The Crystal Rainbow
An Alternate Universe – Phantom of the Opera Story
Nyasia A. Maire
© 2007
DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the rights nor did I create any characters found in The Phantom of the Opera or Phantom, nor have I received monetary compensation for writing this story.
Thunder booms across the heavens
much as the thudding heart of a lover pounds within its breast.
A Fool's Book of Wisdom
Chapter Eleven – Thunder
Erik leapt from his seat and knelt before her. He roughly took each of her upper arms in his hands and pushed her back down into her seat. She struggled for a moment, but Erik refused to release her from his grip. Her eyes met his and he inwardly gasped at the fury they contained. Still, he maintained his hold on the young woman.
"Monsieur, if you do not release me, I shall be forced to scream …."
And, that was when Erik could stand it no more. He leaned forward, pressed his lips to hers and kissed her.
◊ ○ ◊ ○ ◊
Christine stared in sullen thought out the train compartment's window.
"How can this be happening? One moment, I am in a state of sheer bliss and the next, I awaken to find myself feeling utterly embarrassed by knowing that Helen witnessed Erik and I in a compromising situation. I cannot believe that Helen saw us. I cannot believe she saw the passion that Erik and I shared. Yet, she says nothing about it now. How did she find her way into our dream? And, as if Helen seeing us were not bad enough, now, Erik chooses to ignore me. He pretends nothing happened between us. How could he? How can he? What is wrong with him? Or, is something wrong with me? Am I the one with the problem? Did I misinterpret the look in his eyes? Did I alone feel the overwhelming power of the sensations caused by the touch of our skin upon skin? Perhaps, I allowed my loneliness to trick me into believing he feels something for me other than lust. He is, after all, just a man and I have seen what men do when given the opportunity. I was certain that he had feelings for me, but there he is. Just look at him! Look at the way he sits there! He looks so cocky, so pleased with himself that I just want to scream at him! I want to sink my nails into his eyes and tear the gloating expression from them. I want to slap that smirk from his lips. Argh! Men! They are so insufferable! And yet, I wish that Helen did not interrupt us. I wonder … I wish …."
She wanted to release her frustration and confusion by screaming, but knew that she could not, so she silently sat there and fumed. She sat and stared unseeingly at the rapidly passing countryside, as her disappointment fermented into annoyance, which swiftly matured into outright fury, which she directed solely upon Erik.
"He is such an arrogant prick! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!"
Further and further, her mind spiraled into an inferno of rage against the man. She became so lost in her endless loop of fuming that she failed to hear Helen's words. Nor did she notice the words, which issued from her lips in response. The old woman's departure did not make a dent in her awareness, but the man's sudden movement and subsequent touch upon her arm, did. The slight pressure of his hand upon her instantly stilled her roiling emotions and she focused upon him with a clarity she found almost frightening.
"Now he wishes to talk? Well, Erik, it is too little, too late! The time for talking is past. I have nothing to say to you anymore. In fact, I do not need to be here! I am a grown woman now. I make my own decisions, not you. Why am I still here anyway? I am not beholden to you, I am leaving!"
The world swirled before her as her mind overloaded on the sensations of the moment. She felt his hands thrusting her back into her seat. She winced as her head snapped backward and cracked against the wood paneling of the compartment's wall. The pain caused a bright flash of light, which temporarily blinded her. However, the warm press of his hands upon her arms aroused her shocked mind and prompted her to struggle briefly against his commanding hands. Realizing the futility of her actions, she ceased her struggles and allowed his hands to restrain her. The fire of her anger surged and burned so hot through her that it seemed cold. She struggled to breathe, but the heavy, frozen weight, which pressed upon her chest made it almost impossible. A small part of Christine's mind listened in horror as her mouth moved and the words she expelled fell like blocks of ice from her lips.
"Monsieur, if you do not release me, I shall be forced to scream …."
"No! No! No! It is not supposed to be this way! Oh, Erik! Why do you torture me so? Why can you not remember me?"
And, then just as the cold began seeping into the last bit of Christine's mind, Erik's mouth crashed down upon hers sending a firestorm of desire throughout her body. As the heat spread, it burned away the heaviness from her heart and she unknowingly lifted her hand to cup his unmasked cheek. As his searing kisses ravaged her mouth, the young man's passion claimed her as his own and she surrendered to her yearning to live forever in the sweetness of this moment.
"Oh, Erik! Yes! Yes! Mon Dieu! You do remember! Yes! You do!"
As those last thoughts burst from her mind, her body and soul took over to revel in the sensations burning through her. The young woman succumbed to her overwhelming need to discover more about what she could touch with her hands and with her lips. And, as she pushed aside caution, surrendering herself to the passion, thunder rumbled in the distance unnoticed by the man and woman. However, someone leaning against a wall nearby did notice it. The body lurched upright at the sound and froze. Then, with a shocked gasp, began to run.
"Oh! Fuck! No!"
