Christine sat crying and reminiscing. How could she have forgotten her mother so much? She was only six when she died, but she had promised to always care for her father. The spirit was right; she did blame herself for his death. She felt like she had broken her promise to her mother to always look after and care for him. When he had fallen ill, she felt like it was her fault.
When the clock in the foyer struck eleven she stood up expectantly. She knew the other ghost had already come. She could see a bright light shining downstairs and followed it out of her room. In the middle of her living room sat a rather large man in heavy winter cloaks. He laughed when he saw her and she entered the room as he spoke, "Come in Christine. Don't be afraid! I am the ghost of Christmas present."
Christine nodded her head and said, "Yes, you must be. Are you going to take me away and show me things as the other did?"
"Yes, are you ready?"
"I supposed I don't have a choice." Christine went to him and he kindly took her hand. Once again she was thrown into the wind to cross space, but not time.
They stopped outside Meg Giry's house. Christine peeked into the windows and could see all her friends from the opera gathered around the piano singing Christmas carols as Mme Giry played for them. Christine and the ghost were transported inside their home and she looked around in excitement at all the people she saw.
"Look, there's M. Reyer and M. Firman! And all my friends from the ballet!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," the ghost said, "They are all the people you should be spending time with this holiday instead of worrying what your fiancé will think."
Christine listened to their conversations; eagerly wishing they could see her and she could exchange thoughts with them.
"Well, I think the production will go marvelously if they could find a decent prima donna," Meg said to one of the other girls.
"Yes," the girl agreed, "There hasn't seemed to be such a crowd drawn since your friend, what's her name sang at the opera."
"Now, now," Giry defended, "you know she is much better off with her fiancé than on the stage performing. She has much more money now than she could ever care to spend."
"Well, money isn't everything. Couldn't you try to convince her to return, you know the managers want her back, despite all the gossip about the ghost that still exists."
Meg said, "I've tried, but she simply won't go against the Vicomte's wishes. I just wonder why they still have not been married."
"I know what you mean. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't hesitate one moment more!"
They all laughed and joined the others in a dance as Meg's mother played a livelier tune on the old piano.
Christine turned towards the ghost and said, "I can't believe I have fallen so far out of touch and yet they still remember me."
"Ah," the ghost replied, "True friends are the most difficult to lose, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. If they truly care, they will always welcome you back."
Christine nodded her head in agreement and continued to watch her friends enjoy themselves. The ghost finally touched her arm and said, "It's time to go. There is much more you need to see tonight."
They traveled on the wind quickly through the cold Parisian streets to another house where the social excitement was not quite as boisterous as the last party they witnessed. The guests were all dressed in their finery and talked in low tones in small gatherings around the large room. A small quartet orchestra played lightly in one corner of the room. Christine walked amongst them, still in wonderment that they could not see her and she laughed as she realized that if she were, they would see her in her nightgown and slippers.
She heard Raoul's name being spoken in one group of rather snobbish looking people, so she ventured closely to listen to their conversation.
"Honestly I don't know what he is doing with her. He is one of the countries most handsome and eligible bachelors with the finest estates and he has saddled himself with that common baggage," a rather heavily painted lady stated, as she sipped her wine.
"Oh come now, Marie. The boy is in love. Simply indulging a childhood fantasy. When he becomes bored with her, he will simply kick her to the street like the harlot she is, and leave her for someone more deserving. Someone like our little Michelle. I know he has taken quite the liking to her and she is rather fond of him. See there?"
He gestured across the room, where Christine looked and saw in horror, her own Raoul speaking softly into a rather beautiful girl's ear. She giggled and smiled shyly as he took her hand and kissed it. Christine's blood boiled at the sight she witnessed and she felt the anger of betrayal rise within her. Raoul was cheating on her! He claimed to love and adore her so much, yet he would leave her at home alone to go off with some little frill at one of his friends' parties. No wonder he hadn't put up much of a fight when she suggested that she should stay home. How long had this been going on, she wondered?
