Eric watched with urgency until Christine glided elegantly out on stage. She wore a bright colored dress with gems and glitter, her hair was pulled back to show off her big brown eyes, but it still had parts that hung down long and beautiful.
Eric pressed closer opening the trap door a little more so he could see her better. Christine opened her mouth and sang perfectly; he gasped unable to breath.
Her role ended with a bow and squeal, roses were thrown at he feet she bowed again before skipping off the stage.
Eric jumped up and crawled through the tunnels to Christine's dressing room. She darted into the room still glowing from excitement and happiness, "Christine, the angels wept tonight." Eric congratulated gliding over to her and handing her a single red rose.
"Oh I am so happy!" she said nearly singing. "You deserve all the happiness of the world Christine."
A fist knocked gently on the door, "It looks like someone else wants to congratulate you." Eric whispered but with a hint of jealousy as he snuck into the rooms trap door.
Christine cracked a smile but was sad that Eric had to escape so quickly.
"Little Lottie" a man said, the same man who stole Eric's box. "Raoul!" Christine exclaimed leaping into his arms forgetting about her instructor hiding in her room. Eric felt like a dagger had stabbed him in the heart, he sat down. "Why am I so devastated?" eric asked himself, "Do I love her? No Eric you can't you are married, sort of."
"Get dressed Christine, and I will meet you for dinner in ten!" Raoul insisted. "Raoul! I told you I already have an engagement." But he didn't listen as he strutted out of the dressing room.
"Eric" Christine called "I'm so sorry." she waited a moment, as Eric tried to pull himself together. "I know you are still here." Eric closed his eyes taking a deep breath, "Go with him, I have work to do." Eric said his voice cracking at one point.
Eric walked slowly back to his house being welcomed by the candles that gave out the only light he knew. He sat down at the organ and lay his thin bony fingers across the keys and began to play an enchanting melody.
Christine sat with Raoul having dinner at the finest restaurant in Paris. "Christine, do you not like the food?" Christine woke up with a jolt from her daydream, turning a light red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I guess I am over tired it has been a big day." Raoul gave her a boyish smile "No doubt it has, come I will take you home." He insisted outstretching his hand.
The man walked Christine home telling stories of his overseas travels and reminding her of all the things they did together as children. "Goodnight Little Lottie" he said with a delicate kiss on her cheek.
Christine sat down on her bed she wanted to go down and see Eric but she was so tired.
Convincing herself eric was probably in bed she fell into a deep sleep dreaming of that beautiful night filled with lights, flowers and people cheering her name.
Christine woke up early that morning pulling on her robe and slipping into her soft fuzzy slippers she tiptoed her way out of the room that she shared with five of the other girls.
"Where are you going this early." A soft but firm voice said, Christine turned around to face Madam Giry. Christine bit her lip and looked down from the ballet instructors piercing eyes. "No need to explain girl, you're going to go see him." Christine gasped "The opera ghost." Madam Giry clarified.
"How do you know?" Christine asked remembering how she knew she could sing to. "Don't ask questions, beware he is a dangerous man." Madam Giry scolded.
Christine left slightly shaken, walking into the chapel Christine felt the wall for the trap door's release button. Christine came to the light of Eric's home, it was more of just things thrown onto a cement slab beside the underground lake. There was the magnificent organ to the left with candles and score sheets thrown around. A hand made bed with a privacy curtain, Christine was confused why Eric put a curtain around his bed when no one came down here.
In the center of the room were two large chairs and a daybed with Eric's unmasked sleeping form laying across it.
Biting her lip Christine walked closer to Eric she caught a glimpse of the deformed side of his face gasping at the sight. She quickly pulled herself together reminding herself that this was Eric's real self not the opera ghosts mask.
She studied him he looked so vulnerable, unlike the fearsome phantom. Eric began to toss in his sleep mumbling to himself in another language, she noticed a bead of sweat and a look of fear and pain on his face gasping he shot upright startling Christine causing her to fall backwards onto the chair.
