To readers:
It's my first phanfic story. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Please submit review!
Chapter II
"Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!"
Breathless Christine looked at the enormous dark shape in front of her. The Opera House... The building looked so beautiful and bright by day but now in the evening it was dark,mysterious and dangerous. But there was no danger which could stop Christine that moment. She knew one and only thing-she needed to find an entrance to underground floors of the Opera, she needed to reach the house on the lake, she needed to see maestro and tell him...To be honest she had no idea what exactly she was going to tell him. To ask him not to leave? It's silly-if maestro decided to do something nobody can make him change his decision.To beg his pardon? She was sure it was useless. She didn't know what to tell him but she knew she needed to see him.
Certainly theatre doors were locked,but Christine knew other secret way so she came in successfully. She was alone in this enormous empty palace.If it was only several days earlier she would be frightened,but not now. Now she only knew she needed see maestro,all the rest was no important.She ran upstairs and several minutes later she was in her dressing-room.Suddenly she remembered she did not know how to open the secret door behind the mirror. She fumbled awkwardly at the great mirror which opened so many times to let her come into underground part of maestro's domain. She pushed,pressed,groped about,but the glass was moveless. Maestro was the only one who could open it.At last Christine understood her laboures were useless.She fell on the floor near the mirror and burst into tears.
-Oh,maestro!-she moaned.-I'm so sorry! I know you will never forgive me,but please,please,let me see you one more time!
Silence was the answer. Christine felt so strong pain somewhere inside her that she could hardly breathe.
-He went away! He went away forever! He will never return! He will never let me see him again! Oh,God,what can I do?!
Suddenly she remembered...Rue Scribe...The gate! She had no key,maestro took it,but...The next moment she was on her feet.She ran to Rue Scribe. There she passed her trembling hands over the huge stones,met with iron bars...Here it is! But she had no key...She plunged her useless eyes through the bars...She could see nothing.She listened...All was silence.Despairingly she shook the bars but what her little hands could do with iron gate? She remembered that phrase from the letter again..."You'll never see me again..."
-No,please...-she whispered.She somehow knew that if she would not see maestro she would lose her reason for living...
She looked at the bars again...Oh,what if?...The idea was simple-to try to go between the bars. It was not easy but Christine was so slim that she came through the gate at last.How dark it was there! Outside,in the street it was also dark but here,behind the gate she could hardly see her own hand to say nothing about other things around her. How could she find the way? She knew this underground passage ran straight from the Rue Scribe to the lake,she went this way several times but then she was with maestro...Maestro could see in the darkness so clearly as if it was daylight,but she could not and she dudn't even have a lamp.But she needed to reach the lake so she moved forward with her arms lifted up in front of her because she did not want to come across something. At first her fingers met cold stone wall then she found the way at last. Darkness scared her earlier but that moment the darkness was even pleasant because he was there,he lived in that darkness. Only one aspect was negative-she wished she could run to reach the lake as soon as possible,but the darknes did not let her run."Oh,God I can't be late!"she thought."Persian came too early,he gave me the letter too early so I can't be late!" But anyway she was in panic.She went on and on and she saw it at last-it was the lake!Christine's eyes filled with tears.She have reached it!But there was another problem-there was no boat. The boat certainly was on the other side,where maestro's house was located. Christine knew there was some other way to the house,not through the lake.But she did not know where it was.Only he knew that other way.So how could she cross the lake? The decision was unexpectedly easy.She could swim,she liked to swim when she was a child-in her native Sweden and later in Perros.Without any hesitation the girl kicked off her shoes and came into the water.Th water was cold but Christine did not care.She needed cross the lake.
The lake was large enough and some time later she felt she was tired.It was also very cold.She still was moving forward,but some moment she felt she could not swim anymore.Fear filled her mind.She will never see maestro.She will be drowned in this lake.She hardly breathed,her arms and legs refused to obey her.She tryed to cry but she only felt cold water in her mouth.She understood it was the end.She thought she deserved it.She behaved so silly...She have never loved Raoul,but maybe it looked as if she did? Why did she tell him about maestro? Why did she ask Raoul to help her to leave Paris?... Maestro certainly thought she was in love with this stupid young aristocrat and was going to marry him!... And maestro understood that Raoul did not want her to sing.Maestro knew people very well so he understood Raoul's point of view.And he decided not to teach Christine anymore,because if she would marry Raoul it would be useless...Maestro will leave Paris and she will die here now.She really deserves it...She was not afraid of death anymore.She did not care...
Suddenly memory flashed in her head.It was so bright,so real.She heard maestro's voice singing the Wedding-night song from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet": "Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!"Maestro sang it for her several times.He played the piano and sang..."Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!" His magestic voice which could transform hell to heaven,sin to purity sounded now in Christine's ears and she felt some force returned to her.She moved forward again.And her Angel of music was singing song in her head...
