Christine felt a
rush of excitement; as is she was a little child again. She sat on a
large rock in the middle of the fast moving stream, little waves
licking the sides of the rock, and occasionally succeeding in
splashing her.
"You said you wanted to check your reflection,
Christine. You'll never do so there. You have to go down stream a
bit." Erik called.
"I already washed my face. I'm just
sitting here now. You ready to go so soon?"
"No, we need to
eat. But we should hurry it up, yes. You know that there's a
lovesick boy with all his money trying to get on our tail."
Christine
looked over at him, looking slightly hurt and upset. "He's not a
lovesick boy. He's married now."
"He still has the same
feelings as you do."
"As I do? Erik, what are you talking
about?"
Erik looked full on to see her. "I saw your face,
Christine, when Nadir said de Changy was funding the search. He was
not just being jovial when he said that the Vicomte puts out a lot of
money for anything that involves you. He was implying something
there."
"You think I still love him?" Christine said in
shock. "How could you? Really, Erik! After all this...after
everything I've told you...why would I put myself through this
torture if I did not love you?"
"Torture? I thought you said
you wanted to be here."
"No, I want to be with you - not here.
I'll be here because it's where you are. I've never complained,
and I never will...but know that this is not my desired place; I
would not be here if you were not."
"I trust that you wouldn't
be. That was not my point."
"No, your point is that you don't
trust me, even still!"
"Of course I trust you. Whom else would
I allow to be here with me? No one - for it is only you I can put
faith in."
"Then why do you doubt my love?"
"Because I
still saw you! The look on your face...you still have deep feelings
for him that you once said were not there."
"No Erik. I do
have feelings for Raoul. Of course I do! He's in many memories that
are shared with my father. We were very close friends. I'll always
feel something for him. What I told you was that I do not love him.
And that is also something that will always be true."
"Will it
be true when he finds us? When he shows up like a Prince Charming and
takes you into his arms to free you of the savage monster?"
"Is
that why you wont tell me where we are going? You think that they
will find us and I'll tell them of your plans? Is that why you
refuse to tell me anything?"
"I tell you everything,
Christine!"
"Really, Erik? Then where are we going?"
Erik
lowered his eyes from her as he remained silent.
"I thought so.
Perhaps that is the true reason you are always looking after me -
because deep down, you have no trust in me." She whispered as tears
spilled from her eyelashes and coursed down her face that looked in
deep pain. Wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, she stood
up on the rock and jumped to land, then walked briskly to the horse.
"You're in a hurry to - so lets go." She said stiffly.
"I
haven't given you your food yet."
"Don't bother...I'm no
longer hungry. My appetite was stolen from me." She said, not
meeting his gaze. She heard him sigh, and stole glances of him
running his fingers through his hair before completely turning her
back on him.
"It's because I love you." just his coarse
voice sent shivers up her spine.
"What?"
"You said you
think I'm always looking after you because I don't trust you.
It's not you I distrust. It's my wicked fate. Even though we came
all this way, and you found out about some of the most damaging
points of my life, you still know little about my past. Let me fill
you in now. Everyone whom I have ever loved left me. My mother, God
rest her soul. She never would kiss me, hold me. Never wanted
anything to do for me. But I loved her. She might not have known
it...I used to tell her I hated her just as much as she told me, but
I didn't. She meant everything to me in my young life. But her love
was stolen from me by a no good doctor. And then years later I
returned to her, only to find that she had died. She had been taken.
In those years, however, when I was young and she hated me, I found
love in someone else; my dog Sasha. Her name was my first word. She
played with me when my mother would abandon me. Then she was killed
when I was nine years old. Some horrid people beat her and stabbed
me. I survived, but she didn't. She was taken. Luciana...I tried
with all my willpower not to love her, yet my still foolish heart saw
her beauty and her interest in me and did so. She died at my hand,
whether Giovanni blames me or not. She was taken from me. Countless
others I wish not name can be added to the list. And now there is
you...I love you more than all the others combined. Therefore I fear
what will happen. I fear you'll be taken too. And if you
would...there wqould be no getting over you. That would be the end
for me. I'd die. I'd give myself up the moment you left; let the
Parisians torture and kill me, it wont matter. I wont feel it. With
you, everything inside me would leave. I'd be nothing more than an
empty shell; a shadow of the great man that once was. I watch you
always, protect you; so I can make sure you're still with me. Never
could I live without you. Those four years that you thought I had
left, you were wrong. Never did I forsake you. I watched every one of
your performances, even each small and silent role. I followed you as
you walked the streets from job to job. I stood guard when you slept.
I was always near you, because there was no where else I could go
that my heart would allow. Nothing has ever changed from the moment I
fell in love with you. I still need you; need you with me. Forgive me
for watching you over my shoulder and staring at you through the day.
