A Storm Is Brewing

Erik's Eyes Continued:

Surprisingly, the afternoon at the lake went off without a hitch. Most of my time there was spent in the water with my children. Jaime seemed to think that he was strong enough to dunk me and so I occupied them all by pretending to swim away and my children continued to throw themselves at me, splashing, squealing and giggling the whole time. Our great day came to a close as I began to notice the sky growing darker, as dark grey clouds began to inch ever closer to us.

"All right kids…I think we should be getting home before this storm catches us!" They all groaned, but did as I bid them anyway. Raoul began gathering up the towels and dispersing them to each dripping wet child, with a genuine smile on his face. I was bewildered by his sudden turn around and as I dried off, I promised myself that I wouldn't fall for his trick as of yet. It will take decades of kindness from him to make me believe that he is not up to something!

I wrapped the towel around my shoulders and ushered he children back towards the manor, hurrying them along as I noticed the clouds growing darker and darker. A loud rumble echoed in the distance and all four of the children's paces quickened, finally realizing the source of my haste. We entered through the back door of the manor the minute the storm caught up to us, rain pouring down in torrential gusts as we closed the door against the wind.

As soon as each sopping youngster was accounted for, I nodded to them all, and they took off for their rooms to dry off and go about cleaning up for dinner. Raoul inclined his head to me before he too went up the stairs towards his room. Instead of going to change out of my dripping bathing suit, I decided to check on Gabrielle first.

I went to the kitchen and opened the door loudly, making an intentional effort not to startle her by my silent entries. The last thing she needed right now was to be surprised. I peered in, a joyful greeting on my lips, but she it died in my throat as I noticed that she was not in the kitchen as I had expected her to be. Hmm…she must be resting…I'll have to remember to ask one of the girls to begin dinner than… I then made my way up to our bedroom, feeling a little anxious to find Gabrielle. I know she's probably just resting, but given how odd she's been acting, I cannot be sure…what if she is ill, or has fallen down somewhere… Oh God! I doubled my speed, bounding up the stairs two at a time in my rush to make sure my beautiful wife was alright. I shoved the bedroom door open, not even caring if I was a little too harsh.

My horrors were confirmed as the door swung open, revealing a dark and empty room. I growled aloud and called out.

"Angelique! Helene! Raoul! Anybody!?"

Surprisingly enough, Raoul was the first to respond, coming towards me at a run. He stopped in front of me, and sucked in a few gasping breaths as he rested his hands on his knees. Angelique and Helene were soon beside us as well.

"What's the matter, father?" Angelique took in my distraught expression with worried eyes.

"Has anyone seen Gabrielle?!"

"No, not since we left after lunch!" Helene replied.

"What? Do you think something has gone wrong?!" Raoul asked, sincerely concerned.

"I don't know, but it is not like her to leave without notice, and to be gone around supper time…it is simply not like her at all!"

"What should we do?" Angelique asked, her unease growing more and more by the second.

"Helene…would you please stay with Caroline and Jaime and entertain them for a while…perhaps begin supper for them?"

"Yes, Sir…" Helene said, quickly heading towards the two youngest children's rooms.

"Raoul, will you go and see if you can find Michael? Perhaps he knows something!"

"Yes," came the single reply over his shoulder as he was already part of the way down the stairs.

"Angelique…search all the rooms up here while I check downstairs…meet me in the living room as soon as you are done, if you do not find her."

"Alright…Daddy?"

"Yes, my angel?" I said, startled by her use of the younger form of her usual 'father'.

"Do you think she is alright?"

"I don't know my sweet…the sooner we find her, the sooner we will know!" With that we went our separate ways, rushing about, scouring every inch of the house for our beloved mother, wife and friend.

No more than ten minutes later had both Angelique and I in the living room, waiting impatiently for Raoul to return with Michael. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long and Raoul came in shortly, Michael in tow.

"Michael says she left a few hours ago…She asked him for a horse and when he offered her a ride in the carriage she declined."

