Chapter 4: Purge Your Thought of the Life You Knew Before

Several days past after that one day and Christine continued to past the Opera Populaire as she went to visit her father's grave. She was trying so hard to push away her past life with Raoul. She wanted to move on and perhaps her dreams were telling her to do so. It was not Erik who changed, it was her who had changed. She had been stuck in this world where life gave her everything if she asked it, then when she was thrown out she was boxed in. Christine sat on the steps of the mausoleum and spoke to her father as she seemed to do much often. She closed her eyes praying and then climbed up the steps to place flowers inside. Christine sighed and ran her hand over the wall and walked out.

" Papa," she whispered, " I wish you were here now."

Christine walked out and walked down, she pulled her cloak tightly around her as she departed out.

" Christine," a voice whispered

Christine stopped and looked around as she heard her name echoed in the stillness. She had not heard her name spoken like that since that night before Don Juan. Christine continued and then she heard a twig snap.

" Who's there?" she called

No one called back and Christine continued to walk on and then once more heard something. She started to run towards the gates to get to the carriage that waited for her. Footsteps were heard behind her and she began to run as fast as she could. She looked ahead and saw the gates closing by two men. Christine stopped and looked around and saw two behind her. She breathed deep and the four men came towards her.

" Leave me alone!" Christine cried

She had no weapons to protect her from these ravish goons.

" She's very pretty," one said

" Yes, she is," another replied

Christine tried to run past the two in front of her, but they grabbed her by her long cloak.

" What's your hurry?" they called, " We'd love for you to spend some one on one time with us."

" Let me go!" Christine growled

" Let you go? Did you hear that boys, she wants us to let her go," the leader said

" Such a pretty thing like you with four handsome men like us…we'll have fun with her," a second said

Christine looked at their lustful gazes and she slapped at one and he grabbed her hand. He pushed her back and Christine screamed for someone to help her.

" No one will hear you scream," the men said

She tried pulling away and two grabbed her long cloak tearing it off. Christine ran towards the gates and the two before grabbed her arms and pulled her. She fell into the snow trying to avoid their thirst for a woman's flesh.

" Someone help me!" she shouted

Two pinned her down and ripped apart of her dress off. She screamed and kicked at them as they came towards her. She wasn't going to give up fighting from them, they covered her mouth incase someone did hear her.

" Now no one will hear your little screams," the leader said

" No one but me," a voice said

Christine closed her eyes and the leader looked up and saw a fist fly at his face. He fell back and the other three looked at the masked man.

" It's him….the…the Phantom of the Opera," the mumbled

" Don't mumbled," Erik said

He pulled his blade out and the skull's eyes stared at them. Christine opened her eyes seeing Erik standing before and the thugs backing off. They ran and Erik sheathed his blade then turned to Christine. He presented his hand to her and she felt tears fall from her face. Erik knelt down beside her removing his cloak and wrapped it around her.

" Are you hurt?" he asked softly

" I bumped me head," she whispered

Erik lifted her up into his arms and she wrapped her arms around him. Erik carried her towards his stallion and put her on the black stallion. He climbed onto the stallion and wrapped his arms around Christine as he took the reigns.

" Home Caesar," Erik said

The horse began to trot and Christine looked at Erik as he rode in broad daylight. He took the back ways towards the Opera Populaire and seemed to only be notice by the less fortunate people of Paris. He came to the opera house and got Christine down, then carried her. She was still dazed from her encounter with lustful thugs as Erik took her below to his lair.

" You will be safe here," Erik softly said

She looked at him and touched his face and he kissed her hand. The white faced mask made Erik that much more powerful in her eyes. It made her hypnotized and drawn to him. He sat her down on the softness of the swan bed and Erik went off pulling a shirt and pants from his wardrobe. He carried them into the room and Christine looked at him as he entered. He had removed his vest and dress coat and she could understand why…it was a bit warm.

" Here, I do not have clothing that you would wear, but you may borrow mine," Erik stated, " I am sure you have warn clothing of this type before, so I do not think it will be a problem."

Christine took the clothing into her shaking hands and saw they were a pair of pants and shirt, just as he was wearing.

" They're men's clothing," Christine whispered

" It is all I wear Christine," Erik said, " I do not think you should be wearing a torn dress."
Christine nodded and stood up as undid her dress and it slipped to her feet; revealing her corset and undergarments. Erik breathed deep seeing she did not mind him seeing her in only her undergarments. Erik walked towards her to help her if she needed his aid. She slipped the white shirt on and shut it, its lengthiness covered her to her mid thigh, she then started to put the pants on. Erik helped her steady herself and she looked at him as she pulled the pair of pants on.

" Apparently you are not use to them," Erik remarked

Christine looked at Erik as pinned the pants' waist to fit Christine. Erik looked at her and saw the distant look in her eyes.

" You are in shock, perhaps you should rest," Erik said

" Rest with me," she whispered

Erik sighed and touched her soft cheek…she was afraid that they would come back. He nodded and lifted Christine into his arms and laid her down in the swan bed. He walked to the other side and slipped in beside her. Christine turned to Erik and stroked his head. Erik got close to her and began to hum to her to assure her she was safe. She began to drift asleep and Erik watched her.

" You are still a scared child," Erik whispered, " How can a scared child love a man?"

Erik got up and walked out the room and played some music on the organ he repaired. He sat there and thought about if he didn't get there in time, that she would be more a mess than she was. Erik saw fear in Christine's eyes when he carried her back to his lair. Her whole body shook and her face was pale, he couldn't get rid of the image that played in his mind. He lifted a piece of paper and wrote a letter then sealed it with a skull seal.

" Arthur," Erik called

The old man walked out of a small room.

" Can you bring this to Madame Darley?" Erik asked

" As you wish," he said

He took the sealed letter and went off and Erik poured a glass of wine. He walked into the room Christine was in and watched her sleep. He lifted the dress and sighed, shaking his head. The rips in the dress showed a struggle and Erik laid it back down. He walked towards Christine and sat beside her, he saw the shirt was undone a little. He reached over and closed her shirt the rest of the way. She stirred and Erik backed away from her. He got up and went off to his room laying back in his bed and falling asleep.

It was only minuets later that he felt his bed move and felt a warm presence beside him. He opened his eyes and saw Christine laying beside him and he looked at her. Her eyes met his and she touched his face, he looked at her innocence then smiled.

" I couldn't sleep," she whispered, " without you beside me."

" Is this how you repay me, by flattery?" Erik questioned

Christine smiled and he smiled a little and then pulled her close to him. He rubbed her back as she once more fell asleep in his arms.

" Purge your thought of the life you knew before," he whispered

Erik continued a soft motion on her back to keep her mind free of worry that he might not be there when she wakes. His touch became softer before he too fell to sleep with her in his arms.