Madamefluff: Sorry, I'm kinda new at FFN, so the breaking of the paragraphs is a bit new to me. But I will try to do that! And I'll definately be looking for your story when I get a chance!
Goldenpuppies at heart and AngeMusique: Welcome!
...The police
were already there - already through the passages and in the lair.
And Erik was no where to be found.
"Did I do something wrong?
What did I do? Please forgive me!" Meg said passionately as they
came in, she seeing Christine's look of pitiful despair. But
Christine had more important things to do than to console friends -
she took a deep breath, then raced down the passageways.
But she
stopped short when she came upon the bank of the lair. They were
everywhere, looking more like a colony of hungry ants than police
officers. There was upturned bookshelves, the books that had remained
before now scattered along the stone floor. Candles were knocked
over, papers littering the floor. They were ruining the lair!
"Madame, I'll have to ask you to leave. This...place is
undergoing a search." An officer said, spotting her.
"But
monsieur, you must stop wrecking it! Please, the man you search for
has not known this, his old home, for over four years. I look after
here now - I use it. Those books, those papers...they're all I have
left of him. Please, do not hurt them!" Christine heart felt
begged.
"Madame..."
"Please! Can you not see that he
isn't here? If you must continue to search, please be careful. To
many, the 'Phantom' was nothing more than a nusience. But he was
my teacher, my one understanding friend. In my heart, I fear he is
dead. So you see, this is all I have left. Please..."
"Very
well, Madame." The kind hearted officer answered.
Christine
stood back and watched, feeling horribly nervous. She could sense
him...yes, he was here, somewhere. Her eyes, adjusting to the
darkness, scanned the crevices of the lair. Suddenly, she saw a
glimpse of white and a flash of black. He was near his desk where all
the clutter of discarded things were! But luckily, no one else
noticed, and finally, the officers gave up.
"We'll be going
back up, Ma'am. Shall I help lead the way for you?" The man she
had spoken to before asked. But Christine shook her head.
"I'd
like to straighten up the mess everyone made, if you don't mind.
I'll be up shortly."
A look of suspicion came to the officer's
eyes, but with a flash of a sweet, innocent smile on her part, the
policeman went to ground with the rest of his crew. Christine ran
over to the desk as soon as they were surely gone to find Erik. Sure
enough, he was there, crouching down.
"Erik, you
must get out of here! They're everywhere! Don't think they wont
come back; they will, surely they will. You must go!"
Erik only
nodded, then motioned for her to be silent. Grabbing her wrist, he
lifted a velvet curtain and plunged the both of them into darkness.
Christine dared not scream, but everything inside her was. It was completely black - nothing could be seen. Yet round bends and up small hills they ran. If Christine did not trust this man she had for so long called her angel, never would she have made it this far. It didn't help that her mind kept shouting how afraid she was of the dark, either. But with her hand clasped tightly with his, being so close to him that his cape kept tangling in her legs, somehow she was managing. She would not turn back, not now - not after everything that had happened before. She'd put away her fears for now until this was over, and then feast on them later.
Finally,
Erik stopped. "Slowly now." He whispered into her ear. "Bend
down a bit as well. Yes, there you go. Keep up with me, not too far
now."
It wasn't long until Christine realized why she was
bending. Although her face was only about three feet from the rocky
ground, she could still feel the sharp, jagged ceiling scrape against
her back every now and then as they walked upwards. Until finally,
the jagged ceiling turned into smooth wood, and small beams of light
poured faintly down every now and then. A strong smell of smoke
drifted to her nostrils, making her cough. Erik quickly shoved a
handkerchief in her hand, which she covered her nose and mouth with.
They were under the theater now, under the stage. As she listened to
Erik curse softly under his breath, she realized that he must have
made a wrong turn somewhere. Now he quickly searched for the path
that he was supposed to be on. Christine figured he must have found
it then, because he started running once again, dragging her with.
The looming stench of smoke soon faded until it was hardly there at
all. Finally, much to her legs relief, he opened a small door and
pushed her through, him following behind. It was nearly just as dark
here, but there were tiny cracks of light that squeezed through the
ceiling. Surely that wasn't enough to light the room as it was
though...then she understood. The beams of light were reflecting off
of long, full length mirrors that surrounded the two of them.
Christine suddenly rose to her feet again and whirled around. Where
had he brought her.
