Raoul, aside from trembling because of fear and anger towards Erik, held
his pistol steadily, his fingers white by grasping it so hard. He was
slightly out of breath and had to pause for air as he talked. Erik noticed
that the boy held his gun a little higher than usual, and realized that it
was because he remembered the instructions from the Persian the last time
they ventured to the underground house on the lake. Keep your hand at the
level of your eyes..
"Let Christine free, Phantom, or you'll regret it," Raoul demanded loudly, a slight tremor in his voice.
"Are you going to kill me, Viscount?" Erik asked quietly, daring him to go through with it.
"Oh, stop!" Christine hollered, shoving her way past Erik to face Raoul.
"Christine!" Raoul said in surprise, "Come along, everything's all right. We're going home."
A wave of guilt passed over Christine. "Raoul..." she paused to take a deep breath. "I'm not going home."
"What are you saying, love? Has he hypnotized you again?! Christine, it's me! Your husband!" Raoul set his face into one of concern, motioning for his wife to stand behind him. She did not move.
"I-I'm staying with - with Erik," Christine said in barely more than a whisper.
Raoul, who's gun had been pointed to the ground for some time, suddenly raised it again towards Erik. "What have you done to her?!" Raoul shouted, "Stop messing with her head, and give her back to me!"
"Raoul!" Christine shouted back, "Listen to me! I don't - I don't love you! I belong with Erik!"
"You belong in society, Christine! You belong with someone who has not murdered! You belong with someone who can support you safely, and support a child safely, and keep you warm and fed and cared for! You cannot survive underground like this monster can! You're a normal human being who would be very unhappy if you never got to see the light of day again!" Raoul stopped ranting to confront Christine, dropping his gun and taking her hands and making her stare up into his eyes. "Think sense, love! You will not be happy here!"
Christine just pulled out of Raoul's grip, stepping backwards into Erik's chest. "You called him a monster."
"Christine-"
"No!" Christine interrupted Raoul, "You are so ignorant! Just because he's different he's a monster?! You insolent - you - you-"
"He's murdered, Christine!" Raoul said, "That is why he is a monster! How could a human, with human conscience, be able to kill so many people?!"
Christine began to say something, but the Phantom spoke first.
"Christine, please don't defend me... there are crimes I have committed that I cannot deny. You must make your own decisions... I am not a completely innocent man," Erik said with regret.
"I chose to stay with you, Erik!" Christine replied shrilly.
"Listen! You made the mistake of running away from your husband because you decided you don't love him anymore! You can't just DECIDE not to be someone's wife, Christine! You're not taking love very seriously at all!" Erik's voice was like a muted shout, as if he were trying not to frighten anyone away. "You can't play with emotions - you alone have to decide your fate! You are not a little girl anymore!"
Christine seemed more desperate than ever, looking pleadingly into Erik's eyes. "You, you, I chose you!"
"Evil demon!" Raoul yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Erik, "You kidnapped my wife and now have hypnotized her to believe she loves you!"
Christine stormed up to Raoul, an aura of very unlady-like rage radiating off of her. "He did not kidnap me, I ran away! I realized that I love Erik, and you were my good friend, who lured me into his trap with looks, money, and charm!" And then she did the unexpected - so unexpected it almost make Erik burst out laughing, and the Persian's eyes went wide with silent amusement...
She slapped the Vicomte de Chagny across the face so hard, a perfect imprint of her hand was left on his cheek.
"And never, ever - call my love an evil demon!" She shrieked, raising her hand as if he wanted another punishing whack, "EVER!" Raoul was taken aback, looking even more shocked than ever, soon gaining back his composure.
Christine's voice echoed over the walls of the cavern until all was silent.
Then Raoul spoke. "Christine," he whispered sadly, making her regret what she had just done, "You are truly in love with him? The Phantom of the Opera?"
"Yes," Christine replied, "Raoul, I'm.. sorry.." She touched his shoulder.
Raoul drew away from Christine, turning as not to face her. "Then I won't be needing THIS silly, meaningless thing anymore," he half laughed, half sobbed, tearing the wedding ring from his finger, throwing it to the dirty ground.
Christine was lost for words, standing a respectable distance away form her pained ex-husband as he took the full blow of everything she had told him, feeling the weight of it all and giving him a punch harder than any enraged slap Christine could ever muster. Raoul slid into a chair, not caring that it was Erik's, taking deep breaths and holding his face in his hands.
Christine, still lost for words, now had silent tears running down her face. "Raoul.. I didn't want - it to be like this.." she sobbed.
Raoul looked up at Christine, eyes bloodshot. "How ELSE did you think I was going to take this?! You think I can just brush it off?! I love you Christine, and as much as you don't love me back, I still will!" His voice broke, but he continued. "So - so - stay with your Erik! I hope - you're happy with him!" Raoul stooped to the ground, picking up his gun.
"Perhaps you'd rather follow him to hell than with me above ground! Your choice is made," Raoul said bitterly.