She saw the ground soon.Breathless she came out of the water and fell on the stones almost fainted.
She did not remember how much time passed till she could move and push herself to her feet again.She went to the house on the lake,to maestro's house. She did not feel anymore how tired she was,she did not feel sharp stones cut her delicate feet.She came up to the house and knocked at the door.No answer.She knocked at the door again.Still no answer.Terrible thought almost paralysed her-could he leave earlier than he planned.Oh,no,it's impossible!
-Maestro!Are you here?It's me,Christine!I need to speak to you!Please!
All was silence.
"He doesn't want to see me!" Christine thought despairingly."Or maybe...he really left?..."Suddenly she remember-the boat!The boat was here,on this side of the lake,near the house.But there was other way known only to him so he could use that way to leave.He left!She will never see him again!
-No!No!No!-it was only word she could pronounce.Where was that other way?Where?!It's useless..He left!
She rushed in some direction.She did not know where she was running.She fell into despair.Two words flashed in her mind:"He left!"Suddenly she stoped.The silent darkness surrounded her.It was like in her dream last night-maestro went away and she stayed alone in darkness.When he was there in that darkness it was pleasant but without him it was terrible.She did not feel the tears on her cheeks.She felt nothing but pain in her heart,horrible pain.And she cryed and all her pain and misery were in that cry.
-Erik!!!
She has never called him by name but that moment she did it instinctively.
-Erik!
Nothing broke the silence.
-Oh,my God,I'm late...It's over...He...
Tall dark figure came out of the darkness.Christine thought at first it was really a ghost,an illusion.But it was not.He came up to her moving absolutely noiseless.
-Christine?...What are you doing here?What's happened?How did you...
She looked at him as if he was God's messenger who came to tell sinner he was forgiven.Or as drowning man looks at his saver.
-I'm not late!...-she whispered.-I'm not late...-and she fainted.
Erik was going his secret way to secret door opening to the box5.He wanted to give written instructions to Richard and Moncharmin before his leave.He was not going to lose control over Paris Opera House.He wanted to put the letter on Moncharmin's table in manager's office.And they will follow his instructions as usual.He thought about Christine.Poor girl.She was afraid of him so much.Dead bodies under fallen chandelier...Carlotta with burnt throat.All this was so terrible for her.And final act of this drama...Terrible and...silly.How could he do it? Try to make her marry him threatening her death of that boy Raoul.How silly!Terribly silly.Well,love makes people do wild things.But he managed to stop himself in time.He always had control over himself.He will leave now.He anyway was going to leave-he had some plans.
And suddenly he heard a cry.
-Erik!!!
He stoped.He certainly recognized the voice immediately but it was so unexpectedly that he did not believe at first.Then the cry repeated.
-Erik!
The cry was terrible,it was cry of soul.What's she doing here now?How could she reach this place without key and boat?He turned and went in the voice direction.Soon he saw Christine.There was almost nothing in this world that could shock Erik but the sight of Christine shocked him.She was wet from her head to her feet,pale as death,barefooted.She did not seem to understand his questions.She only whispered one phrase twice "I'm not late".Then she fainted.He held her.He went to the house on the lake with Christine in his arms cursing Persian because it was absolutely clear daroga was the only one who could tell Christine about Erik's leave.And it was also clear Persian did it earlier than it had to be done.He ordered him to do it tomorrow morning but this damned booby did not follow his instructions.It always made Erik furious when somebody did not follow his instructions but in this case his fury was special. He did not need Christine's answers to understand what's happened.He did not know ecaxtly how she came into underground domain because nobody but him knew how to open the mirror and Christine also did not have the key of the Rue Scribe gate anymore.But he understood that she crossed the lake.He knew how cold water was.She could be drowned.Why did she do it?Why did she risk her life to come here?No,he understood why she decided to come.His power over poor girl was too strong and he understood she was frightened when she knew about his leave.It was paradox:she was afraid of him,but she was also afraid of his leave because she needed him.He was her mentor,her guide,her shelter.And this helpless child was scared by the news Persian told her.She came to monster again to beg for his guidance and protection.He understood it.That's why he ordered Persian to give her letter only tomorrow morning.But to risk her life? To cross the lake without a boat,to swim in such a cold water was simply suicidal for this delicate girl.Did she need him so much that she was not afraid of it?But the Persian...How could he give her letter so early?How could he not to follow instructions?And Christine could be drowned...It was terrible."Poor child," he thought."you were so scared when you read my letter and your fear made you so brave.To cross the lake...My poor little Christine...Now you are out of danger.And you, mon cher ami,you daroga...I'm afraid this time your life will be finished.This time I'm out of patience.This time it is really too much.And now I would not give a single franc for your persian skin."
