Ah, still no one can guess who our protagonist really is…
So, just to speed the process along a little bit, this chapter is somewhat of an insight into Christine's past, which will result in very little to no Jack in this chapter. The whole shebang is set in a sort of flashback sequence. Don't hate me too much; I'm horrible at flashbacks…offers cookies
Jack had left her, Tia Dalma had left her, and Christine felt the familiar pinch of loneliness that she felt more often than not. After all, it was not the first time she had been left. She shuddered, thinking of those who had long since passed on. Christine let herself slide back into the painful memories that she had tried so hard forget…
-The first person she saw was her father. Well, she heard him first. The beautiful chords that fell off of the violin's strings brought tears to her eyes. For her father had been dead for ten years. The pain, however, remained. Christine did not want to dwell in this memory for long; it was too painful. She willed the scenery to change, and it did.
To her horror, the next thing she saw was her Angel, in the mirror. She remembered the first time she had really seen him. He was not the angel she believed him to be, he was a creature of fear and death, but the danger and his hauntingly beautiful music had seduced her until she had past the point of no return. He beckoned to her, and she watched herself follow him, through the mirror, down a labyrinth of tunnels and across an underground lake. She listened as he sang to her about his music, his dark and beautiful music; watched as she collapsed in his arms and was laid on his bed.
Christine was fascinated, but tried to will away what was coming next. She knew that all the peace and happiness she had just witnessed would be snatched away, by her own hands. And, true enough, she saw it. She saw herself removing the gentle man's mask. He threw her to the ground. Christine knew what she was looking at; his face, his horribly decayed face. But in all of its gruesomeness, there was an inherent beauty to his features. What she wouldn't give to see his face again, be able to touch him once more. Then, like before, she was snatched from her reverie and whisked away.
She found herself standing on the rooftop of the Opera House. She was behind a statue of a horse, watching herself and Raoul sing to each other, and finally kiss. A small sob caught her attention. Her angel was on his knees beside her, clutching a red rose with a black ribbon tied around it. Tears were running down his face. This time, she really did touch him. Christine stroked the unmasked half of his face. He turned with a start, and looked at her. Her angel blinked, and upon seeing that she had not disappeared, handed her the rose. Christine gave him a smile of gratitude, and was tugged away to a different memory.
The next memory was even more painful than the last. It was the night of the premier of Don Juan Triumphant, the night where everything went wrong. She lost her soul that night. Christine watched herself singing with her Angel, the Phantom…no, neither of those fit him. For the first time in her life, she whispered his name. "Erik", she said, and he turned his head ever so slightly to wear she stood. His eyes flashed with recognition, but he did not say anything. Christine watched with fear in her heart, waiting for the inevitable to come. When her memory tore Erik's mask off for the second time, Christine shrieked. Her memory and Erik looked at her, rather, the place she had been. Christine had already moved on.
Christine found herself down in Erik's lair, watching herself trying to decide between Erik and Raoul. She knew the outcome; Erik would set her free, even after she chose him. She would more or less go on with her life, get married and become a depressed widow within a year. A depressed widow with a throbbing gunshot wound trapped in the Caribbean. She shook her head as she watched herself return Erik's engagement ring. This is wrong, she thought. I have to change this. I must, for my own sake. She took a deep breath and approached Erik. He looked at her, and whispered, "In darkness you came to me and in darkness you left…Christine, I love you."
He handed her the ring. It was as beautiful as she remembered it. The diamond shone with all the luster of heaven and the silver gleamed like the face of God. He also handed her a note.
"Read it when I am gone, mon ange." With that, he turned and went to sit at the organ bench, covering himself with his cloak. Christine felt tears pull at the corners of her eyes. Meg had told her what happened. Erik had disappeared, and no one heard from him in the days that followed.
Christine opened her eyes.
Alright, I made it really obvious there. Really really obvious. So I hope you guys can figure it out!
--Icy.