A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope that because this chapter
is so long that it makes it up to you guys! I hate to say this, but I'm
almost done with this story!! I believe I only have maybe one chapter left
after this one. After I have completed it, I will go back through and
perfect everything. R&R!!
The dream dissolved around Christina, and she found herself back in her bedroom, blind once again. Tears ran down her face. Erik had left her. She saw the emotions running over his shadowed face one by one. Her words had undone the tight coils in his heart, and now had released emotion that had built up for forty years. Hot tears continued to rush down her face. Her fingers felt up to grasp the chain around her neck, Erik's ring hung on it. He'd abandoned her! In her anger she almost ripped the chain from her neck, but instead she smoothed her thumb over the ring's soft gold. Erik needed time to think. She'd give him till tonight to sort out his feelings, even though she knew in her heart that it would take years for him to do that. She lay her head back down into the comforting presence of her feather pillow and fell back asleep...
"I can't," Erik spoke to the silence. "I can't" He had not even dealt with it or even dared to think of it when he was remembering his horror filled past. His mask and horrible face was always a subject he tried not to think about. He felt so weak. Where had the strength gone? He had nothing to fear from Christina. But how terrible and wretched was his face! He could not show it to her. But, he thought with a dark half smile, that the inevitable would occur with or without his assistance. Somehow fate would help his mask to come off. He had been haunted by a mask for his entire life why should that change now?
Christina awoke with a tiny sigh escaping her lips. She sat up and brushed her fingers through her thick blonde hair. It was a tangled mass of curls now. She got up carefully out of bed, and felt around for her robe. When she found it she pulled it on over her nightgown. Her next carefully placed steps took her to her vanity table. Her thoughts were tumbling around in her head, out of control. Relief had poured through when she had finally admitted her love for Erik, but what had flooded through his mind when she had uttered those words? She sat down in front of the mirror. A sad smile crept over her lips. What good was a mirror if you were blind? She felt around for her brush to help rid herself of the knots in her hair. Her fingers came in contact with the withered rose. She shrank back at the feel of the thorns. Then ever so slowly she reached back and grasped it gently. It was brittle with the lack of water, and most of the petals were gone, yet the scent still hung around it. The heavenly aroma met her senses. She was having doubts about visiting him tonight. What if he said those words which she was dreading most of all? "I do not love you," Those words held finality, and she dreaded them.
"Go to him," A voice in her mind whispered. "If you love him, go to him!"
"I can't" She whispered. "What if he doesn't love me?" She voiced her fear. The voice in her head remained silent. Her heart was heavy with grief. "No," She shook her head. "I can't" She repeated softly.
"Than you do not love him." The voice mocked her. Christina's fingers tightened around the rose, the thorns dug themselves into her tender flesh. Drops of blood fell on her white nightgown and robe. She didn't notice. Her mind wasn't focused on the rose, she was thinking about Erik. A sad resigned look came about her, and she slowly stood, dropping the rose to the ground. If she loved him she would go to him. Well she did love him...
Anxious footsteps resounded on the stone floor. The sound met Erik's ears. He lifted himself from the floor, his black cape billowing around him. He reached up and made sure his mask was secure. He fled back into the shadows. He hadn't paid attention to his usual methods of discovering who had entered his domain. He cursed. His eyes watched the entrance waiting for the intruder to appear. A small petite figure entered the shadows. He let himself breath once more. Christina. He watched her for a moment before revealing himself to her. She wore a midnight blue dress, its sleeves were trimmed in lace, and a cloak was draped across her shoulders. Her hair was hanging free down her back, it was brushed so that the silky curls shone in the dim candlelight
"Erik," She called out softly.
"Mon Ange," He spoke. His voice revealed nothing that he felt. So many emotions were whirling around inside of him. He stepped from the shadows and faced her. He was not able to go close to her. Her presence was too pure, too loving. Christina moved towards the sound of his voice.
"You left me," Her voice was shaking with the fact that he had betrayed her. He closed his eyes against the pain.
"Forgive me, I did not wish to hurt you..." He whispered.
"I am in agony over you Erik. I'm so confused," She shook her head. Her eyes revealed the pain she felt in her heart. "You pull me close, and then you push me away,"
"Forgive me," He repeated his voice was hoarse with emotion.
