Chapter 11

(A/N: This was a very difficult chapter, so bear with me and be kind. I was writing this while I should have been doing a project...)

That day at the Opera House was so much quieter than usual. Everybody seemed much more sluggish than usual. The excitement and enthusiasm was lost; weeping and sadness replaced it. Christine was the most distressed of all. She did not speak, but she was not silent. She laid on her bed, her face in a pillow as she cried. Despite the pillow, her sobs were still heard very clearly. Meg sat next to her best friend and laid a gentle hand on Christine's arm, "Christine, please get up. You cannot lie there all day."

Christine shook her head, indicating that she did not want to get up. Meg sighed, "Tell us what is wrong then."

She choked back a sob and mumbled. The pillow muffled what she had said so Meg asked "what" repeatedly. It was not like Christine to get angry, but her temper was completely lost. She threw the pillow at Meg and hollered, "It was my fault that Mireille was killed!" With that, Christine's face fell into her hands and she cried into them. "I should have just told Erik how I felt, but I stupidly said that I did not know!"

"But you said-" Meg started.

"I know what I said Meg, but I love Erik!" She cried harder still. "But I can never tell him... it will not take back what he has done... no, what I have done. Mireille is still going to be dead."

One of the girls that was listening suggested, "You should tell him, Christine. It is better that he knows."

"Perhaps," Christine mumbled.

"There is no 'perhaps' about it. You should tell him," The girl said. The others nodded in agreement but Meg remained still. "Besides, something more could happen if you do not tell him now," Said another.

Christine grinned at all of them, "Thank you for being so supportive, but I will never see Erik again."

Christine fell asleep on a tear-soaked pillow. In her dreams she remembered poor Mireille, hanging on a wall with wide, frightful eyes. As though it was not bad enough, the coat hanger stretched out longer and on each hook was a dead ballerina. On the last of them, she saw as Erik tied a rope and tugged it, bringing her body up off the ground. A loud crack echoed in the darkness and following it was Erik's maniacal laughter...

Christine's eyes shot open and her forehead was moist with sweat. She looked around the room and saw that all the girls were sleeping in their beds, peacefully. Christine put a hand on her chest, sighing. Beneath her hand, she felt that her heart was pounding double time. Also, her stomach was churning and overwhelming nausea filled her. She got out of bed and stumbled over to the door before she had a disgusting accident. She opened the door and looked into the hallway and saw the coat hanger. Some of Mireille's hair was tangled on the hook that she was tied to and Christine recalled the sight of Mireille's dead body. Christine felt as though somebody stabbed her in the stomach, making her feel even more sick. Then, the image of the dead ballerinas dangling on the wall with twisted necks filled Christine's mind as the room began to spin around her, and she collapsed.

Meg awoke the next morning and stretched out her tired arms and legs. Meg went over to Christine's bed to wake her as she usually did, but Christine was not there. Meg gasped, thinking of what may have happened. 'What if Erik did to Christine as he did to Mireille?" Meg was about to dash out of the room, but when she opened the door ajar, Christine's head fell through. Alarmed, Meg screamed and the rest of the ballerinas' slumber came to an unpleasant stop at Meg's wake-up call. "What happened, Meg?" Said one girl, yawning. "Christine... Erik killed Christine!" Meg spoke through her tears. One of the girls approached Christine, "Really?" She bent down beside Christine and looked at her, then rolled her eyes. "She is asleep, Meg. Not dead."

"Oh."

Meg kneeled down beside Christine and shook her lightly. "Christine, wake up. What are you doing sleeping in the hallway?" She shook her harder. "Christine?" Christine moaned and Meg woke her with a smack across the face. "Christine!" Christine quickly sat up and her eyes wandered in confusion, "What just happened?"

"You fell asleep in the hallway," Meg giggled. "That is what happened."

"Oh, I remember now... I was not feeling well... as though I was going to vomit."

Meg slid a few inches away from her with a look of disgust. "You do not feel like that now, do you?"

Christine shook her head, "No... but I suppose I fainted... I think it's because of this unusual dream..."

"'Dream'?"

"Nightmare," Christine corrected. "I had a nightmare, rather..."

Christine explained herself and dread filled the ballerinas' eyes. "Yes... and I know Erik will do something. He is probably still angry... but I could stop it all if I tell him..." Christine gasped, "That is it! I shall tell him, then all this madness will stop!" Christine dashed away but was stopped by Meg, "Wait, Christine, not yet! We have practise soon!"

