Hey, wow look, another chapter!
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I had been dreaming of the kiss from last night when I suddenly awoke.
I rolled over, squinting against the gray sunlight that was shining dimly through the windows. There was a figure rising up from the bed next to me… it was Christine.
'Oh God… she just had to pick today to go to the stupid grave yard…' I thought, thoroughly annoyed in my groggy state.
As Christine swept the room with her eyes, making sure everyone was asleep; I put my acting skills to the test, and lay there as if I were in a deep sleep like the other girls.
I could feel rather than see her move to the door, and I peeked through my partially open eyelids just in time to see her shut the door behind her.
Her footsteps paused as she stood in front of Raoul, checking that he was still fast asleep, and then they continued down the stairs and to the stables.
I leapt carefully out of bed and flew to the window. I could see Christine hand the stable master some money, and grab a cloak… but… who, or what, was that black…
'Oh God no!' I thought, realizing that that black THING was really Erik… who was planning to do the whole 'I am your Angel of Music…' bit.
I leapt off the bed, yanked on some clothes, and hurried out the door right as Erik thwacked the Stable man.
"Raoul! Raoul! Wake up!" I said urgently, shaking his shoulder.
He woke abruptly, and his hand reached for his sword before he registered who was waking him.
"Fleur… what…?"
"Christine! She's gone!" I cried as I pulled him down the stairs after me.
We emerged into the stables as the Stable man was stumbling to his feet.
Raoul rushed to him, shaking his shoulders.
"Where have they gone!" he demanded.
The man rubbed his head before saying drunkenly "The cemetery…"
Raoul pushed him off to the side, and I caught him and righted him before he hit the ground.
'Oh how nice…' I thought as I leaned him against the wall, trying not to breathe in the strong odor of horse dung about him.
"Raoul! Wait!" I cried as he leapt on a horse.
"Do you know how to ride?" he asked, looking back at me.
"Of course! Wait for a moment…" I said as I ran over to a stall where a horse was already saddled.
I lead him out, and carefully, as so my skirts didn't ride up, mounted him.
True I wasn't overly font of the beasts, and I really didn't like riding, I had learned when I went to summer camp one year back home, and was a fair rider.
Without a word he spurred his horse and took off in full gallop after the carriage.
I bit my lip, a little hesitant about galloping (I hadn't done this since I was ten, so three years ago) but dug my heels hard into the horse's side, and rode after Raoul.
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The ride was bouncy, and more than once we splashed through puddles of mud, soiling the hem of my dress.
I looked over to Raoul, and for a moment I wondered why I was doing this… but I pushed that thought from my head, remembering from the Musical and Movie that the graveyard bit was the big turning point in the plot, because then Erik gets mad at Christine, and Raoul suggests that we perform Don Juan… ect…ect…
We came to the graveyard entrance, but ignored the signs that requested no carriages or animals inside the gate, and occasionally vaulted a headstone as we plowed along at breakneck speed to where Gustave Daae's tomb was.
We rounded another corner, and we saw a figure swathed in black, approaching a large Tomb that was inscribed 'DAAE.'
"Christine! Wait!" I shouted, totally stealing Raoul's line.
She didn't turn, or make any notion that she had heard me yell.
"Wait!" I cried, this time in unison with Raoul, only his was more of a command.
He leapt off his horse, not even bothering to draw rein, and ran to Christine, unsheathing his sword.
I yanked back viciously on my reins, and swung down, trying to keep my skirts from flapping up.
"Raoul, Fleur!" Christine said, now turning to face us in complete bewilderment.
"This man…this thing is not your father!" Raoul said, advancing to the tomb.
Christine gasped, and Erik leapt off the roof of the tomb, catching us all by surprise.
I gasped too, at the surprise of actually seeing Erik actually, truly, pissed.
I scurried up the steps next to Christine, and pulled her back, away from the now fighting duo.
Raoul backed up to the wall, gave Erik a little shove, jumped on the wall, hopped off, and leapt back up from where he rolled to on the ground.
Christine and I watched, open mouthed in horror, and moved to where we could see what was going on.
Even though I knew every move that Erik was going to pull, like last night, I was still terrified.
Raoul had backed up, trying to fend off Erik, and backed into a log. He fell backwards, and Erik brought down his sword hard.
Christine's nails dug into the skin on my hand as there was the sound of metal on wood. She was looking like she was going to faint, but I knew she wouldn't… thank goodness.
Erik and Raoul had gotten their swords caught on an iron fence, and for a moment they both looked down at their swords, then each other, before Erik slammed his shoulder into Raoul's.
Erik struck a metal pole a few times, and hid behind a concrete tomb. Raoul backed up, unsure of where he had gone, but figured it out in a moment when Erik came from around the side.
They were now coming back towards where Christine and I were looking on in fear, when Erik gave his cloak a nice twirl. It caught Raoul off guard, and there was the sound of metal meeting flesh.