It's my first phanfic story. Do you like it? Do you hate it? Please submit review!
Chapter II
"Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!"
Breathless Christine looked at the enormous dark shape in front of her. The Opera House... The building looked so beautiful and bright by day but now in the evening it was dark,mysterious and dangerous. But there was no danger which could stop Christine that moment. She knew one and only thing-she needed to find an entrance to underground floors of the Opera, she needed to reach the house on the lake, she needed to see maestro and tell him...To be honest she had no idea what exactly she was going to tell him. To ask him not to leave? It's silly-if maestro decided to do something nobody can make him change his decision.To beg his pardon? She was sure it was useless. She didn't know what to tell him but she knew she needed to see him.
Certainly theatre doors were locked,but Christine knew other secret way so she came in successfully. She was alone in this enormous empty palace.If it was only several days earlier she would be frightened,but not now. Now she only knew she needed see maestro,all the rest was no important.She ran upstairs and several minutes later she was in her dressing-room.Suddenly she remembered she did not know how to open the secret door behind the mirror. She fumbled awkwardly at the great mirror which opened so many times to let her come into underground part of maestro's domain. She pushed,pressed,groped about,but the glass was moveless. Maestro was the only one who could open it.At last Christine understood her laboures were useless.She fell on the floor near the mirror and burst into tears.
-Oh,maestro!-she moaned.-I'm so sorry! I know you will never forgive me,but please,please,let me see you one more time!
Silence was the answer. Christine felt so strong pain somewhere inside her that she could hardly breathe.
-He went away! He went away forever! He will never return! He will never let me see him again! Oh,God,what can I do?!
Suddenly she remembered...Rue Scribe...The gate! She had no key,maestro took it,but...The next moment she was on her feet.She ran to Rue Scribe. There she passed her trembling hands over the huge stones,met with iron bars...Here it is! But she had no key...She plunged her useless eyes through the bars...She could see nothing.She listened...All was silence.Despairingly she shook the bars but what her little hands could do with iron gate? She remembered that phrase from the letter again..."You'll never see me again..."
-No,please...-she whispered.She somehow knew that if she would not see maestro she would lose her reason for living...
She looked at the bars again...Oh,what if?...The idea was simple-to try to go between the bars. It was not easy but Christine was so slim that she came through the gate at last.How dark it was there! Outside,in the street it was also dark but here,behind the gate she could hardly see her own hand to say nothing about other things around her. How could she find the way? She knew this underground passage ran straight from the Rue Scribe to the lake,she went this way several times but then she was with maestro...Maestro could see in the darkness so clearly as if it was daylight,but she could not and she dudn't even have a lamp.But she needed to reach the lake so she moved forward with her arms lifted up in front of her because she did not want to come across something. At first her fingers met cold stone wall then she found the way at last. Darkness scared her earlier but that moment the darkness was even pleasant because he was there,he lived in that darkness. Only one aspect was negative-she wished she could run to reach the lake as soon as possible,but the darknes did not let her run."Oh,God I can't be late!"she thought."Persian came too early,he gave me the letter too early so I can't be late!" But anyway she was in panic.She went on and on and she saw it at last-it was the lake!Christine's eyes filled with tears.She have reached it!But there was another problem-there was no boat. The boat certainly was on the other side,where maestro's house was located. Christine knew there was some other way to the house,not through the lake.But she did not know where it was.Only he knew that other way.So how could she cross the lake? The decision was unexpectedly easy.She could swim,she liked to swim when she was a child-in her native Sweden and later in Perros.Without any hesitation the girl kicked off her shoes and came into the water.Th water was cold but Christine did not care.She needed cross the lake.
The lake was large enough and some time later she felt she was tired.It was also very cold.She still was moving forward,but some moment she felt she could not swim anymore.Fear filled her mind.She will never see maestro.She will be drowned in this lake.She hardly breathed,her arms and legs refused to obey her.She tryed to cry but she only felt cold water in her mouth.She understood it was the end.She thought she deserved it.She behaved so silly...She have never loved Raoul,but maybe it looked as if she did? Why did she tell him about maestro? Why did she ask Raoul to help her to leave Paris?... Maestro certainly thought she was in love with this stupid young aristocrat and was going to marry him!... And maestro understood that Raoul did not want her to sing.Maestro knew people very well so he understood Raoul's point of view.And he decided not to teach Christine anymore,because if she would marry Raoul it would be useless...Maestro will leave Paris and she will die here now.She really deserves it...She was not afraid of death anymore.She did not care...
Suddenly memory flashed in her head.It was so bright,so real.She heard maestro's voice singing the Wedding-night song from Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet": "Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!"Maestro sang it for her several times.He played the piano and sang..."Fate links thee to me for ever and a day!" His magestic voice which could transform hell to heaven,sin to purity sounded now in Christine's ears and she felt some force returned to her.She moved forward again.And her Angel of music was singing song in her head...
