Chapter 6: The Kingdom by the Sea

It felt as though my breath had been taken from my body. Christine's image before my eyes paralyzed me with a multitude of emotions. I would never have believed that such a thing could happen, that such a thing was possible. Yet…there she sat, looking as an absolute goddess.

She sat gracefully next to me on the grass, her ivory dress greatly contrasting the green that encircled her. The dress slightly swayed as the breeze danced over the light material, while the rays of the sun gently beamed over her many curls, making her hair seem to glow in the light. Her skin was fair as ever, almost daring anyone to touch it. Finally I set my eyes upon hers…seeing her blue pools staring back at me intently.

Was it true, or had I gone mad?

Suddenly Christine let out a small giggle, covering her pretty little mouth with her hand. "Oh, Erik!" she laughed, "You look as though you've seen a ghost! I hope I didn't startle you when I woke you."

All I could do was continue to stare, savoring every detail of her, carefully etching it them in my mind…from the daisy that resided in her hair, to the way she sat upon the grass. I was still uncertain if what I saw was born of reality or fantasy. For all I knew, she could vanish away from me at any moment, leaving me bereft of her image once more.

"Why do you continue to gape at me so, darling? Is my dress not pleasing to you?" She asked, a smile crossing her lovely face.

"Christine…are you really here, or do my eyes deceive me with visions and hallucinations?" I sputtered, finding it difficult to speak. "For if it is truly you, then please give me some sign! If not, then leave me and torment me no more!"

I had seen Christine appear so many times in my dreams in the past, that at times I could not separate them from reality. However this time was different…when she slowly brought up her hand and placed it gently upon my cheek, I felt warmth from her skin seep into mine, warmth I had never felt before. I knew that this was surely no vision. A vision can only give one a hint of what it could be, but never allows itself to be truly felt or known entirely.

"Of course I am here, my love, I have always been here…you asked me to sing to you, and so I did." Her eyes betrayed no falsehood in them, "I suppose you were rather tired, my poor dear! You fell asleep soon after I had begun. What's the matter?"

Spending several moments in a lull between awe and albeit fear of what I was witnessing, I debated with myself frantically until I finally came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong, nor anything to fear. Taking in a deep breath, tears of joy filled my eyes and I finally replied, "There is nothing the matter, my Christine…everything is…is… perfect. I was…simply just lost in my thoughts of how very much I… love you."

"I love you, too, Erik." She replied with such sincerity that I felt for those few moments that she and I were the only ones that existed. "Since the first time I laid eyes on you…they are such lovely memories I will always cherish them deep in my heart. It is silly as I was so young, but I can still feel the salty breeze on my face, and the sand between my toes. You remember surely those happy times long ago by the sea? I can see you clearly in my mind as it were yesterday, soaked through holding my red scarf triumphantly in your hand, which you bravely rescued from the mouth of the angry sea."

What was she speaking of? I had never done any such thing. Her reminiscences greatly disturbed me, as we never knew each other as children. It would have been impossible. It was only she and that boy that spent many a time by the ocean, living out every joyful moment, which was denied to me. I had lived a thousand nightmares for every happy moment that Christine had lived as a child. While she was young and innocent to the horrors of the world in which she lived around her, living instead in her fairytale land by the sea, I was bound in a cage, traveling from fair to fair being mocked by anyone who dared entered the tent of "The Devil's Child."

"What do you mean by saying it was I who rescued your scarf? You know all too well that I have never even been to the sea before," I said quite perplexed, "That boy you grew up with is the one who saved it…Raoul."

"Who is Raoul?" Retorted Christine quite seriously, "I know no one by that name."

"What do you mean you don't know anyone by that name?" Said I dumbfounded, "Raoul…The Vicomte de Chagny…the man whom you knew since childhood, the man whom you fell in love with, the man whom…whom took you away from me…"

"Erik, I have never known any man named Raoul, nor have I ever been in love with anyone other than you. There has never been any Vicomte. You have always been my most handsome and loving husband."

Always handsome…

What was happening? Why was she telling me all these lies?

"What do you mean by saying I have always been handsome and that I am your husband?" I yelled, frustration taking me over, "I have always been a monster! You of all people should remember as you saw what laid behind my mask…a thing that made grown men recoil away with disgust. Never before have I had a normal appearance until…until now," I said angrily pointing savagely at my face.

"When had I ever seen you with such a face?" Christine replied coolly, remaining calm.

"In my created Hell beneath the Paris Opera, where I hid almost my whole life in the shadows," I bellowed, "I taught you to sing with the angels while I remained in Hell. Remember the chandelier? The chandelier that fell crashing to the ground? Are you telling me that you remember nothing of our past together?" I yelled still, my mind being overwhelmed by confusion.

"Hush…" She said, placing a finger on my lips. "Erik, nothing you have told me has ever happened. None of it is reality. You simply had a nightmare when you fell asleep just now, that is all.

I still couldn't grasp the magnitude of what she was telling me, my mind refused to accept this alternate life that she was describing. Suddenly I heard a whisper of a voice in my ear…

"Yes…it was all a nightmare…do not seek more than you are willing to know."

My mind became all at once quiet, and the will to question everything ceased. I was calm…I accepted.

"Everything is alright, Erik. You just had a nightmare…" Christine said again with her bell like voice, "We met by the sea as children long ago. We were raised together, your parents and mine being great friends. You showed great talent in music and had the promise of a successful career. You did teach me to sing, but not in an opera house incased in darkness. You asked for my hand last autumn, and we were married."

Remember…

As though struck by a bolt of lightning, thousands of memories rushed into my mind like a waterfall! It was overwhelming. I saw scene after scene of a new life…the life I had wanted. Christine and I were playing as children…I was sitting in front of an audience showing my skill on the violin…my mother and father were showing me love and tenderness…my mother giving me a kiss on a perfect the cheek…Christine and I taking our vows… The rush of memories then stopped as suddenly as they had come. I felt as though I now had two lives, for my mind still contained every bit of my old memories as well as the new ones.

"Yes, I do remember!" I exclaimed. But I remembered it all, and the dark memories and feelings of my past still remained within me. I felt now divided. What was happening to me?

"You see?" Christine replied happily. "Now, give me a kiss and then we must return inside."

Closing her eyes, she leant towards me waiting for my lips to touch hers. Ever so slowly I drew closer to her, overwhelmed with trepidation. Then, before I even realized that my eyes had closed, I felt her soft lips touch mine.

But, the still lingering memory of the last kiss we shared in the cellar of the opera house hovered over me.


A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, but once again school has taken over my life. Thanks a bunch again to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story. :-)