"I already have, my love," She said softly. "Throw away your mask Erik, you don't need to hide any longer!"
"No," He turned.
"Love is stronger than the hatred you endured,"
"Christina," He warned. His voice was filled with longing. If only what she said was so simple. "I cannot,"
"Please Erik. Let it go! Let the past die," It was her final plea. She cared him to much to let him suffer alone. He drew in a deep emotion filled breath, and looked at her. His eyes were filled with darkness. He did not speak. The silence lasted for what seemed like years.
"Do you really want her to see your face? Do you want her to see that you are a horrible demon?" A voice whispered in Erik's mind.
"She said she would love me even though I have a deformity," Erik said to himself. So the battle for control had begun. Would he let fear continue to reign?
"Do you believe her? You believed Christine would never harm you and then look what happen...she betrayed you!"
"She betrayed me," Erik repeated to himself. "But that was long ago. The past will not be repeated through Christina,"
"How do you know that?" For that question Erik had no answer. "I see," The voice whispered. "She will betray you as so many before you have! The past will repeat itself! You are a twisted beast! You are not fit to touch her! Show her your face and she will run from you! For what angel wants to be with a demon from hell!"
"No!" Erik whispered aloud. "No," He sank to the ground. Christina rushed over to find him, hearing him fall.
"Erik, what's wrong?" She finally found him and sank down next to him. He was shaking and crying. His face was buried in his hands. "Oh my love," She said softly. She grasped shoulder gently. "Don't cry my love," Tears were beginning to fall from her own eyes. "Don't cry," Listening to a once powerful man break down was horrible to listen to. She felt helpless to comfort him. She held him for many moments. She leaned her head against his shoulder, still feeling his body shake with sobs. His heart was in pieces and she felt helpless to pick them up. How could she help him? "Erik, look at me," She said finally. He did not move. "Please," She whispered. "Look at me," He raised his head from his hands. She could feel his eyes on her. She clumsily reached up and unclasped the necklace from around her neck. The chain and ring fell into her hand. She let the chain slide to the floor. The ring glittered in her palm, its gold shone in the glow of the candlelight. She slid it onto her ring-finger.
"What are you doing?" He whispered hoarsely as he watched her with mounting horror and pain. Why was she binding herself to him? Was it just out of pity? The ring looked lovely on her finger. She couldn't even see how beautiful it looked. How beautiful...she looked. His heart couldn't take much more of this.
"I love you Erik, and you don't seem to understand or comprehend it. What must I do, my love? To show you that I will never leave you? Do you want me to give a blood oath?" She smiled darkly. A curl fell across her shoulder. Her blind eyes shone with love and passion for him.
"Oh Christina," He said softly. "I need no blood oath to confirm what I see in your eyes,"
"Something still haunts you Erik," She spoke softly. Her eyes betrayed that she knew his secret. He wondered how many times did Christine tell Christina the detail of his face. How many times did she whisper of the sight of every crack, every crevice, and freakish horror of the left side of his skull? "Your mask haunts you,"
"No, it is what lies beneath the mask, Mon Ange," He sad sadly. "I was born with it at birth and I shall take it with me to my grave,"
"Even a rose has its thorns," She replied.
"Christine said that once," He said his eyes grew slightly misty.
"She said it often," Christina smiled thoughtfully. "Especially when she recalled tales of her teacher, the Angel of Music,"
"Her "Angel" was just a man with the face of a demon," He shook his head. "I fell in love. And to this day I regret leading her through the threshold of my heart," Christina remained silent as he spoke. She was captured by the far-away sound in his voice. "She ripped away my mask and in the process she broke my heart," A silence filled the underground room. Erik gazed at Christina. She was so trusting, he hated to frighten her with his twisted face. If her love was as steadfast as she claimed she would never leave, even once he revealed his face to her. "Oh Christina," He sighed. "I suppose...I must. I will remove my mask...," He whispered. He felt her warm fingers travel up his shoulder and come to rest on the right side of his face. The warm silkiness her palm gave off seemed to give him strength. He prayed she would not leave him, for he could not bear another betrayal. Whatever was going to happen, Erik knew in his heart that this was exactly as he had murmured in song to Christine many years ago, this was The Point of No Return...
