What has become of me? Torn by the one I had believed I could trust only to be betrayed. My darkened eyes pierced past the candles that illuminated the surroundings of my world of night. My kingdom of music.
"Perhaps I do deserve to die. It will be more than I deserve, to be beaten or hung by this mob of people who comes for me now." I murmured to myself, an insane look in my eyes as a smirk slowly tugged its way on to his deformed face. The shattered mirrors could still show of what I had become. I took a few steps forward almost to meet them myself, an invitation for that dark sleep in which I knew I would descend into hell. But then I stopped.
I had lost everything, was there even a will to live anymore? Not that I could think of, still something was drawing me back to the darkened passageway in which I could escape. To flee back down the catacombs, to run from the mob, to live! I looked to the lake as the noise grew louder, someone was leading them here. Now. Now I felt even more betrayed. Madame Giry, Daroga, Christine. Have you had your fun? Have you all found this to be a cruel form of entertainment? Are you seething beneath your skin that I am still alive? All these years of helping me, had you finally given up on me?
With a swift turn on my heel I turned back to that tunnel, the glass of the mirrors crunching underneath my feet as I finally stepped into the dark stoned freedom path. The stale air met me almost immediately, and a hand went to my chest as the other pushed the red curtain to seal me back into darkness.
Darkness. I had always thrived there and now I had returned to seek its comforting shade once again. To hide me from those who wish to harm me, and to hide from myself. Running, I fled from the entrance that would lead me back into my home and the mob who would kill me. As the catacombs absorbed me my thoughts came back to what had happened. Above me I knew the building I had built, which had protected me through all the years was burning. Did I love that building more than Christine? Apparently not, for it was by my own blindness and folly that it was slowly charring above me.
My mind thought up the twisted images of the building slowly being licked by the flames, and the people who might be dead or slowly burning with it. Even the most cruel and insane mind such as my own felt a twinge of remorse before it was gone. They were the ones who shunned me; perhaps they deserved death as well. Then again, my hand went back to my chest, perhaps we all deserved death. A cold feeling that would cover the body, and consume all the feelings of hurt, love, everything. Would it really be so awful as everyone would think? I doubt it not. But the way I died would be painful, you could just feel it.
With a heavy sigh I continued my descent into darkness, you always had to sink lower before you could go any higher. My eyes were used to that darkness, but my free hand trailed along the wall incase I should loose my path. I knew I was always given poor health, but the air in this passage was doing no good for my lungs. They were aching as much as my heart between them. Raoul, that bastard of a vicomnte. You know nothing on how fragile Christine is, she needs not a boy, nor a petty summer love. You know, no matter how far you run, Christine will always remember me. I have scarred her heart, but she has shattered mine; that guilt will live with her. No counseling can get her through that. Who knows, perhaps Christine will come back and see the ruins of my home, after everyone presumes me dead.
At last the end of the tunnel comes into view as I continue to muse over such matters. I can hear the noise and shouts of people; even where I come out the chaos will still be there. Hopefully I will be able to slip away unnoticed; I have thus far so it should not be hard. Carefully I push my way out of the tunnel, even where I am, by the river Seine I can hear it. The roar of flames, the rush of cars as the men who battle the fire desperately try to put it out.
I look up as another noise adds to the music of chaos; a storm is coming, which makes another smirk on my face grows. A welcome relief to my already clouded mind, that the rain water might be able to save at least the foundation of that once marvelous building. Sure enough as I make it off the rocky path and seal the entrance once more the downpour begins. Ironic, actually to the storm in my mind, and the savage wreckage to my heart as a tempest tossed boat abandoned by the almighty one above to the rocks on shore.
The rain begins to fall heavily, and I hunch over against the bone chilling rain. I do not even have my black cape or even a mask. I have left everything to save my pitiful life. Everything behind . . . which made my thoughts turn to my Siamese cat, perhaps Ayesha was the only one who cared for me. Now what was her fate, she could have made it out, she was a wise cat after all.
With all these thoughts that obscured my mind as I walked on the muddy road, I never realized I had no place to go. I had no plan, like I had said. I left everything.
This made me unaware of my surroundings, in the gloom of the dark and wet night, I could hear the yells of people about the action spiraling not too far behind me, probably a mile or so. I turned my head to look, I could see the smoke, the black smoke spiraling up to the heavens. I had polluted the heavens and destroyed my work all in one night. More rush and noises met my ears. Probably from the carriages and horses rushing to help. I never would have expected that what I heard was happening behind me, and that when I turned it happened.
It hit me. It hit me hard.