Eric's mismatched blue eyes were filled with sorrow and hurt. "Eric are you ok?" Christine asked reaching for him still a little shaken. Eric rubbed his face with his hands gasping Eric jumped up and covered the deformed side of his face searching for his gloves and mask.
Eric was in a panic rage throwing whatever was in his way across the room searching for the only security he had.
"Please don't feel like you need to cover yourself up." Christine pleaded trying to calm his sudden rage but she could tell Eric wasn't listening. Finding his mask Eric put it on quickly, it was then that she noticed his scarred hands. "Eric! your hands" He glared at her, "What happened to them?" She asked reaching her hands to his.
Eric pulled away "don't touch me." he spit defensibly.
"Eric please trust me." he shook his head. "Things like me can't trust," his eyes began to swell with tears "Why can't you?" Christine asked reaching out her hand again knowing far well she was pressing the masked genius too much.
Eric looked down "I've tried trusting, believe me Christine I have tried."
Christine was heart broken "Couldn't you try again?" Eric stayed silent, she reached out her hand to his masked face, she paused knowing she had to be brave and show him that she had no fear of his face.
Slowly she unmasked him and ran her delicate fingers across his malformed face, Christine looked down at his hands and grasped them pulling off the leather gloves. "My mother," he choked "I was about five." looking down he preceded to tell her about the mirror and seeing his face for the first and last time.
Christine looked solemnly at him, he had been through so much yet he had survived it all, "Eric you are a beautiful person you have so much you can give to the world, why don't you believe it?"
Eric looked up at her, "because of this." he hissed pointing to his malformed face his manner drastically changing from sorrow to anger and bitterness.
"All I have ever wanted was to be loved for myself, this prevents me from it."
Christine reached out to him trying to quench his sudden anger.
"You had better go see him" Eric spit bitterly.
"Raoul," Christine thought to herself suddenly getting his foul mood "That is what this is about? Eric is jealous, he likes me."
Christine looked into his deep mismatched blue eyes filled with sadness and anger, "Eric.."
"Its time you left." He interrupted giving her a little push away, "I have to get back to work."
Christine turned away slowly and left. Leaving Eric by himself, slowly deteriorating.
Persia
(A safe house)
"Thank you again for bringing me here Nadir." Rajja said to the man "but it wasn't necessary."
Nadir sat down on the bed next to her, "I promised Eric I would take care of you, the shah wants you and the child dead."
Rajja looked up in shock, "What? Why?"
Nadir sighed, "I'm sure you know why, you two were not supposed to have children, also if the child comes deformed" Nadir paused unable to say what the child might go through in the shah's hands.
Rajja was shaken as she looked down at the child inside of her, "Why didn't you tell me this three months ago when you brought me here?"
Nadir didn't answer her question instead he got up and turned away sadly.
"I'm not going to survive the childbirth, I can feel myself getting weaker each day."
Nadir turned his head he knew that already for the whole pregnancy she was sick and weak hardly even able to eat during the last three months, she seemed to have given up.
"Nadir take the child to Eric, he deserves to love and be loved by someone."
Nadir sighed, "He is at the Paris opera house." he mumbled slowly.
Rajja looked up in shock, why didn't he tell her?
"I had found a newspaper report that one of the french ambassadors had left about a masked "ghost" haunting the opera house. I soon found out that they had indeed constructed the design he had made for the building before he was brought here."
Raja's weak body lightened, "Who else could that be!? It is Eric I am sure!"
Nadir smiled happy he could give the dying woman some joy.
"Did you hear that?" Rajja cried rubbing the large bump "You're going to see your father!"
Nadir left seeing that she was going to be fine for a bit. Nadir had to admit, he was worried about the condition that Eric was in he was unpredictable character who had a tendency to cause problems for himself the last thing he wanted was to put his old friends child in danger.
Please review and let me know what you think! I'll update again on Wednesday.
-Misha