She walked across the room to his side to try and hear what he was saying to him, but unable, she tried to slap him instead. Her had passed directly through his face and the girls. They sneaked off into the conjoining room to be alone as Christine watched horrified that he would ever betray her.
What had it all been for? She could have been with Erik all this time and much happier if he had not insisted that she go away with him!
The ghost lightly touched her shoulder as the tears spilled down her face and she followed him silently to see one more sight.
A stab of chilled wind bit through her thing nightdress but she did not feel cold. Her feet touched the slabs of stone she knew so well as she ventured alongside the opera's lake. She knew exactly where they were but could not bear to see why.
"No, spirit! Please don't show me Erik. I couldn't bear it!" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry, but this is necessary for you to witness."
Christine entered Erik's home through the wall. There was no need to locate the door. The home was a shambles. Furniture strewn here and there and piled in great heaps in the corners of the room. She saw that the piano in the corner had quite a layer of dust on it from neglect and his beautiful music had been torn to shreds, which now lay scattered across the rug. Then she heard a sob from the next room, Erik's room.
Christine walked in to find an even larger mess, and in the middle, the crouching figure of her dark beloved. He was curled up in a ball on the remains of what looked to be the padding of his coffin. He rocked back and forth, whimpering and crying, although she could see no tears. He seemed to have wasted away to practically nothing since she left. Christine went to him and tried to put her arms around him as he cried out her name in the darkness.
"Erik, what have I done to you? I should have never left you!" she cried over him.
The spirit came behind her and said, "Christine, these are things as they are today. Nobody but you can change them."
"Will Erik live?"
"Unless these events go unchanged, music shall never again be heard in these depths of the opera," He beckoned her to follow him. "It's time to go now Christine. I have shown you all you can see."
Christine rose to follow him, but he was already gone. She looked back and Erik had disappeared as well.
"Wait, come back!" she called to the ghost. "How am I to find my way home?"
There was no answer in the empty room where she stood. A dark shadow fell across her and she backed away in fright.
When the clock in the foyer struck eleven she stood up expectantly. She knew the other ghost had already come. She could see a bright light shining downstairs and followed it out of her room. In the middle of her living room sat a rather large man in heavy winter cloaks. He laughed when he saw her and she entered the room as he spoke, "Come in Christine. Don't be afraid! I am the ghost of Christmas present."
Christine nodded her head and said, "Yes, you must be. Are you going to take me away and show me things as the other did?"
"Yes, are you ready?"
"I supposed I don't have a choice." Christine went to him and he kindly took her hand. Once again she was thrown into the wind to cross space, but not time.
They stopped outside Meg Giry's house. Christine peeked into the windows and could see all her friends from the opera gathered around the piano singing Christmas carols as Mme Giry played for them. Christine and the ghost were transported inside their home and she looked around in excitement at all the people she saw.
"Look, there's M. Reyer and M. Firman! And all my friends from the ballet!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," the ghost said, "They are all the people you should be spending time with this holiday instead of worrying what your fiancé will think."
Christine listened to their conversations; eagerly wishing they could see her and she could exchange thoughts with them.
"Well, I think the production will go marvelously if they could find a decent prima donna," Meg said to one of the other girls.
"Yes," the girl agreed, "There hasn't seemed to be such a crowd drawn since your friend, what's her name sang at the opera."
"Now, now," Giry defended, "you know she is much better off with her fiancé than on the stage performing. She has much more money now than she could ever care to spend."
"Well, money isn't everything. Couldn't you try to convince her to return, you know the managers want her back, despite all the gossip about the ghost that still exists."
Meg said, "I've tried, but she simply won't go against the Vicomte's wishes. I just wonder why they still have not been married."
"I know what you mean. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't hesitate one moment more!"
They all laughed and joined the others in a dance as Meg's mother played a livelier tune on the old piano.
