((AN: Have to warn you guys that most part of the chapter is from Erik's POV))

Chapter seven Erik's tale without an ending

Erik winced from the pain he felt in his wound. He was sitting down, with Meg and Limaur standing opposite him.

''I can help you with that wound miseour...Your bandages, they seem rather old.'' Limaur went to approach him, but stepped back towards Meg when he saw how Erik glared at him.

''What happened here? Please, you have to tell us.'' Meg spoke softly, looking at Erik with no hate or anger, but sadness. Erik took a deep breath, looking away for a moment.

''...Christine...You said she doesn't rememeber?'' Meg nodded and whispered:

''Yes.'' Erik closed his eyes for a moment and spoke quietly:

''It had happened on the night of the Don Juan Triumphant...''

After that foolish sutior Raoul had ripped the mask from my face and I released the chandelier, I ran back down in to the underground with Christine. She wanted to go back. She kept telling me that she will go back, that she would not let them hurt me and that I should run. Finally, I got my control over her again and managed to take her back to my lair.

''Erik...Please, I don't want them to hurt you! If they find a way to get down here, they'll kill you...! I can't let that happen, i can't!'' she cried all the way, holding her delecate hands against her face and shaking from the strength of her own pleading cries. I ignored her and took her out of the boat. I looked at her, my mask gone, my disfigured face shown to her. I tried to look away, to hide it in any way I could...I couldn't stand her looking at me like that! I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around her legs and kissing her dress.

''Please...Please, stay with me Christine...If i am to die, let it be your face the last thing that i will see on this Earth...'' she backed away a bit, but only to look me in the eyes. She spoke firmly, which was suprising for that small frail body.

''You are not going to die!''

''Christine!'' she turned and saw him, that boy that had come between us both. I stood up, feeling the anger well up in my throat and chest.

''Welcome, good miseour.'' I took Christine's hand in to my own and glared at him.

''Let her go, you monster!''

''Raoul..!'' Christine shouted, wanting to say something, but I quickly interfiered.

''You can come and get her yourself miseour.'' I pulled the rope to raise the gates he had been standing at. He slowly approached and as he came closer to Christine, i pushed her away and quickly threw the lasso around his throat.

''Why didn't you raise up your hand to the level of your eyes! And where are you fine horses, miseour!'' I shouted in his face, taunting him and laughing cruely.

''Erik, please, don't!''

''Why! Why not! Why shouldn't I kill him! He has your love and he is not a monster, but is human! Why shouldn't I kill him!''

''Because...Because I will stay with you if you let him go...'' I looked at her over my shoulder, feeling my hands actually shake, but still hold firmly on the lasso.

''What?''

''Let him go and I will stay with you.'' I saw the boy wanted to say something, but he couldn't because of the lasso. My hands pulled away the lasso then and I approached her. She stood up from where she was.

''God help me..God help us both.'' She whispered taking my hand and placing a kiss on it. She then suddenly pressed her lips against mine. If the gods truly tasted the divine wine, it was nothing like her lips that I had tasted. Hearing the voice that escaped those lips was pure pleasure, but this was sheer excstasy and it was just a kiss. A simple kiss. And that's why I knew I ahd to let her go, for no monster such as I deserved to feel something like that every day till his death.

''Go...'' I whispered, holding back the bitternes I felt.

''Go now, go with him.'' She actually looked hurt and confused, but she nodded and ran over to her lover.

''Come Christine!'' he grabbed her hand and started to lead her away quickly. She looked back at me and I could see the tears in her eyes. She mouthed my name with her pale lips:

Erik... I quickly looked away and fell to my knees. I hoped that that mob would be smart enough to find a way to my lair, to kill me and destroy every piece of my existence...For nothing of it mattered without my preciouss Christine.

You alone can make my song take flight...

''Christine!'' I screamed and pressed my hands against my face, feeling the salted tears burn like acid on my skin. I was like that for a while until suddenly...

''Erik?'' I looked across my shoulder and saw her there, her eyes red from tears, her face more beautiful then ever as it was drenched in sadness. She walked over to me and knelt infront of me.

''Christine...''

''I love you Erik...'' I could feel my heart cease to beat. Did she just tell me she loved me? I didn't have time to say anything back since she pressed her lips against my won again. She quickly pulled me up and held her small arms tronger around me. I felt I was out of breath, but I did not part my lips with hers. She came back to me, she chose me...But then, the moment was shattered.

''Christine!'' she turned confused to where the voice came from and there he was: her dear former lover, his eyes filled with anger and a loaded pistol in his hand. Christine screamed just as she shot at me. The pain was intense and went right in to my flesh. I fell back, feeling that i couldn't move. Christine was quickly by my side, trying to help me up, crying.

''Erik, don't die! Please!'' as I reached ou to touch her face, I saw him grab her wrist and pull her away violently from me. I couldn't even shout, call out to her. She was calling ou to me though, struggling to let go from her former lover's arms. After that, I don't know what had happened...

''I fell unconciouss, although I was sure that I had died...I awoke, unfortunately and saw that there was no mob, that no one had maanged to find me...I wanted to find Christine, but this blasted wound prevented me from leaving my lair.'' Erik took a deep breath and finally looked at Meg, who had two tears falling freely against her face. She pulled Limaur by his hand and walked over to him.

''You have to help him with his wound!''

''What?'' Erik spoke confused.

''Don't act like a child! The man is just going to help you so it can eaiser for us to get you to Christine...'' Erik looked at meg for a while, as she pondered something and then finally whispered:

''She needs you now...'' Erik smiled, but it was a sad smile and a smile of gradittude. Meg knew he would never say thank you, but him smiling like that was just enough to make a point.

Christine stepped out of the carriage and looked to Raoul who stepped out after her. The site before her, the Opera Populaire. She felt her hands shake, all of the veins showing beneath her pale skin from the stabbing cold she felt. Raoul stepped beside her and whispered in her ear:

''Do not fear my darling, I am with you.'' She looked at him and at the corner of her eye spotted the gun that was attached to his belt.

How could you..! she suddenly heard her own voice in her head, filled with anger and pain. She looked away for a moment as she rememebered the gunshot from her dreams.

''Are you alright?'' Raoul spoke. Christine nodded.

''Yes...I'm fine...Let us go.'' With that, she started walking to the entrance of the Opera Populaire, with Raoul close behind her.