The Perfect Solution
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.
When You Are Old
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
William Butler Yeats
Chapter Forty-Two – The Sorrows of Her Changing Face
Erik stooped and picked up the envelope from the table.
"I think it might be best if I retired for the evening. Good night."
With a small nod of his head, he left the man and girl to their long avoided conversation.
♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥
Later that night, Erik awoke to the soft sound of sobs. His eyes flashed open and he froze with fear that the older man's time had already come. The moment he dreaded was upon them, but he realized that the sound he heard was in his room. Confused, he rose up on one arm and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. There was a sharp intake of breath and then silence.
"Christine?"
The word hung in the wintry cold air of the room like an icicle from the eaves of a roof before the soft reply came.
"Yes, Erik. It is me."
A soft sniffle sounded.
"How long have you known?"
"Of all the questions she could ask, why that one? If I answer this question with the wrong words, this could push her away from me. She might hate me. What should I say? Mon Dieu!"
"Erik?"
He sighed and sat up in his bed. Running his hand through his sleep tousled hair; he closed his eyes and answered her.
"Your father told me the first night I stayed here. The night I slept on the settee. He wanted me to know that I could not stay with the two of you indefinitely as his health was failing."
The small shadow crept closer to Erik's bed.
"Did he tell you that you should not tell me?"
Erik's eyes flashed open.
"Of course not! Why would he do that?"
Erik felt his mattress press down as Christine clambered onto the bed.
"I dunno. Maybe the same reason that made him wait so long to tell me. He did not wish to upset me."
"Did it work?"
"Of course not. I am so upset with him, I feel like punching him right in his big, fat nose, except for the fact that he is so very sick … that is the only thing saving him right now. Why did he do this? I feel like he punched me in the stomach. It hurts so badly and I feel sick. He should have told me. I feel like I could have spent so much more of my time with him. I have lost so much time that I can never have back. I am so angry with him. He left me all alone and I wanted to die …."
"Wait! She is talking about her father as if he has already died. What is happening? She sounds older, too!"
"Erik?"
The voice had taken on the softness of childhood once more and Erik silently sighed in relief.
"Yes, Christine?"
"Can you sing to me? I do not think I can go back to sleep unless you do. Everything hurts too much."
"Of course, ma ange. What would you like me to sing?"
The small form scooted closer to him and snuggled against his chest.
"Please sing the first song you ever sang to me. Will you sing it for me, Erik?"
"I could never deny you anything, ma petite."
"Hush a bye
Don't you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies.
In your bed
Momma said
Baby's riding off to dreamland
One by One
They've begun
Dance and prance for little baby.
Black and bays
Dapples and grays
Running in the night
When you wake
You shall have
All the pretty little ponies.
Can you see the little ponies
Dance before your eyes
All the pretty little ponies
Will be there when you arise."¹
About midway through the song, Erik felt the girl's body slacken against his and he realized she was asleep. He finished the song and then just sat there holding the child that he knew would grow to be his wife one day. His hands stroked and calmed her torrent of dark curls as his heart wept for the child in his arms. The morning promised to be gloomy and gray as Erik at last drifted into a fitful slumber.
♥ ♫ ♥ ♫ ♥
The young man's eyes drifted open and he felt as if he were missing something. He sat up confused and then remembered that Christine had climbed into his bed the night before. He looked around his room, but she had gone. He listened carefully and thought he could hear her singing outside.
"The silly thing! She does so love to go looking for crocus. Crocuses are the things she loves the most about winter. There is something about those delicate ivory and purple flowers that she just adores. I wonder …. I know what it is. It is the hope of spring."
He smiled and stood up. Allowing his arms to rise above his head, he arched his back and stretched. It was a morning just like all the other mornings that he shared with Christine and Gustave, but something niggled away at the back of his mind. Something familiar and disturbing.
"Crocus! Oh, no! Gustave! Please, not yet! Not today! Oh, let us have one more day!"
Suddenly, Erik froze as the sound of Christine's voice rose from her father's bedroom. Her song, while beautiful, echoed cold, hollow and lifeless throughout the house. He wanted to run to her side, but the music held him firmly rooted to the spot.
"No! I must go to her! Now is the moment she needs me. Am I to fail her? I think not. So, move, Destler! Move!"
Without another thought, Erik raced from his bedroom, out the door, down the hall, through the open door of Gustave's bedroom and into the man's room. He halted at the foot of the bed, taking in the sight of Christine's small body lying snuggled against her father's unmoving chest. Erik bowed his head for the briefest of moments to say a small prayer before walking to the bedside and closing the man's staring, lifeless eyes. With that act accomplished, he placed his hand on the unmoving girl's shoulder and shook her slightly.
