Blood streamed from my bare feet and the pain was almost choking me, but I kept running. There was no escaping, but I couldn't stop trying. The monster behind me gained on me, footsteps silent, but his breathing was ragged and harsh. God, it was almost in my ear, he was so close. The walls twisted into darkness and I ran on pure instinct, trying to remember the path through my panic, but fate only took me so far. My foot fell into the air, and my body weight catapulted me forward, down the stairs, crunching bones and bruising skin. The tears mingled with blood on my face and I heard the smooth chuckle above me as I tried to scramble away. His footsteps tapped down the stairs, mockingly slow. Finally, a heavy foot stamped down on my skirts, trapping me.

"You're mine, Christine." A torch flared into life above me, illuminating Erik's triumphant, demonic face. "You're finally mine."

Then I screamed.

""""

Erik's cold hands were wiping the tears from my face and I opened my eyes to the warm glow of our shabby bedroom. We'd been here for only a few days, but it had started to feel like home. "Christine, love, what is it?"

I jerked away from him and scooted to the edge of the bed where I sat up and put my head in my hands. The bed shifted as he came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Erik, please," I whispered. "Please, don't touch me now."

His hands slid away and I heard the hurt in his voice as he said, "What have I done?"

For some reason, annoyance flared up in me, burning away the last of my fear. "Nothing," I said.

"Something is bothering you. What did you dream?"

I rubbed my face with my palms and stood. "Nothing. I'm going downstairs for a bit." Before he could reply, I gathered a robe around me and almost jogged out of the room, eager to be alone. I knew that he was hurt and confused, but I couldn't look at him. I sat in my favorite worn green armchair in the tiny sitting room and thought about my dream. I wasn't afraid of Erik, was I? No, that couldn't be right. I loved him, and he loved me. We were everything to each other. We'd scarcely been out of each other's arms since we'd arrived here, making love and talking, dreaming about the future. Tonight, though, my mind took me back to those days of Don Juan, when thoughts of the Phantom of the Opera filled me with dread. When I heard Erik's footsteps on the stairs, it only served to remind me of the dream again.

"Christine, you have me worried. Don't leave me alone this way," he said from the stairway.

My back was to him and I left it that way. "I'm just here. I'd like to be alone, only for a while."

For a long time it was silent, and I thought he'd ghosted up the stairs, until I heard a heavy huff of air from his lips. "I've been alone for too long. Far too long. I won't bear it again, not even for a moment. You swore you loved me Christine."

"I do love you-"

"Then why are you acting this way?" He almost shouted it.

I finally rose from the chair and faced him, though I kept the chair between us. His mask was firmly in place and every inch of him spoke of his anger. "I know that you're lonely! I know that you're afraid and that you love me and don't want to lose me. I know all of this Erik, and I love you for it. I also know that you've done terrible things to keep me. I love you, and I'm staying with you, but I suppose I'm realizing that I'm also still afraid of you. So please, for a very little while, leave me alone."

"Afraid? How can you be afraid? I would never hurt you, Christine, never!"

"I know that you would never hurt me."

"Then tell me what's wrong!"

"I'm afraid that I've left one prison for another!" The second the words left my mouth, I knew I'd made a mistake. My hand flew to my lips and I watched Erik's face drain of any color it had left. "Erik, I didn't-"

"I'll leave you." He turned his back and glided silently up the stairs. I was frozen for a moment, but then sense returned and I sprinted up the stairs after him. I threw open the door, but realized immediately that he was gone, the open window the only indication that he'd been there at all.

I know this is a short little filler chapter, but I just wanted you to know I'm still here! There's a bit of trouble in paradise for these two, and I got me inspired to return to this story. Thank you everyone who's sticking with me!