A Cry In the Darkness
"Nadir!" I called. My voice was soft as to not wake the other residents but with a large intensity. "Nadir!" I called again, this time a bit louder.
Finally, the door opened revealing a half-asleep daroga. His eyes widened when he beheld Christine and my dripping forms as he ushered us into his home and bedroom. Silently, I laid Christine down on the bed.
"Is she…?" Nadir asked, his eyes holding dread.
"No, Nadir. She's alive, but if we don't get her dry clothes, she'll catch pneumonia," I replied to his question.
I had an idea of how to get Christine's clothes. Since it was obvious that Nadir would not have woman's clothing lying around, I called to Darius. As I waited for him to arrive I asked for a pen and a slip of paper.
He appeared in Nadir's doorway, his eyes wide in shock when he took in the entire scene.
"I need you to do me a favour Nadir, I want you to go to the Opera House and give this," I say as I fold the letter, "to Madame Giry. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir- right away."
"Be swift!" I told him and he scurried off. I turned to my loyal and only friend. "Nadir, do you have a rob that Mlle. Daae could borrow?"
"Certainly, Erik," Nadir said, knowing his questions would be answered soon. He left the room after he gave me the robe.
I shed all trace of myself as I slipped into a doctor like stance. With careful precision I removed her clothing and put her body in a robe. I took little notice to her naked skin, this was a place out of time, where neither Erik nor Christine existed. Once she was dry, I put her under the thick blankets. Seemingly snapping back into myself, I brushed a damp curl away from her forehead and crept into the other room where Nadir was waiting.
"Nadir," I greeted him calmly as I sat down in a big armchair.
"Erik," he greeted. "Now, would you care to explain just what is going on here?"
I sighed, this would be a long story, "Well, you know how I was giving lessons to Christine for some time now? After her grand debut in Faust, this Raoul character showed up. Supposedly, he is a friend of Christine's from long ago. But now he had fallen for Christine and I was furious…"
When I was about to explain what happened before the performance of my 'Don Juan', Darius came in through the door baring the dresses I had requested from Christine's room. I nodded and drifted into Nadir's bedroom where my fallen angel lay sleeping.
I noticed her cherub face was distorted with anguish and her body was tossing from side to side. At first, I feared she had a fever, but her forehead was cool. It was obvious that she was having disturbing dreams. I hadn't realized that I had left my hand on her face until her hand touched mine. An electric shock pulsed up my arm from her soft touch. My presence seemed to calm her haunting dreams for her body was no longer moving and her tense faced seemed to be calmer.
I detached myself as I dressed her in one of the nightgowns and brushed out her hair when I was finished. Unable to resist, I kissed one sweet innocent curl. I felt the tension building in my body and fled before her innocent ignorance captured me again, helpless to resist. She was as addicting as morphine and music, irresistible. Never in all my forty-five years have I ever felt such a longing for one person.
"Now where was I?" I said as I settled into the armchair again. "Ah, yes. I had knocked Piangi unconscious before donning his costume…"
An hour later we sat, my story told. I swirled the forgotten brandy in my glass as my thought swirled around me just as crazily.
"So, now what is going to happen, Erik?" Nadir asked.
"Honestly, my friend, I have no clue," I answered honestly. "Perhaps when she wakes up I can ask her why see said such a thing… and see if she truly meant it." I looked away. "If she didn't mean in, then that has to be the cruelest thing anyone has ever done to me," I paused, standing. I paced as I thought, frantic. "She's just so frustrating Nadir! She makes me want to scream!"
"Erik!" he whispered harshly. "Be quiet or you'll wake her -"
A high pitched scream echoed loudly through out the apartment. A strange sense of déjà vu swept over me as I heard it, it was the same as in the Underground.
I ran into her room, her eyes were wide open and she was frightened. I grabbed her gently and shook her, trying to wake her from this nightmare. She had stopped screaming, but her eyes were still staring straightforward. Her breathing was calm again. Her eyes held a blank expression, not really taking anything in. She wasn't even seeing the wall.
"Christine," I spoke to her. No response. I shook her again, "Christine…" I spoke louder this time, "Christine!?!" Still no response. I shook her and called to her but nothing worked.
"Christine talk to me please!"