"Christine? Christine? We need to talk, ma ange. Please look at me, chéri."
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I think not, Monsieur Destler. Do you seriously believe I will allow this child to escape me? Ha!"
Erik closed his eyes at the sound of the voice. He knew that voice and dreaded what his eyes would see, should he allow his head to turn.
"How am I supposed to fight this … this … monster that masquerades with my beloved's face? How can I look upon this lie and not lose my way? Mother! Gustave! Please help me!"
He gathered the limp body of the girl into his arms and turned to face Lilith.
"Mon Dieu! Christine! No, it is not her. I am holding Christine in my arms. That thing is not my Christine. That is Lilith and she is using the form that she knows will hurt me the most. She is trying to weaken my resolve. I am alone and Christine needs me to be strong."
Cradling Christine's face against his chest, he stroked the girl's hair and crooned to her.
"Ma chéri, it is alright. We knew this time would come. All people die, but do not fear, ma amour, you are not alone. I am here and I will never leave you. Be strong. Wake up, Christine. I can help you, but the choice is yours to make. Please, ma chéri, you need to awaken."
The small body stirred in his arms and Erik felt it change. The little girl grew before his astonished eyes into the form of the woman that was his wife and then he noticed that he was no longer the lanky boy, he was once again a man. Relief flooded his body and he allowed his hands to caress Christine's form, before he drew her into a tight embrace.
"Christine." He murmured. "Ma chéri, you must awaken."
A husky chuckle distracted Erik from Christine's unconscious form and he watched as the shape of a woman identical to the one he held in his arms walked to the bed.
"But, Erik … mon amour … she cannot awaken. You hold an empty shell. All depends upon you. I hold her soul here."
Lilith-Christine placed a hand over the upper part of her left breast.
"If you want her back, you must take her from me. And, foolish man, I do not believe that you know how."
Erik glanced down at the blank face of his beloved and then back up at the thing masquerading as Christine.
"I may not know how, but I do know someone that does. The question is: how do I summon him here without losing my own soul?"
Lilith-Christine sneered at what she mistook for uncertainty in the man before her. She paced back and forth at the foot of the bed.
"Why fight me, Erik? I can give you everything you could ever want … money, women, power … all you have to do is give Christine to me. Hell! You do not even need to give her up at all. Allow me to control her and I will happily let you take her body whenever you desire. What else could you want? Is that not everything you could ever want?"
She looked at him and Erik felt his skin crawl under her burning gaze. She smirked at him.
"Oh, mon amour, I could give you one other thing that I know your heart desires. I know you desire this even above that woman's soul. I could give you your face. Just think, Erik. The right side of your face just as handsome as the left. I would not need to give you women. Women would throw themselves at you. You could have your choice, perhaps a new one every day? Or, maybe you would like to take me? Merde! If your face were whole, I would not mind joining with you. Just think of what we could do Erik. You and me … side-by-side … your voice and my face … we would have the entire world worshipping at our feet!"
"Oh! I think I know how …. Woman, thy name is vanity! Even a demoness is subject to vanity. Careful, Destler. Slow and steady … bring her into the trap. The words must come from her lips or he may not hear them. He needs to know what she plans to do or he will not involve himself in this matter. I must weave this tangled web, oh, so very carefully for it to succeed."
"It sounds tempting, but how can I trust you? If I give you Christine, what is to stop you from killing me after you have what you want?"
She stopped her pacing and turned to him, her eyes narrowing. She tilted her head as she considered him for a moment. Erik silently thanked his mother for allowing him to shed his mask all those years ago. If he had worn a mask, he never would have learned how to hide his emotions. Living life without a mask had taught him to hide all of the hurt he felt at the careless remarks tossed his way day after day. Returning, Lilith-Christine's appraising glance, he arched his inquiring eyebrow at her.
"Well?" He reiterated. "You, after all is said and done, do not have the most savory of reputations."
She threw her head back and laughed.
"You do not know, nor will I make any concession other than this … you amuse me, Erik. Also, you are not afraid of me. I do not believe that I have ever known a mortal man that foolish or that brave. This intrigues me, so I will give you this. I shall heal your face and allow you use of this body whenever you desire. In return, you shall ally yourself with me and renounce the Angel of Music. That seems a fair trade to me … what answer do you give me?"
¹Traditional – Written By: Unknown – Additional Lyrics By: Kenny Loggins and David Pack
Source: "Return to Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins – Copyright © 1994 Gnossos Music
Author's Note: Okay everyone, do your read and review thing! ☺ --ny