Je Vous Faites Toutes Mes Excuses (I make to you all my apologies)
He started. He felt himself struggling to match the shape to that of Christine, craving so badly for it to be her, but he knew as soon as he looked it was not her. But through his disappointment, he recognized the fop, whose form he had memorized as thoroughly as Christine's, because he hated him as much as he loved her.
As stealthily as he could he adjusted his position so as to take advantage of the concealing shadows. He couldn't believe he'd been caught off his guard by that incompetent fop! The boy was still trying to be furtive. Two could play that game. Erik was glad of his practically inherent tendency to conceal himself, and that consequently the place he'd been rotting in for the past couple of months was between a thick stone pillar and a kind of stone partition that allowed him to see the maximum of his surroundings around its corner. It seemed he was safe. The boy was searching in all the wrong places. Erik found it particularly amusing to see him glancing up at the ceiling every other step, as though expecting Erik to be clinging there like a giant biding bat. Erik could see that he had a gun, and he also saw that given the circumstances he didn't have much chance if he were found. Erik waited silently as he approached. He wondered dully if Christine had put him up to it. That would confirm that she hadn't forgotten about him, at least. He tensed as he saw the boy, not five feet away from him now, bump into a nearby stone pillar. Immediately, a series of displaced pebbles showered down around Raoul. Erik saw the boy scuttling around in a flurry of nervous double-takes, trying to identify his alleged attacker, saw him fling out his arm- A shot was fired into the darkness, and went into Erik just as suddenly.
He groaned with the first blood. He was concerned that he had given himself away, but he was drowned out by Christine.
"Raoul! STOP!" she screamed, hurtling through the darkness to wrench the gun from Raoul's grasp. "Christine!" Erik heard him splutter. "How- what-!?" "Where is he?" she asked him, ignoring his incoherent demands.
Erik snorted. Was this a farce? He wasn't going to make himself a fool of himself because of her again.
"I… I don't know. I'm not even sure I hit him. I fired because I thought he attacked me, Christine! But that's not the point! You're putting yourself at great risk to be down here! Go back now- I'll be fine!"
"I am not going to let you kill an innocent man because you can't see with your own eyes," she cried. "Raoul, you're wrong to be hunting him down like this."
Raoul sighed heavily. Finally, he looked at Christine and said quietly, "Alright. If that's how you really feel, let's just leave. We can forget about the whole thing."
Christine looked tempted, but she shook her head. "If you shot him, I'm not going to leave him here to bleed to death." "He can surrender and get help," Raoul insisted.
Looking exasperated, she said, "Raoul, you know he'd never do that! Would you please be reasonable?"
Even from his point of view, Erik could see a change in Raoul's expression. "Oh, right," he said in a deceptively placid tone. "You have feelings for the creature. I should have known." Erik's heart cringed and his blood boiled. He didn't think he could stand this elaborate charade much longer. But though his voice shook with emotion, Raoul continued. "I can't believe this, after all I did to try to protect you from him. I only hope he is shot- so when you come to your senses, it won't be too late. Goodbye, Christine- I won't be husband to a harlot." Raoul turned and paced ponderously away.
Apparently this was an impromptu development in the act, for Christine looked genuinely shocked. She trembled as she begged, "Raoul, wait…" Turning one last time, Raoul said, "No. Stay with your creature- maybe you deserve him." Christine recognized the tone of finality in his voice, and she was silent as she watched him walk resolutely back up to the aboveground world.
Looking crestfallen and pale, she seemed to hover without a tangible earthly tether over the bare expanse of stone floor for a minute. Then, Erik saw her raise her head- or was it that she had jutted her chin forward? She squared her shoulders to accommodate their new burden and began to call Erik's name.
I hope this ending point isn't too awkward, more soon!! J