A/N: Thank you Ladylupin for your review! You don't know how much it
means to me. Also, I know they never give Erik's name in the play,
everyone likes it so I'm changing that too. "Phantom" is so impersonal
isn't it?
"Raoul, I'm worried," Christine exclaimed clutching his arm. "I have not heard from Erik for days. He could be doing any number of horrible things to himself or planning things to do on others."
"Christine, you are the only person that views the Phantom's two week absence as a bad thing. Perhaps he has died, and we can live our lives in peace." If you could only imagine, I thought, watching Christine and Raoul from the shadows. It's really quite useful how people never check to shadows to see what's there.
"Raoul!" Christine said, turning to face him, and grabbing his lapels. "You do not honestly think he is dead do you?"
"I think there is a very good chance he's dead, and we are none the worse for it. The Opera will finally be a normal opera again."
"Raoul, though you are very clever in some ways, the connection Erik has to this Opera is something you will never understand. If he died, it would be as though a part of the Opera died. Though he does horrible things, and at some times can be very frightening, everyone that works here is proud to have a phantom here. It's something that separates us from other operas. Anyone surviving a meeting with Erik is instantly famous. All of us are somewhat attached to him." Raoul said nothing and pulled Christine along.
I smiled to myself. Christine coming to my defense was a good sign. My observance of them together and Christine alone had been very useful. I had learned a great many things. With this new knowledge, I descended through the cellars to my home. I had kept a running record of things said. Eventually I would have enough to begin the second part of my plan. I had not really fine tuned the details, but it was sure to be clever and unfathomable to anyone else but myself. Unfortunately it would have to be a solitary victory, as most of mine were.
Gradually, over the course of the next week, I realized how much I was concentrating on my plan. It had become my main concern in life. It was what I slept, ate, and even breathed. Everything seemed to whisper Christine. Soon the pain began to come. I was a man of action, and the action was practically nonexistent. I began to slip into a sort of semi- depression. I had not felt this bad since that night three weeks ago when I went for a walk on the Rue Scribe.
Working off of that thought, I once again went for a short midnight stroll. It was a lot later at night this time, and fall was starting to set in. The moonlight reflecting of f the trees and water was eerie. I was so caught up in my reflection, I did not notice the young woman walking to path ahead of me. I barely avoided running into her, but she did not seem to notice. Turning, I looked over at her. She was gazing up at the moon, and the hood of her cloak had slipped down. To all my shock and astonishment, it was my Christine!
Let us just say it did not do my already suffering nerves and thoughts any good to see the cause of them standing right there in front of me. Luckily, she was so caught up in her own thoughts, she did not feel my intense stare. Before I turned to leave, I heard her saying something, most likely to herself. I strained my ears and managed to catch only the last part. ".and please protect him, and keep him, and forgive him for his harsh words and actions. Please also help me to forgive him for the sins against me and the other. I am waiting and ready." With the end of the strange prayer she ran off in the direction of the Opera main entrance. I was curious as to why Christine would be running around outside the opera on an autumn night praying.
But the question was, who was the fortunate recipient of Christine's prayer? The answer was obvious. For the last three days, I had not seen Raoul around at all. They had obviously quarreled. It was a happy opportunity for me, but I knew I would have to act on it quickly. Even three days was long for a young lover's spat. Already she was waiting for him to apologize. Obviously the other person he had sinned against was me in his death wishes. After all, it's never very attractive to wish people dead. My head filled with new ideas, I rushed back to the House Beyond the Lake to begin planning and plotting.
"Raoul, I'm worried," Christine exclaimed clutching his arm. "I have not heard from Erik for days. He could be doing any number of horrible things to himself or planning things to do on others."
"Christine, you are the only person that views the Phantom's two week absence as a bad thing. Perhaps he has died, and we can live our lives in peace." If you could only imagine, I thought, watching Christine and Raoul from the shadows. It's really quite useful how people never check to shadows to see what's there.
"Raoul!" Christine said, turning to face him, and grabbing his lapels. "You do not honestly think he is dead do you?"
"I think there is a very good chance he's dead, and we are none the worse for it. The Opera will finally be a normal opera again."
"Raoul, though you are very clever in some ways, the connection Erik has to this Opera is something you will never understand. If he died, it would be as though a part of the Opera died. Though he does horrible things, and at some times can be very frightening, everyone that works here is proud to have a phantom here. It's something that separates us from other operas. Anyone surviving a meeting with Erik is instantly famous. All of us are somewhat attached to him." Raoul said nothing and pulled Christine along.
I smiled to myself. Christine coming to my defense was a good sign. My observance of them together and Christine alone had been very useful. I had learned a great many things. With this new knowledge, I descended through the cellars to my home. I had kept a running record of things said. Eventually I would have enough to begin the second part of my plan. I had not really fine tuned the details, but it was sure to be clever and unfathomable to anyone else but myself. Unfortunately it would have to be a solitary victory, as most of mine were.
Gradually, over the course of the next week, I realized how much I was concentrating on my plan. It had become my main concern in life. It was what I slept, ate, and even breathed. Everything seemed to whisper Christine. Soon the pain began to come. I was a man of action, and the action was practically nonexistent. I began to slip into a sort of semi- depression. I had not felt this bad since that night three weeks ago when I went for a walk on the Rue Scribe.
Working off of that thought, I once again went for a short midnight stroll. It was a lot later at night this time, and fall was starting to set in. The moonlight reflecting of f the trees and water was eerie. I was so caught up in my reflection, I did not notice the young woman walking to path ahead of me. I barely avoided running into her, but she did not seem to notice. Turning, I looked over at her. She was gazing up at the moon, and the hood of her cloak had slipped down. To all my shock and astonishment, it was my Christine!
Let us just say it did not do my already suffering nerves and thoughts any good to see the cause of them standing right there in front of me. Luckily, she was so caught up in her own thoughts, she did not feel my intense stare. Before I turned to leave, I heard her saying something, most likely to herself. I strained my ears and managed to catch only the last part. ".and please protect him, and keep him, and forgive him for his harsh words and actions. Please also help me to forgive him for the sins against me and the other. I am waiting and ready." With the end of the strange prayer she ran off in the direction of the Opera main entrance. I was curious as to why Christine would be running around outside the opera on an autumn night praying.
But the question was, who was the fortunate recipient of Christine's prayer? The answer was obvious. For the last three days, I had not seen Raoul around at all. They had obviously quarreled. It was a happy opportunity for me, but I knew I would have to act on it quickly. Even three days was long for a young lover's spat. Already she was waiting for him to apologize. Obviously the other person he had sinned against was me in his death wishes. After all, it's never very attractive to wish people dead. My head filled with new ideas, I rushed back to the House Beyond the Lake to begin planning and plotting.
