Hey everyone, thank you all so much for the awesome reviews. Getting comments like I've been getting just makes me want to write more and more. I hope to direct movies and write my own books some day. Right now I'm actually planning a trip to Hollywood to visit a few celebrity friends that I know…sorry can't say who but they are pretty well known. Anyway enjoy the chapter and R&R
Christine managed to make dinner without a word from Erik. All afternoon he sat at his organ while Clorinda played with her new doll house. Once the ham dinner was on the table, she walked over to Clorinda and picked her up.
"Come on Clorinda, it's dinner time."
"What about Monsieur Kire?"
Christine turned to Erik who was sitting at his organ and shook her head in disappointment.
"Erik, come to dinner now."
Erik pounded on the keys of his organ and moaned.
"I would prefer not to."
"Fine, have it your way."
Clorinda turned to Erik, and spoke.
"Please Monsieur Kire, please come to dinner."
Once Christine and Clorinda sat down at the table, Erik came and had a seat as well. The table stayed silent, until Christine noticed that Clorinda wasn't eating her vegetables.
"Sweetie, eat your greens."
"They taste horrible."
Erik looked at Clorinda and gave her a look of disgust.
"Clorinda, listen to your mother."
"Yes Monsieur Kire."
"Really Erik I seriously don't get how she listens to you and not me."
"Maybe if you wouldn't be so stern with her all the time."
Christine slammed her hands down on the table and crossed her arms.
"Stern? Stern Erik? I'm just trying to be a good mother."
"Well you're doing such a great job Christine!"
"What is that supposed to mean you monster!"
Just then Clorinda slammed her hands down on the table and stood up.
"It's Christmas! Can't you 2 stop fighting for one day?"
"Clorinda, please you have no right to talk to me or Erik that way."
"Really mother? Can you please stop fighting for one day?"
Clorinda then left the table, causing Erik to get up as well. Clorinda ran to her bed and crawled under the covers with her doll that Erik had made her. Moments later, Erik was at her side to tuck her in.
"Well Christmas wasn't a total disaster."
"So you say."
"Come now Clorinda it wasn't bad. There are tons of homeless civilians without a single bite to eat or a roof over their heads to complain about one messed up holiday."
"You know Monsieur Kire, you're the only one who gave me a present this Christmas. You're not even my father and you got me a present I mean my real father didn't even get anything for me."
"I'm sure your mother got you something, she's probably just too mad to give it to you now. You'll probably get it in the morning when she's not angry anymore."
"What's the use? It's not Christmas anymore."
"Clorinda, don't be like that. Just try to get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning."
Erik tucked Clorinda in bed, and then walked to his bed chambers and began to get dressed in his pajamas. He then walked over to the basin of water and began to easily wash his distorted skin with a wash cloth. Over the past few days, his skin had become more and more irritated and now it was at the point of hurting him. Once his flesh was clean, Erik walked to the counter where he kept some of his medicine and picked up a container of ointment. After squirting some into the palm of his hand, he began to rub it into the distorted flesh. So much burning occurred but his skin would feel so much better in the morning. Just then, walked in the chambers and through a present down onto the bed. Erik turned to her and gave Christine the dirtiest look he could make.
"You know Erik you really made me angry tonight. No, you know what really made me angry tonight? That rose full of thorns with my ring wrapped around it. What the hell kind of Christmas present was that?"
"You know Christine, I have asked you several times to marry me and it always comes back as no. Do you know how much it hurts me to hear those words come from your mouth? It rips my heart out every time and giving that ring back to you is the smartest thing I could have done."
"I've met someone Erik."
"What?"
"I've met a man that I feel so happy around and I'm thinking of being with him."
"Please…..please don't do this to me Christine. My heart….it wouldn't be able to handle it. I just want to be with you."
"I'm sorry Erik, I just can't be with you anymore."
"What about Clorinda?"
"What about her? She doesn't know that you're her father."
"But I know Christine! I know that she is mine and I can't live without her in my life. You'd rather have some man come into her life and play her father wouldn't you? You'd love the fact of having some kind of normal family and being with another man is your only chance. I thought you loved me Christine, I thought you cared for me and me only."
"Times have changed Erik."
"What's in wrapping paper?"
"Your Christmas present from me."
Erik had a seat at the end of the bed and picked up the small wrapped box.
"I'd rather not open it."
"Why?"
"I shall do it when the time is right."
"Do as you wish Erik but it's not going to change the fact that I've met another man."
"You know nothing about him Christine. How are you sure he's even who he says he is?"
"How dare you say something about him."
"It's the man who raped you isn't it?"
"Maybe it wasn't rape Erik, maybe it was consensual."
"That is a lie Christine, and you know it."
"This is why our relationship has gone down hill Erik. We can't trust each other with anything."
"Don't leave me Christine, please."
"It's too late Erik, I've already made up my decision."
"Then I will become your worst enemy Christine."
"Fine, be the opera ghost once more, see if I care."
"We shall see."
The next morning, Christine packed the rest of her things up and dressed Clorinda.
"Mother, where are we going?"
"We won't be living down here anymore, we are going to be living up in the opera house with Colum."
"Why?"
"Because that is my choice."
"Yes Mother."
Once Christine and Clorinda had left, Erik sat down at his organ once more and began to work on his music. The lair was lonely without the sounds of Clorinda playing or Christine singing. They had only been gone and hour, and Erik missed it already.
