Chapter six: Ghosts don't bleed

Once she heard that Limaur had left, Christine's hopes rose up. She was convinced that he and Meg would find the passageway...She was sure they would find the truth somehow.

'They will find out the truth, I know they will...' Christine thought, managing to smile. Then, a man in white approached her.

''Mademaoiselle Daae?''

''Yes?'' she spoke confused.

''A letter has arrived for you.'' This made her even more confused. The man handed her an envelope with her name wirtten on it. The man walked away as she looked at the envelope...Why did she feel fear? She quickly ripped it open and looked at the letters. The fine letters written in red ink made her eyes go wide. The note even made her quiver. It read:

'My beautiful Christine,

when you read this note, you are as soon as possible to leave for the cemetery your father is burried at. I will wait for you...As I always have. You shall have the asnwers you seek.

Erik' Christine put the note against her chest and felt the tears come up to her eyes.

Erik...He was alive. Her heart beat against the paper she held and made her hands shake. Erik was calling to her again...And he said he had answers. She quickly put the letter back in to the envelope and looked around. She was glad that she was in her wheelchair again, on the balcony. If she had been tied to the bed she would have had no way of getting out. She got up slowly, holding the envelope in hand. She saw the two men in white talking to each other at the entrance. They laughed at something and then one sat down at his desk while the other left. The one who stayed had sat in some sort of gray booth. Christine realized they kept the things of the patient's there and checked ont hose who entered and left the assylum. She slowly and cautisoully got the exit, close to the grey booth. The man was reading something and was looking down. She used the chance and knelt down. She crawled pass the booth and got to where a coat rack stood. She quickly took a coat and cloak and left in to the other hallway. She quickly put on the coat and cloak. Discovering money in the coat wasn't bad either. She hurried out of the asylum, feeling the cold stone beneath her bare feat. No one saw her bare feet for the cloak and coat were quite long and touched the ground. Stil, she looked odd to the people she passed by. She knew she had to hurry, if someone were to find her missing and went after her. She saw a man and a woman ready to enter a carriage. She quickly pushed them away and ignoring their shouts, she entered the carriage and slammed the door. The driver looked strangely to the passenger's window. His eyes grew wide.

''Miss Daae!''

''Francois! To my father's grave!''

''Where have you been mademoiselle?''

''Never mind, hurry!'' the driver quickly urged the horses in to quick gallop.

Christine quickly walked out of the carriage, closing the door behind her.

''Thank you Francois.'' Christine spoke and handed the driver the money she had. Francois shook his head and said with a smile:

''Keep it mademoiselle.'' Christine smiled slightly and waved to the driver as he rode off with his carriage. She opened the metal gate and slowly walked trough the cemetery. It seemed more colder then ever, telling the tales of the dead and giving such eerie silence that it wasn't silence at all...It was whispers, whispers of the stone and cold monumental angels.

Dark angels...Cold and monumental...

She felt something in her throat. It krept up like a spider all the way to her lips. She knew what it was:fear. God, what had Erik done that made her so afraid. Erik...Her hands were shivering and not from the cold, but from the intensity she felt, the strange cage that seem to surround her as she was approaching her father's tomb closer and closer. And there she saw it. The man in the cloak, the hooded figure, it's back turned.

''Erik..?'' her whisper cried out. The figure didn't move though. She moved closer her hand reaching ou to touch the black cloak, to touch the hood and remove it from the figure's face.

Who was the shape in the shadows?

''Erik..!'' suddenly the figure turned and the hood fell back. Christine's eyes grew wide and her eyes widened even more.

''Raoul..!''

''You still call to him, my Christine, after he has done this to you?''

''Raoul!'' she embraced him and felt tears come down her cheeks.

''Why didn't you wait for me to bring the doctor, so he could release me?''

''It wasn't the right time yet Christine...We must face him without that doctor.''

''Face him? Face who, Raoul?'' she looked at him and uttered the name as her voice shook:

''E...Erik?'' Raoul nodded and hugged her tightly.

''It is finally time to end it Christine. He tried to kill me and made it look like you did it. It's time to finish it, Christine.'' Christine kept crying, but she was silent, not letting Raoul hear her. No, that couldn't have happened. She saw it in her dream! She felt herself shiver more and more. No, she couldn't let him kill Erik! Before she could say anything, Raoul grabbed her hand and said:

''Come, we must end this.''

Meg looked around the entire room, trying to utter words of amazement, but nothing came out. Limaur was also stricken by the beautiful house.

''Truly magnifacent!''

''This was all Erik's...''

''Was? Why would you say 'was', mademoiselle Giry?''

''I don't know...My mother told me he was dead. That he truly was a ghost even though we all saw him...''

''It seems your ghost is real...''

''Indee he is!'' Meg looked up horrified at the sound of a third voice, right behidn doctor Limaur. Limaur didn't turned to late. The punjab lasso was already around his neck. He gasped for air as Meg went to run over to him.

''Move, petit rat, and his neck breaks!'' Meg froze still and looked terrified to Limaur.

''Please...Don't kill him, we mean no harm.''

''Then why are you here!''

''I am here on behalf of Christine Daae, you monster! The one you left behind!'' she knew it was bold of her to yell like that at him, but Erik stood schoked and not angry. Even his grip on Limaur loosened.

''Christine?''

''I'm Meg Giry and I've come here to find you because she has been locked away in an asylum for killing Raoul!''

''What!'' Erik said confused.

''You killed him and she took the blame for it!'' Erik suddenly let go off Limaur and removed the Punjab lasso from his neck. Meg quickly ran over to Limaur and knelt down beside him. He coughed and catched his breath and nodded to Meg's pleading looks that he was alright.

''I didn't even try to kill that stupid boy. I told her to leave with him, to go...But she came back.''

Meg starred up at him and saw the wound that was right between his right shoulder and his chest.

''I wonder...Do ghosts bleed...'' Erik whispered, that glint in his eyes reapiring again. Meg managed to utter in confusion:

''If you didn't kill him...Then who did?''