I'm scared I'll lose you...for that is the one thing I could
never handle."
Christine looked at him through her still
falling tears, stunned. Of all the things he could have said, never
did she expect such a heartfelt one.
Erik took a deep breath,
then started to slowly walk to the horse. "Well...that was
emotionally draining. Come, we must keep going if we are to reach
where I want tonight."
Christine nodded numbly, trying to let
her mind register all she just heard.
Christine
found herself cursing Giovanni's generosity. Not only had he filled
their saddle bags, but also added another bag and attached it to the
back of the saddle, which made it even harder for the two passengers
to sit. Christine tried to remain stiff and stay as far as possible
from Erik's body, but it was near impossible to keep even a few
inches from between them. His arm that was gently but firmly around
her, urged her to relax so he could see better, but she held out as
long as possible. Finally, with her back aching and begging for her
to stop, she reclined into Erik and made it easier on them both. She
watched in silence as the sun fell slowly behind the mountains. On
other days, she would speak of all the glory in these sunsets that
they found out here, but not tonight. Erik poured his heart out to
her, but still, he had left all his plans out of it. Still, he did
not let her know where they were going, or what he was thinking.
Therefore, she wouldn't let him know what she thought either.
Yet,
just as the last part of the golden sun sunk below the majestic
mountains, she felt his face next to hers, his chin resting on her
shoulder.
"Perros." He whispered in her ear.
She looked
at him, confused. "What about Perros?"
He chuckled. "You ask
'what about Perros?' You, who has been tortured with the one
question you've been begging me to answer?"
She just shook her
head, not understanding.
"That's our 'destination' - where
we are headed."
"To Perros? Where my father's grave is?"
She asked excitedly.
"Well, not quite. We're heading to the
outskirts of the far side of Perros. Your father is buried on the
outskirts of the nearest entrance to the city. But I'm headed
towards the cemetery now. If we keep this same pace, we should reach
it tonight."
"We're really going there?" She said with
enthusiasm.
"Yes. I suppose you know what today is, do you
not?"
Christine shook her head. She had lost track by now.
"It's
the anniversary of your father's death. Every year without fail you
visit his grave."
"That cant be tonight...it's on
Thursday..."
"Today is Thursday."
Her mouth flew open,
her breathing heavy. She was going to visit her father's grave?
Impulsively, she reached up and kissed Erik's cheek, then relaxed
into his shoulder. For the rest of the way, Erik wrapped both arms
around her and held her tight as she slept peacefully, anxiously
awaiting to reach the cemetery that Erik had promised they'd reach.
"Christine,
wake up now." Erik whispered, shaking her shoulder lightly. But
Christine couldn't tell where she was or what was going on - her
eyes opened to see nothing but the heaviest fog she had even been in.
"Erik?"
"We're right outside the gates of the
cemetery. Don't worry, we're only in a dense part of this fog.
It's clearer in the grave yard. I thought the horse should stay
here...good cover."
Christine nodded. She gave him a weak smile,
then slid off the horse.
"Just walk straight. You'll see the
gates."
Christine did so, and just like he said, the gates
became visible. She opened them in a hurry, then started to run with
anticipation. Erik tied up the horse, then went to slowly catch up to
Christine. When he did, he saw her half way up the stairs that led to
the top of the Daae grave. He watched as she caressed the cement
step, tears flowing out of her shut eyes. Thinking he should let her
be for a few minutes, he started to walk back when he heard hoof
beats. Many hoof beats. Running now, he hurried to the horse. Untying
the reigns, he led the horse to the west gate, closer to where
Christine was, as he listened closely.
"Search the graveyard."
A gruff man's voice sounded.
"Why a graveyard? What would
they be doing there?"
"Hell if I know; but Vicomte de
Changy ordered that this grave yard be checked tonight. Something
about the girl's father dying on this day...however many years ago.
As if the Phantom, or whoever he is, would be so kind as to say
'perhaps we should visit your dear dead father before we go on.'
Really, someone should talk some sense into the Vicomte. None of our
chiefs will though, I assure you of that. Not when he is now paying
the bills."
Erik ran into the graveyard, then quickly picked
Christine up in his arms and ran back to the gate, just as he heard
the officers at the North entrance main gate. He felt something pull
him back, which only made him run faster. He put Christine on the
horse, grabbed the reigns, and started to walk, leading the horse
through the thick fog. A few minutes later, Erik could hear the
officers' voices again.
"There's no one here! The Vicomte
was wrong...again." One young man said.
"Are you sure?
Checked behind every stone? He was so sure about this spot...he is
expecting to have the girl home tonight. You found nothing?"
