Reoccurring Violence

Angelique's Eyes:

After we had been locked in my bedroom, mother put on her 'brave face' and tucked my brother and sister into my bed, telling them that everything was fine. They fell asleep quite easily, and I was thankful for that, for my mother's sake. Given the late hour, Helene and the new stable hand fell asleep leaning up against the bed and it was only mother and I left awake. It was only then that mother let her guard down, allowing me a glimpse of the emotional torment she was experiencing. Her sobs were soft, but pitiful and I knew that inside, my heart was echoing her cries. In my mind, whatever my father once did, he was not a man worthy of death, not by a long shot.

I watched as she crawled on her knees towards the door.

"Mother?"

"He's out there…" Her voice was hollow and barely above a whisper. She laid her head against the wood of the door, as if it were a raft and she was drowning.

"Oh, mother…" I made to go to her, but stopped when she spoke again.

"HE'S OUT THERE!" I was terrified by the panic in her words. She began to shove the door forcefully. Luckily, everyone was so tired that they did not wake at her harsh blows to the old wood. "He's out there, Angelique! They could have him! He could already be headed for the gallows! And I am here, doing nothing! Locked away as if I am a mere pet to Raoul and nothing more! If he loves me as he says he does, why does he torture me so…? I hope he knows that if he has already killed Erik, that I will not survive the hour! I will take my own life, so no part of me can be left for Raoul to claim as his!"

"Mother, please…calm down…don't you think that if they found him already, we would be let out?"

She stilled for a moment. "Not unless they wanted me out of the way, to finally have Erik executed…" Her words were void of any emotion. I went to her and took her poor, shaking body in my arms.

"Mother…even if the worst should happen, you must stay strong…Our family needs you, even if father is no longer here…" she began to sob once again.

"I lost him once, and it nearly killed me…it was only you that kept me going…"

"And I will keep you going once more, if need be…"

"I fear that I am not strong enough to lose him again!"

I sighed. I loved my father and I knew how she felt, but then, imagining having to watch him die over and over again pained me beyond belief. I felt tears threaten my own eyes. "We wont lose him again mother…I promise!"

"I hope you are right, my beloved!"

Just then, I heard the rush of heavy footsteps coming towards our door. The sound of a key sliding into the lock, forced mother and I to our feet, backing away from the door swiftly. I still had one hand on my mother's back and I could feel her pulse pounding against her body. The door flew open only to reveal Raoul standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury. My mother was one step faster and she was already in his face, lashing out at him both verbally and physically.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FAMILY? WHERE IS HE? IF YOU HAVE KILLED HIM…" Everyone in the room, had awoken at the sound of my mother's angry words. We all watched in silence as Raoul dealt my mother a staggering blow across the head. We watched with terror as she stumbled onto the ground.

"FATHER!" Helene's voice rang out.

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" He yelled in her face, silencing her as well. He then turned his attention back upon my mother. "SO, WHERE IS HE GABRIELLE!"

"What?" she asked from the floor, her eyes glazed over from the blow to her head.

"I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS! TELL ME NOW, OR YOU JEOPARDIZE YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!"

"I swear to you, I do not know!" She nearly chocked over her tears of pain.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT? YOU KNOW THAT I WANT NOTHING MORE THAN TO SEE THE BLOOD POUR FROM HIS BODY, AND WHY WOULD YOU HELP ME DO THAT TO THE 'LOVE OF YOUR LIFE'? COME NOW, WOULD YOU EVEN TELL ME IF YOU KNEW?"

I watched as my mother got to her feet gingerly. She pulled herself up to her full height, as if she was preparing herself for battle. She looked Raoul square in the eyes and uttered one word, clear and as loud as a bell. "No." Raoul struck her again, and this time when she fell, he kicked her twice.

"STOP THIS!" I found myself crying.

"WHAT? YOU WANT TO JOIN THIS FIGHT AS WELL?" I panicked. He was headed towards me, that blaze in his eyes, the smell of liquor preceding him. I was backing away towards the wall, knowing that soon I would be cornered.

"YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!" I heard my mother scream.

In a flash, Raoul was being wrestled to the ground by the stable boy. "GET OFF OF ME YOU WRETCH!" Raoul shouted.

"NO, I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM THEM!"

The boy held his own for quite a long time until Raoul overtook him. Just as it seemed Raoul was about to strangle the life out of the boy, my mother clubbed Raoul over the head with the end of his pistol, which he lost in the struggle. Raoul passed out immediately and the boy sputtered and gasped for breath. I helped him to his feet, all the while uttering countless 'thank-you's. It was only then that the boy met my gaze. I stood there, paralyzed by his stunning emerald eyes. He seemed ensnared by me as well, but what he saw in me that was beautiful enough to hold my gaze, I could not guess.

"Thank you, for protecting me…" I managed to squeak out.

"My pleasure…" He responded elegantly, kissing the back of my hand and then taking hold of it for a brief moment.

"Alright…" my mother's commanding voice took charge once more.

"Mother, are you sure you are alright?" I asked impulsively.

"Yes, my dear…NOW! you see Jaime and Caroline back to their beds?"

"But Maman…!" Caroline protested.

"No, My sweet…bedtime…Momma shall be in later to tuck you in…but go with Helene now, ok?"

My brother and sister both complied and left with a very shaken Helene. She had never seen that side of her father before, and she was troubled by it. I knew that from that point on, she would be on our side for many battles yet to come.

"Alright, Angelique…will you and…MY! Where are my manners?…I beg your forgiveness, but what is your name?" Mother asked the stable boy.

"Michael, Ma'am…my name is Michael."

"Well then…will you and Angelique help me carry Raoul to his room?"

"Of course…"

With that we all gathered around Raoul's limp body and hoisted it up, carrying it quickly down the hall towards his room. He was a dead weight and I felt as if my arms would fall off. Soon, but not soon enough, we had him on his bed. Without another word, mother turned us around and we exited the bedroom. Mother then took out a brass key and slid it into the lock on his door.

"Until he sobers up…" my mother said, while testing the door for security.

"Are you certain you feel well enough Madame?" Michael asked my mother as she stumbled slightly.

"I'm sure, I'll be just fine…" she said, ignoring the arm that Michael had extended for her.

"Perhaps you need to rest for just a moment…" He suggested once again, seeing her place her hand on her temple subconsciously.

I placed my hand on Michael's arm, to let him know that it was no use, my mother was far too stubborn. I felt his arm tense for a moment before it relaxed once more. He looked into my eyes for only a moment, but, shamefully, I broke the contact immediately. My father is out there, hunted like a beast, and I am only thinking of Michael.

We followed my mother silently together, my arm on his. To be quite honest, at that point, I was almost frightened of my mother. She was near running, looking straight forward as if possessed. Any attempt at conversation, went ignored, as if she was deaf mute. We trailed her to her room, where she grabbed a mantle and just as quickly, fled down the stairs.

"Mother! How do you know he is simply not hiding inside the house somewhere?"

At this, I got a reply. "Angelique, please…he would have been found if he stayed here…there is no where for him to hide, even if he is the infamous Phantom."
"So where do you think he is?" Michael inquired.

"I have an inkling…I will return shortly" she responded, while opening the front door.

"Please, Maman! You should not be going out alone…allow us to come with you…"

"No, I will have no such thing…I want the two of you to stay here with Helene to protect Caroline and Jaime…if, God forbid, Raoul awakes and manages to get out, she alone could not stop him…"

Reluctantly, we allowed my mother to leave, alone her cloak flaring out behind her, as her feet scurried towards the road. Michael and I watched from the window in silence, as she disappeared into the fading night.