8. What Raging Fire Shall Flood The Soul?

It had been a month since Erik and Meg had been captured. They were transferred to Raoul and Christine's home where they had been locked in the cellars, which was like a prison cell on its own. Meg was getting weaker by the day and Erik knew that Meg not eating would not be helping with the baby either. She had gotten bigger over the last month. Erik couldn't wait until she gave birth but knew that he would just have to hope to be out before that time came. Suddenly the door was opened and one of the guards from the previous prison had come in. He unrolled a scroll and held it up. He read:

"Meg Giry, with permission from the Vicomte and Vicomtess de Chagny, you are free to leave and return home," he read. Meg sighed a sigh of relief.

"Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, with permission of the Police Force and the Vicomte and Vicomtess de Chagny, you are sentenced to burn at the stake in the middle of Paris until you are dead," he said. At this, Meg broke down into tears and threw herself on Erik. He was too shocked to respond. The guard left and suddenly Christine walked in. Meg flew at her.

"You wench! How could you let them do this to him?" she said, slapping her full force across the face. Christine repelled back, shocked as Meg hit her.

"He is innocent," Meg cried at her then fell into a heap at Christine's feet. Erik was sitting against the wall of the cellar, still not able to take in what the guard had said.

"Can't you let us both go?" Meg sobbed. Christine was about to answer when two guards came in. One grabbed Meg, ready to take her back to the Opera and one grabbed Erik and chained him to the wall. Christine walked up to him as he was chained. Right in front of Meg, she got up on her tiptoes and went to kiss Erik but repelled back when Erik spat in her eyes. She wiped his saliva out of her eye and slapped him fully across the cheek. He just sneered and turned away from her. Christine signalled to the guard to take Meg away.

"No MEG!" Erik shouted as she was dragged away. Christine turned to Erik. She opened her mouth to say something to him but no sound emerged. She broke down into tears and fled from the room.

xxxxxx

Meg was taken back to the Opera Populaire. She ran inside as fast as her legs would carry her. She turned the corner to go to the Opera dorms when her mother emerged. Meg threw herself at her mother.

"Meg, you silly girl! Where have you been?" Madam Giry asked.

"Mother, Erik is going to be burned at the stake by Raoul and Christine. We have to do something," she said. She broke down into tears in her mothers arms. Madam Giry stroked Meg's hair. Suddenly Meg began to cough and she began to feel weak. Her mother noticed this.

"Come Meg, you'll catch your death and the baby won't be healthy," she said leading her to the ballet dormitories. She changed Meg into a nightdress and put her to bed.

"Meg, where is Erik?" Madam Giry asked.

"He is being transferred back to the prison today. We were in the de Chagny cellar for about a month," she managed to say before she fell asleep. Madam Giry watched her daughter for a while. Then she went to get one of the ballet dancers, Madeline, and asked her to stay with Meg. She nodded willingly and Madam Giry gathered her cloak and headed to the prison to visit her son-in-law.

xxxxxx

Erik was asleep in the prison cell. He was jerked awake when one of the guards shouted his name. Suddenly he saw a figure of a woman at the bars of the cell. He moved closer and noticed it as Madam Giry. He crawled right over to the bars and took her hand. He kissed her knuckles.

"Thank God you are here. You have to get me out of here," he said to her. She looked around.

"Meg is sick. The baby might not be fully healthy when she gives birth if she doesn't keep in the conditions she is in just now," Madam Giry said. Erik was terrified something would happen to Meg.

"She won't die, will she?" Erik asked, tears threatening to fall. "I am getting executed tomorrow. I want to see my darling." Madam Giry shed a tear which Erik wiped away with a thumb.

"Don't cry on my behalf Antoinette. When I pass on, you must keep Meg safe. Please promise me you will," he asked of her, hands trembling as he cupped her cheeks to look at him. "You have always been my best friend, please promise me."

"But Erik …"

"No 'buts' Antoinette. Promise me," he demanded. She looked down at the floor then back into his eyes before mouthing "I promise." He smiled.

"Thank you," he said.

"Madam, your time is up," came the guard's voice. Madam Giry kissed his cheek through the bars and put her hood back over her head and left, Erik watching her as she walked away.

"Goodbye Antoinette," he whispered before resting himself in the corner of the prison cell again, awaiting his fate of the following day.

I'm sorry this chapter is not longer but I am going to make up for it in Chapter 9. Next Chapter: Erik's execution! What will happen! Please Read and Review! Love you all x x x x x