Christine turned towards the ghost and said, "I can't believe I have fallen so far out of touch and yet they still remember me."
"Ah," the ghost replied, "True friends are the most difficult to lose, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. If they truly care, they will always welcome you back."
Christine nodded her head in agreement and continued to watch her friends enjoy themselves. The ghost finally touched her arm and said, "It's time to go. There is much more you need to see tonight."
They traveled on the wind quickly through the cold Parisian streets to another house where the social excitement was not quite as boisterous as the last party they witnessed. The guests were all dressed in their finery and talked in low tones in small gatherings around the large room. A small quartet orchestra played lightly in one corner of the room. Christine walked amongst them, still in wonderment that they could not see her and she laughed as she realized that if she were, they would see her in her nightgown and slippers.
She heard Raoul's name being spoken in one group of rather snobbish looking people, so she ventured closely to listen to their conversation.
"Honestly I don't know what he is doing with her. He is one of the countries most handsome and eligible bachelors with the finest estates and he has saddled himself with that common baggage," a rather heavily painted lady stated, as she sipped her wine.
"Oh come now, Marie. The boy is in love. Simply indulging a childhood fantasy. When he becomes bored with her, he will simply kick her to the street like the harlot she is, and leave her for someone more deserving. Someone like our little Michelle. I know he has taken quite the liking to her and she is rather fond of him. See there?"
He gestured across the room, where Christine looked and saw in horror, her own Raoul speaking softly into a rather beautiful girl's ear. She giggled and smiled shyly as he took her hand and kissed it. Christine's blood boiled at the sight she witnessed and she felt the anger of betrayal rise within her. Raoul was cheating on her! He claimed to love and adore her so much, yet he would leave her at home alone to go off with some little frill at one of his friends' parties. No wonder he hadn't put up much of a fight when she suggested that she should stay home. How long had this been going on, she wondered?
She walked across the room to his side to try and hear what he was saying to him, but unable, she tried to slap him instead. Her had passed directly through his face and the girls. They sneaked off into the conjoining room to be alone as Christine watched horrified that he would ever betray her.
What had it all been for? She could have been with Erik all this time and much happier if he had not insisted that she go away with him!
The ghost lightly touched her shoulder as the tears spilled down her face and she followed him silently to see one more sight.
A stab of chilled wind bit through her thing nightdress but she did not feel cold. Her feet touched the slabs of stone she knew so well as she ventured alongside the opera's lake. She knew exactly where they were but could not bear to see why.
"No, spirit! Please don't show me Erik. I couldn't bear it!" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry, but this is necessary for you to witness."
Christine entered Erik's home through the wall. There was no need to locate the door. The home was a shambles. Furniture strewn here and there and piled in great heaps in the corners of the room. She saw that the piano in the corner had quite a layer of dust on it from neglect and his beautiful music had been torn to shreds, which now lay scattered across the rug. Then she heard a sob from the next room, Erik's room.
Christine walked in to find an even larger mess, and in the middle, the crouching figure of her dark beloved. He was curled up in a ball on the remains of what looked to be the padding of his coffin. He rocked back and forth, whimpering and crying, although she could see no tears. He seemed to have wasted away to practically nothing since she left. Christine went to him and tried to put her arms around him as he cried out her name in the darkness.
"Erik, what have I done to you? I should have never left you!" she cried over him.
The spirit came behind her and said, "Christine, these are things as they are today. Nobody but you can change them."
"Will Erik live?"
"Unless these events go unchanged, music shall never again be heard in these depths of the opera," He beckoned her to follow him. "It's time to go now Christine. I have shown you all you can see."
Christine rose to follow him, but he was already gone. She looked back and Erik had disappeared as well.
"Wait, come back!" she called to the ghost. "How am I to find my way home?"
There was no answer in the empty room where she stood. A dark shadow fell across her and she backed away in fright.