"You what?!" I gasped.
"Raoul and I are to be married Erik," she stated, not looking me in the eyes. I stood up and began pacing.
"You're going to marry that brainless idiot?" I asked, more anger creeping into my voice with each syllable.
"I am going to marry Raoul, yes. Oh, but Erik, I do love you," she said standing up and taking one of my hands. I pulled it away and glared at her.
"You see what I mean?! You take my love for granted! You think that if you tell me you love me enough, your marriage will be fine with me! Well, it isn't Christine! It isn't! I hate that man and I think only God knows that better than you do!" I shouted.
"Erik please, calm down," she whispered.
"Calm down?! You want me to calm down when the only woman I have ever loved is running off with the one man I hate most?! Think again my dear!" I yelled. I walked around the room and stopped suddenly when I saw something I hadn't seen in over 20 years. Something I had never hoped to see again; my reflection.
Although I was wearing the mask, the sight of myself in the smooth glass of the mirror brought forth such a wave of emotions I could hardly think. I screamed in anger and brought my fists down on the glass. Behind me, I heard Christine shriek in terror. I whirled around to face the door when I heard someone pounding on it.
"What's going on in there?" a man demanded. "Is everything alright?"
"Not one word," I hissed at Christine who immediately closed her mouth. I pulled the sheet off the bed and ripped two pieces off to wrap my bloody hands. I quickly bandaged them and turned to Christine. "Come ma chère! We must leave!" I ran to the window and pulled it open. "Come Christine!"
"Erik!" she cried. "What are you doing?!" I held a finger to my lips in a request for silence and walked back to the door. I could hear voices outside the room but could not tell what they were saying. Suddenly, the door handle started moving.
"Christine we have to leave," I said in an urgent whisper. She still stood looking confused and scared. I ran to her, grabbed her around the waist, and carried her to the window. I helped her climb out and took one last look around the room. Just as I had climbed out the window, I heard the door open and someone gasp.
"Raoul and I are to be married Erik," she stated, not looking me in the eyes. I stood up and began pacing.
"You're going to marry that brainless idiot?" I asked, more anger creeping into my voice with each syllable.
"I am going to marry Raoul, yes. Oh, but Erik, I do love you," she said standing up and taking one of my hands. I pulled it away and glared at her.
"You see what I mean?! You take my love for granted! You think that if you tell me you love me enough, your marriage will be fine with me! Well, it isn't Christine! It isn't! I hate that man and I think only God knows that better than you do!" I shouted.
"Erik please, calm down," she whispered.
"Calm down?! You want me to calm down when the only woman I have ever loved is running off with the one man I hate most?! Think again my dear!" I yelled. I walked around the room and stopped suddenly when I saw something I hadn't seen in over 20 years. Something I had never hoped to see again; my reflection.
Although I was wearing the mask, the sight of myself in the smooth glass of the mirror brought forth such a wave of emotions I could hardly think. I screamed in anger and brought my fists down on the glass. Behind me, I heard Christine shriek in terror. I whirled around to face the door when I heard someone pounding on it.
"What's going on in there?" a man demanded. "Is everything alright?"
"Not one word," I hissed at Christine who immediately closed her mouth. I pulled the sheet off the bed and ripped two pieces off to wrap my bloody hands. I quickly bandaged them and turned to Christine. "Come ma chère! We must leave!" I ran to the window and pulled it open. "Come Christine!"
"Erik!" she cried. "What are you doing?!" I held a finger to my lips in a request for silence and walked back to the door. I could hear voices outside the room but could not tell what they were saying. Suddenly, the door handle started moving.
"Christine we have to leave," I said in an urgent whisper. She still stood looking confused and scared. I ran to her, grabbed her around the waist, and carried her to the window. I helped her climb out and took one last look around the room. Just as I had climbed out the window, I heard the door open and someone gasp.