Before Christine, Erik, or the Persian could do a thing about it, Raoul pulled the trigger of his gun, which was aimed at the Phantom. The force of the bullet made the masked man fall back into his friend before he could even cry out, throwing them both to the ground, and engulfing him into the swallowing darkness which threatened to take his life.
A/N: Next chapter will be up soon. :)
"Let Christine free, Phantom, or you'll regret it," Raoul demanded loudly, a slight tremor in his voice.
"Are you going to kill me, Viscount?" Erik asked quietly, daring him to go through with it.
"Oh, stop!" Christine hollered, shoving her way past Erik to face Raoul.
"Christine!" Raoul said in surprise, "Come along, everything's all right. We're going home."
A wave of guilt passed over Christine. "Raoul..." she paused to take a deep breath. "I'm not going home."
"What are you saying, love? Has he hypnotized you again?! Christine, it's me! Your husband!" Raoul set his face into one of concern, motioning for his wife to stand behind him. She did not move.
"I-I'm staying with - with Erik," Christine said in barely more than a whisper.
Raoul, who's gun had been pointed to the ground for some time, suddenly raised it again towards Erik. "What have you done to her?!" Raoul shouted, "Stop messing with her head, and give her back to me!"
"Raoul!" Christine shouted back, "Listen to me! I don't - I don't love you! I belong with Erik!"
"You belong in society, Christine! You belong with someone who has not murdered! You belong with someone who can support you safely, and support a child safely, and keep you warm and fed and cared for! You cannot survive underground like this monster can! You're a normal human being who would be very unhappy if you never got to see the light of day again!" Raoul stopped ranting to confront Christine, dropping his gun and taking her hands and making her stare up into his eyes. "Think sense, love! You will not be happy here!"
Christine just pulled out of Raoul's grip, stepping backwards into Erik's chest. "You called him a monster."
"Christine-"
"No!" Christine interrupted Raoul, "You are so ignorant! Just because he's different he's a monster?! You insolent - you - you-"
"He's murdered, Christine!" Raoul said, "That is why he is a monster! How could a human, with human conscience, be able to kill so many people?!"
Christine began to say something, but the Phantom spoke first.
"Christine, please don't defend me... there are crimes I have committed that I cannot deny. You must make your own decisions... I am not a completely innocent man," Erik said with regret.
"I chose to stay with you, Erik!" Christine replied shrilly.
"Listen! You made the mistake of running away from your husband because you decided you don't love him anymore! You can't just DECIDE not to be someone's wife, Christine! You're not taking love very seriously at all!" Erik's voice was like a muted shout, as if he were trying not to frighten anyone away. "You can't play with emotions - you alone have to decide your fate! You are not a little girl anymore!"
Christine seemed more desperate than ever, looking pleadingly into Erik's eyes. "You, you, I chose you!"
"Evil demon!" Raoul yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Erik, "You kidnapped my wife and now have hypnotized her to believe she loves you!"
Christine stormed up to Raoul, an aura of very unlady-like rage radiating off of her. "He did not kidnap me, I ran away! I realized that I love Erik, and you were my good friend, who lured me into his trap with looks, money, and charm!" And then she did the unexpected - so unexpected it almost make Erik burst out laughing, and the Persian's eyes went wide with silent amusement...
She slapped the Vicomte de Chagny across the face so hard, a perfect imprint of her hand was left on his cheek.
"And never, ever - call my love an evil demon!" She shrieked, raising her hand as if he wanted another punishing whack, "EVER!" Raoul was taken aback, looking even more shocked than ever, soon gaining back his composure.
Christine's voice echoed over the walls of the cavern until all was silent.
Then Raoul spoke. "Christine," he whispered sadly, making her regret what she had just done, "You are truly in love with him? The Phantom of the Opera?"
"Yes," Christine replied, "Raoul, I'm.. sorry.." She touched his shoulder.
Raoul drew away from Christine, turning as not to face her. "Then I won't be needing THIS silly, meaningless thing anymore," he half laughed, half sobbed, tearing the wedding ring from his finger, throwing it to the dirty ground.
Christine was lost for words, standing a respectable distance away form her pained ex-husband as he took the full blow of everything she had told him, feeling the weight of it all and giving him a punch harder than any enraged slap Christine could ever muster. Raoul slid into a chair, not caring that it was Erik's, taking deep breaths and holding his face in his hands.
Christine, still lost for words, now had silent tears running down her face. "Raoul.. I didn't want - it to be like this.." she sobbed.
Raoul looked up at Christine, eyes bloodshot. "How ELSE did you think I was going to take this?! You think I can just brush it off?! I love you Christine, and as much as you don't love me back, I still will!" His voice broke, but he continued. "So - so - stay with your Erik! I hope - you're happy with him!" Raoul stooped to the ground, picking up his gun.
"Perhaps you'd rather follow him to hell than with me above ground! Your choice is made," Raoul said bitterly.
Before Christine, Erik, or the Persian could do a thing about it, Raoul pulled the trigger of his gun, which was aimed at the Phantom. The force of the bullet made the masked man fall back into his friend before he could even cry out, throwing them both to the ground, and engulfing him into the swallowing darkness which threatened to take his life.
A/N: Next chapter will be up soon. :)