Christine dans Deux

An Alternate Multiverse – A Phantom of the Opera Story

Nyasia A. Maire

© 2006

DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One
 Chapter Seventy-Six – Words Made of Ash

"SPEAK THE WORDS, WOMAN!!! How far will you go? What sacrifice do you offer as penance for your soul? We judge him. He is blameless. We judge you. You are not blameless. Your soul bears the weight of denying true love, of the murders he committed in his madness of his unrequited love, of the sin of his suicide death and of the murder of the soul of the man you took as husband before the eyes of God.

We have sent you and the man back into the world time and time again. This is the first time that you healed his broken heart and he found true happiness and love. It is because of this that we give you this chance to make amends. You and the man, once soul mates, we bound into one, but for the penance, you are one no more. We shall not punish the man. His suffering has been long and arduous. We took from you the memories of the past. Now, we return them to you."

She trembles not one bit, but stands perfectly still as her judge speaks and the memories flood into her mind. A sad smile plays about one corner of her mouth and a single, silent tear runs down her cheek as she remembers it all. She remembers everything. Her eyes close and she hangs her head in shame at the searing memories of overwhelming pain and sorrow she caused the man. Her head lifts, she stands erect with her head tilted slightly to one side, she is beautiful, she is exquisite, she is regal and she is damned.

She once again slips to the land of long ago, a place far away. The kingdom of Nod. Her eyes roll up and back into her head, leaving only the whites of her eyes visible. She throws her head back as her arms sweep out and then lift imploringly towards the heavens. She whispers the words of her penance. The whispers swirl about her as they become alive, to breathe and to burn through her soul.

The wind joins with the whispering voice of the woman. Wind and woman unite in quiet duet. The wind strengthens the sound of the whispering woman and her whisper whipped into a howling gale.

"SPEAK THE WORDS, WOMAN! SPEAK THE WORDS NOW!"

The winds cease and the woman lowers her arms. She returns from the land of Nod. Her eyes roll back down, so her hazel-green eyes become visible once more.

She sighs and then begins to speak.

"I accept the blame. I make no excuse. I am guilty as charged, but I fear that my penance shall hurt the man, so I beg of thee a boon. Please allow the man to believe we are together. That he and I continue the life where I made him whole and happy. Please give him this! I beg you! For myself, I ask nothing. For my penance, I sacrifice myself. My sentence is to watch the man live his life, but I cannot feel his happiness, I cannot touch him. Each time he smiles, it shall be as a knife stabbing into my heart. Each time he laughs, it shall be as the lash of a whip upon my back. Each time he loves, I shall feel desire, but never release. I offer the penance of my soul in this way for all eternity, so he may have one love, one lifetime of happiness. I only hope my offer is enough."

She hangs her head and awaits her judge's decision.

"AS YE SAY IT, SO SHALL IT BE DONE!"

Again, she sighs and raising her head to the heavens, she whispers.

"Thank you."

Her judge's words hang in the air then swirl about her as a light breeze catches them and tosses them about her like autumn leaves. After a time, the words come to rest on the ground around her. The gentle breeze grows into a wind, which begins to whip around her, growing ever stronger.

She becomes lost in the swirling vortex that surrounds her, as it swallows her in a cloud of bitter ash.