Chapter 7: A Fatalistic Warning...
By: PittsBurghFuzz
Erik Nightmare Sequence
On a cold winter night, a woman was running through the streets of Paris, holding a child in her arms. She abandoned the poor thing, and left it on the church steps...
Fade out to black...
Fade in to white...
Erik found himself in a very odd position Erik was watching a large sheet, with moving images of his lair! It looked like the last time he encountered Christine and the fop, but it was different. Instead of Raoul caught by the punjab lasso, it was Erik himself! In place of the Phantom, was Jean Cocteau! Cocteau had a mad look in his eyes, and was holding Paulette prisoner.
"Let her go!" Erik begged.
"If I let her go, you must die Erik!" Cocteau replied.
"Fine then, if it takes my sad life to save the child, then I shall offer my life."
Paulette was bound and gagged onto Erik's throne. She was shaking her head no, and appeared to be saying something.
"Very well then Erik, see? I let her go!" Jean replied with a sinister smile.
As Paulette walked towards Erik, the angry mob prevented their reunion.
"Paulette! Jean, this was never in the deal!" Erik roared.
"Oh Erik. Your certainly an endangered species aren't you? Well, soon this mob and myself will crush your last moments of freedom."
Of all people, Raoul showed up.
"Raoul! I know we have had our differences, but your sister is..."
Raoul took off Erik's mask and punched him in the disfigure side of the face.
"Raoul! Your sister in danger! The angry mob will..."
"My hatred for you is more intense than any love I have." Raoul coldly stated. "Besides, she is now a disgrace to the de Chagny name."
"What are you talking about?" Erik asked.
Raoul punched Erik again.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about! You were part of it you slimy bastard!" Raoul yelled.
Another unexpected guest arrived.
"Who are you?" Erik asked.
It was an old woman, wearing a cloak.
"Erik, you must know what you have done." the woman told Erik.
"But madame, I have no idea what is going on!" Erik told the woman.
Christine arrived at the scene. The soprano moved towards Erik and felt his face. Christine began to kiss Erik, deeply. However, Erik could not move his body, and he was forced to watch the mob violate Paulette.
"The ultimate revenge Erik." Jean stated. "I am killing you right now! You are watching the woman you love lose less credibility while you are embraced by the woman who turned you down!
Finally Erik woke up from this warped nightmare. "It was a dream. Just a dream. That's all it is. A dream."
Nighttime approached, as the guests entered the masquerade. Raoul, Paulette, and Christine were among the first to arrive at this unnecessary, but spectacular event. Raoul and Christine, being as bland as they are, wore the same costumes that they wore at the last masquerade that occurred four years ago. Paulette was wearing a flowing, bold, and sexual red dress, trying to be on the controversial side.
Cocteau, in regular evening clothes, approached the the trio.
"Paulette! Where is your escort?" Jean asked.
"ESCORT! I thought YOU were taking her!" Raoul shouted.
Christine went, "Oh dear..."
"The earl will soon be here." Paulette told the impatient Jean.
"You mean ex-earl." Jean commented.
"Yes, ex-earl."
"Your escort is an ex-earl!" Raoul yelled again. "If I ever meet this fellow I..."
A gloved hand tapped Raoul's shoulders. It was a man with a black mask, and a set of horns. Behind him, was a magnificent black cape.
"Now what were you going to do to me?" the man asked, in his menacing, but British accent.
"Um...You're..." Raoul was dumbfounded.
"Yes Count de Chagny, I am Earl Crawford." the figure offered his hand. The two men shook.
"Earl, may I present my wife, Countess Christine de Chagny."
The figure in black gently kissed Christine's hand.
"You must be the host of this party, Cocteau, right?" the figure asked.
"Yes. I am. Well Earl..." Jean went on to say.
"Please, call me Crawford. After all, I'm an ex-earl."
"You look familiar." Raoul commented.
"Who knows. Not every face is unique." Crawford went on and whispered to Paulette, "And unfortunately, there is a fellow who looks like Cocteau."
Paulette couldn't help but laugh at Crawford's joke.
"Well my dear, shall we dance?" Crawford asked Paulette.
"Indeed."
The couple went on to dance and could not help but laugh.
"You were perfect." Paulette told Erik.
"I was fairly sly, wasn't I" Erik said, continuing the Crawford act.
"Still Crawford till the end huh?" Paulette asked, testing Erik.
"What else would I be?" Erik replied.
The two of them smiled and continued to dance.
"My next phase of the plan has begun." Erik told Paulette.
"What is that?" Paulette asked.
"Three days ago, I purchased a small little estate, touched it up a bit, and its under my name."
"But what about the lair?" Paulette asked.
"Well, we can't have you taking secret carriage rides to the Opera, now can we? That would be very odd indeed."
Paulette smiled. "You mean you..."
"Yes Paulette. I need to keep masquerading. This is until Jean Cocteau has lost all hope. All men have breaking points and I think once we've tried, we will never have to worry about Cocteau again."
"Oh Er...I mean Michael." Paulette smiled.
Erik laughed, and gazed into Paulette's eyes.