A/N It occurred to me while I was rereading the previous chapters, that I had brought Erik in sooner than I had wanted. I'm sorry if the story seems a little bit rushed, but the truth of the matter is that I'm not expecting it to be more than 13 chapters maximum. If you like it so far…Great! If not, I completely understand. As always, reviews are welcome, and I accept any advice you might have for me so that I can write an even better story.
P.S. The formatting got messed up when I uploaded this. I'm sorry!
As always, I own nothing.
DANGEROUS GAME
"A darker dream that has no ending
That's so unreal you believe that it's true
A dance of death out of a mystery tale
The frightened princess doesn't know what to do
Will the ghosts go away?
Will she will them to stay?
Either way, there's no way to win"
From: Jekyll and Hyde
Christine-
The following hours after he left flew by in a blur. I do not recall what happened in that time. Suddenly, almost as if by magic, the clock chimed half past five, and I knew I should start getting ready for tonight's gala. I took a bath, and slipped into the red silk gown I had only discovered to be in my possession a few mere hours ago. When I adjusted the hooks on the back, I was astonished to find just how…revealing…the gown actually was. As the top set precariously perched on the end of my shoulders, my collar bone was left exposed, and the top of my bosom was precariously peeking out of the top of the gown. It reminded me of the costume I wore on that fateful night. The night we sang our final duet. The night I betrayed him and exposed him to humanity's cruel face. How fitting it was that at our next encounter, I should be likewise exposed. I pulled my hair back into an elegant upsweep and allowed a few unruly curls to frame my face. I didn't need a mirror to know how the dress became me.
Raoul called up to me from the bottom of the stairs. No doubt he was anxious to be leaving. As I exited the room and began my decent down the stairs, I could see him visibly stiffen and his eyes slightly widen. I stifled a smile. He had never been exceptionally good at hiding his emotions. When I reached the bottom step, he gave me his arm and kissed me lightly upon the cheek.
"You look absolutely stunning. A true Aphrodite."
Thankfully he didn't notice that this gown was not one he had purchased. He frequently gave me gifts, so it didn't come as a surprise to me that he couldn't remember which gifts were from him, and which were not.
The carriage ride was long and uneventful. That is, the ride itself was long and uneventful. Inside, I was in absolute turmoil. Butterflies started fluttering in my stomach. No. I take that back. It was as if all the horses in England had been emptied into my stomach and were now gallivanting around with terrible force. Why had he come? We parted ways years ago, and he never followed me. He let me go! Why now? Why! Inside my mind, I heard a small voice begin nagging at me.
"Why are you acting so upset? Why are you pretending to be worried? Isn't this what you've always wanted? Isn't this what you've secretly dreamed of for the last three years? Dear God Christine, just this morning you were thinking about him! And then he came to you! He came to rescue you from this foolish life you live. He came to rescue you from all the parties and social obligations thrust upon you through your marriage! He offers you the promise of never ending music, of love that is more than just steadfast and steady. He offers you passion. True, unbridled PASSION! This is your chance to change the past! To make the right decision!"
I tried to silence the voice in my head, but all I succeeding in doing was multiplying the voice by a hundred. Soon, all of my past demons were calling to me…reprimanding me for acting so foolish and not being thankful for this opportunity to change the past. To right all past wrongs.
"Stop!" I silently screamed. "The past wasn't wrong! I did the right thing by leaving Erik! I am in love with Raoul! I love him! God in heaven, have mercy on me! I love Raoul! I love him! I married him! I chose him! He is the one for me! I…LOVE….HIM!"
The sudden jarring of the carriage coming to a stop ended my internal battle. It was a good thing too, for had I been able to engage in internal warfare with my past demons any longer, I was pretty sure they would have won.
We stepped out of the carriage and into the basking moonlight. I looked up at the mansion we now stood in front of and through the windows, saw the shadows of many people dancing. Vaguely, I heard Raoul talking to the carriage driver, followed by the sound of hooves moving across the cobalt path. There was no turning back now. We were here, and we were staying. Raoul took my arm, and we started ascending the stairs which seemed to continue forever. I felt as though the weight of the world was on my shoulders, and it must have shown for Raoul looked at me with concern.
"Christine, are you alright?"
Despite my nerves, I couldn't help but smile. Truly, I was married to the most wonderful person throughout the entire civilized world.
"Of course dear," I kissed him lightly on the cheek, "I'm fine."
When we reached the top of the stairs, two gentlemen opened the doors for us. Suddenly we were standing looking down on a massive dance floor, where hundreds of happy couples danced with each other, hiding their identities with lavish masks. Raoul suddenly stopped, staring wide eyed at the crowd. This time, it was Raoul who seemed to carry the weight of the world. I knew what he was thinking…all those years ago….
"Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!"
The bright and colorful lyrics only added to the absolute splendor of the evening. Laughter mixed with the orchestra's lavish tune, creating a melodious harmony more beautiful than anything ever heard since the dawn of mankind. Everyone's spirits were lifted, and why shouldn't they be? It was the beginning of a New Year, and this one held the promise of no "Opera Ghost". Indeed, it had been some time since the infamous Phantom had made an appearance. My engagement ring from Raoul held from my neck, its constant weight reminding me that I was loved and protected. What a beautiful feature I had before me!
"Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds…Masquerade! Take your fill- let the spectacle astound you!"
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, the joyful music stopped, and the laughter immediately subsided, only to be replaced with loud gasps and screams. He was here. The Phantom. My Angel. This time, however, he was no angel. His eyes, which normally contained nothing but love for me, looked horribly cruel and menacing. Although we did not know it at the time, this was the point of no return. This was the one defining event which was about to set the ball in motion. There was no turning back. He began to descend the stairs in slow, confident steps. How fitting that he wore the mask of a skeleton. A piece of everyone was destined to die in the next few weeks. What beautiful promises the New Year seemed to hold only a few minutes ago were transformed into a harsh, ugly reality. We were all pawns of a game…HIS game, and it was not over until someone captured the king. Only this time, the prize was the queen. Me.
I felt Raoul's arm wrap around me tightly. He had not known that this was going to be a masked ball. If he had, I'm certain we would never have come. He turned around to face me, and I saw concern written all over his handsome features.
"Christine…I had no idea. We can go back now if you would like! I'll call another carriage to come take us home at once."
He began to turn around and head for the exit, when I reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Raoul, that was so long ago. Didn't you always say that the past is behind us? Perhaps this is now the time to prove it to ourselves. If we keep running from everything that reminds us of what happened, we will live in constant fear all our lives. Whenever we say 'the past is behind us', we'll know that it's not true. There will be no comfort, and no refuge. We have to face reality at some point. Why not today? You are here beside me, and I know you will not let anything happen."
Raoul smiled. "When did my little lottie become such a wise and brave woman?" He kissed me gently on the lips. "You're right. Let us enjoy ourselves. You must forgive me, however, if I keep you beside me the entire evening."
I laughed. "The only time you would need forgiving, is if you didn't do just that!"
My spirits lifted, Raoul and I walked onto the ballroom floor. A gentleman handed us masks, and with ease we began to become one with the crowd. My encounter with Erik had been almost completely forgotten. What a sense of security I was able to derive from a mask and my husband's strong arms around my waist! This was happiness. This was the carefree sense of joy that I had felt so long ago. Oh how I had missed it.
My senses in overload from the night's intoxicating joy, I failed to notice the figure dressed in black who slinked behind the shadows, watching my every move.
This is possibly the worst thing I have ever written! FORGIVE ME. The next chapter will be worth it! I promise you!
