A New Start

Chapter 21: Dangerous intentions

Erik stood before Christine, forcing her to look him in the eyes. She tried to look away, but it seemed as if a vice were holding her head in place. She stared into those eyes that seemed to burn into hers.

"Look at me Christine," he said in a hypnotic voice, "Sing, forget all you know."

Christine tried with all that she posessed to try and fight the force of darkness that seemed to be taking over her mind, but she couldn't seem to move. She was forgetting who she was, where she was, why she was here. Marie Claire, realizing what was going on, ran over to the Phantom, pure shock and terror in her big blue eyes. She attempted to push him out of the way, but to no avail.

"You're hypnotizing her into forgetting her whole life aren't you?" asked Marie, her voice filled with anger as she caught on fully to his plan.

Erik did not remove his eyes from Christine's face, but responded in a voice filled with triumph.

"Bravo madmoiselle, you are correct. But do not feel left out, you are next."

Marie Claire stared at him, at a loss for words as fat tears slid slowly down her porcelain face. She fell to her knees, the grief overcoming her. How she wanted her father's strong arms, her mother's sunny smile, Lizzie's musical laugh, Felix's tickilish touch, and Arthur's soft kiss. She did want to be here in this dark, cold, eerie hell to which Erik had brought her. She had no idea how he could possibly stand it all of the time, being trapped in this awful place.

"Erik, please, don't do this." she pleaded in a small voice that shook with tears.

Erik shook his head.

"Soon you will see that I am right, angel of music. We will form the perfect family," he said, "The perfect family of music."

The tears gushed out of Marie's eyes, sobs racking her small frame.

"But I love the family that I have!" she called out, but her words were drowned out as Erik began to sing.

"Past the point of no return, no backward glances. Our games of make believe are at and end. Past the point of if or when, no use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend..."

Erik's powerful voice rang through the room, and as it did, Christine's eyes began to change, becoming blanker and blanker. Then she began to sing. The notes were beautiful, clear and astounding, but it did not sound as though she were singing of her own accord, but as though shewere being forced to sing. As she sang the notes to his song, the Phantom moved closer to her, never taking his eyes from hers. Christine was completely entranced in the song. Marie Claire felt as though she were frozen in place as the final notes of the song rang through the air. The notes were intense, and strong, and powerful. When the song was over Erik finally removed his eyes from Christine's face, a look of ultimate victory on his face.

Christine shook her head and looked around. Where was she? Who was she? Who were these people. She looked over at a young girl who seemed to be incredibly distressed, and went over to her.

"Excuse me, Madmoiselle, are you alright?" asked Christine gently.

Marie Claire looked up at her mother, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Mama?" she questioned hopefully.

Christine's eyes clouded with confusion. She felt a strong connection with this girl, yet she didn't know what it was.

"I'm sorry young one, but I'm afraid I don't know what is going on." said Christine, giving her a gentle hug, before turning to the man in the strange white mask. "Monsieur, do you know what is going on?" she asked quizzically. She seemed to remember this man as well, but she couldn't place him.

Erik smiled his rare, strange, smile as he put his hand on Christine's white face.

"Don't worry your pretty head my dear. I will tell you all soon. But first you must sit and rest." he said as he led her over to a chair.

He trembled with ecstatic victory as he looked at Christine's confused eyes and puzzled expression. The only way for the spell to be broken was for her to look the one she loved directly in the eyes, the intimate connection causing all her memories to come back. But since the Vicomte was locked up, this would never occur. Or so Erik thought anyway.

Erik turned from Christine and walked over to Marie Claire. He crouched down and lifted her tearstained face to his.

"Come my dear, this is not the way to act. For soon you will forget all you know." he said, his voice a whisper.

"No, I won't let you!" Marie shouted, standing up and running towards Christine, vainly hoping that Christine would remember her.

"Mama please help me!" she pleaded, gazing into the kind face that had been there for her all of her life, and seeing no realization.

Christine looked up at this seemingly familiar girl, trying with all of her might to remember, but alas she could not. She desperatley wanted to help, but she had no idea what to do. Erik then came over and took Marie's wrist, dragging her away from her mother, and turning her to face him.

