Characters belong to Gaston Leroux. Plot technically belongs to Susan
Kay. Thewriting and perspective, however, are mine, as are any typos and
grammar errors. Comments and criticism greatly appreciated.
I felt Raoul's arm close on me in a merciless grip; he was determined to drag me away from there. But as I watched through my tears Erik's retreating back, I knew that I could not possibly leave him. In one quick movement, I wrenched myself away from Raoul and all but leaped across the room, my hand just catching on Erik's cloak. He turned, surprise showing clearly in his eyes. Nadir backed away from us, throwing a restraining arm toward Raoul.
"Christine…" Erik began uncertainly – but I would not let him finish, pulling him to me instead and burying my face in his vest. "I can't leave you, I won't!" My voice was horribly muffled, but I knew he had heard me. I felt his hands close on my shoulders and pull me away from him, forcing me to meet his eyes.
"Christine, I can't let you do this." Erik's voice was trembling but resolute. "You are free to go."
His commanding tone and my frayed nerves combined to suddenly make me angry. "Oh, I'm free, am I?" I nearly yelled at him. "But you can't let me do this? You yourself said that I must make a choice, Erik. Please let me make it." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Please let me, stay."
Raoul's cry of outrage broke the tense silence that had followed my whispered plea. "Christine! What are you saying? Come away from him, let's leave this place!" He struggled against the Persian, obviously still hoping to take me with him from this underground nightmare.
I turned slowly to face him, not relinquishing my hold on Erik. "I'm so sorry," I whispered brokenly, and truly I was, but I could not possibly go with him now. I told him as much, ignoring the small cries of disbelief he made. "I do love you Raoul..but my place is here, surely you see that!"
"I see nothing but misguided loyalty to a dying man!" His harsh words rang through the room, stinging us all with their intensity. "This is madness, you must reconsider!"
"No." My voice was not quaking now. I gave no more reason for this sudden betrayal of my dear friend and former fiance(, but merely stood there, daring him to challenge my newfound certainty. I don't know how long we stared at one another, but at last he turned away, disbelieving, to leave me to my choice. He made no remarks, simply walked away in stunned silence. Nadir followed, presumably to take him back across the lake, but I knew he meant to give Erik and me a moment of privacy.
I realized my hand was still clenched savagely in Erik's cloak and I let go, slowly raising my eyes to meet his again. My angel was crying! I had a sudden urge to kiss away every one of those tears. I leaned upward to do just that and found myself restrained by his hands again. His reaction to all that had just transpired around him was one single and deceptively toneless word: "Why?"
I didn't know why or even how, but, when faced with the horrible truth of leaving Erik for a world of sunlight to which I had never really belonged, my hopelessly muddled feelings had begun to un-cloud. And out of this half- clear pool of thoughts I somehow drudged up an answer to the question he had put to me.
"I suppose I've grown up, if only just a little" I began. "Enough to know where I belong. I think it took…that kiss…to make me face myself and my feelings. I stay now not out of guilt or fear, or loyalty..but because of love." My voice cracked slightly on this last word and I could get no father in my confession, but apparently it had been enough. "That's all I ever needed to hear," he whispered and is lips descended on mine in a force that I felt in my knees; I know I should've fallen has his arms not held me up.
I lost all track of time in Erik's embrace and all too soon I heard the returning footsteps of Nadir. Stepping back, I asked the loyal Persian to stand as my witness before God and that night I became the mistress of the Phantom of the Opera.
I felt Raoul's arm close on me in a merciless grip; he was determined to drag me away from there. But as I watched through my tears Erik's retreating back, I knew that I could not possibly leave him. In one quick movement, I wrenched myself away from Raoul and all but leaped across the room, my hand just catching on Erik's cloak. He turned, surprise showing clearly in his eyes. Nadir backed away from us, throwing a restraining arm toward Raoul.
"Christine…" Erik began uncertainly – but I would not let him finish, pulling him to me instead and burying my face in his vest. "I can't leave you, I won't!" My voice was horribly muffled, but I knew he had heard me. I felt his hands close on my shoulders and pull me away from him, forcing me to meet his eyes.
"Christine, I can't let you do this." Erik's voice was trembling but resolute. "You are free to go."
His commanding tone and my frayed nerves combined to suddenly make me angry. "Oh, I'm free, am I?" I nearly yelled at him. "But you can't let me do this? You yourself said that I must make a choice, Erik. Please let me make it." My voice dropped to a whisper. "Please let me, stay."
Raoul's cry of outrage broke the tense silence that had followed my whispered plea. "Christine! What are you saying? Come away from him, let's leave this place!" He struggled against the Persian, obviously still hoping to take me with him from this underground nightmare.
I turned slowly to face him, not relinquishing my hold on Erik. "I'm so sorry," I whispered brokenly, and truly I was, but I could not possibly go with him now. I told him as much, ignoring the small cries of disbelief he made. "I do love you Raoul..but my place is here, surely you see that!"
"I see nothing but misguided loyalty to a dying man!" His harsh words rang through the room, stinging us all with their intensity. "This is madness, you must reconsider!"
"No." My voice was not quaking now. I gave no more reason for this sudden betrayal of my dear friend and former fiance(, but merely stood there, daring him to challenge my newfound certainty. I don't know how long we stared at one another, but at last he turned away, disbelieving, to leave me to my choice. He made no remarks, simply walked away in stunned silence. Nadir followed, presumably to take him back across the lake, but I knew he meant to give Erik and me a moment of privacy.
I realized my hand was still clenched savagely in Erik's cloak and I let go, slowly raising my eyes to meet his again. My angel was crying! I had a sudden urge to kiss away every one of those tears. I leaned upward to do just that and found myself restrained by his hands again. His reaction to all that had just transpired around him was one single and deceptively toneless word: "Why?"
I didn't know why or even how, but, when faced with the horrible truth of leaving Erik for a world of sunlight to which I had never really belonged, my hopelessly muddled feelings had begun to un-cloud. And out of this half- clear pool of thoughts I somehow drudged up an answer to the question he had put to me.
"I suppose I've grown up, if only just a little" I began. "Enough to know where I belong. I think it took…that kiss…to make me face myself and my feelings. I stay now not out of guilt or fear, or loyalty..but because of love." My voice cracked slightly on this last word and I could get no father in my confession, but apparently it had been enough. "That's all I ever needed to hear," he whispered and is lips descended on mine in a force that I felt in my knees; I know I should've fallen has his arms not held me up.
I lost all track of time in Erik's embrace and all too soon I heard the returning footsteps of Nadir. Stepping back, I asked the loyal Persian to stand as my witness before God and that night I became the mistress of the Phantom of the Opera.