Erik returned an hour later. He stood in front of Christine and looked at her. Christine had tears had tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were wide with fear.
"Have you decided yet?" Erik said barley above a whisper.
"No I haven't. Not yet." Christine whispered in reply.
Erik looked angry at that. He shouted: "You must make your choice! I tell you if you do not, the requiem mass is not at all a happy event. You must choose! I can't live like this anymore! Don Juan is finished, and now I want to live like anyone else. I want to have a child like anyone else. I have invented a mask that makes me look like a regular person. People will not even look twice in the streets. You will be very happy with me. I know you are afraid of me, I see the tears in your eyes. But I am not really evil. Say yes and you will see. If you say yes I will be as gentle as a lamb."
Christine just stared at him, the tears still flowing.
"I know you don't love me!" Erik shouted. Then he got on his knees before Christine and said more gently: "Why are you crying?" Erik wiped away Christine's tears. "You know it gives me pain to see you cry."
Erik was then silent. He stayed on his knees before Christine. The silence lasted about a minute. Then an electric bell sounded off, breaking the silence. Erik turned his head around.
"Now who could be ringing at the door?" Erik asked rising to his feet. "One moment my child, I shall tell the siren to open the door." Erik said as he walked out of the room.
"Christine! Christine!" Called a voice from the torture chamber. Christine thought she was hearing things untill she heard her name being called again.
"Who is it? Who is calling me?" Christine wondered aloud.
"Christine, it is I, Raoul!" Cried Raoul in answer.
"Raoul! Where are you?"Christine asked.
"I am in the torture chamber. The Persian and I are here to save you." Raoul replied.
"Christine, child, can you open the door to the torture-chamber?" The Persian asked.
"No, I am bound. Anyways, that door is always kept locked!" Christine answered. At this both men in the torture-chamber gave a cry of fury.
"Why has he bound you? He knows you can't escape from his house." The Persian said.
"When he brought me here earlier, I tried to commit suicide." Christine replied.
"Oh, Christine!" Raoul cried.
"Listen child, it is crucial that you get that key!" The Persian said.
"How can I?" Christine sobbed. After that Christine rubbed her wrists together trying to get free. She soon gave up. "I do know where the key is. Erik keeps it in a leather bag in the organ. If only I could get it! But Erik has tied me so tightly."
"Listen, Erik has bound you, and he will unbind you. Tell him that the ropes are cutting into your wrists and they hurt you. If Erik truly loves you as his child, he will take pity on you." the Persian explained.
"Wait I hear something. Erik is coming back! You must leave! Go away!" Christine cried.
"We could not leave even if we wanted to child. We won't leave you." The Persian said bravely.
"Then be quiet!" Christine whispered anxiously. She had just uttered this phrase when Erik walked in. Christine cried out in terror, for she thought Erik had heard her.
"Why did you cry out child?" Erik asked.
"Erik, these ropes are hurting me." Christine said.
"I thought I had frightened you." Erik said.
"Erik please untie me. Please?" Christine begged.
"You know I can't do that. You will try to kill yourself again."
"Please Erik. I promise not to try to commit suicide again. Just please free me."
"Alright hold still." Erik bent down and lifted Christine to her feet. Christine turned around so Erik could untie her.
Christine kept looking back at Erik. She finally said what was on her mind: "Erik you're all wet!"
"You're looking at me because I'm all wet?" Christine nodded. "My child, it is raining heavily outside. There, you are free now. Are you happy?"
Christine turned around to face Erik. He gently took her hands and turned her palms upward. There were red marks and gouges where the ropes cut into Christine's skin.
"Oh, Christine, you poor thing." Erik said looking at Christine's wrists. "Just look at your wrists. Tell me have I hurt them?" Christine gave a small nod. "I'm so sorry Christine. I really didn't mean to hurt you. That alone deserves death. Speaking of death, I must sing the other one's requiem." Erik led Christine to his room and sat at the organ. Erik pounded out notes on the organ and sang like a god of thunder.