"Did she say anything? Leave any messages?"

"She only said not to expect her back…" Michael said, his gaze riveted on the carpet.

"WHAT?!" My exclamation made everyone around me leap into the air.

"Please, sir! That is all I know!"

"Well," I said through clenched teeth, attempting to not fly into a rage, "why did you not stop her!?"

"I would have, Monsieur, only she had already cantered off by then!"

I growled aloud and I would have become blind within my fury if it weren't for my concern for Angelique. She stood stock still, staring at nothing, her eyes wide and her body rigid. I quickly walked over to her and smoothed my hands down her tense arms.

"Don't worry, my dear…I will find her…I promise!…" I placed a kiss on her temple before snapping to action. I ran upstairs and changed my clothes as quickly as possible, adding my thick black woolen mantle to my ensemble before racing back down the stairs to where all three of them still remained.

"Everyone wait here! I will be back shortly…if I do not find her about, I will bring back the police and we'll see what we can do from there."

Angelique instantly awoke from her frightened daze and gaped at me. "But father…you cannot bring back police…to them, you are only a convict…not even her husband."

I was about to protest but I realized that if I did indeed get myself arrested, the children would be orphaned, with only Raoul to care for them, and I could not allow that, no matter how concerned I was over Gabrielle's disappearance. "Very well…Raoul, be ready to go to make a trip to the police if I return without her…be prepared to ride in the rain and so forth…Michael…you are in charge while I am gone…take care of the girls for me! If she comes back while I am gone, see to it that she is taken care of…dried off, warmed, fed, etcetera…and then wait for me to return!"

"Be careful, Sir!" Michael said as he walked over to Angelique and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Erik!" I turned to find Raoul staring at me.

"Yes?"

"Bring her back safely…"

"I wouldn't think of doing anything to the contrary…" With that I flew out the door, lifting my hood over my head as I was hit hard my a gust of hammering rain. I had an ill sense of foreboding as I noticed the bright streaks of lightning that were now searing across the sky. Nothing good ever seems to happen on stormy nights!

I cursed aloud as my horse stumbled down the muddy streets leading toward downtown Paris. He whinnied frantically as his hooves slipped out from underneath him and quickly reared, attempting to maintain his balance on the irregular planes of the once dirt road. A huge crack of thunder sounded not far from where we were and the horse jumped forward, slipping again in his frantic attempt to escape the horrific nightmare I had placed him in. I patted his neck comfortingly, although at this point, I didn't care about his comfort. All I cared about was finding Gabrielle and the only way I could do that was by calming my horse down enough so that I could reach my destination faster. After a bit more struggle, my black stallion finally found his footing and bolted down the road I directed him.

The storm around us was severe at best. Each crack of lightning lit up the sky so bright that it almost seemed as if it were noon. Lightning flashed nearly every second, each time seeming a bit closer than before and not a single streak went without a huge clap of thunder to echo its intensity. If the situation had been different, I would have found it an amusing display of the power of nature, a sort of painting, if you will, that can only be seen through the eyes of a man who knows the impact nature has upon life. But alas, I had little time in my mind to wonder at the searing colors that lit the sky for miles around me, because somewhere out within it, was my Gabrielle…alone and without someone to watch over her, whether danger be from the storm or some other, unnamed foe.

I was lucky enough to find the path had turned to cobblestones, signifying the approach of the outskirts of inner Paris. The opera house would be only minutes away now. I jabbed my heels into the stallions sides, urging him to race through the storm even though he was already exceeding his normal high speed. At last we reached the stables connected to the opera house and I quickly turned my horse into them, dismounting him as he slowed to a halt. I patted him for a split second before I threw his reins around a nearby post and took off down the hidden corridor that lead to what had once been my underground home; the Phantom's lair.