"I will have to skip practise again... I am so sorry, Meg, but I have to do this."

Then Christine vanished into the hallway, but Meg was chasing her, but Christine was too preoccupied to realise it.

Christine entered that room again, with Meg following her. Christine approached the mirror as Meg watched her from her hiding spot behind a couch. Christine pulled at the door to Erik's lair open and stepped in, shutting it behind her. Meg approached it and observed the mirror for a moment then slowly slid it open. She stepped inside to find Christine a few feet ahead of her, running and Meg followed her all the way to the lake.

Christine still did not notise Meg's presense. The boat that Christine rowed herself in the last time she was there was sitting on the shore and looked to be untouched. 'Erik must have used another way out of here when he killed Mireille.' With that, Christine shoved the little rowboat into the water and grabbed herself an oar. Meg stood on the shoreline and growled, saying, "Damn it." Christine immediately turned and faced Meg, her heart racing, "My God!" Christine gave herself some time to breathe and she looked at Meg, shocked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I followed you. I had no idea that you would try to confess your feelings to Erik... I was hoping you would give up!"

"Why?" Christine shouted angrily. "You said you were fine with Erik's feelings for me, did you not?"

"But I never said I was okay with your feelings for him!"

"Why do you do this to me, Meg? What have I done?"

Meg glared at Christine and Christine gulped. "Just stop this before I expose Erik's hide-out. He will be arrested for killing Mireille."

"You dare challenge the Phantom of the Opera...?" Christine asked, dropping the oar and dragging the boat back to shore. She walked around Meg, intimidating her with her own words, "'When he was younger he wrapped a Punjab lasso around a man's neck and killed him.' Do you remember?"

Meg glanced down at the ground, gulping,"It-it was just a rumour."

"Is it? Well, Mireille's death is very much true or are you going to try to convince me that her dead body was just a mirage, hm?"

"Christine, what is wrong with you? You are not acting much like yourself..."

"How can I be the quiet, sweet Christine Daae when my best friend is trying to take the boy I love from me? How can I remain calm and collected when that boy murdered one of my friends?"

Meg's legs gave in and she fell on her knees, sobbing, "Okay, I am sorry! I will not disturb you two ever again! Please, just stop this, Christine. You can have Erik, I just want my best friend back!"

Christine suddenly felt pain surge throughout her body. How could she do such a thing? Christine helped Meg back up to her feet and cried with her, embracing her. "Meg, I apologise, I don't know what happened to me... please, just go back. Erik wants me, I know it." Meg nodded, hugging her back. When they broke free of their embrace, Meg grinned, whispering, "Go to him, Christine. Good luck."

Christine waved after Meg as she walked away and Christine got into the boat and rowed her way over to Erik.

Christine came to a stop when she hit the shore with a thud. She hopped out of the boat and ran into Erik's bedroom. There she saw Erik, lying in the coffin and Christine put a hand over her mouth, gasping. She got closer to him and soon sighed, relieved, 'He is only sleeping.'

Christine stroked his cheek and felt that it was wet with tears. She felt a world of hurt in her chest, 'He was crying. It must have been because of me,' Christine leaned over and went to kiss him, but hesitated because she was somewhat nervous.

But when she did kiss him, she slipped her tongue into his mouth and it danced around. And after a moment of stillness, Christine felt arms around her neck and a tongue in her mouth. Christine eventually broke the kiss and I looked at her with questioning eyes. "Christine, you've come back," I said, my face beaming.

"So I have," Christine caressed my cheek with such care. "Erik, I have realised something." She paused andsaid, slowly, "I love you..."

"...My face does not frighten you?"

"No... you may have killed Mireille, you may have an easy temper, and you may have a distorted face... but you are so beautiful."

I finally gave in and I started crying; crying like a child. I sat up and clutched onto Christine, tightly. "Not even my mother had said anything like that... Christine..." I sobbed and she comforted me with a loving touch. "It's okay, I am here," She said. I pushed her away and sniffled, "About that... Christine, you cannot stay here."

"What? But Erik-"

"You cannot keep disappearing and I cannot keep you here. You have to go back to the Opera House."

"I will not see you again?"

"I will always be there, I am the Phantom of the Opera."