After almost another full week of being in the cellars with Erik,
Christine's pattern shifted. She told him she had to leave for a while,
but only for a little bit. Erik agreed to her wish, understanding quite
clearly that she needed a break; she had stayed with him for two weeks now,
the longest period of time she had ever been able to stand him. So she
left, no problem. Erik could wait a couple of days. And sure enough, a
few days later, Christine returned. But she had to leave again after only
a night, this time.
"Why, Christine, you came just yesterday!" Erik protested. "You mustn't leave so soon."
"I must," Christine answered, "I can't look suspicious."
"Just one more day," Erik pleaded.
"Not another. I'm expected back," she said, and closed the door behind her. Erik expected Christine to come back into his house, but she didn't. Instead, he watched her shadow pass as she walked past his small, dirty window to the row boat. She climbed in and sailed away briskly, looking as if she had a lot on her mind.
Erik watched her leave, stunned and silent. Finally, he whispered, "Yes, Christine. Rejoin with your chorus. It's for the best."
Patient and thoughtful, Erik turned his attention to Ayesha. "She is losing hope for me, I suppose," he said to her, stroking the cat's silky fur, "It doesn't take long for one to lose interest in something. Like a cat and his toy, isn't it? If he can't catch it soon, he ignores it until it comes back to him. I may just have to go to Christine if she will follow me back down here again. She's lost interest in me, I know. The only thing I was good for, was singing. I can still sing, I'm not a mute, you understand. I'll just take her away with my voice if she doesn't return soon."
Ayesha purred and flicked her tail, rubbing her head against Erik's hand.
As he had expected, Christine did not return anytime soon. It was four days before Erik decided to finally see what that girl was up to, and why she was so busy that she couldn't even pay him a visit. So he ventured above ground to find her. Without his ears, he had to be extra cautions.. in case someone came at him from behind, or if he didn't hear a person coming. Oh, this was going to be difficult. But he was a trapdoor master; if he couldn't disappear without his ears, he wasn't very good, now, was he? Then of course, he would have no problem if someone spotted him. An added bonus if they catch him for a few seconds longer than they ever had before... more interesting rumors.
Although, he had to admit... the rumors were growing a bit boring. He only helped the chorus girls to start them for something to do when he didn't have Christine to occupy his time. The oddest thing... when he first decided to live in the cellars of the opera house, he hadn't planned on socializing with the chorus girls... most ironic...
When he made it to Christine's dressing room, Erik found that she wasn't there. In conclusion, he thought to himself that she must've been out. He would have said it to himself, but he was afraid he might have talked too loud, in case a person was coming down the hall outside the room. Erik traveled farther down the tunnels behind the wall to civilization, coming upon a trap door of his that lead to the auditorium. Christine wasn't there, either.
Finally, he checked the entrance hall. Miraculously, there she was, striding down in the opposite direction of him. He pulled back through the wall, pursuing the girl and opening a trapdoor right near to her, probably five feet away, hidden by a pillar. He was just about to call out to Christine, when she spun around and started talking to a man that had just then entered his field of vision. Leaving the trapdoor, Erik stood behind the marble pillar to get a better look at what the two were talking about.
All he could lip read - they were talking much too quickly - were a few words here and there. He recognized the words 'see you', and started to think they were talking about something that had to do with meetings and... oh, it was impossible to tell.
Their conversation ended, and Christine was just turning around to leave again, when the man put a hand on her shoulder in a way that made Erik pay even sharper attention. He said a few more words, then Christine leaned forward, and they kissed.
Erik was so taken aback and shocked, he could do nothing but stare as the two of them planted their lips, and even afterwards, he did not blink, and he did not stop staring, and not even after Christine and the devil parted their own ways, did he look away from the very spot that they had stood...
Suddenly, Erik could no longer feel his legs and he had to lean against the pillar to steady himself, but it didn't help, so he slumped silently to the floor, still staring, and by now he was rigid, with unclear emotions; hate, desperation, love, sadness, helplessness, loneliness, and yet... he thought nothing. His ears and thoughts were silent, and only his heart cried out, shrieking louder than any mortal voice could scream, and only then did he finally feel the physical pain of every beat...
"Christine..." Erik whispered. His voice could have been a breeze if it hadn't have been so agonizing. "Christine..."
It did not occur to Erik that the opera house was now devoid of any one person. All had retired to their homes, and not even the managers lurked their office. So nobody could hear the screams Erik thought he did not yell, the maddening cries he didn't even realize he was making, even though he continued for so long that when he finally silenced, too sad to weep, his throat was choked with raw blood. All he could do was continue to stare, unmoving, unblinking, numb and useless, wishing this were all a bad dream, and knowing it wasn't. He had lost his music. He had lost his love. There was nothing left.
