**********
Christine was waiting for Erik - waiting as she had given up everything and to become his living bride for the life of Raoul de Chagny. As the Phantom stepped forwards timidly, the chorus girl did not back down or cower in fear, but stood in front of him, tilting her small, white forehead towards him almost luringly, for the Phantom to lose resistance and kiss her. He did so, oh so cautiously, and finally he knelt to the ground, trying and failing horribly not to weep for the happiness he had never felt before in his life finally all poured out as he kissed her feet while he wept - while she started to cry as well...
Erik tore off his mask as Christine's tears fell to his face, he could not lose one! Though as she caught sight of the abomination, she did not run away - or die!
"Poor, unhappy Erik!" Christine whispered, taking his hand. As she did so, he slipped a small, golden wedding band into the palm which held his.
"There! Take it.. take it for you and him! It shall be a wedding present from your poor, unhappy Erik! Do not cry anymore...
"What do you mean?" Christine asked.
"Where you are concerned, I am but a poor dog ready to die for you! Go and marry that young man whenever you please, for you have cried with me, and mingled your tears with mine," Erik explained solemnly...
**********
Christine woke with a start from a dream of her past, to find herself safely tucked in her bed, Erik's voice full of grief still echoing in her head... it was almost as if he were still guarding her... haunting her... He wasn't still alive, Christine knew he couldn't be, he couldn't.. and yet, she could feel in her bones, in the very wind that whisped around her face and sang, 'Christine... Christine..' she knew that Erik was not gone. As much as she tried to pry away from the fact that she knew he wasn't dead trying to calm herself - she WANTED to return to him.. She longed to see him again - and she knew what she had to do. She had to go back to the Opera House across the lake from the Rue Scribe.. she had to find Erik, and then... hopefully... he would take her back...
It was dead silent as Christine lay awake in the middle of night only to hear crickets singing their rusty songs. She stirred uncomfortably around in the stifling blankets, turning to look into the peaceful sleeping face of her husband. He was so perfect - a moon beam splashed over his face, brightening his beautiful features and making him look even more gorgeous than usual. But, Christine realized, that was all he was..
She slowly reached out her hand to brush a lock of hair out of Raoul's eyes, feeling so very guilty for what she was about to do, she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from letting out a small sob. He was her very best friend - but could never be her lover. She loved him - but what she found out much to late, was that it was only in a friendly way.. his charm, beauty and kindness had kept her from thinking; she didn't want to love this man as her husband! Her friendship belonged with him. Her heart belonged with.... Erik.
Christine slipped off the small, golden wedding band Erik had given her, setting it on her pillow for Raoul to find once he awoke in the morning. She remembered the promise she had made to Erik - to bury him with the ring once he had died, though hopefully he had not lost all hope in her love for him! Perhaps he really was still alive...
Madame de Chagny dressed quickly to leave, silent so as not to wake Raoul. She pulled on her dress most suited for common outings and stood glancing at her reflection in the full-length mirror for a moment. She thought of her childhood dreams sitting alongside Raoul, playing with him, talking with him, laughing with him... he had been hers all her life, and now he was to be given up for a murderer and phantom. But her decision stood - she loved but one man...
Once Christine closed the front door quietly behind her, whisking on her cloak to battle against the chilly wind, the sun was beginning to rise. The pink and orange glow of the new sun, Christine noted, was the beginning of a new time. Life would never be the same again.
A cab stopped for the girl, who raised her hand out for the driver to see, and fumbling with the door handle for a while, still staring in deep thought towards the sunrise, she stepped into the cab. The moment she closed the door, she was no longer Madame de Chagny. She was, once again, Mademoiselle Christine Daae. And as she instructed for the driver to take her to the Opera House, she realized that it wasn't that life WOULD not be the same, it HAD not been the same... since the day she met Erik.
Christine was waiting for Erik - waiting as she had given up everything and to become his living bride for the life of Raoul de Chagny. As the Phantom stepped forwards timidly, the chorus girl did not back down or cower in fear, but stood in front of him, tilting her small, white forehead towards him almost luringly, for the Phantom to lose resistance and kiss her. He did so, oh so cautiously, and finally he knelt to the ground, trying and failing horribly not to weep for the happiness he had never felt before in his life finally all poured out as he kissed her feet while he wept - while she started to cry as well...
Erik tore off his mask as Christine's tears fell to his face, he could not lose one! Though as she caught sight of the abomination, she did not run away - or die!
"Poor, unhappy Erik!" Christine whispered, taking his hand. As she did so, he slipped a small, golden wedding band into the palm which held his.
"There! Take it.. take it for you and him! It shall be a wedding present from your poor, unhappy Erik! Do not cry anymore...
"What do you mean?" Christine asked.
"Where you are concerned, I am but a poor dog ready to die for you! Go and marry that young man whenever you please, for you have cried with me, and mingled your tears with mine," Erik explained solemnly...
**********
Christine woke with a start from a dream of her past, to find herself safely tucked in her bed, Erik's voice full of grief still echoing in her head... it was almost as if he were still guarding her... haunting her... He wasn't still alive, Christine knew he couldn't be, he couldn't.. and yet, she could feel in her bones, in the very wind that whisped around her face and sang, 'Christine... Christine..' she knew that Erik was not gone. As much as she tried to pry away from the fact that she knew he wasn't dead trying to calm herself - she WANTED to return to him.. She longed to see him again - and she knew what she had to do. She had to go back to the Opera House across the lake from the Rue Scribe.. she had to find Erik, and then... hopefully... he would take her back...
It was dead silent as Christine lay awake in the middle of night only to hear crickets singing their rusty songs. She stirred uncomfortably around in the stifling blankets, turning to look into the peaceful sleeping face of her husband. He was so perfect - a moon beam splashed over his face, brightening his beautiful features and making him look even more gorgeous than usual. But, Christine realized, that was all he was..
She slowly reached out her hand to brush a lock of hair out of Raoul's eyes, feeling so very guilty for what she was about to do, she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from letting out a small sob. He was her very best friend - but could never be her lover. She loved him - but what she found out much to late, was that it was only in a friendly way.. his charm, beauty and kindness had kept her from thinking; she didn't want to love this man as her husband! Her friendship belonged with him. Her heart belonged with.... Erik.
Christine slipped off the small, golden wedding band Erik had given her, setting it on her pillow for Raoul to find once he awoke in the morning. She remembered the promise she had made to Erik - to bury him with the ring once he had died, though hopefully he had not lost all hope in her love for him! Perhaps he really was still alive...
Madame de Chagny dressed quickly to leave, silent so as not to wake Raoul. She pulled on her dress most suited for common outings and stood glancing at her reflection in the full-length mirror for a moment. She thought of her childhood dreams sitting alongside Raoul, playing with him, talking with him, laughing with him... he had been hers all her life, and now he was to be given up for a murderer and phantom. But her decision stood - she loved but one man...
Once Christine closed the front door quietly behind her, whisking on her cloak to battle against the chilly wind, the sun was beginning to rise. The pink and orange glow of the new sun, Christine noted, was the beginning of a new time. Life would never be the same again.
A cab stopped for the girl, who raised her hand out for the driver to see, and fumbling with the door handle for a while, still staring in deep thought towards the sunrise, she stepped into the cab. The moment she closed the door, she was no longer Madame de Chagny. She was, once again, Mademoiselle Christine Daae. And as she instructed for the driver to take her to the Opera House, she realized that it wasn't that life WOULD not be the same, it HAD not been the same... since the day she met Erik.