She saw the ground soon.Breathless she came out of the water and fell on the stones almost fainted.
She did not remember how much time passed till she could move and push herself to her feet again.She went to the house on the lake,to maestro's house. She did not feel anymore how tired she was,she did not feel sharp stones cut her delicate feet.She came up to the house and knocked at the door.No answer.She knocked at the door again.Still no answer.Terrible thought almost paralysed her-could he leave earlier than he planned.Oh,no,it's impossible!
-Maestro!Are you here?It's me,Christine!I need to speak to you!Please!
All was silence.
"He doesn't want to see me!" Christine thought despairingly."Or maybe...he really left?..."Suddenly she remember-the boat!The boat was here,on this side of the lake,near the house.But there was other way known only to him so he could use that way to leave.He left!She will never see him again!
-No!No!No!-it was only word she could pronounce.Where was that other way?Where?!It's useless..He left!
She rushed in some direction.She did not know where she was running.She fell into despair.Two words flashed in her mind:"He left!"Suddenly she stoped.The silent darkness surrounded her.It was like in her dream last night-maestro went away and she stayed alone in darkness.When he was there in that darkness it was pleasant but without him it was terrible.She did not feel the tears on her cheeks.She felt nothing but pain in her heart,horrible pain.And she cryed and all her pain and misery were in that cry.
-Erik!!!
She has never called him by name but that moment she did it instinctively.
-Erik!
Nothing broke the silence.
-Oh,my God,I'm late...It's over...He...
Tall dark figure came out of the darkness.Christine thought at first it was really a ghost,an illusion.But it was not.He came up to her moving absolutely noiseless.
-Christine?...What are you doing here?What's happened?How did you...
She looked at him as if he was God's messenger who came to tell sinner he was forgiven.Or as drowning man looks at his saver.
-I'm not late!...-she whispered.-I'm not late...-and she fainted.
Erik was going his secret way to secret door opening to the box5.He wanted to give written instructions to Richard and Moncharmin before his leave.He was not going to lose control over Paris Opera House.He wanted to put the letter on Moncharmin's table in manager's office.And they will follow his instructions as usual.He thought about Christine.Poor girl.She was afraid of him so much.Dead bodies under fallen chandelier...Carlotta with burnt throat.All this was so terrible for her.And final act of this drama...Terrible and...silly.How could he do it? Try to make her marry him threatening her death of that boy Raoul.How silly!Terribly silly.Well,love makes people do wild things.But he managed to stop himself in time.He always had control over himself.He will leave now.He anyway was going to leave-he had some plans.
And suddenly he heard a cry.
-Erik!!!
He stoped.He certainly recognized the voice immediately but it was so unexpectedly that he did not believe at first.Then the cry repeated.
-Erik!
The cry was terrible,it was cry of soul.What's she doing here now?How could she reach this place without key and boat?He turned and went in the voice direction.Soon he saw Christine.There was almost nothing in this world that could shock Erik but the sight of Christine shocked him.She was wet from her head to her feet,pale as death,barefooted.She did not seem to understand his questions.She only whispered one phrase twice "I'm not late".Then she fainted.He held her.He went to the house on the lake with Christine in his arms cursing Persian because it was absolutely clear daroga was the only one who could tell Christine about Erik's leave.And it was also clear Persian did it earlier than it had to be done.He ordered him to do it tomorrow morning but this damned booby did not follow his instructions.It always made Erik furious when somebody did not follow his instructions but in this case his fury was special. He did not need Christine's answers to understand what's happened.He did not know ecaxtly how she came into underground domain because nobody but him knew how to open the mirror and Christine also did not have the key of the Rue Scribe gate anymore.But he understood that she crossed the lake.He knew how cold water was.She could be drowned.Why did she do it?Why did she risk her life to come here?No,he understood why she decided to come.His power over poor girl was too strong and he understood she was frightened when she knew about his leave.It was paradox:she was afraid of him,but she was also afraid of his leave because she needed him.He was her mentor,her guide,her shelter.And this helpless child was scared by the news Persian told her.She came to monster again to beg for his guidance and protection.He understood it.That's why he ordered Persian to give her letter only tomorrow morning.But to risk her life? To cross the lake without a boat,to swim in such a cold water was simply suicidal for this delicate girl.Did she need him so much that she was not afraid of it?But the Persian...How could he give her letter so early?How could he not to follow instructions?And Christine could be drowned...It was terrible."Poor child," he thought."you were so scared when you read my letter and your fear made you so brave.To cross the lake...My poor little Christine...Now you are out of danger.And you, mon cher ami,you daroga...I'm afraid this time your life will be finished.This time I'm out of patience.This time it is really too much.And now I would not give a single franc for your persian skin."