-
"Nadir!" I called. My voice was soft as to not wake the other residents but with a large intensity. "Nadir!" I called again, this time a bit louder.
Finally, the door opened revealing a half-asleep daroga. His eyes widened when he beheld Christine and my dripping forms as he ushered us into his home and bedroom. Silently, I laid Christine down on the bed.
"Is she…?" Nadir asked, his eyes holding dread.
"No, Nadir. She's alive, but if we don't get her dry clothes, she'll catch pneumonia," I replied to his question.
I had an idea of how to get Christine's clothes. Since it was obvious that Nadir would not have woman's clothing lying around, I called to Darius. As I waited for him to arrive I asked for a pen and a slip of paper.
He appeared in Nadir's doorway, his eyes wide in shock when he took in the entire scene.
"I need you to do me a favour Nadir, I want you to go to the Opera House and give this," I say as I fold the letter, "to Madame Giry. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir- right away."
"Be swift!" I told him and he scurried off. I turned to my loyal and only friend. "Nadir, do you have a rob that Mlle. Daae could borrow?"
"Certainly, Erik," Nadir said, knowing his questions would be answered soon. He left the room after he gave me the robe.
I shed all trace of myself as I slipped into a doctor like stance. With careful precision I removed her clothing and put her body in a robe. I took little notice to her naked skin, this was a place out of time, where neither Erik nor Christine existed. Once she was dry, I put her under the thick blankets. Seemingly snapping back into myself, I brushed a damp curl away from her forehead and crept into the other room where Nadir was waiting.
"Nadir," I greeted him calmly as I sat down in a big armchair.
"Erik," he greeted. "Now, would you care to explain just what is going on here?"
I sighed, this would be a long story, "Well, you know how I was giving lessons to Christine for some time now? After her grand debut in Faust, this Raoul character showed up. Supposedly, he is a friend of Christine's from long ago. But now he had fallen for Christine and I was furious…"
When I was about to explain what happened before the performance of my 'Don Juan', Darius came in through the door baring the dresses I had requested from Christine's room. I nodded and drifted into Nadir's bedroom where my fallen angel lay sleeping.
I noticed her cherub face was distorted with anguish and her body was tossing from side to side. At first, I feared she had a fever, but her forehead was cool. It was obvious that she was having disturbing dreams. I hadn't realized that I had left my hand on her face until her hand touched mine. An electric shock pulsed up my arm from her soft touch. My presence seemed to calm her haunting dreams for her body was no longer moving and her tense faced seemed to be calmer.
I detached myself as I dressed her in one of the nightgowns and brushed out her hair when I was finished. Unable to resist, I kissed one sweet innocent curl. I felt the tension building in my body and fled before her innocent ignorance captured me again, helpless to resist. She was as addicting as morphine and music, irresistible. Never in all my forty-five years have I ever felt such a longing for one person.
"Now where was I?" I said as I settled into the armchair again. "Ah, yes. I had knocked Piangi unconscious before donning his costume…"
An hour later we sat, my story told. I swirled the forgotten brandy in my glass as my thought swirled around me just as crazily.
"So, now what is going to happen, Erik?" Nadir asked.
"Honestly, my friend, I have no clue," I answered honestly. "Perhaps when she wakes up I can ask her why see said such a thing… and see if she truly meant it." I looked away. "If she didn't mean in, then that has to be the cruelest thing anyone has ever done to me," I paused, standing. I paced as I thought, frantic. "She's just so frustrating Nadir! She makes me want to scream!"
"Erik!" he whispered harshly. "Be quiet or you'll wake her -"
A high pitched scream echoed loudly through out the apartment. A strange sense of déjà vu swept over me as I heard it, it was the same as in the Underground.
I ran into her room, her eyes were wide open and she was frightened. I grabbed her gently and shook her, trying to wake her from this nightmare. She had stopped screaming, but her eyes were still staring straightforward. Her breathing was calm again. Her eyes held a blank expression, not really taking anything in. She wasn't even seeing the wall.
"Christine," I spoke to her. No response. I shook her again, "Christine…" I spoke louder this time, "Christine!?!" Still no response. I shook her and called to her but nothing worked.
"Christine talk to me please!"
-