Hello everyone! Here's another chapter for you to (hopefully) enjoy. As usual I beg of you to let me know what you think! I live for feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't even have a computer chair…I'm seriously sitting on an egg-crate right now. So forget any thought of me owning any of the characters in this fic! I got nothing!
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As Christine woke, she was greeted with a dull headache that throbbed around every inch of her skull. Even as she opened her eyes she felt the pain and flinched from the light of a nearby oil lamp that blinded her, closing her lids yet again.
Thoughts and blurred visions of what had occurred flashed through her mind and she opened her eyes once more as her last conscious memory came to her mind.
"What is this? Where am I?" Mumbling to herself, she attempted to stretch her body but found herself enchained to a desk chair where her wrists and ankles had been expertly tied. Panic began to seep through her as be struggled against them, whining as she evidently got nowhere.
The sound of a door opening reclaimed her senses. A certain Viscount stood in the doorway condescendingly for a moment but rushed to Christine's side immediately at the sight of her struggle.
"Now, now my dear you must be careful! I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
"What is this Raoul? Have you lost your mind?"
"Oh you mean the bonds?" he asked with a gesture of the ties. "Well, I couldn't have you running away on me, could I?"
She began getting angry at his easygoing tone of voice and the lustful fashion in which he was looking at her so she replied: "Raoul, what in the hell are you talking about? Untie me this instant!"
"I can't, Christine! Not yet anyway." he sighed tiredly and hung his head as he leaned over the chair she sat in and stroked her dark hair gently.
"I've tried to warn you, Christine, but you just wouldn't listen. I'm sorry if you think this measure is overly extreme but I had to get you away from that... God awful Opera House so I could try and explain to you one more time."
"Don't touch me! How dare you do this, Raoul? This is kidnapping! You can't just take someone against their will-"
"But I've done this for good reason, Christine!" he interrupted, "You just need some time away from that place! It's poisoning your mind against me don't you see that? No one there understands you the way I do. No one-"
"Would ever drug me and take me against my will!" she retorted angrily. "Where in the world are we, anyway?"
He smiled at the question, rising to brighten the lamp's light so she could better see the atmosphere around her. They appeared to be in what seemed like a very elegant bedroom, the walls a majestic blue and the trim painted silver with a touch of gold to the sidings. Very elaborate accessories and trinkets clung to the room and gave a certain distinctiveness to it. Something about that entire decorating scheme felt royal and exclusive.
"This is my family's home, Christine. Don't you recognize it? Well, of course not! You haven't been here in ages. So much is changed that I think I shall have to give you a tour some time later. But first we have things to discuss."
She flinched as he tried to touch her once more. His brow grew wrinkled with anger as she shied away from him, clearly refusing to meet his eyes.
Grabbing her chin fiercely he pulled her face towards him and practically forced her to open her eyes.
"You will look at me when I'm talking to you, Christine! Oh, you don't know what I do for you. Even now I am only trying to make you see reason and you reject me still." He let go of her aching jaw, his gentle expression quickly returning as he smiled fondly and removed a strand piece of hair from her face.
"It's as simple as this, Christine: You have no reason to stay in the hellhole of a theater. Your friends are all phony, pathetic degenerates. Your reputation has been stained by this disappearing act of yours and your 'precious angel' has turned out to be nothing more than a murderer. You deserve better, Christine! You deserve a life of love and happiness and everything money and a life of nobility could ever offer!"
She just looked up at him as he pleaded his heart to her. She watched him with pity at his pathetic nature, feeling sorry for his obviously wounded mind. But above all, she looked at him with a rage in her eyes that she never even realized she possessed.
"You call my friends 'phonies' when you yourself are the most counterfeit person I have ever known? You told me stories of the dark north when we were children, Raoul. Do you remember that? I would end up so fearful by the end of one of your adventures that you would have to put your arms around me just to calm my spirits. But now you are the villain, Raoul! You have come from deep within those storybooks and taken me from my home in some vile quest for love! You say my angel knows nothing of love? Well, at least he knows the ways of compassion and mercy! Unlike you-"
An open hand that collided with her cheekbone shocking her into silence and sent a wave of tears falling from her eyes cut her off.
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Erik entered Christine's dressing room quickly and quietly as to not attract attention from anyone nearby. After entering the dark room he crept along the darkness he knew so well until he reached a small lamp. He switched it on, grateful that the door was shut so no light could escape into the hall.
Oh Christine, where in the world are you? He thought to himself. Flabbergasted, he looked around the spotless room that held no signs of a brawl. He searched for a note that perhaps stated her whereabouts; he also looked to see if her cloak was gone. All of these turned out to be frivolous and Erik sighed in frustration and was direly tempted to toss something about the room but feared the noise would attract unwanted attention.
He sat and buried his head in his hands. Where was she? Was she safe? Was she unhurt? A dozen thoughts raced through his mind as he opened his eyes and looked down at the lavish carpet beneath him. It was an array of deep reds and violets swirled with patterns of deep brown, reminding him of late fall when the dead leaves swarmed the streets of Paris getting stuck in every nook and cranny around. Suddenly a flash of a brilliant white caught his eye. He noticed a small piece of cloth sticking out from under the sofa he sat upon now. He picked it up and explored the well-crafted stitching with his fore finger, pondering on what to do next when he noticed a familiar noble family crest and initials embroidered on the left corner.
RC
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It was slightly out of character for Madam Giry to bite her lip when nervousness conflicted with her, but when she did her face contorted slightly in the same fashion as her daughters. She glanced out briefly from her place behind the stage curtain to look at the people in the stands and seats around her. All of them were impatiently awaiting the beginning of the performance. She knew they couldn't delay much longer.
