Author's Note : Thank you so much to all of the reviews. I love them! Here's chapter 9! I hope you enjoy it! Please review and tell me what you think!
The hours blurred together. One rush of frantic and fearful running and screaming. Christine couldn't think, couldn't breathe. She was trapped in her own house, life and very body. She was suffocating. Every place she checked she held onto a lingering hope that she may find Raoul standing there smiling down at her. So she could hold him and make him promise that he would never leave her. But that hope was rapidly fading. Every place she checked she found nothing and everytime she found nothing her heart broke even more painfully then the previous time. She no longer had a soul. Her body felt numb.
Tears ran in a steady flow down her cheeks. She cried for Raoul. She cried in fear, in loss but mostly in hatred. Helplessness flooded her body and she raced around her house. Around the mansion that had once brought her such happiness. Was it really only 2 days earlier that she had felt that Elysian peace?
She could see Raoul, he was there in front of her. But she was too weak. She couldn't reach out and grab him. He was slowly slipping away.
Christine collapsed in a heap on the front lawn. Her tears were replaced with violent sobs. Her body trembled over the loss that she felt. Raoul, her dear friend, her husband. She could hardly believe what was happening to her.
But it was all too real. She knew the reality of it all. It was no joke and some monster, some madman had her husband and she knew the painful fact that she may never lay eyes on him again.
Another heavy sob lurched through her body before her mind began to focus. Her eyes widened at the thought of Emiliee back at the Opera House unaware of her father's disappearance. Christine's helplessness and confusion turned into hardheaded determination. She had to get to her daughter. The only family she had left.
Emiliee felt her heart leap to her throat as she heard it. It was him and she knew it. How could she have been so stupid? He was here and he knew about….about what? Emiliee had been so sure not to mention the demon. She had made sure to honor her word, and save her life in the process. Had she said something she shouldn't have?
But Emiliee knew that he was angry and that she would die.
Her heart ceased to beat as his words were uttered. Her eyes scanned the room frantically for some sign of the man. But she saw no one.
"I DON'T TRUST HIM!" this time it yelled, echoing off the walls of her room.
Emiliee let out a silent prayer that someone outside would hear and come in. Find the man and rid her of this unspeakable terror that she felt.
"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LET SLIP IN YOUR LITTLE 'OUTING'?"
Emiliee's body trembled at the menace and mockery in his voice. Tears ran down her face as she tried to accept her imminent fate. Emiliee could imagine his eyes. His terrifying yet intriguing eyes flashing angrily in front of her. But she couldn't see them. Actually there was no sign that a man was in her room.
"I could kill you…" he said eerily
It was in that moment that Emiliee thought she had finally gone to the deep end. The voice wasn't coming from the room. The voice was coming from inside her head…inside her mind. That man was inside her mind. No one would hear him. No one was coming to save her.
No one.
Emiliee stood up quickly and closed her eyes tight. She was trying to banish him away from the thing that was supposed to belong to her and only her.
Too terrified to reply she opened her eyes once more. Before she could formulate a proper plan she turned towards her door. And ran.
She ran like she had never run before. The door swung open loudly and she sprinted away from her room. Hopefully away from him. She ran clumsily, bumping into walls and doors as she went. The corridors were empty. All of the inhabitants of the Opera Populaire were sleeping peacefully in their beds. They had no idea of the girl running through the corridors so scared that she could Barely keep her body from just collapsing in a pile. Emiliee wanted her mother. How desperately she wanted her to hug her tight and tell her everything would be ok.
Tears still ran steadily down her face as she ran. A few times she glanced warily behind her. Terridyed of what she might find. She was foolish enough to belive that the man would not follow her. But she clung to that small flicker of safety and hope as if it were the last fact on earth. To her, it was.
Emiliee turned a corner sharply and ran right into a man who was wandering the corridors too. Emiliee looked up fearfully to see Francois looking down on her with concern. Her placed his hand upon Emiliee's tear stained face and attempted to calm her ragged breathing.
"Emiliee…what…shhhh..it's ok…" he muttered reassurinlgly .