"Damn my temper."
Just then the rusty gates of the lair opened and Andre and Meg appeared. Erik ignored them, and kept writing his music down.
"Monsieur Erik, how is my partner?"
"Just leave me be Andre."
"nonsense, I need a favor."
"What?"
"Tonight is the anniversary of Don Juan Triumphant and out Don Juan has become ill with the measles. I need you to fill in for him."
"And who will be playing Madam?"
"Christine Daae of course."
"No, I can't do it."
"Why not? Come now Erik I know that you two aren't in the best of moods but the show needs you."
"I'm supposed to be dead remember?"
"And you are but with the mask on your face you'll be fine."
"I'm sorry Andre, I just can't do it."
"Have I not been a good friend to you? Please Erik, one show is all I'm asking."
Erik angrily pounded on his organ, before turning back to Andre.
"Ok, one show….just don't tell Christine that I agreed."
"Yes of course, see you tonight Monsieur Don Juan."
Andre then turned and left the lair leaving Meg the only one there with Erik.
"And what on earth do you want?"
"Erik, I don't think that it is wise to be in tonight's performance."
"Well nice of you to say something while Andre was standing here."
"Look Erik, I really don't like this Colum guy, I think he's up to something very bad."
"Really? How so?"
"I saw him take give Christine that Aphrodisiac Chardonnay."
"You what?"
"I saw him slip it to her."
"Well it's too late for that now, Christine is already out fucking that monster."
"Erik please let's be serious for a moment."
"No Meg I can't! who is he anyway? To just show up here and take over my love life like he's some kind of king! Well tonight I'm going to get it back from the bastard."
"Erik please don't do this."
"I am Meg, I can't live without Christine in my life."
"Just don't go crazy Erik."
"Crazy? I know no such word."
That night, before the opera started Clorinda took her seat with Colum in box five.
"So Clorinda tell me, do we make a great team or what?"
"Yes, I guess so."
"You'll be greatly rewarded."
"Could we go ice skating?"
"No, that's a very stupid thing to do."
"No it's not. I love to ice skate Father why can't we go do it? The pond is still frozen stiff and the weather is beautiful."
"I said No Clorinda."
"When can we tell Mother that you're my father?"
"Not now Clorinda."
"You two are lovers now so why not tell Mother that I know?"
"I said no Clorinda and no means no."
Clorinda turned away from Colum, and crossed her arms in disgust just as the lights to the theater dimmed. The music began to play, and Christine walked out on stage in her white and tan dress. Within seconds, the opera had begun with Christine singing the first song of Erik's Don Juan Triumphant.
"I have come here hardly knowing the reason why, hardly knowing that fate
Which till now has been silent……silent……."
Just then, the familiar voice of Erik filled the theater, causing Christine to turn around and see him entering the stage dressed in his black mask and Don Juan outfit.
"I have come here to fulfill my deepest urge……tonight our passions shall fuse and merge…..because tonight is the night that I shall be with you…….inside you……Past the point of no return…..no going back now the games at which you played are at an end….. Past the thought of if or when? No use resisting….abandon thought and let the dream begin….we've past the point of no return."
Christine stood there for a few moments before continuing to sing. Seeing Erik standing there before her eyes brought memories of that horrible night 5 years ago to her mind. From box five, Clorinda sat stunned as she watched her mother and Erik dance together on stage. Colum on the other hand just couldn't figure out what was going on.
"Clorinda, who is that man dancing with your mother?"
"I don't know."
"I've never seen him before."
"neither have I Father."
"He's an excellent singer I have to meet him."
"No you can't."
"And why not?"
"He won't stick around."
"We'll see about that."
Once the opera was over and done with, Erik walked with Christine back to her dressing room. Once inside, Christine began to brush her hair as Erik stood there looking into the mirror that he once came through to reveal himself to her.
"You're still mad at me aren't you Christine?"
"Erik, please let's not talk about this."
"I have to Christine because I miss you."
"Well I don't."
Just then a knock occurred at the door and moments later Colum entered.
"Christine darling, you sang like and angel tonight."
Erik stood there as he watched Colum kiss Christine on the lips. Watching that made his skin crawl and his blood to boil.
"So Christine is this the famous Don Juan standing next to you?"
"Yes, he was just leaving."
Erik shook his head in disgust and was about to leave when Colum stopped him.
"No, no why leave? I was wondering if I could have a nice conversation with you?"
"Make is short."
"Let us take a walk outside then."
Erik followed Colum outside the door, where they stood in an empty hallway.
"So Monsieur, what is your name?"
"None of your business."
"Well I'm Monsieur Colum, Christine's lover. If you're looking to get in the way of my love for her you're sadly mistaken."
"Don't worry, I'm not."
"Good, good because if you are I might have to snap your neck into pieces."
"I'd like to see you try."
"You are a pretty good singer Monsieur so if you want to keep that voice of yours I suggest you stay away from Christine and my daughter."
"Daughter?"
"Yes my daughter Clorinda."
Erik curled his fists in anger, and held his breath.
"Oh, and just in case you were wondering Monsieur, Christine is great in bed."
Once Colum left Erik's side, he began to punch the wall in anger.
"How dare he call my daughter his own! How dare he!"
With a swoosh of his black cloak, Erik turned away to the dark halls in anger.
"Now let it be war upon you both!"
More to come soon!