I tore my eyes from Raoul, who had fallen onto the tomb at our feet and was bleeding like a stuck pig, to look at Christine. She was now even paler than before, and her eyes were even wider with shock.
I looked back to Raoul, and saw that he had gotten back up, and was fighting even more vicious than before.
Raoul backed Erik away from us, and their swords clashed in the air. Raoul forced Erik's sword down to the ground, and kicked it away from him.
With a shout of rage, Raoul lifted his sword above Erik's chest, about to kill him.
I gasped, but Christine cried out, startling Raoul.
"No Raoul!" He turned to face Christine. "No… not like this…"
Raoul turned back to Erik, and for a moment looked like he was going to kill him anyway, but he stepped down.
Raoul put away his sword, and pulled Christine onto his horse, ignoring me.
They trotted away, Erik giving Raoul the foulest look I had ever seen as he stood up.
I was in shock.
Not only had I just witnessed a real live sword fight where someone could have died, Raoul had just left me here with a psycho.
I backed away from where Erik was, and looked for my horse who was inconveniently nowhere to be found.
Erik had turned his back on the two leaving via horseback, and muttered just loud enough to where I could hear, "Now, let it be war upon you both!"
I backed up even further, now at the wall where the fight had begun.
I franticly prayed that he wouldn't see me, but I knew that by the way he froze when he looked in my direction that he saw me.
His face blackened in rage, and it distorted, not unlike the look he had when he was fighting.
Erik started toward me, and I turned to flee, but found myself against a tomb, wall and a huge hedge.
He was coming closer, and I looked desperately around me for a way out. I would either have to jump the tomb that was a foot taller than me, or beat my way through the hedge of doom, or scale the twelve foot high wall, or, worst of all, face Erik.
I glanced over at the freakishly large hedge, and noticed all of the pokey little sticks just waiting to prick my bare arms (I had very wisely selected a dress with no sleeves. Chalk up a point for extra brilliance.)
I took a deep breath, and shoved my arms out in front of me as I attempted to get through the hedge. The stupid plant that was most likely dead not only had sharp sticks, but thorns as well.
"Aw bloody son of a OW!" I finished out the sentence with a shriek as the retarded plant drew blood.
I turned my head to see where Erik was, and noticed that he was now at a run.
Panic flooded me, making the pain on my skin dim, and made me push harder.
CRACK!
The branches all snapped, and I fell through the hedge, landing hard on the outside of the cemetery.
I scrambled back up, and took off running, desperate to get away.
Erik was right behind me, I could hear his pounding footsteps get closer and closer behind me, but I didn't turn; if I turned I would trip and fall, and he would kill me… no, I had to keep running. But I had to look! I had to see if I had at least some time, I had to see if he was close enough to touch!
I turned my head ever so slightly, and saw he was pretty danged close. I panicked, and ran harder. I turned my head back just in time to see that I was falling over a log.
I let out a cry of despair as I hit the ground hard, banging up my elbow.
But I didn't have time to recover; I had to keep going, no matter what… I bounced back up, hardly noticing that I was bleeding a little, and kept running. I had a pain in my side but it didn't matter, I had to keep going…
I squinted to see in front of me, to make sure I wasn't going to trip, and looked back. He was right at my heels.
He saw me looking at decided that enough was enough. He dove at me.
"NO!" I yelled as he tackled me.
I fell on my right arm, and it felt as though a knife went through it.
Looking down, I noticed a knife of some sorts had in fact gone through my arm.
Erik had brought out his sword, and I supposed had made a jab for my heart, but instead got my forearm.
I let out a cross between a shriek and a cry of rage.
"You… led him… here…" Erik said, looking demented.
"Let me go!" I screamed as he twisted my stabbed arm back.
"No! For too long you've stayed silent, keeping Her away, but now… now you get what you deserve!"
I screeched louder as he twisted harder, bringing the other arm up.
He had me down in a type of wrestling position, him with a knee on my back, keeping me down, and holding my arms behind my back, prisoner style, but twisted upward so that my shoulders and elbows felt like they were going to detach themselves.
"Let me go, you sick freak!" I caterwauled, trying to get free.
"No. This is what you deserve."
I opened my mouth to scream again when I heard hoof beats.
Erik suddenly released his tight grip and left me lying on the cold, snowy ground.
My muscles relaxed, and my head dropped to the ground, the snow wetting my hair.
"Fleur! Fleur!" I heard someone call from above me.
I was too exhausted to even raise my head to acknowledge the fact that Meg and several others were dismounting around me.
"Oh Fleur, oh, are you alright? Why didn't you wake the girls? We could have gone with you!" Meg said, pulling me to her in a tight embrace. When I didn't return the hug, she peered down at my face, then noticed I was bleeding all over her and suddenly exclaimed "Fredrikk! Richard! Help! She's bleeding!"
I was carried to a horse, and was mounted in front of either Richard or Fredrikk, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that I was in pain, I was cold, and every time I moved I felt like dying.
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Wow, I think Erik's finally snapped; what about you?
Please review!