Emiliee threw her self upon him with such force that Francois stumbled back a couple of steps. She clung to him tightly and closed her eyes as he held her. The fact that he was with her then was so comforting. Francois held her tenderly around her waist. He wasn't sure what had happened but all he wanted to do was make sure she was ok. He couldn't imagine what could have happened to cause her to go into such hysterics.
Emiliee hasilty broke the embrace and stared into his eyes. Francois was amazed with the amount of fear that resided there.
"Francois, I'm not safe. You're not safe. Oh god, you're not safe." She said to herself.
Emiliee realized that if she should fear for anyone it was for Francois. How the man had spoken about him with such hatred.
Francois stared at her intently "Emiliee what are you talking about?"
Emiliee gazed around the corridor quickily for any sign that the man was behind her.
"Listen to me," she said hastily "we aren't safe here. We have to leave." Emiliee caught sight of a winding staircase which lead up to the rooftop.
Really the attempt was useless. But she would do anything to get as far away from the masked man as possible.
I could kill you
The statement replayed itself a million times in her head. She didn't want to die. She had only just began to live. She had never been kissed, she had never gone for a long stroll along the streets of Paris unaccomapined, she had never told her parents how much she loved them.
Emiliee turned towards the staircase and began running up them as fast as her trembling legs would allow. They still throbbed with the pain from falling through the floor into…she couldn't remember where. But the memory haunted her. It was mocking her, reminding her that it was her foolishness, her incompetence that put her in so much danger. That put Francois in so much danger. If hadn't been so damn curious she would have never been taken by that monster. She would never have found herself in this life or death situation.
Francois watched as she started to run. Her running looked strained. She was sore and tired but her terror would not let her stop. Hastily he took off after her. Dread filling his soul. Why was he in so much danger? He had done nothing.
As she reached the roof the cool night air flooded her. She shivered but did not comment on the cold climate that she was exposing them both too.
Finally she stopped, looking over the roofs of Paris. Her breathing still ragged she turned slowly to Francois. He approached her slowly only to stop right in front of her. Hesitantly he raised a hand and gently brushed the hair from her face.
"What happened to you?" he asked softly studying her carefully.
A tear ran down Emiliee's face. She couldn't look him in the eye.
"I just…I….There was this man…" she started warily.
Emiliee could hardly believe what she was saying. Was she actually going to tell him about the masked man. The murderer? She couldn't. She was sealing their deaths. But for some unknown reason when he watched her for her answer she couldn't lie.
Francois face turned stony and his eyes lit with hatred. He cursed swiftly under his breath.
"Was it that poor kid Marcello?" he asked angrily
Emiliee said nothing as she stared at Francois. Realization hit her as she added everything together. He thought…He thought that she had been..
"No…No of course not. Marcello wouldn't…No.." she stuttered out "I…I"
Emiliee knew she had a decision to make and she had to make it quickly.
"No…It was…someone else. He was a…an actor I suppose. I hadn't seen him before…"
Francois sighed and pulled her into. He held her tightly and protectively. Emiliee felt a lurch in the pit of her stomach. Never before had someone held her like Francois was holding her now. She felt safe.
"It's over now…" he whispered softly in her ear "did he…manage to.."
"No." Emiliee said cutting him off
"So nothing…you're not hurt?"
"I'm not hurt. Nothing happened…I…I ran before he could…"
"Thank god." He said laughing lightly.
Emiliee felt herself smile. She forgot about the masked man. She forgot about all of the
unresolved issues that plagued her.
Francois pulled back leaving a small space in between the two of them. They didn't speak to one another. Silently Francois cupped her face in his hands and pulled her into him.
Her lips met his, sending a warm sensation throughout her body. His lips were so soft, so reassuring. He buried his hands in her hair as she timidly wrapped her hand around his neck.As the kiss ended Emiliee could hardly believe what had happened. She longed to kiss him again. She longed to feel his lips upon her own.
But in the back of her mind she knew. That sooner or later that man was going to come back and haunt her again. She only hoped that no harm would come to her, or anyone else that she loved.
