Whispers in the Night
Chapter 8
Dearest Reader,
Be warned – main character death in this chapter and also some violent bits. Please don't cry.
Your humble servant,
Lockley.
When Raoul opened his eyes the day had softened into evening and the temperature had become bitter. He didn't move until he was sure he wasn't hurt – he was fine.
He rolled over onto his back, staring into the sky. What happened to me? His mind was cloudy – he only remembered meeting… The Phantom! That bastard did this to me!
Raoul stood up dusting himself off. He looked around – half expecting him to be standing, waiting for him. But the graveyard was deserted.
He then remembered the figures that had drugged him and left him here. They must have just left.
Raoul took a couple of steps forward – just to make sure his feet were working. He smiled when he did not fall over. He headed towards the gates but immediately stopped in his tracks when he heard a noise a corpse is not supposed to make. A whistle. He spun around – but the shadows prevented him from seeing anything.
"Whose there?" He called to the air.
Nothing.
Then; "Hello monsieur." His voice called.
"You! Face me!" Raoul shouted; "Phantom! Come here and fight me!"
The shadowed Phantom chuckled.
"My hands, Sir, are full."
"With more poison no doubt" Raoul spat.
"No… with auburn locks, and beautiful eyes that only an angel could possess" he purred.
Raoul's body went limp.
"Christine?" He whimpered.
"Perhaps." He replied.
"CHRISTINE!" Raoul screamed, running to each corner of the graveyard, searching frantically for the Phantom. But he was nowhere to be seen. No footsteps were heard, nor his voice, his or Christine's. Only his panting was audible – and that wasn't much use to him. But it was for Erik; his position was given away by his breath, and he seized this opportunity.
Two strong hands – like tree trunks grabbed Raoul's waist and flung him across the cemetery.
Raoul didn't even have time to open his eyes, because he was there upon him, throttling him, cutting off his air supply. Raoul chocked, his only thought for Christine. Must… help… her…
He managed to open his eyes, yet even that felt like too much effort. There on top of him was The Phantom. The man who had haunted him and his wife's life for too long now.
Raoul would be damned now if he died without putting up a fight. He scratched at Erik's hands, but that didn't seem to work. He felt around the floor for something to hit him with. There was nothing except dust – so Raoul used that. He grabbed a handful and threw it into the Phantoms eyes.
He fell from Raoul – clutching his eyes and screaming, more in frustration then in pain. Raoul scrambled to his feet again and ran behind a tomb – still trying to locate Christine.
He heard Erik get up off the floor. His back against the tomb, he slowly turned to see what the man was now doing. But he was no longer there. He had escaped Raoul's sight again.
He had two options. Remain where he stood and be caught, or move and be caught. Taking the second option he retreated from the safe spot and walked back into the middle of the graveyard.
He took a couple of shy steps forward, his blind hands searching in the dark for some sort of weapon.
His hands fell upon a soft material. A plant of some sort. No. Too soft for that. His hands followed the solid object up further; it was a curious feeling not being able to identify something that was probably quite obvious to other people.
He tugged at it. And then poked it. The thing moved.
"Monsieur – I am rather ticklish" The cold voice said. FOOL! Raoul had just given himself away to him, now he –
All train of thought stopped for Raoul when a very heavy object connected with his head. It was enough for Raoul to topple over onto his stomach – a
queasiness came over him. Then the thing collided with his head again and again and again until blood freely spurted from his head.
And yet Erik did not stop there, he repeatedly bashed Raoul's head in with the concrete slab – until the boys skull had collapsed in on itself.
He stopped.
Ah. Got a bit carried away didn't we Erik?
"Yes" he replied to the voice in his head.
Didn't mean to do that did we?
"You told me to." He growled.
Shhh. No use moaning now, you're in a cemetery, bury him.
Erik closed his eyes.
"Damn" He cursed. "DAMN!"