The dream dissolved around Christina, and she found herself back in her bedroom, blind once again. Tears ran down her face. Erik had left her. She saw the emotions running over his shadowed face one by one. Her words had undone the tight coils in his heart, and now had released emotion that had built up for forty years. Hot tears continued to rush down her face. Her fingers felt up to grasp the chain around her neck, Erik's ring hung on it. He'd abandoned her! In her anger she almost ripped the chain from her neck, but instead she smoothed her thumb over the ring's soft gold. Erik needed time to think. She'd give him till tonight to sort out his feelings, even though she knew in her heart that it would take years for him to do that. She lay her head back down into the comforting presence of her feather pillow and fell back asleep...
"I can't," Erik spoke to the silence. "I can't" He had not even dealt with it or even dared to think of it when he was remembering his horror filled past. His mask and horrible face was always a subject he tried not to think about. He felt so weak. Where had the strength gone? He had nothing to fear from Christina. But how terrible and wretched was his face! He could not show it to her. But, he thought with a dark half smile, that the inevitable would occur with or without his assistance. Somehow fate would help his mask to come off. He had been haunted by a mask for his entire life why should that change now?
Christina awoke with a tiny sigh escaping her lips. She sat up and brushed her fingers through her thick blonde hair. It was a tangled mass of curls now. She got up carefully out of bed, and felt around for her robe. When she found it she pulled it on over her nightgown. Her next carefully placed steps took her to her vanity table. Her thoughts were tumbling around in her head, out of control. Relief had poured through when she had finally admitted her love for Erik, but what had flooded through his mind when she had uttered those words? She sat down in front of the mirror. A sad smile crept over her lips. What good was a mirror if you were blind? She felt around for her brush to help rid herself of the knots in her hair. Her fingers came in contact with the withered rose. She shrank back at the feel of the thorns. Then ever so slowly she reached back and grasped it gently. It was brittle with the lack of water, and most of the petals were gone, yet the scent still hung around it. The heavenly aroma met her senses. She was having doubts about visiting him tonight. What if he said those words which she was dreading most of all? "I do not love you," Those words held finality, and she dreaded them.
"Go to him," A voice in her mind whispered. "If you love him, go to him!"
"I can't" She whispered. "What if he doesn't love me?" She voiced her fear. The voice in her head remained silent. Her heart was heavy with grief. "No," She shook her head. "I can't" She repeated softly.
"Than you do not love him." The voice mocked her. Christina's fingers tightened around the rose, the thorns dug themselves into her tender flesh. Drops of blood fell on her white nightgown and robe. She didn't notice. Her mind wasn't focused on the rose, she was thinking about Erik. A sad resigned look came about her, and she slowly stood, dropping the rose to the ground. If she loved him she would go to him. Well she did love him...
Anxious footsteps resounded on the stone floor. The sound met Erik's ears. He lifted himself from the floor, his black cape billowing around him. He reached up and made sure his mask was secure. He fled back into the shadows. He hadn't paid attention to his usual methods of discovering who had entered his domain. He cursed. His eyes watched the entrance waiting for the intruder to appear. A small petite figure entered the shadows. He let himself breath once more. Christina. He watched her for a moment before revealing himself to her. She wore a midnight blue dress, its sleeves were trimmed in lace, and a cloak was draped across her shoulders. Her hair was hanging free down her back, it was brushed so that the silky curls shone in the dim candlelight
"Erik," She called out softly.
"Mon Ange," He spoke. His voice revealed nothing that he felt. So many emotions were whirling around inside of him. He stepped from the shadows and faced her. He was not able to go close to her. Her presence was too pure, too loving. Christina moved towards the sound of his voice.
"You left me," Her voice was shaking with the fact that he had betrayed her. He closed his eyes against the pain.
"Forgive me, I did not wish to hurt you..." He whispered.
"I am in agony over you Erik. I'm so confused," She shook her head. Her eyes revealed the pain she felt in her heart. "You pull me close, and then you push me away,"
"Forgive me," He repeated his voice was hoarse with emotion.