I felt a lump work it's way up my throat as I got closer and closer to the inner chambers of my home. I could barely feel anything but the rapid beating of my heart as I entered the main room, the sound of the lake the only sound replying to my slowing footsteps. Or so I had thought, until I heard the faint crackle of a fireplace. Wearily, I followed the sound, which lead towards my bedroom. I followed the hallway to the door and kicked it open angrily, ready to shout at whatever homeless person had decided to trespass into my home. My anger died as tears took over and I rushed over to throw myself on my knees beside Gabrielle who was sitting in front of the fireplace with a blanket tossed around her shoulders.

She seemed unsurprised by my sudden appearance, nor did she seem concerned that I was so panic-stricken. She simply allowed me to wrap my arms around her and hold her close to me. But when I went to cover her cheeks with countless kisses she turned her head away form me and stared off into the fire, as if I wasn't even there.

I was slightly hurt, but more concerned at her lack of emotion and so I attempted to bring her mind back to me. "Oh Gabrielle! I was so worried! We all were!"

"Even Raoul?"

I stilled, wondering why she would care if he was worried about her. "Why does that matter?"

"It matters," was her only response.

"Gabrielle? What is wrong with you? You are not being yourself!"

She ignored my question and asked her own. "Why did you come here? Why have you come for me? I thought I made it clear that no one was to come for me!"

"We didn't know where you were!"

"And yet, here you are!" She replied somewhat testily. "I told Michael that no one was to expect me back! Why can that insolent boy do nothing right? No wonder he was a worthless boy, selling himself as a servant on the street to anyone who needed him!"

It was then that I knew that something was terribly wrong with her. I knew she cared for Michael as a son and would never mean to speak of him in that way. I attempted to look into her eyes but she turned her head away from me, refusing to meet my gaze. Growing frustrated at her stubbornness I raised my hand to her head and forced her face towards me. She fought it as best as she could, but her strength was no match for me and I soon had her eyes level with mine.

"Gabrielle! Snap out of it! I am here! Whatever is bothering you, tell me! I will take care of you!"

She looked into my eyes coldly for a moment and I shivered, feeling empty inside as she froze everything within me. But then, I watched as her resolve crumbled, like the melting of a frozen lake, and pools of tears began to form in her gaze.

"Oh Erik!" She threw her arms around my neck and sobbed against my chest. Her body convulsed with her sobs and I could tell that whatever was the matter, was serious and she was so truly distressed that she had thought the only way to solve it, was to leave her old life entirely. I could only imagine that it was mostly to do with Raoul.

"Gabrielle, please…do not cry. I will help you! We can solve this, together!"

"If only we could, Erik! But I think we are in over our heads and I fear that I may have to do something terrible to get us out of it…"

"What are you talking about, my love…what has you so upset? Tell me, so that I may help! You should not suffer whatever burden you carry alone!"

"Erik…we have to escape Raoul!"

"That is it?" I asked, stupefied that that alone had thrown her into a blind panic.

"Of course not…and yet, yes…We have to leave him! But I do not wish to ruin Angelique's life here at the opera! She loves her singing and dancing…I could never deny her of her destiny!"

"It's simple. We will simply find a new place to live and either bargain with Raoul or threaten him…he loves you, he will not betray us…"

"But he will! There will come a time when he will hate me!"

"Why would you think that? He seems to be honestly kind and concerned for you and the children lately…"

"But things change quickly Erik…I can hide the truth from him now, but in a few months, he will become enraged again!"

"How can you know!? Why would he be angry in a few months?!"

"Because I wont be able to hide the truth from him anymore, Erik!" She seemed to be going around and around with a riddle that I couldn't even begin to understand. It was hard enough to hear her words through her sobs but the more I kissed her, the harder she cried.

"I would do anything to save my children the troubles that we will have to endure all too soon!"

"I know you would! You are a good mother, Gabby!"

"Am I? Are the thoughts I am having now reminiscent of a good mother?"

"What ever are you talking about, my love! I do not understand what you are getting at!"

"Erik! I am pregnant!" She sobbed even harder against my chest. The initial joy those words created crumbled as everything she had just told me sunk in. Oh, Lord!