't leave now."
"Listen to yourself. Don't you remember what she said? She said for you to not look for her. She wants you -"
"I know, but I can't do this."
"And why not?"
Because if I don't go looking for her, something terrible might happen to her," he shouts at Madame Giry.
Meg takes a step closer to Erik and asks, "What do you mean?" Erik looks away from them. "Erik, please tell us."
Erik shuts his eyes, sighs, and begins, "It started with crying and screaming. I don't know what was crying, but I knew that I heard Christine's voice. But I couldn't find her because I was surrounded by darkness. Not until I saw her sitting next to a desk was when she recognized me. After she recognized me, I tried to ask her what was going on. But she just told me that I'd led her into doing something that she felt like she had nothing else to live for. Christine kept saying it was my fault, and when I asked her what she was talking about, I saw that she had pulled out a knife, and…and she…" Erik covers his face as he begins to cry once more.
"She kills herself?" Asks Madame Giry.
Erik uncovers his face and replies, "Yes." Madame Giry and Meg are horrified as Erik continues to explain his dream. "In the dream, it felt as if she wanted to die. But there was something that she wants to tell me and she couldn't because she died right in my arms. I tried to bring her back and asked for help, but no one, not even you and Monsieur Daae. But what only made me frustrated was when both you and Monsieur Daae whispered to me what I should have done. When I asked for help, you both disappeared."
Madame Giry and Meg turned to each other as they are frightened by Erik's dream.
"It was only a dream, Erik," says Meg.
"I won't let this one become real. Or any other ones that come if I don't find her," Erik replies. They stare at him as they feel sorry for both now Erik and Christine." So far, what my dream has shown me is that Christine is gone and could be in danger, and it is all my fault."
"You don't know that!" Madame Giry lies slightly. "The letter she wrote to you proves how much she wants to do what is right. Not only for herself but for you. And if it means causing the pain of letting you go."
"ENOUGH!" He yells and stares at them in anger. Madame Giry and Meg have lumps in their throats as they are a bit frightened by Erik's reaction. Erik turns away from them and says, "Please just stop! Will you both just leave. I wish to be left alone."
Madame Giry sheds a tear then feels Meg taking her hand. She turns to her daughter as Meg whispers, "Come on, Mother." Madame Giry turns back to Erik as she feels sorry for Erik, then turns around to Meg and leaves.
Once more in his hand, Erik looks at the letter, falls to his knees, and cries his eyes out in pain and sadness.
Thirty minutes later, Madame Giry and Meg arrive back home. "He didn't take it well," said Meg.
Madame Giry turns to her daughter and responds, "No, he didn't."
"Do you think it worked?"
"I think so. But only cause Erik hasn't thought to ask anyone of us to see if we knew anything. Or if we helped her."
"Do you think they will ever find her?"
"I don't know."
At the same time, Erik is in his bedroom; he cries and weeps, feeling guilty for what he had done — worried for Christine. "Christine. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said.