Hello again, Thank you for your lovely reviews, the chapters will get back to the comedy for a bit.
Nothing to do with original books musicals or films of The Phantom of the Opera belongs to me, nothing in The Kay book Phantom belongs to me either. Everything else is my own work.
Burning Bright Towards the Future
As Christine and Nadir entered the gym, they saw Erik hobbling in from the other side of the Penthouse carrying some tape and a sheet of paper. They both watched as Erik adjusted the height of the punch bag then stuck the paper on it. A comic drawing of a face was on the paper.
"There we go!" Erik declared as he stood back to admire his handiwork before squaring up and giving the face on the bag a round of brutal punches. "One 'Punch Ralph'!" he stated before facing his friends, "Who's next?" he asked.
"Me!" Christine declared before giving the bag a savage yet wobbly roundhouse kick right where testicles would have been had the bag been the real Ralph.
"Yup that would make them rot and fall off!" Erik winced, as Nadir laughed, and Christine started punching the bag, her repressed anger released due to the effects of the alcohol she had drunk.
Christine was more than several punches in and gaining momentum when Erik noticed she was hitting the bag with such force; it was swaying heavily so her punches were not landing evenly. Nadir went to steady the bag for her just as a still drunk Christine missed...
It was like a slow motion comedy, one moment Nadir was standing next to the bag holding it steady, as Christine pulled her fist back to strike, the next there was a loud THUMP sound followed by an 'OW!' and Nadir was landing on his backside.
Erik thought he was going to wet himself laughing. Instead of helping his ailing friend, he continued laughing as he hobbled over to a now horrified Christine who was standing still apologising to Nadir and stood between them counting Nadir down like he was the loser in a boxing match.
"Eight, nine, ten, you're out! The winner and champion is Christine Daae!" Erik declared holding one of Christine's hands in the air, as Nadir tried to get himself off the floor. Erik released Christine's hand and she made her way to the kitchen as Erik approached his fallen comrade.
"Thank you for your assistance." Nadir grumbled as Erik finally helped his stricken friend off the floor.
After ensuring that Nadir was steady on his feet, Erik gave the 'Punch Ralph' another round of rapid fire punches, as Christine came back holding an unusual shaped steak. "Sorry Nadir for hitting you." She said apologetically as Nadir took the steak from her and placed it on his eye, much to Erik's amusement.
"Don't worry about it, nothing serious, just a shiner!" Nadir commented before noticing Erik was now sniggering.
"What has you so amused?" Nadir grumbled as between them Erik and Christine helped him back to the sitting room and got him comfortable on the sofa.
"Nothing much, except that was Ayesha's dinner for tomorrow." Erik replied smirking, "Don't worry I am sure she will happily share." He continued as Nadir removed the steak from his eye and looked at it.
"This is a tuna steak!" Nadir commented as Christine gasped.
"I am sorry again; I just saw a steak and grabbed it from the fridge!" Christine remarked as she started to giggle.
"At least I will be popular with Ayesha!" Nadir pointed out mournfully, putting it back on his eye before laying back on the sofa; the grin on his face showing he didn't really mean it.
Erik turned to Christine, a serious expression on his face, "How about we go punch some more crap out of the 'Punch Ralph'? he suggested.
Christine was about to answer when her phone beeped, fetching it from her room, she read the message. then looked at Erik. "No thank you, I think I shall let Karma do the rest." She replied, puzzling the heck out of Erik.
"Do enlighten me?" he asked.
"Ralph was the reason I was so angry this afternoon. I overheard him chatting up one of the Corps de Ballet, since I was with the chorus just one scrim separated us, so he did not see me, but I heard him." Christine replied as Nadir popped his head up from the sofa to listen. "He was telling the ballerinas his last relationship was his fiancée, he gave her everything she wanted, he worshipped her, but she was a gold digger and because he would not let her take him for granted and spend all his money, she dumped him, and it broke his heart!" Christine informed the two men who started to both scowl. Then she laughed without humour in it, "If he thought I was a gold digger, then he is going to get a hell of a surprise, because his newest girl according to Meg is Jammes!" Christine declared.
Erik actually cackled; it raised the hairs on the back of Christine's neck. "Oh boy, she will definitely give him everything he wants, a fully massaged ego, and other things, she will make him the centre of her life when it is convenient to her which will keep him coming back for more. But the price is going to be steep, he'll pay alright… Through the nose for that one." Erik explained as Christine without warning started to cry.
"It still hurts!" she said between sobs, "I hate that bastard! I try not to let it get to me and it still hurts!"