◊ ○ ◊ ○ ◊
Helen unseeingly made her way down the length of the train cars. Passing from one car to the next, not noticing anything around her. Her mind focused on the task she must soon undertake. She bumped into a metal rail, which blocked her path and blinked. She stood looking at the receding train tracks and countryside.
"Hmmm …. I am fortunate for the railing or I might have walked right off the train. Well, I had best return to see if Erik and Christine are reconciled. I would not want things to get out of hand. No, that would not do at all. Not that I do not trust Erik, but …."
She chuckled and turned to walk back through the train. After moving through several cars, Helen paused in the middle of a gently rocking corridor. She rested her aching body, leaning against the wall for support. A groan almost escaped her lips and her hand began to massage the valley between her breasts.
"Merde! The gods do task me. After all my years of service and all that I sacrificed, for them almost to allow the legacy to die with me is quite disturbing and confuses me greatly. For me to finally find the girl and then know that my sands have almost made their last pass through the hourglass is … well, disheartening at best, but I must make the most of the time I have."
She sighed deeply.
"I suppose I should be grateful that the enchantment worked. Now, if I could only be certain of how much time I have and whether it will suffice."
The rumbling sound of distant thunder interrupted her reverie and she bolted upright from the wall.
"Oh! Fuck! No!"
Steeling her resolve, she forced her legs to her will and ran to the compartment. The hairs on the backs of her arms and on the top of her head tingled and lifted with static electricity with each step she took closer to the young woman. Again, Helen heard the crack of thunder, but this time it sounded much closer.
"Merde!"
Winded, she paused before the sliding door. Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession as her breath wheezed in and out of her lungs. She leaned forward slightly and rested her hands on her thighs to calm herself. After a moment, her breathing slowed, she straightened and raised her hand to knock upon the door. Thunder boomed all around her, but other than lifting her eyes heavenward, the old woman seemed to pay no heed to the sound, but she winced inwardly. Her hand fell and rapped sharply against the door. She smirked at the panic she heard in the muffled voices, which emanated through the wood panel and waited. After several moments, Erik slid open the door.
"Oui, Madame? Is there something you require?"
Helen cast an appraising look over the man before her. She took note of the fact that he stood blocking her view of Christine and that his normally pallid complexion appeared almost rosy. Helen bit her bottom lip.
"Erik, I thought that perhaps it best if I returned to the compartment. It would not do for someone to notice the two of you alone in here. It is, after all, quite inappropriate for Christine to sit with you unchaperoned. You do not wish to sully her reputation, do you?"
"Well, I believe you know my opinion on society and its priggish propriety, but I do not wish to cause Christine any undue distress, so I bow to your more level head."
He stepped aside and swept his arm across his body to wave her into the compartment.
"After you, Madame."
He cocked his head to one side, raised his one eyebrow and with his lips pressed tightly together, his mouth stretched into a heart-stopping grin.
Helen shook her head at him and rolled her eyes.
"The way you act today causes me to reconsider my opinion of you and makes me wonder how and where you learned such provocative behavior. If you had not lived with me for the last eleven years, I would seriously believe you a scoundrel and womanizer of the worst sort. Erik, do you fully understand how much a rogue you appear when you do things like that? You are fortunate that I know you so well or I would not have left Christine alone with you just now."
She gave him a playful smack on his arm as she passed. As she began to reclaim her seat in the middle of the bench, a flushed Christine cleared her throat.
"Um … Madame? Do you think that you might … well, I mean, would it be acceptable … oh! Helen, I would like Erik to sit next to me. If that is acceptable to you. We were in the midst of a discussion and, well, I just thought having him sit next to me would make talking with him easier."
The young woman's voice stumbled to a halt and her flushed face burned a brilliant scarlet.
"Oh, no, Christine. I do not mind at all. Erik? Please continue your conversation. I believe I shall take a short nap. This has been a rather exhausting day and it is not even Noon yet. Please wake me when we arrive in Paris."
She slowly sank onto the bench and nestled her backside into the corner of the compartment. Her gaze ran over her companions and she watched as they quietly spoke. The folds of flesh, which lined her face deepened into a gentle smile as she watched Erik, oblivious of his actions, enfold Christine's hand within his.
"Well, it seems that whatever Erik did, Christine accepted it and forgave him. Everything is proceeding better than I anticipated, almost too well! Damnez-le, but that was a close thing. Too, close! It would most likely be a prudent course of action on my part to keep a sharp eye on those two. Ah, young love! So beautiful, so strong and completely out of control. I need to tell Erik why it is so very important to guard her maidenhead. He would not want Christine to end up like me! Oh, no! He would not care for that all of that I am certain."
Author's Note: Another tough chapter, another tough week, but here it is. The next stop is Paris! Will Christine accept Helen's offer or decide to try her luck elsewhere? Well, we'll find out in Chapter 12! Also, do you believe in magic? You will, I promise! Please feed this tired and abused kitty … read and review! Fondest wishes, --ny