Chapter ten

Be careful what you say

Erik had sent many notes to the managers of the opera stage in the ship that if they did not make Christine the Countess and put Carlotta as the pageboy then the ship would have a curse on it. None of them believed it and put much thought to the notes. The performance of Il Muto began without a hitch. Carlotta played the countess and Christine was of course the pageboy much to the delight of Carlotta and dismay of Erik and Raoul. Erik sat high above the rafters of the stage and watched the performance. The second act ended and the third began. Carlotta began singing.

"Poor fool he makes me laugh aha ha ha! ­ Cr-oak!"

The audience went silent. Carlotta couldn't believe her ears. She went on singing and it happened again. He face went from surprise to fear as she couldn't stop croaking. The audience knew that it must be a fluke and they told her to continue singing. But then it happened again, and again. Cr-oak! Cr-oak! Cr-oak! Then the chandelier began to sway and the lights began to flicker.

"BEHOLD! SHE IS SINGING TO BRING DOWN THE CHANDELIER!"

The ominous voice echoed throughout the audience. It was the voice of the Phantom. Christine finally put two and two together and realized Erik was the Phantom and it sent a shock wave through her spine. Carlotta couldn't go on singing much to the dismay of the managers. She cried and ran off of the stage. A Joseph Buquet, stagehand, had heard the voice of the Phantom and tried to find out where it was located. Before he could find the Phantom however the Phantom found him first and it became a deadly game of cat and mouse. Buquet ran along the rafters trying to get away from the man all in black with a mask on his face. Buquet tried to scream for help but below on stage while Christine was getting in the Countess costume they had decided to perform the ballet sequence and the music was so loud it drowned out Buquet's screams. He kept running and running but couldn't get away. Every where he turned the Phantom was there waiting. He tried hiding but to no avail; the Phantom would always find him. He thought about jumping from the rafters and landing on the stage but that would surely kill him as well, not to mention if he landed on one of them sharp poles those ballet rats were using. The cat and mouse game continued and Erik had, of course, the upper hand. He thought the game was fun. He knew he wouldn't loose. The only loser would be the stupid stagehand who tried to find him. He finally decided to end the game and he pulled out his Punjab lasso and rapped it around Buquet's neck. He squirmed to get free but to no avail. Every time he tried to get free the noose tightened around his neck. Erik tied the free end to a pole and dropped Buquet's body. It hung there helplessly as the audience screamed. The body dropped to the floor and the screams grew louder. Erik, with a pretty sweet cape swish, left the rafters. Raoul left the stage and went to find Christine. She left her dressing room and went into his arms.

"Christine are you ok?" Raoul asked.

"Come on, we're not safe here! We're not safe anywhere!" Christine exclaimed. She led him to the highest point on the ship that they could get. The highest point happened to be roof next to one of the smoke stacks. Raoul embraced Christine and she seemed to be frightened.

"Christine what is the matter?" Raoul asked hugging her and keeping her close.

"He killed him." Christine stuttered.

"Who?"

"E-Erik… Erik's the ships Phantom."

Raoul looked her in the eyes.

"I will protect you. No more talk of darkness forget your wide eyed fears." Raoul promised. "I'll be here to guard and guide you."

"Raoul, I'm not safe anywhere. He will find us. This monster will find us."

"You'll be safe in my arms. Let me be your shelter."

"Raoul I'm scared. All I want is freedom. All I want is you beside me."

Raoul held her closer.

"He won't do anything to you."

"Raoul, if he knows about us you're doomed." Christine cried.

"Christine, this Phantom, this Erik cannot stop our love."

"Raoul, I love you but I'm frightened. Please never leave me."

"Christine I love you as well and I will always be here with you." Raoul promised.

"Raoul do you love me?"

Raoul looked into her brown eyes. "You know I do."

He held her close. "Anywhere you go let me go to."

She dried her tears on his coat and he hugged her. He would protect her no matter what.

From behind the smoke stack Erik stood heart broken. He slumped to the ground because he couldn't hold himself up anymore. The only woman he loved thought he was a monster. He sobbed quietly into his hands. Why did it have to happen like this? He loved Christine and he always would but it was that man, Raoul, who took her away from him. Christine and Raoul left the roof of the ship and Erik stopped his sobbing. He swore revenge. He swore to get Christine back. He swore to kill Raoul and dump him off of the ship. Filled with anger in his heart he went back to the stage and watched the end of the performance. His eyes filled with tears while he watched her sing. As Christine took her bow at the end of the show he cut the Chandelier and it fell at her feet.

You will curse the day… He said.