"Come now angel, this is not the way to be, you are trying my patience. It will be less painful this way. Trust me. And I have other matters to attend to." he said, a slight smirk appearing on his face as the thought of finishing the Vicomte crossed his mind.

Marie's face whitened as she realized his intention.

"No! I won't let you kill my papa!" she shouted, trying to free herself, but it was useless.

"I'm afraid there is nothing you can do to stop me Madmoiselle de Chagny." he said angrily.

Marie tried to fight his grip once more, but she could not get free. He looked her in the eyes as he had done Christine and began to sing. Marie tried to resist, but sweet music was overcoming her mind, she was beginning to forget. Her sweet soprano voice blended with his bass, but tears streamed down her face. But just when she thought that all was lost, the voice she had been hoping to hear all night, rang throughout the room.

"What do you think you're doing!" shouted Raoul.

Erik and Marie stopped singing and Marie Claire was relieved to find that she hadn't lost her memories. She turned to see her father and Arthur standing before the gate, covered in muck. Her father had a large bruise on his face and his wrists were bleeding. Arthur's hair was covered in dirt as was his face.

"Papa, Arthur!" exclaimed Marie, running towards the gate, but she was stopped by the Phantom, who flung his arm out in front of her. His eyes were filled with a such a fury as she had never seen before.

"I should have known that YOU would get in my way, Arthur." Erik growled dangerously as he opened the gate.

"You will let Marie Claire and Madame Christine go." said Arthur bravely as he and Raoul walked through the gate.

Erik laughed softly at this remark.

"I don't think so, for you see, my plan is already in progress." he said, gesturing over at Christine confused face.

"What are you talking about?" asked Raoul worriedly, "What have you done to Christine?"

"Let's just say that she'd forgotten a few things." said Erik, smirking.

"What? Christine, what is he saying?" questioned Raoul, trying to make his way over to Christine, but he was stopped by the Phantom, who was trying to prevent her from looking in Raoul's eyes by staring Raoul down. Christine looked at the man who had called her by Christine, and felt a very strong, intimate connection with him, but she had no idea what he was to her, she just knew that it was important. How she wished she could remember.

"I'm sorry, monsieur, but I don't know who you are." she said, sadly. "I don't even know who I am."

Raoul stared at Erik in shock. "What have you done?"he yelled, his voice angry, but filled with sorrow as tears slid down his face. His beloved didn't even know who she was, let alone who he was. "She's forgotten everything!"

"Precisely." said Erik nonchalantly as Raoul once again tried to make his way over to his wife, but was once again stopped by Erik. "Now she will belong to me, because she won't know anything else."

"I won't let you do the same to Marie Claire." said Raoul, defiantly, as he walked over to his daughter. "Marie sweetie are you alright?" he asked gently.

Marie didn't answer, but buried her face in her father' s shoulder, trying to feel the security he brought.

Erik shot a dirty look at them before turning to Arthur."How dare you?" he whispered, his voice deadly." How dare you betray me this way?"

"Because I love Marie. You expect me to not stand up for the girl I love?" said Arthur in a passionate voice.

"Well you won't be around much longer to stand up for her, but I have some things to deal with first, so why don't you just wait over there!" yelled Erik as he picked Arthur up and threw him up against the gate.

"Arthur!" screamed Marie as she watched her fiance slump against the gate, unconscious, blood trickling from beneath his sandy hair.

Anger flared from the very depths of Raoul's soul.

"You have gone to far Monsieur. I refuse to let you get away with this." he said as he looked over at the unconscious Arthur, then at his beloved Christine, then down at his trembling daughter. "I don't how to break that spell on Christine, but I will find out how."

"You will, will you?" asked the Phantom, drawing his sword. "But you have to get to her first. Onguard Vicomte." breathed Erik, an insane look in his eyes.

Raoul pulled out his sword as well, gesturing for Marie to go where she wouldn't get hurt. Marie went over to where Arthur lay, trying to help him. Christine was there as well, trying to help the young man she couldn't even remember. She gazed in terror as she watched the two men glaring at each other, having the strangest sensation that she had seen this before. Something told her that she needed to look in the man called Raoul's eyes. But before she could, she and Marie watched helplessly as the first clang of the swords connecting rang throughout the room.