Christine dans Deux

An Alternate Multiverse - A Phantom of the Opera Story

Nyasia A. Maire

© 2006

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One
Chapter Thirty-Two – What Just Happened?

The chatelaine opens the door and smiles until she sees I am not alone.

"She has been asking for you."

The poor woman places a slight emphasis on the word, you, but I ignore it and I lead Christine into the room.

The woman reclining on the bed is flushed and frowning. Her arms drawn tightly across her chest, she stares intently at my Christine. Her brown eyes seem a burning crimson red full of barely contained emotion.

The room is eerily quiet and leaves me feeling unnerved, so I decide to end the silence.

"Christine?" I begin and take a tentative step towards the bed.

"Hush, Erik." Says my beloved. She smiles at me gently and lays a finger to my lips. There is no reproach in her voice or manner. She lightly removes my arm from her waist. She gives my hand a squeeze then releases it.

She calmly bestows a serene smile upon the woman before her as she moves with a haunted grace to the bedside. My beloved's eyes lose focus and become an opaque jade green. An unnatural grace replaces her easy-going manner and she moves as if in a trance. The very air of the room becomes alive with quiet pops and hisses of electricity. The hairs on my head and arms respond to the static charge of the room by standing. The nervous chatelaine attempts to smooth the bedcovers. I act as silent witness to the miniature lightning bolt that shocks her hand as she touches the blanket. The woman shrieks, runs from the room slamming the door behind her.

I withdraw to the far side of the room in front of the tall windows and take a seat in one of the two armchairs. I cannot begin to guess what is about to happen here, but something is. My main concern is not to interfere by being in the way.

My beloved speaks quietly with a voice wonderfully rich and fully round, a man's baritone issues from her lips, "Christine! Your namesake stands before you. Take assurance from her joyous love that all hope for you is not lost. You have more than earned your love. Rest assured that love is yours as well. Let go of your anger, your jealousy, your hate, your fear. You need not the protection of those things any longer. Be at peace in your heart. Love shall protect you. The time soon approaches. Your great love shall find you. You shall know that love. Christine! You have learned well. No longer are you blind to love. Love shall not pass you again!"

My dear heart places her hand over Christine's clenched right fist and strokes it lovingly. The fist opens, the fingers relax and Christine raises her hand her palm facing my Christine. My Christine raises her left hand. The two hands irresistibly draw together. As the palms touch, a brilliant white light erupts and surrounds the two women. The light forms a sparkling orb about the two, outside the orb the room bathed in a golden light. I sit completely bathed in this golden light feeling it sweep through me with wave after wave of peace and happiness. My Christine smiles. After a moment's hesitation, Christine smiles. However, her smile is forced and unnatural as she resists the light.

"Am I loved? By whom?" She spits her venomous questions into my beloved's face. The hissing words reverberate about the silent room attacking the brilliant orb surrounding the women. The orb succumbs to the assault and abandons the women too soon. The weaker golden light rushes to fill the void left by the orb. The golden light bathes the two women with its gentle peacefulness. Rage fills Christine's face distorting it. As I watch, I reconsider. Perhaps, it is something else altogether. Perhaps, it is fear. Yes, fear. Not rage. I watch the golden light wash the fear from her, restoring her familiar face.

And, yet her questions require answers.

The questions go unanswered.

My beloved staggers as Christine bows her head and her shoulders heave. My Christine seems to awake, her eyes blink rapidly as they return to their usual hazel with golden-brown ring. She sees her hand pressed to Christine's hand. She sees the other woman's distress and without hesitation, sits on the edge of the bed and pulls Christine into a warm embrace. My dear heart holds the distraught woman in her arms as if she were a child in need of comfort, rocking her and crooning softly into her ear. At last, Christine begins to weep. My Christine strokes Christine's hair and rubs her shoulder and back to comfort her.