Christine came up quietly behind him, her head level with his. She looked over at Erik and saw that his eyes were closed. Christine reached over Erik's shoulder and grabbed the leather bag. She slowly withdrew her arm. As she brought the bag toward her, the bottom brushed Erik's shoulder. Christine quickly withdrew the bag the rest of the way.
"What are you doing with that bag Christine?" Erik asked.
Christine's eyes widened with fear as she turned and ran out of the room. Erik followed after her.
"Why are you running away?" Erik demanded.
Christine's hands were trembling with fear as she tried to open the bag. Erik was right behind her by then.
"Give me back that bag Christine." Erik said dangerously.
"Please Erik, I want to see this room. Please? I'm very curious."
"You would do well to be careful. Give me the bag Christine." Erik seized Christine's wrist and twisted it back. Christine gave a cry of pain, and Erik chuckled as the bag fell into his hand.
In the torture-chamber Raoul cried out in rage. How dare someone hurt Christine? She was only thirteen. Who would want to hurt such an innocent child? Only a monster would do such a thing.
Unfortunatly Erik heard Raoul's cry. "What was that? Did you hear something Christine?"
"I didn't hear anything." Christine replied anxiously.
"I thought I heard someone cry out." Erik said.
"Erik, I cried out because you hurt me. I didn't hear anything else." Christine replied.
"Perhaps you are right." Erik put his hands on Christine's shoulders, which were trembling with fright. "Why are trembling? You're quite excited." Erik put his hand under Christine's chin and made her look him in the eye. "You are lying to me. There was a cry. Perhaps it came from the torture chamber. It's the man you want to fly with."
"I don't want to fly with anyone Erik! You know I don't!" Christine cried.
"I don't believe you. I understand now." Erik grabbed Christine's wrist and pulled her toward him. "We do not need to open the door to see into the torture-chamber child. There is a little window near the ceiling. If when we turn off the light in here and the window lights up, there is someone on the torture chamber." Erik said getting ready to turn off the light. "You aren't afraid of the dark are you?"
"No Erik, don't turn off the light. I am afraid of the dark! I am afraid!"
"Now the light is off, we get this." Erik said getting a small step ladder. "This is what these are for. I know you have often wondered." Erik pushed the ladder against the wall. "Up with you." Erik pulled Christine to the ladder and pushed her towards it.
"No, Erik please, I don't want to. Please turn the lights back on."
"Very well, I will go up."
Christine afraid for Raoul's saftey cried out: "Alright, I'll go."
Erik smiled as he said: "Oh Christine how kind of you to save me the trouble at my age." Erik helped Christine up the ladder. "Tell me, what does he look like?"
Christine looked straight into Raoul's eyes as she Said: "There is no one there Erik!"
"Really? Well then come down." Erik guided Christine back down the ladder. "Well then, Christine please say you'll stay with me. You would have fun with me. I am a vetriloquist. I can put my voice anywhere." Christine was pale and Erik was trying to keep her mind off the torture-chamber. "I put it in Carlotta's throat, I am Mr. Toad." Erik laughed. "Here I will show you. I'll lift my mask a little, not much. Now you see, my lips aren't moving and my mouth is closed. But yet you hear my voice. Listen it is in the torture-chamber. Now it is in the little box on the table."
"Please Erik I am tired. Please stop. It's hot in here."
"Yes it is. there is a simple explination. First off, what did you see in the torture-chamber?"
"I saw a forest." Christine said.
"Exactly. And that is why it's so hot in here."
"But what does the forest have to do with the heat?"
"Why didn't you see it was an African forest?" Erik began laughing like a maniac.
"No, Erik please! Don't!" Christine cried. But Erik just put his arm around her waist and tried to drag Christine out of the room. Christine didn't want to leave the room, so she droped like a stone to the ground. Erik still had his arm around her waist and hoisted her up off the floor. He half dragged, half carried her out of the room. Christine kicked and stuggled. Erik took her into the drawing room. He sat her in a chair and sat in another chair opposite her.