"Sit,
Christine. You have no need to fear." Erik said calmly in hushed
tones. Was that a hint of amusement she heard in his voice? Surely
not in a time like this!
"What is this place?" She hoarsely
asked back, feeling frightened again.
"Sit and I will talk."
Was his only answer. She sat next to him, inches from his body.
Anyone would have suited to make her feel better at a time like this.
"Uh...would you mind sitting across from me, my dear? This
mask...it's hard to..." He fumbled, seemingly embarrassed.
"Oh,
of course." Christine, for the first time, seemed glad of the
darkness - it hid her crimson face. "Now...where are we,
Erik?"
"This, my dear, is my torture chamber."
"What!"
She said, not too loud, but enough to make him wince and shush her.
"Do not speak so loudly again. You know I would not harm you,
Christine - do you not? There is no reason to act so childishly. It's
not a torture chamber unless I make it one. This one works
differently than my other."
"You have
more?" Christine asked, forgetting her circumstance and wondering
if she really knew that man that sat across from her.
"One, but
that is beside the point. For now, it is what will keep you safe.
Remember the Masquerade and the dramatic exit I presented? I went
down a trap door, leading your beau down as well - to here. You see,
we are under the lobby of the Opera House currently. Be sure to speak
quietly always - many people stand right above you. As for the
officers, I know what you said is true - and I must escape; to flee
Paris, for good this time-"
"All your plans...to live
civilly..."
"The good Vicomte saw to it that those plans did
not come true, did he not? Those plans I foolishly made are now
officially dashed. I must leave, once again taking the murder's
pathway through life, at least for a few years. I fear this will not
simmer down for a great while. It will not be forgotten. Now listen
to me, Christine - listen carefully. There's a small door directly
behind you. There's a short pathway that you follow for about...ten
yards or so. At the end is a normal size door. At the top ledge of
the door is a key for the lock, since the door always remains so.
Unlock that, and you're in the hallway leading to the Ballet rats
dormatory and Madame Giry's housing. You know you're way from
there. It's not hard, just keep your wits about you-"
"You
want me to do that?" Christine asked, stunned.
"Yes, you must
get back to ground."
"As for you?"
"There's
another path out the door from which we came. Take a right instead of
a left, and you find yourself about a hundred yards from the Opera
House and near some stables. I'll escape using that."
"But
you said you'll never come back to Paris! We'll be separated
forever! No, Erik, I can't do that.
Living without you for four
years passed by like a thousand eternities! Do not condemn me to that
life a misery once again! Let me go with you! I'll do anything you
say, I promise. Please, Erik-"
"I will hear no such nonsense,
Christine Daae! Do not make me lose my temper. What I am about to do
is not pleasant - I'll be living the life of a criminal of the
worse sort. I'll be tracked for the rest of my days. Never would I
allow an innocent child to accompany me. What good would by judgement
be then? How much of a genius would I be then?" He flared. But
Christine could tell that it was not her he was furious at; nor at
the person who had inflicted this upon him. He was angry that she had
laid the great temptation in front of him - and on any other
circumstance, he would have seized it with out a thought, but now his
greater judgement, his conscious not many knew he had, would torture
him if he did what she begged.
"Erik, you did not see me as a
child years ago when you first asked me to marry you - to be your
wife! Four years later, considered an old maid by many, and it's
now you look upon me as a child? Let me be come with you. Do not put
upon me a fate that shall curse me for the rest of my days. Take me
with. Give me a chance to prove loyalty to you. Let me in your heart,
Erik. For so many years that's all you wanted from me, and I was
too young and foolish to give it to you. Let me make it up now. Take
me with you; don't leave me behind."
Christine could literally
see the indecision and emotions welling in his eyes. He seemed
tortured, indeed. She had said the right words to move his heart as
it had never been moved my another living person in his life.
"Promise
me, Christine - promise me." He said, gruff from emotion, "that
you'll do exactly as I say, no matter what. If I decide that it's
too dangerous along the way, that you'll go back without another
word. Promise me that you'll go along with my plans, no matter what
they are. Promise me, Christine, and I'll consider this."
But
it was too late. She could have said anything - he had already made
up his mind to bring her, this she knew. It was in the way he spoke,
the way he looked at her.
With her sweetest smile, and her
bravest look, she stared into his eyes and promised him everything he
had asked. And then, as suddenly as he had before, he grabbed her
wrist and ran out the door with her once more.