Erik stood there deep in thought, as Nadir removed the tuna steak from his eye, laid it on the table then got up from his position on the couch and hugged her. "Do you still have anything that he gave you?" Erik asked once Christine had got her tears under control.
Thinking for a moment, Christine replied, "Yes I held on to the engagement ring he gave me, he said he didn't need it and it was cheap like me, but even if it was only a silver setting with a cheap diamond, I kept it as I could pawn it for a few pounds it was the only savings I had left." She replied, a puzzled expression on her face.
Erik nodded, as Nadir stared at him, 'What was going through Erik's head?' Nadir wondered, as Erik hobbled off returning several minuets later with a strange paper roll, a container of grey powder and some odd looking string.
Reaching into his trouser pockets Erik produced a set of cutters and a roll of paper tape. "Do you want to start a new life without any ties to the nasty parts of your past?" he asked Christine as he placed the roll carefully on the table next to the tuna steak.
"Yes! Oh, what I would give to be able to move on!" Christine declared as Nadir handed her his handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
"Right!" Erik stated, "Fetch me the picture of the 'Punch Ralph', and that ring and anything else that reminds you of that scumbag and bring it here, please." Erik requested, waiting until Christine had left before filling in a very curious Nadir on his plan.
"A simple firework Rocket," Erik informed him, Christine will destroy anything connected to that idiot and we will send it away in a blaze of glory, tonight." He added, "Annette will be dropping by tomorrow and I will speak to her about getting Christine some therapy with Annette's sister Delphine. I have exhausted what I can do, and she needs some professional guidance to move on." He finished, as Christine returned, with an armful of items.
"He insisted that I only bought clothes from charity shops, he said he would be me a beautiful wardrobe once I was his," Christine stated as she dropped what looked to both Nadir and Erik to be almost all of her clothes. Before handing the ring and the picture to Erik.
Watching as Erik looked closely at the ring, Christine's curiosity was almost boiling over, "What are you looking for?" she asked.
"There are no hallmarks on this ring." Erik pointed out handing it to Nadir before heading to his office returning with a Jewellers Loupe, in his hand.
Nadir studied the ring and nodded as Erik opened the loupe and once Nadir had handed the ring back, appraised it. "I am so glad you did not need to have this pawned!" Erik declared as Christine looked on, "It is a base metal, silver plated, I suspect, and the stone is glass. This ring, pretty as it is, is worth nothing I am afraid! It isn't even an antique paste ring, which would give it some value." He informed her, shutting the loupe and putting it in his pocket. He then picked up the cutters and handed them and the ring to Christine, "What say we fire this deadbeat out of your life?" he asked, "Metaphorically of course." He added, she could only nod, too shocked for words that the cheapskate did not even buy her a real ring.
ooo
Ring chopped up, picture torn up and the rocket packed and sealed, Erik then requested Christine to locate a warm coat, grab all the clothes she had located and follow him. He then opened a sliding door built into the glass wall of the penthouse and led her outside.
ooo
It was windy and chilly but to Christine's delight the Penthouse had a balcony running around the outside. Erik gave her a little tour, telling her that most of the glass was retractable during the summer months, to let the air in, before showing her first the hot tub and then a pool, both of which she was free to make use of. Then round the corner the fire pit, which is where he had her place the clothing before he reached into a cupboard built into the seating around the fire pit locating a bottle of firelighter fluid and dousing the clothes liberally.
Nadir had borrowed one of Erik's coats and had joined them just as Christine was handed a lit taper by Erik and he watched as she ignited the clothes. "How liberating does this feel?" Erik asked.
"Very!" she replied before thinking for a moment, "I have one question?" Christine asked, "Aside from my rehearsal attire and my current pyjamas, what am I supposed to wear, that was just about everything from my wardrobe?" she informed him as her old clothes disappeared into the flames.
"Shopping tomorrow?" Nadir pointed out, as Erik then mounted the firework to the balcony railing.
"Sounds like a fun thing for Meg to assist with!" Erik replied as He indicated Christine to use the taper, she was still holding to now light the fuse.
Christine was too caught up in the moment to realise what Erik and Nadir had said. Her brain tried to warn her she had no money to buy new clothes, but her heart ignored the warning, as she lit the fuse and watched her bad past disappear into the night in a blaze of golden sparks.
The clothes had almost burnt to nothing courtesy of the amount of lighter fluid Erik had doused them with and with the adrenaline wearing off, the three friends found they were all cold and tired, so once the flames had died out, they returned indoors and with Erik throwing a duvet at Nadir, before he and Christine retired to their rooms, they went to sleep.
