The next morning, after the regular sunday service, the priest summoned
Christine. "i must tell you now Mlle Daae, so it won't suprise you, that
this girl is blind. I also would like to tell you that I know nothing of
her. She just mysteriously showed up on my doorstep last night. I do not
think she means harm, in fact, I believe she means well of you, however, I
do not know what this business is about, she would not tell me. I am
warning you to expect anything. She has an odd air about her and I would
not be suprised if she said something concerning your past.
Christine remained silent, preparing herself for whatever might be thrown in her direction. She followed the priest into the small roomed and he closed the door softly behind her. She took one more look in the direction of the door before turning to face the young girl sitting on the bed in front of her. The girl smiled. "Hello Christine," her voice was friendly and soothing, "I'm Melanie. Have a seat." She pointed to a chair across from the bed where she was sitting.
Christin merely nodded and took the seat indicated to her. Out of hope and excitement, she blurted out, "Is it about him, have you heard from him?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Father Joseph entered the main part of the chapel. His footsteps echoed loudly because the room was empty. There was a knock at the front door. He opened it and a man stood there. Once he had been quite handsome, but now looked ragged. His eyes seemed tired and cold. "Hello Father, I'm here to walk Mlle Daae home."
"Of course M, Raoul," the priest replied, "she is speaking with someone at the moment, but I shall show you to the room where you can wait until they are finished."
"Thank you father," Raoul smiled out of politeness. The smile, however, could not hid the bitterness that led beneath and the priest shivered inwardly. He led the worn man to the door of the room where Christine and Melanie were. As soon as he left, Raoul put his ear to the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Yes Christine, he yet lives." The young girl smiled broadly. Although she could not see it, a few happy tears slid down Christine's face.
"Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?" Christine gushed. "Please, I must see him."
"He is where he has always been. I can take you tonight if you have forgotten the way."
"How could I forget," Christine's voice was almost a whisper. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the child. A new rush f memories flooded Melanie's mind and she struggled to control the tears that came to her eyes. At least she still loves him, Melanie thought, and everything will soon be all right. A few lonely tears escaped her grasp and slid from her sightless eyes. She now understood why this woman had left the man she loved.
Christine noticed that girl was crying and inquired why. "Did I do something wrong," she asked, hoping it wasn't her that had harmed the girl in any way.
"You must understand, Christine, I am not all what I seem to be. Since I was young, I've had this...gift. when I touch someone elses skin, I can sometimes see things. I saw things when I met Erik, and I saw things just now when you touched me. Some people get angry because of what I find out. Often, these are things that they are trying to hide, so please, don't be angry with me, I don't have much control over this. I saw your love for Erik. He is choosing now to believe that you don't love him because that is the only way he can deal with past events. I didn't understand it myself until just now when I saw your part of the story."
Christine's face turned white, "What, exactly, did you see?"
Melanie sighed. "I saw that you were carrying his child. When you discovered this, you ran away, hoping to marry Raoul and give your Erik's child the life you knew it deserved. Before you got married," her voice broke, "Before the wedding , you, "she was now crying, "you hada miscarriage and lost the child. I'm so sorry Christine. After that you had no reason to marry Raoul and you still loved Erik. when you broke off the engagement, you expected him to return to you, but he never did. It broke your heart. But he never knew Christine. After you left, he just shut himself off from the rest of the world and ... I'm just so sorry." The girl broke down, her small frame wracked with sobs. "I'm sorry," she whispered, whiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "It's just so sad."
"Oh, it's alright," Christine took Melanine in her arms once more, stroking the bakc of her head. "It will soon be all right. Just take me to Erik and everything will be fine." The two sat in silence for sveral seconds until a soft knock was heard at the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Raoul listened to the voices behind the door and frowned. He recognized the voice of the woman he loved, but the other was completely foreign to him. The longer he listened, the deeper his frown became. All lies, he thought furiously. Suddenly, he had a brilliant plan and a cruel grin spread across his face. "Yes, that will work wonderfully." he said outloud. He then noticed the voices had stopped talking. He took several seconds to regain his compsure and then knocked on the door.
It was several seconds before he heard some footsteps and then the click of the doorknob as it turned. The door opened to reveal Christine's face. He smiled at her. "Hello Christine, I've come to walk you home."
Christine smiled back. "Raoul, of course, just let me get my jacket. Come on in." She opened the door wider and Raoul stepped into the small room. Christine turned to the chair where her jacket was draped. "Oh, how rude of me," Christine suddenly exclaimed, "Raoul, this is Melanie," She pointed to the girl. "Melanie, this is Raoul."
The smile girl smiled shyly. "Hello." She said quietly. Raoul lifted the girl's hand to his lips, "Enchante." Melanie cringed inwardly as she discovered his cruel intentions.
Raol turned away from the girl towards Christine, "Are you ready my dear?"
"Yes Raoul. Shall we stop at that eligtful little chocolate shop along the way?"
"If you wish." He chuckled softly and offered her his arm and the two walked out the door. "By the way, Father Joseph informed me that you were talking with someone. What about?"
"Oh it was just a poor blind filr who had once heard me sing. She just wanted to tell me how beautiful she thought my voice was. She heard me in..." Melanie waited for the voices to fade downt he hallway before getting up to close the door. She then sat back down on the bed, terrified of what she had learned, horrified of what lay before her.
