... And the next chapter...
Chapter 10
Christine sat straight up in her bed, whacking her head on the headboard. She gave a little groan and carefully sunk down onto her pillows again, listening to the light tapping on the roof above. Christine had always hated the rain, and now she blamed it for her sore head. It must've been what woke me up, she thought grumpily. And now I'm wide awake and can't go back to sleep. Great.
Wrapping the quilt around her shoulders, Christine hopped out of her bed and stood beside the window. The view from here is at once so familiar and so odd, she thought, and blinked back tears. "What if I never leave her?" She whispered. "What if I'm stuck in my past forever? I have absolutely no control here; I'm just doomed to repeat things again and again." There was a small prodding at the back of Christine's mind at that thought, but she ignored it. She was actually having quite a nice time pitying herself, and didn't want to be interrupted.
Unfortunately, interruptions happen.
Christine was just beginning to bemoan her Aminta costume when she heard a creak on the floorboards behind her.
Suspiciously, she turned around to see a dark shape sitting on the edge of her bed. "Erik!"
"Christine."
Christine felt herself blushing slightly as she remembered how her chin felt in his long-fingered hand. She struggled to push this thought from her mind. "Erik… what are you doing her? I could've been sound asleep! Or something… like that…" she finished lamely.
"Well, lucky for me, you weren't." Erik sounded thoughtful. "Do you know, I've got it."
Christine felt overwhelmingly puzzled. One minute, Erik could be thoughtful and excited, and very nearly normal, the next he could be angry and sad. He's what my father would call a 'Passionate person' she thought wryly. But my father is dead! Christine narrowed her eyes. Well, one is, on isn't, I suppose.
Meanwhile, Erik had stood up from the bed and began to rock back and forth on his heels, gazing out the window beside Christine. "It's a very strange feeling," he said, startling her from her thoughts.
"What is?" she asked absently. The room suddenly seemed very dark.
"Having all of you soul. It's like I have suddenly changed into a different person, and I can't change back."
Christine gazed up at Erik, a look of surprise on her face. "So your theory was right then! Well, uh… Congratulations."
He blinked, and both returned to staring out the window.
Erik gazed wonderingly out at the rain blurred skyline of Paris, 1863. He tentatively reached out and covered Christine's slender had in his.
Erik stared wistfully at that small hand for a long time. A burning feeling was growing in his throat.
"Christine- Do you-"
"Hmm?" she said sleepily.
"Love me?" He added silently, desperately, then turned on his heel and left the room.