"Well,
we found this black piece of material by the side gate. But it could
have been anyone's."
"Could have been's is what will lead
us to the criminal. You should know that by now."
Erik looked at
Christine's dress, but saw nothing missing. When he looked up at
her face, he saw her terror filled red eyes staring down at
something. He followed her gaze to see the bottom of his cape was
missing a large chunk of material. Cursing under his breath, he
jumped onto the back of the horse and kicked the horse into a
gallop.After a while,
Christine managed to calm down; to stop her heart from racing. Erik
had enough to worry about; she didn't want to add herself to the
list at the moment, even though she knew she would be anyway. After a
while, she forced her eyes shut and drifted off into a deep sleep.
"Christine...we're here." Erik said softly. Christine's
dreams faded, and she instantly knew they were not moving. Yet she
was still on the horse. Opening her eyes, she saw that they had
stopped in front of a two story light blue house. It was on a poor
neighborhood, and the house looked like it had been deserted for some
time.
Christine looked up at him, not sure what he was trying to
tell her. "What's going on?"
"We're here. We're at our
first home."
"Home? We're at home? You bought us a house?"
She exclaimed in utter amazement. "You can not be serious!"
"Of
course I am serious. Nadir mailed out the letter to buy this when we
arrived at his home. This house is legally ours. Luckily, no one
knows my true name but a precious few who wont say anything. But yes,
Christine - this is where we shall live for a while, that is, if we
are fortunate."
Christine just stared at the house, her mouth
falling agape. It was run down, true - but it was a home! Their home!
Suddenly, the house was the most beautiful one she had even seen.
"Christine, please don't look like that. We may not stay
long. Only until we are forced to leave again, which may not be long.
The moment the officers get too close, this house goes back to the
landowner."
"I don't care." She whispered. None of that
mattered now - they had a home! No matter how long, that fact still
rang true to her.
"Well, would you like to go inside, or shall
we just stay right here until noon?"
Christine grinned, then
looked to the east. The sun, still below the mountains, were just
pinking the dark sky. She nodded, wanting terribly to jump off the
horse and run. But she settled herself, then readied to go in...to
her own home.
Christine looked
inside, her face full of wonder. The back door led them into the
kitchen. Small in size, but it would be beautiful with some cleaning.
The next room held the front door, along with a nice fireplace and a
rocker.
Inbetween these two rooms was a staircase. Christine
hurried up the steps, Erik following more slowly. At the top, was a
door, and two hallways on either side. She chose to open the door
first. It was a pitifully small room, only about five feet in length,
and four in width. A few holes marred the wood floors, and cobwebs
and many other insects crawled inside. There was no light in this
room either. Christine quickly shut it.
"Once a storage room, I
believe." Were Erik's first words since they came inside. She
nodded, then went down the left hallway. Two doors were on the left
side, faded paintings with cracked frames on the other. Upon opening
the first door, she found a room that was obviously a woman's. It
was furnished, everything either white or lavender.
"I had them
leave any furniture possible. These will do for now. I heard that it
was newly funished just a few months before the old residents left."
Erik commented. Christine looked around in wonder, then moved to the
next room. It was a large walk-in closet, with many shelves and
hooks. This room matched the bedroom. After seeing it all, she ran to
the other hallway, which held a bathroom for both to use, and a man's
bedroom.
"Well...that's the house. Is it to your liking at
all?" Erik asked.
"Oh yes! It's wonderful! And with a
little cleaning-"
"No cleaning. Not for a bit. We want it to
look worn down."
"Why?"
"You are my captive, not my
maid. What captive does not willing go around gladly cleaning her
prison, now does she?"
She sighed. "I suppose you're right.
How will we get food, though?"
"Giovanni supplied us with
enough food to last a few more days. After that, I'll send you into
the village. You keep your head down. I'll have to find something
you can wear over your clothes...we'll figure it all out when we
come to it."
Christine nodded wearily, her knees feeling as if
they may give out at any moment.
"Now, why don't you go get
some sleep? We both need it terribly. When you wake, we'll
eat."
She started to turn and leave when she stopped and looked
back at him. "You'll get some sleep too, wont you, Erik? You need
it much more than I do. I don't think I can sleep unless I know
that your being cared for as well."
A grin tugged at his lips.
"I shall try, my dear. You see, it's quite hard to sleep when
there's many plans going on in your head, and your first priority
is protecting a certain young lady whom is being hunted for quite
closely."
"That's sweet, but I rather you risk protecting me
for a few hours than being exhausted when you really need your
energy."
Erik nodded. "I know. I'll get sleep if you will
please leave me and do the same." He was serious about his
statement, but yet humor was in his voice. She waved him a farewell,
then headed to her new room.