Authors note: there, my attempt at being dramatic. lol well, I want to apoligize to anyone who likes Raoul. I guess when I wrote this stroy I had decided that I hated him. I will say now that I don't hate him and well, I'm sorry that he is such a mean guy in this story ^_^
Christine remained silent, preparing herself for whatever might be thrown in her direction. She followed the priest into the small roomed and he closed the door softly behind her. She took one more look in the direction of the door before turning to face the young girl sitting on the bed in front of her. The girl smiled. "Hello Christine," her voice was friendly and soothing, "I'm Melanie. Have a seat." She pointed to a chair across from the bed where she was sitting.
Christin merely nodded and took the seat indicated to her. Out of hope and excitement, she blurted out, "Is it about him, have you heard from him?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Father Joseph entered the main part of the chapel. His footsteps echoed loudly because the room was empty. There was a knock at the front door. He opened it and a man stood there. Once he had been quite handsome, but now looked ragged. His eyes seemed tired and cold. "Hello Father, I'm here to walk Mlle Daae home."
"Of course M, Raoul," the priest replied, "she is speaking with someone at the moment, but I shall show you to the room where you can wait until they are finished."
"Thank you father," Raoul smiled out of politeness. The smile, however, could not hid the bitterness that led beneath and the priest shivered inwardly. He led the worn man to the door of the room where Christine and Melanie were. As soon as he left, Raoul put his ear to the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Yes Christine, he yet lives." The young girl smiled broadly. Although she could not see it, a few happy tears slid down Christine's face.
"Do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?" Christine gushed. "Please, I must see him."
"He is where he has always been. I can take you tonight if you have forgotten the way."
"How could I forget," Christine's voice was almost a whisper. Suddenly, she threw her arms around the child. A new rush f memories flooded Melanie's mind and she struggled to control the tears that came to her eyes. At least she still loves him, Melanie thought, and everything will soon be all right. A few lonely tears escaped her grasp and slid from her sightless eyes. She now understood why this woman had left the man she loved.
Christine noticed that girl was crying and inquired why. "Did I do something wrong," she asked, hoping it wasn't her that had harmed the girl in any way.
"You must understand, Christine, I am not all what I seem to be. Since I was young, I've had this...gift. when I touch someone elses skin, I can sometimes see things. I saw things when I met Erik, and I saw things just now when you touched me. Some people get angry because of what I find out. Often, these are things that they are trying to hide, so please, don't be angry with me, I don't have much control over this. I saw your love for Erik. He is choosing now to believe that you don't love him because that is the only way he can deal with past events. I didn't understand it myself until just now when I saw your part of the story."
Christine's face turned white, "What, exactly, did you see?"
Melanie sighed. "I saw that you were carrying his child. When you discovered this, you ran away, hoping to marry Raoul and give your Erik's child the life you knew it deserved. Before you got married," her voice broke, "Before the wedding , you, "she was now crying, "you hada miscarriage and lost the child. I'm so sorry Christine. After that you had no reason to marry Raoul and you still loved Erik. when you broke off the engagement, you expected him to return to you, but he never did. It broke your heart. But he never knew Christine. After you left, he just shut himself off from the rest of the world and ... I'm just so sorry." The girl broke down, her small frame wracked with sobs. "I'm sorry," she whispered, whiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "It's just so sad."
"Oh, it's alright," Christine took Melanine in her arms once more, stroking the bakc of her head. "It will soon be all right. Just take me to Erik and everything will be fine." The two sat in silence for sveral seconds until a soft knock was heard at the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Raoul listened to the voices behind the door and frowned. He recognized the voice of the woman he loved, but the other was completely foreign to him. The longer he listened, the deeper his frown became. All lies, he thought furiously. Suddenly, he had a brilliant plan and a cruel grin spread across his face. "Yes, that will work wonderfully." he said outloud. He then noticed the voices had stopped talking. He took several seconds to regain his compsure and then knocked on the door.
It was several seconds before he heard some footsteps and then the click of the doorknob as it turned. The door opened to reveal Christine's face. He smiled at her. "Hello Christine, I've come to walk you home."
Christine smiled back. "Raoul, of course, just let me get my jacket. Come on in." She opened the door wider and Raoul stepped into the small room. Christine turned to the chair where her jacket was draped. "Oh, how rude of me," Christine suddenly exclaimed, "Raoul, this is Melanie," She pointed to the girl. "Melanie, this is Raoul."
The smile girl smiled shyly. "Hello." She said quietly. Raoul lifted the girl's hand to his lips, "Enchante." Melanie cringed inwardly as she discovered his cruel intentions.
Raol turned away from the girl towards Christine, "Are you ready my dear?"
"Yes Raoul. Shall we stop at that eligtful little chocolate shop along the way?"
"If you wish." He chuckled softly and offered her his arm and the two walked out the door. "By the way, Father Joseph informed me that you were talking with someone. What about?"
"Oh it was just a poor blind filr who had once heard me sing. She just wanted to tell me how beautiful she thought my voice was. She heard me in..." Melanie waited for the voices to fade downt he hallway before getting up to close the door. She then sat back down on the bed, terrified of what she had learned, horrified of what lay before her.
Authors note: there, my attempt at being dramatic. lol well, I want to apoligize to anyone who likes Raoul. I guess when I wrote this stroy I had decided that I hated him. I will say now that I don't hate him and well, I'm sorry that he is such a mean guy in this story ^_^