Chapter 24: Why?
Christine went quicly down the stairs. Breathing was not important to her right now, just Erik. She would not be responsible for his death, she would not watch him die in front of her.
This was the end.
She would tell him it was over, to let her be. She would tell him that Raoul had changed and had offered her riches beyond imagination. She would tell him she didn't love him, that she had been confused. Yes, then she will tell him that it was after all her job to make men believe what they wanted to believe.
Raoul was waiting upstairs with a carriage, she was to meet him there in twenty minutes or Erik would be shot.
Shot.
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Erik heard the rustling of Christine's skirts, he turned to smile at her but was met with a tear stained face. It looked as though she had tried to hide the fact that she had been crying. She was carrying a small trunk which she set down and then went to stand by the organ. She ran her fingertips lightly over the ivory keys.
Erik went and snaked his arms around her waist. Her breathing seemed to stop and her heartbeat quicken. A battle raged inside, run away with love and watch him die, or run away from love leaving him to live to see another day.
She decided.
She pushed Erik's hands away and stepped back. "I can't marry you Erik."
"Why not?" Erik asked with slight shock and pain in his voice.
Christine turned her back on him, he couldn't see her tears.
"I-I don't love you." Tears rode her voice out through her throat.
Erik gaped. "But what about the elephant and the mirrors? The music! What about everything you sang to me?" He touched her shoulder, feeling her flinch and he pulled away.
She turned to face him. "Erik, Raoul had just died, I was confused. It's my job to make men believe what they want to believe. I brought back everything you gave to me. I will perform the show and you will never have to see me again. Raoul came back for me Erik, he offered me every thing I could ever want." Christine fought the urge brutally to throw herself into his arms and tell him everything.
Erik was shaking violently with rage and tears. He did not have strength to let her go, but he had even less to keep her here in this hell, his hell.
"Leave." He whispered, angrily turning from her. "Do not return for you will be mine the third time." He sat down in a very large arm chair, gazing into the flames of the fire place in front of him.
Christine stared at his back, memorizing every curve and line of his form.
He could sense she was still there. Why? If she didn't love him then she would have gone by now…
Oh God.
She was lying.
But why?
Erik turned sharply, standing at the same time.
She was gone.
"Idiot." Erik grabbed his cloak and flew after her.
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Christine ran, she knew Erik would only be a few seconds behind the shock, he would see right through her. She sobbed as she ran, tripping every now and then, she knew she had taken her time only too well, Raoul would send his men in any minute.
She finally stumbled out from the passage ways somewhere on the second floor of the dance hall. She almost tripped and went over the railing, but strong arms held her to the owners body.
"Why are you lying to me Christine?" His arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach from behind.
Christine just sobbed.
Erik put a hand to her cheek. "Tell me!" He hissed.
She took his hand and pressed a kiss into his palm. Then she turned in his arms and brought her lips up to meet his. It was a slow kiss, a wonderful kiss. You do not kiss someone like that just for pretend. It was the kind of kiss you give when you are saying good-bye.
She pulled away, looking up at his sad and confused eyes.
Then she pushed him away and ran in the oppistie direction.
Erik looked down at his hand, her ring in his palm.
"Christine!" He called after her, running in the shadows.
Christine burst through the front gates of the Moulin Rouge into the garden, she could hear him behind her. She ran for the second gate, ignoring her name being called by her angel. It was raining hard outside, she was already soaked. She came to the gate and tried to un-bolt it before Erik came, but he came. He rammed her into the gate turning her to face him.
Here they were, in the rain, both soaking wet, with their lives on the line.
And yet niether moved nor spoke.
Just breathed.
"Christine, why are you running?" Erik whispered in her neck, dragging his lips over her skin.
She was still crying. Her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Erik, please, just let me go." She sobbed into his shoulder.
He grabbed her bare shoulders. "Why?" He could feel her breast pushing up against his own from breathing so hard, he saw her eyes with nothing but love for him.
It was too much. He kissed her this time, pushing her harder up against the gate.
She kissed him back.
They were slowly melting aginst one another, until a bullet flew past them. Erik slammed Christine once again into the gate, protecting her from harm, then he turned to be met with thirty men and an ass, Raoul.
"Damn, you couldn't kiss her a little more to the right?" Raoul asked, his pistol smoking slightly in the icy rain.
Erik then understood.
"Erik," Christine whimpered, "please Erik, I 'am so sorry."
"Theres only one way out Phantom. Give me Christine!" Raoul aimed again.
Erik just stood.
Christine would not let this happen, she would not see her angel fall because of her. She stepped out from behind Erik, not meeting his eyes she went to Raoul. She faced the gun boldly. "Put it down and I will leave with you now." She said lowering the gun. Raoul let her.
Then he kissed her.
She didn't move, she kept her eyes open the whole time, watching Erik's tears fall.
Then he was gone, into the shadows he easily disappeared.
Raoul led her to the carriage as performers and managers watched.
They had seen the whole thing, since the moment Christine had almost fallen from the second floor.
Christian watched from the elephant, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He had failed.
Erik watched in agony as the carriage pulled away.
Blinded by sorrow, he stepped into the street and screamed after the carriage. "CHRISTINE!"
Nothing, no wave, no face.
"CHRISTINE!"
Then the world went black.