A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so evil to my Erik, next chapter will be nicer, I promise.... maybe.... ah well. Please review! :) PS - don't get mad at me if I have any errors in this.. I didn't have enough time to look it over for a second time to see if it flowed... *ahem*... :)
"Why, Christine, you came just yesterday!" Erik protested. "You mustn't leave so soon."
"I must," Christine answered, "I can't look suspicious."
"Just one more day," Erik pleaded.
"Not another. I'm expected back," she said, and closed the door behind her. Erik expected Christine to come back into his house, but she didn't. Instead, he watched her shadow pass as she walked past his small, dirty window to the row boat. She climbed in and sailed away briskly, looking as if she had a lot on her mind.
Erik watched her leave, stunned and silent. Finally, he whispered, "Yes, Christine. Rejoin with your chorus. It's for the best."
Patient and thoughtful, Erik turned his attention to Ayesha. "She is losing hope for me, I suppose," he said to her, stroking the cat's silky fur, "It doesn't take long for one to lose interest in something. Like a cat and his toy, isn't it? If he can't catch it soon, he ignores it until it comes back to him. I may just have to go to Christine if she will follow me back down here again. She's lost interest in me, I know. The only thing I was good for, was singing. I can still sing, I'm not a mute, you understand. I'll just take her away with my voice if she doesn't return soon."
Ayesha purred and flicked her tail, rubbing her head against Erik's hand.
As he had expected, Christine did not return anytime soon. It was four days before Erik decided to finally see what that girl was up to, and why she was so busy that she couldn't even pay him a visit. So he ventured above ground to find her. Without his ears, he had to be extra cautions.. in case someone came at him from behind, or if he didn't hear a person coming. Oh, this was going to be difficult. But he was a trapdoor master; if he couldn't disappear without his ears, he wasn't very good, now, was he? Then of course, he would have no problem if someone spotted him. An added bonus if they catch him for a few seconds longer than they ever had before... more interesting rumors.
Although, he had to admit... the rumors were growing a bit boring. He only helped the chorus girls to start them for something to do when he didn't have Christine to occupy his time. The oddest thing... when he first decided to live in the cellars of the opera house, he hadn't planned on socializing with the chorus girls... most ironic...
When he made it to Christine's dressing room, Erik found that she wasn't there. In conclusion, he thought to himself that she must've been out. He would have said it to himself, but he was afraid he might have talked too loud, in case a person was coming down the hall outside the room. Erik traveled farther down the tunnels behind the wall to civilization, coming upon a trap door of his that lead to the auditorium. Christine wasn't there, either.
Finally, he checked the entrance hall. Miraculously, there she was, striding down in the opposite direction of him. He pulled back through the wall, pursuing the girl and opening a trapdoor right near to her, probably five feet away, hidden by a pillar. He was just about to call out to Christine, when she spun around and started talking to a man that had just then entered his field of vision. Leaving the trapdoor, Erik stood behind the marble pillar to get a better look at what the two were talking about.
All he could lip read - they were talking much too quickly - were a few words here and there. He recognized the words 'see you', and started to think they were talking about something that had to do with meetings and... oh, it was impossible to tell.
Their conversation ended, and Christine was just turning around to leave again, when the man put a hand on her shoulder in a way that made Erik pay even sharper attention. He said a few more words, then Christine leaned forward, and they kissed.
Erik was so taken aback and shocked, he could do nothing but stare as the two of them planted their lips, and even afterwards, he did not blink, and he did not stop staring, and not even after Christine and the devil parted their own ways, did he look away from the very spot that they had stood...
Suddenly, Erik could no longer feel his legs and he had to lean against the pillar to steady himself, but it didn't help, so he slumped silently to the floor, still staring, and by now he was rigid, with unclear emotions; hate, desperation, love, sadness, helplessness, loneliness, and yet... he thought nothing. His ears and thoughts were silent, and only his heart cried out, shrieking louder than any mortal voice could scream, and only then did he finally feel the physical pain of every beat...
"Christine..." Erik whispered. His voice could have been a breeze if it hadn't have been so agonizing. "Christine..."
It did not occur to Erik that the opera house was now devoid of any one person. All had retired to their homes, and not even the managers lurked their office. So nobody could hear the screams Erik thought he did not yell, the maddening cries he didn't even realize he was making, even though he continued for so long that when he finally silenced, too sad to weep, his throat was choked with raw blood. All he could do was continue to stare, unmoving, unblinking, numb and useless, wishing this were all a bad dream, and knowing it wasn't. He had lost his music. He had lost his love. There was nothing left.
A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so evil to my Erik, next chapter will be nicer, I promise.... maybe.... ah well. Please review! :) PS - don't get mad at me if I have any errors in this.. I didn't have enough time to look it over for a second time to see if it flowed... *ahem*... :)