Eric gave a gentle tap on the trap door of Christine's dressing room.
"Come in Eric." she giggled finishing up her stage makeup.
"Christine you look sensational." Eric glowed gliding towards her.
"Thank you you look quite dashing yourself, did Rosa let you sleep last night?"
Eric chuckled and nodded pulling back a stray curl that hung in her face.
Christine grew serious. "They have guards posted everywhere. Please don't get caught tonight."
"Don't worry I will be fine I'll be watching from my normal spot, they can't bother me."
Christine looked at the clock thirty minutes till show time.
"Eric," Christine hesitated for a moment "do you care for me?"
Eric looked at her in shock raising an eyebrow.
"I mean" she continued nervously "do you love me?"
Eric swayed back in awe. Did he really just hear that? "Yes Christine." He sighed.
The girl jumped up wrapping her arms around his waist. And looked up at him her big chocolate eyes full of adoration and joy.
Eric leaned forward slowly till his forehead was pressing against hers. Her skin was warm she smelled of a faint sweet perfume.
"Christine you have to finish getting ready." Eric whispered to her gently. "I know Eric."
A fist pounded on the door as the door flung open. Christine and Eric whipped their heads around to face Paingi with his mouth dropped in utter awe.
Eric's instincts took over in one motion he flew at the singer. Grabbing the side of his neck Eric squeeze with much more force than intended. The man slumped to the ground.
Eric jumped back in shock, he fell to the ground his mouth wide open.
Christine covered her mouth to stop her scream. "Is he?"
Eric nodded his head, "I squeezed a little to hard, I only meant to knock him out please believe me."
Christine stood in shock tears started flooding her eyes, "you killed him! What are you going to do? He is dead, Don Juan is dead!"
Eric thought for a moment. His hands still trembling at the thought of killing yet another man. "I'll take care of it, go they are waiting for you."
Christine shot a worried glance before leaving her eyes filled with terror.
Eric knelt down to the dead man, and began removing his costume "You monster." he growled to himself as he put on the costume. Before walking out the door Eric hid the body.
Eric lay the hood over his face covering every feature of his body. Slowly he glided over to where all the actors stood waiting for the curtain to be drawn. Eric wrung his hands nervously.
"Eric?" Christine whispered.
"Trust me Christine please."
"If they notice you out there they will kill you."
Eric breathed heavily "I know, but don't worry." he paused for a moment "If I dont make it out take care of Rosa."
"Curtan!" The stagehand yelled to the cast.
"Here we go." Christine mumbled before going out on stage.
Eric walked back and forth waiting for his cue. Finally his line came.
"Go away! For the trap is set and waits for its prey"
Eric sang, his rich powerful voice silenced everyone they stood in shock waiting for the duet to start.
Christine looked at him her eyes widened at the unearthly beauty of his voice. Christine seductively walked towards him singing more beautiful and powerful than anything she had done before.
She tiptoed to Eric there voices intertwining together in perfect harmony, she flung herself in his arms. Eric gently moved his hands to her hips sliding them up slowly to her neck.
"Past all thought-
of 'if' or 'when' -
no use resisting
abandon thought,
and let the dream descend"
Eric felt Christine tremble as he curled his face in the crook of her neck while he sang.
"I love you." he whispered. Christine gripped his gloved hands he sighed warmly her touch was just too much.
"Say you'll share with me one love,
one lifetime . . .
Lead me, save me from my solitude."
Eric sang into her ear, the crowd was in tears at the passion and love.
Eric herd a noise behind him, "Take care of Rosa, I love you." Eric cried, choking back his tears.
A arm wrapped around Eric's neck, he struggled roaring in anger. "Dear crowd feast your eyes on the dreaded Phantom of the Opera!"
"Raoul! NO, please dont do this!" Christine screamed, "This is not you."
Eric fought like a mad animal, another man grabbed ahold of Eric and tore off the hood revealing the half white mask. The crowd gasped Eric spotted Christine in the corner of his eye being held by his mother.
Christine was sobbing her stage makeup smeared across her face. "Let's see what is under that mask!" Raoul announced to the noisy crowd before Eric cold even think it was ripped off his face.
The crowd gasped some fainted in their seats.
Eric spit at his restrainers "You are going to where you belong demon." Raoul hissed into his ear.
"Go to hell Viscount." Eric panted growing tired. As he was drug off stage.
"Drug him and let us go." A tall red haired guard instructed.
Christine darted up the stairs into the beautiful box five tears streaming down her cheeks. She pulled open the trap door and disappeared into the tunnel.
"Nadir help!" She screamed in hysterics. The Persian came over to her knowing instantly what happened.
"They took him Nadir! They are already gone, oh Nadir it was horrible!" Christine cried gasping in between words.
"Sit down girl and tell me everything." Nadir sternly instructed. Through sniffles and tears Christine told the Daroga everything that happens that night.
Eric woke up in a daze, the entire room was spinning and rocking his head hurt an awful lot to.
"Darn kid how much did they give you?" A deep kind voice asked. Eric was still spinning looking from left to right trying to find the source of the voice. "Don't worry it will wear off soon." The voice said again.
Eric waited till the room stopped spinning before he looked for the voice again. He slowly drug himself up to a seating position.
"I'm sorry they had to pick you up like this." Another voice said this one was an older woman's.
Finally Eric could focus the first thing he noticed was he was in chains in a large cold damp room lined with cages.
This was a freak show and circus performers.