Disclaimer: I own zip, zilch, and nada. All characters are copyright their respective owners. I own only the words, in this particular order, in this particular story. So don't sue me. :-P
Story Note: I figure I should point out what version of the story this is based on, eh? It's mostly ALW with bits of Leroux thrown in. No Kay here… as I can't seem to get my hands on the book anywhere :-P
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Faded Moonbeams
Chapter Two
"Embroidery of the Stars
Undress my feelings for this Earth
Send me your salve to heal my Scars"
Nightwish - Astral Romance
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"Christine…"
Her head snapped up suddenly. If she hadn't known better, she could have sworn her name had been called across the wind. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she carefully scanned the confines of the rose garden.
Who could be out at this hour? she silently bemused, Well, save for myself, of course…
Another glance about the garden told her what her mind already knew- no one was there besides herself. Her only company were the sculpted angels, forever trapped in their joyous singing and trumpeting. Rising from the intricate marble bench, she carefully smoothed out her gown and began to make her way out of the garden. She had just about made it to the wrought iron trellis near the entrance, when the gusts suddenly picked up in full force, sending her carefully coifed curls into utter disarray. As she struggled to keep her hair under control, a single voice echoed quietly, somberly, against the wind.
"Christine…"
She could not ignore the sound this time. Her head whipped around and she leveled her gaze towards one of the statues in the garden. A lone angel, set apart from the others and entangled in a patch of unruly vines and roses, stood silently in a dark corner of the garden. Yet, the moon shone unabashedly upon the scene. Why was this one area absent from the light? She squinted her eyes, trying to see through the shadows, behind them. She began to desperatelytry to explain theirpresencewithout delving into the realm of fantasy and the impossible. For a moment she thought she saw them move with a fluid grace. Was that a faint fluttering she heard upon the breeze? … a fluttering of rich, warm, darkfabric?
There was no mistaking that voice on the wind, for she had never met another soul alive with one as intriguing. And the only soul she knew who owned that voice was…
"My Angel…" she whispered shakily, not trusting her voice as she began to slowly move towards the statue and it's accompanying cloak of darkness.
"Christine…" was the answered the wind returned to her over and over again.
"Christine…"
"Christine!"
Christine jumped, quite startled, as she heard the worried voice echo behind her as strong hands grabbed her shoulders. She shook her head slightly, as if waking from a trance and turned around to discover exactly who her assailant was. A slightly bedraggled, worried Raoul stared back at her.
"Dear, what are you doing out here at this time of night? You shall make yourself ill if you do not start getting sleep." he lightly caressed the area beneath her eyes, which she knew held dark circles, with his thumbs as he spoke. "These nocturnal walks are not good for your health…"
"Yes, I know," Christine replied, plastering a smile on her face, "I've just been so restless lately, and walking through the gardens does comfort me…"
Her husband noted that her smile did not reach her eyes, but said nothing of that. Instead, he genuinely grinned at her and said teasingly, " Well, then, perhaps we shall have to look into cutting your walks a little short…" He gave her a small embrace, meant to comfort, and began to lead her back towards the manor.
Christine accepted the embrace and simply gave a small laugh as she allowed herself to be led home. However, she couldn't resist one look back at the statue before she left. The angel stood innocently, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred that night. But Christine knew differently. The night was cloudless and the moon hung in the sky as it had for the past hour or so.
…The shadows that had embraced the statue mere seconds ago were gone, leaving the entire scene bathed in an ethereal moonlight…
A/N: First of all, I'd like to say thank you to you guys who sat through my last chapter and were kind enough to review. I truly appreciate the feedback and hope this chapter was more enjoyable than the last. As always, leave me a note and let me know how you're liking the story- feedback is always a helpful thing. Until Next Time!