"I already have, my love," She said softly. "Throw away your mask Erik, you don't need to hide any longer!"
"No," He turned.
"Love is stronger than the hatred you endured,"
"Christina," He warned. His voice was filled with longing. If only what she said was so simple. "I cannot,"
"Please Erik. Let it go! Let the past die," It was her final plea. She cared him to much to let him suffer alone. He drew in a deep emotion filled breath, and looked at her. His eyes were filled with darkness. He did not speak. The silence lasted for what seemed like years.
"Do you really want her to see your face? Do you want her to see that you are a horrible demon?" A voice whispered in Erik's mind.
"She said she would love me even though I have a deformity," Erik said to himself. So the battle for control had begun. Would he let fear continue to reign?
"Do you believe her? You believed Christine would never harm you and then look what happen...she betrayed you!"
"She betrayed me," Erik repeated to himself. "But that was long ago. The past will not be repeated through Christina,"
"How do you know that?" For that question Erik had no answer. "I see," The voice whispered. "She will betray you as so many before you have! The past will repeat itself! You are a twisted beast! You are not fit to touch her! Show her your face and she will run from you! For what angel wants to be with a demon from hell!"
"No!" Erik whispered aloud. "No," He sank to the ground. Christina rushed over to find him, hearing him fall.
"Erik, what's wrong?" She finally found him and sank down next to him. He was shaking and crying. His face was buried in his hands. "Oh my love," She said softly. She grasped shoulder gently. "Don't cry my love," Tears were beginning to fall from her own eyes. "Don't cry," Listening to a once powerful man break down was horrible to listen to. She felt helpless to comfort him. She held him for many moments. She leaned her head against his shoulder, still feeling his body shake with sobs. His heart was in pieces and she felt helpless to pick them up. How could she help him? "Erik, look at me," She said finally. He did not move. "Please," She whispered. "Look at me," He raised his head from his hands. She could feel his eyes on her. She clumsily reached up and unclasped the necklace from around her neck. The chain and ring fell into her hand. She let the chain slide to the floor. The ring glittered in her palm, its gold shone in the glow of the candlelight. She slid it onto her ring-finger.
"What are you doing?" He whispered hoarsely as he watched her with mounting horror and pain. Why was she binding herself to him? Was it just out of pity? The ring looked lovely on her finger. She couldn't even see how beautiful it looked. How beautiful...she looked. His heart couldn't take much more of this.
"I love you Erik, and you don't seem to understand or comprehend it. What must I do, my love? To show you that I will never leave you? Do you want me to give a blood oath?" She smiled darkly. A curl fell across her shoulder. Her blind eyes shone with love and passion for him.
"Oh Christina," He said softly. "I need no blood oath to confirm what I see in your eyes,"
"Something still haunts you Erik," She spoke softly. Her eyes betrayed that she knew his secret. He wondered how many times did Christine tell Christina the detail of his face. How many times did she whisper of the sight of every crack, every crevice, and freakish horror of the left side of his skull? "Your mask haunts you,"
"No, it is what lies beneath the mask, Mon Ange," He sad sadly. "I was born with it at birth and I shall take it with me to my grave,"
"Even a rose has its thorns," She replied.
"Christine said that once," He said his eyes grew slightly misty.
"She said it often," Christina smiled thoughtfully. "Especially when she recalled tales of her teacher, the Angel of Music,"
"Her "Angel" was just a man with the face of a demon," He shook his head. "I fell in love. And to this day I regret leading her through the threshold of my heart," Christina remained silent as he spoke. She was captured by the far-away sound in his voice. "She ripped away my mask and in the process she broke my heart," A silence filled the underground room. Erik gazed at Christina. She was so trusting, he hated to frighten her with his twisted face. If her love was as steadfast as she claimed she would never leave, even once he revealed his face to her. "Oh Christina," He sighed. "I suppose...I must. I will remove my mask...," He whispered. He felt her warm fingers travel up his shoulder and come to rest on the right side of his face. The warm silkiness her palm gave off seemed to give him strength. He prayed she would not leave him, for he could not bear another betrayal. Whatever was going to happen, Erik knew in his heart that this was exactly as he had murmured in song to Christine many years ago, this was The Point of No Return...