"Where is she!", André asked from his place behind the stage as he approached Mme. Giry.
"I don't know, sir. No one has seen her for quite some time."
"Maybe the Opera ghost has taken her again!", a bubbly ballet girl from behind them called mockingly. However, she turned around and ran quickly when she was met by the stern glance of her ballet teacher.
"Oh Firmin, what in the world are we to do now?"
"Excusez-moi, Monsieur.", a wretched female voice from behind them called. The managers rolled their eyes at each other briefly before turning to face the egoistical Carlotta who stood by, fluttering her eyelashes suggestively.
"Perhaps I can be of some help?"
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As Erik rode along the grassy countryside on a borrowed stallion, he realized just how much he owed that helpful stable boy for showing him the direction of the Chagny estate. The night rolled on as a brisk breeze and a cold gust of wind promised a storm in the near future. Erik, however, paid no mind to the cold against his face as he rode though the wood. All his thoughts were with Christine and the potential torment she might now be facing.
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"I just want you to see how much I love you Christine! No Ghost or Ghoul could ever care for you as I do!"
Christine refused to comply to the comment. She cried silently as he continued to express his love for her. Of course she knew that those words were false, but the sheer obsession with that he spoke for her rang true in his voice. What in the world would he do now that he had her at his mercy? No one knew of her being here, and even if they did, how could they possibly know she had been kidnapped? She felt her bottom lip tremble as she began to panic, realizing that she could in fact be here for a very long time and no one would ever know.
As Erik approached the de Chagny estate, he examined the grounds and allowed his horse some rest time. Unfortunately for him, however, he had no time for such a thing as he stalked the grounds quickly and quietly, leaning low towards the ground as to not be seen. For although it was dark, the occasional flash of lightening would light up the sky and could easily allow him to be spotted should a person that may be looking in his direction.
Erik immediately noticed the size of the large manor. Even at night it offered an impressive view. In this moment, morbid and tragic thoughts ran through his mind: he knew he would never be able to offer this kind of life to Christine. He knew she deserved a big house like this...knew she deserved everything the world had to offer. But he shook these thoughts from his mind quickly and focused on the rescue of his beloved as he hurriedly descended over the large gate in the front of the house and made his way to the left side of the estate where he immediately noticed a faint light coming from the window. Luckily for him, a large balcony rested on the side of this room, wherefore he was grateful for he knew it would be an excellent place to hide, should he need one.
Christine looked up at her mad capturer carefully, unsure of how to approach the insanity of which he spoke. But an idea of a possible escape formed in her head. And unsure of any other options she put her idea into play.
"You're right", she mumbled. The sudden change in interest forced the Viscount to look down at her with beseeching eyes.
"You're right.", she repeated. "I have been a fool. Only someone who truly loves me would be willing to go through all this, just to make me see the errors of my ways." Then she looked up at him and smiled innocently, beckoning him to join her at her eye level. He knelt down beside her and placed his hand over hers tenderly.
"I'm so glad you realize that now, Christine! I knew you would understand in the end."
She continued to smile at him fondly though a movement out of the corner of her eye distracted her slightly - a familiar movement that made her heart swell with glee and hope. Luckily the Viscount did not notice this and Christine used this as an opportunity to make him depart the room.
"Raoul, darling? Would you mind terribly getting me a glass of water?", she asked sweetly.
"Oh, of course not! How silly of me. You must be parched! I'll be right back, dear." With that he stood and placed a small kiss on her forehead. Christine tried desperately to keep her smile and not cringe from the touch, but it was a bit more of a challenge than she realized. The Viscount soon left the room, however, and, upon his doing so, a masked Phantom entered gracefully.
"Well, well... It would appear I'm interrupting something."
"Erik, don't you dare start on me now.", she whispered viciously. "Please, just get me out of here!"
He no longer hesitated and he knelt to remove her ties with a quick twist of his sword. She threw her arms around him as soon as they were free and clung to him desperately.
"Did he hurt you?", Erik asked, his anger melting into concern as he felt her sob against him.
Christine just shook her head unable to form the words. At last they pulled away and he grabbed her hand eagerly. "Hurry. We won't have much time before he returns."
She nodded and allowed him to lead her as they began their journey from the small room to the balcony.
"Please don't tell me we are going down there from here..." Looking down at the cold earth below, the fear became evident in her voice.
"Well, unless you have any other suggestions-"
"Fine, let's just go." she said nervously as the sound of approaching footsteps came to her ears.
Erik could hear it too. He nodded solemnly and gently guided Christine over the balcony's balustrade.
"Just take your time climbing down. There are enough cracks in-between the bricks, but hold on to the side railing just in case. Just beyond the front gates, you'll find a horse. Take him back to the Opera Populaire-"
"Wait, Erik! You're not coming with me?" The panic was evident in her face as she said this.
"I can't, my love... at least not now. The Viscount and I need to finish this. Christine, you know that if we don't end this, he'll never leave us be... I'm afraid I have to break a promise." He caressed her left cheekbone tenderly, sending chills down her spine. She closed her eyes tightly, finally understanding and expressing this with a harsh nod.
Erik leaned in closer as he observed her internal anguish and whispered sincerely in her ear. "I love you. Do not be afraid. I will return for you soon."
Before she could call him back to her, he disappeared into the shadows of the room before leaving it completely.
"Please be careful, Erik."
She did as she was told and began the journey downward, which proved to be slightly difficult considering she was still in her Don Juan costume. But at last, she landed on the ground soundly. Once more, she looked up at the window, them broke into a dead run towards the horse. She had followed his directions so far, but she knew she could not completely - for she would not leave him.
She couldn't.