That is when I witness something amazing. My beloved strokes Christine's head and each time she lifts her hands from Christine's body, she draws tendrils of black fog from her. I watch in horror as the blackness swirls about my Christine's arms and then enters her body. I watch as the woman I am to marry lovingly draws the pain of years of abuse and neglect from Christine. I watch the pain mark my beloved's face. Her face becomes a horrific, haggard, unrecognizable mask. At last her hands draw no more blackness from Christine. She releases the woman and stands. She inhales deeply, throws her head back and begins to exhale. She slowly expels the blackness from her body, releasing it into the golden light where it dissolves into nothingness. She sighs at last and I am relieved to see the beautiful features of her face restored, but she appears so very tired.

Christine's weeping has subsided into gently hiccupping sobs. The golden light swirls for a moment longer then winks out. The electrical charge leaves the room and the hair on my arms and head droops. Suddenly, the world seems a dull place after the miracle we just witnessed. I walk to the two women and place a hand on my beloved's shoulder.

Using the quiet talk, I ask, "Are you alright?"

She turns to me. I see a smile in her eyes and she gives me a slight nod.

"Christine? Christine? Awake, child. Come into the light. The darkness has left your soul. You belong to the light once more. Awake!" My Christine's voice is gentle yet there is an underlying power and command that is irresistible.

The woman who was once Christine Daae releases her hold on my lady and sits up. She gazes about the room as if for the first time. She smiles briefly at me. At last her eyes meet those of my lady's. They give each other a nod and then begin to smile. The smiles grow, becoming giggles, which grow to chuckling and finally erupt into gales of unrestrained laughter. It is a joyous sound. I find I cannot resist it and soon I have joined them in laughter. Suddenly, the baby begins to cry. We stop and look at one another only to have the laughter begin again. I laugh as I walk to the layette to retrieve the child. I still laugh as I place the tiny bundle into his mother's arms.

"The babe is not wet, so he most likely is hungry." I tell her and turn my head away.

After a moment I hear him hungrily suckling at his mother's breast.

I hear in my mind, "Would you like a son or a daughter someday?"

I must have given a start for my lady laughs again.

"I do believe I said someday, my dearest."

"Perhaps, someday."

"Perhaps."

She stands and watches Christine holding her child at her breast. She sighs.

"I don't suppose baby bottles have been invented yet."

I begin to ask, "What is …?"

"Never mind." Turning to me, she smiles.

I hold my arms out to her. She tilts her head and raises an eyebrow.

Aloud, she says, "You require my presence, sir?"

"Always, my love." I reply.

She walks to me and accepts my embrace.

"Are we too late for lunch? I am absolutely famished!" She inquires after snuggling in my arms for a moment.

"Let me see." I turn to the clock sitting on the mantle. "No, plenty of time. It is 1:15. Lunch begins promptly at 1:30. May I escort you to the table?"

"Just a moment." She turns to Christine. "Are you alright?"

"I have not felt this well since my days at the opera. I am so sorry I was rude to you. I was just so angry with you and, I will admit, jealous. Yes, jealous of you for having Erik. I am truly sorry for that. And yet, although I was horrible to you, you took away my pain." She directs this next at Erik. "You are right, Erik. She is very special and I am glad you found one another. Do I feel well? I feel as if I were a girl of sixteen again and could dance all night!"

She gives a chuckle then continues, "Erik, I know I told you on the train that I believe, but those were just words being spoken by my mouth. I can now answer with my heart. I believe."

"Madame, my heart is glad for you. Would you like us to ask the kitchen to send something here for you to eat?"

"No, I think will take a nap after Erik finishes rooting around here."

"Splendid idea. Well, then we will take our leave of you for now. We will look in on the two of you later this afternoon."

"Yes, Christine, I look forward to the two of us having a little chat."

She gives my lady a glorious smile then shoos us out of the room.

We stroll leisurely to the foyer. I release Christine and as she looks at me in confusion, I perform a courtly bow.

"May I have the honor of escorting you to dinner, my lady?"

She curtsies and replies, "Why, sir, I would be most honored."

I offer her my arm and she takes it.

"Lead the way, my love."

As we walk along the halls of my father's home, I turn to my beloved.

"I was going to ask you later, but I simply cannot wait another moment. Christine, what just happened in there?"