i think i've kept you waiting long enough...

Chapter 11. Down to the Catacombs.

The audience was in fright as the chandler came down. Five were killed, ten injured.

Eric pulled the lever to open the trapdoor and the fell though it and then through the trapped door opened for later in the scene.

Raoul grabbed a sword from a suit of armor and went down after them, to find they were nowhere to be seen, then felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around ready to use the sword if he had to, and saw Madam Giry standing there.

"I know where he has taken her, follow me."

And so she led Raoul down a hall to a stone hall of stairs.

"I can't go any farther; I have a daughter to live for. Sir, for your safety, keep your hand at the level of your eyes!"

He nodded then put his hand to his head then raced down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Eric had taken Christine down another passage to his cave like home.

"You had to ruin it! You and that boy!" He said, pulling her along by the arm, all the while tears fell from his eyes, and then when they got to the lake with the gondola, he pulled her in front of him and said. "You brought this on yourself, my Christine! I can never let you leave me now! It's either me or death, Christine; this is the point of no return!"

Christine tried to pull away, but he gripped her by the shoulders and said, sadly. "Why? Christine my love, why?"

Raoul ran down the stairs in a rage, almost knocking over the Persian who had been walking down the stairs at a slower pace.

"Out of my way!" Raoul yelled trying to run past.

Nadir grabbed his wrist and said. "You can't come down here!"

"But someone's in danger!"

"You will be too if you go down, now as owner of the opera house, I kindly ask you to go back up."

"You own this place? Well sir do you know what monster is living here? He's hideous!"

"He's never known what love is! All those years of being locked in a cage and laughed at by beautiful people, and who knows what happen before then, all those years of being beaten and humiliated, had driven him mad and scared! All he knows is pain and music!"

"That thing kidnapped my Christine!"

"That thing, is named Eric, and this Christine, how is she yours?"

"She's the love of my life."

"But she's not really yours is she? No. She is her own person."

"We'll continue this argument later; now I have to find Christine before…."

Before he could finish, he took a step back and the floor below opened up, and they plummeted into some sort of spike walled chamber, then the opened closed again

"Now you've down it!" Nadir said. "Now we shall die in one of Eric's many traps! Only Eric and I know where they are, and now look…."

"Just shut up and tell me how to get out!"

He pointed to a lever high above, and Raoul began to climb the wall, but fell back as a raging spray of water came pouring out of holes in the wall, filling the chamber with freezing water.

Raoul tried again, but found the spiked he had been climbing on all too slippery to hold on to, and that combined with water spraying him from every direction, caused him to fall.

"In times like this, it's best to just thank god for the life we had and hold our breath."

Raoul hit him then said. "We have to get out! Christine needs me and you know how to get to her!"

Nadir sighed then shouted in a loud angry tone. "Eric, get me the hell out of here!"

The call echoed through the tunnels, reaching Eric, who realizing his friend was in danger, ran to a cluster of levers and pulled down on one, and the water in the chamber stopped.

Nadir looked at Raoul and said. "Climb up."

Only a few moments later, Eric stood at the keys of his piano, holding a small ring in his hand.

"What do you plan to do with me?" Christine asked, sitting in a corner like a scared child.

Eric looked at her and said. "Dear Christine, I plan to wed you, for that is what a man and a woman do when they love each other."

"But I don't love you!"

Eric could hear his heart shatter from inside him, but he kept back his tears and said. "But you must, otherwise you wouldn't have sent The Fool away when I said, or have felt sorrow when I told you of my life, and you wouldn't have let me be so close to you in the cemetery, that snow-white day.

As he finished speaking, there was a splashing noise, and he turned to see Raoul standing at the gate that kept the small shallow lagoon which held the gondola, from the large lake.

"You!" Erik said seeing him then turned to the captive girl. "Why Christine, I believe the young fool has come here for you! Shall I tell him to leave?"

"Raoul!" Christine shouted, and started to run to him, but The Phantom caught her.

"No that would just make you upset, wouldn't? I know! He could be a witness to our wedding!"

"Let my Christine go!"

"Oh, 'Your' Christine? You own her? I'm so sorry Christine dear, so sorry."

"Raoul!" Christine cried.

"Oh fine!" Eric said then walked over to the levers again and pulled one to open the gate.

Raoul walked under as it was rising, and then turned when Nadir shouted. "Han d at the level of your eyes!"

But before Raoul could do anything, The Phantom had a rope around his neck.

"Oh Nadir," Erik said, as he walked through the shallow water to Raoul. "I thought you were my friend, guess I was wrong."

"Eric don't kill him!" Nadir said. "You said it yourself, he's just a boy!"

"So?" Erik said and put the other end of the rope though the bars of the gate then took another rope and tied Raoul, arms to his side, to the gate itself. "Death has no care for age."

"Raoul!" Christine cried and ran to the edge of the water.

"Aw yes, Christine, you fit into this boy's death more than you know at the moment!"

Nadir tried to step forward, but he triggered an unknown trap, and the currant changed causing him to slip and was swept away into another chamber, where another gate closed as the current stopped, so he could only stand hopelessly and watch them.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Christine asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"Oh Christine, wipe you tears, you have a chance to save him! More of a choice really…"

"What is it? Tell me so he can live!"

"The choice, dear Christine, is stay with me, and let him live, or say you love him, and leave while I kill him with my ropes."

Christine grabbed her mouth in horror, she couldn't let Raoul die, but she couldn't stay with Eric, and yet deep inside, she did love him too.

Raoul frowned and said. "You demon from hell! How dare you make her choose like that! Christine don't risk your life for me! I'll die more painfully if you have to stay with him then if it were by being strangled by a rope!"

"Same goes for me, only worst for I have loved her longer!"

"You beast! You don't love her you're obsessed with her!"

"I do love her!" Erik shouted at him, then heard a mob of people somewhere in the catacombs, looking for them, then turned to Christine and said. "Christine!"

"Please don't make me choose!" Christine shouted.

"You and The Fool have tried my patients, Christine, make your decision!"

Christine wiped tears from her eyes, then lifted her dress and walked through the water, towards him.

"You with your temper have tried to be kind to me." She said. "You taught me to sing like an angel, you kept your hands to yourself, even though it was obvious you wanted them on me, and you say you would give the world to me if I asked."

Eric flinched as she put her hand to his deformed cheek then put his hand to hers, then was shocked to find her lips at his, but instantly kissed her back.

The kiss lasted seven seconds only, but when Christine pulled back from Eric, he kissed her again, and who knows how long that kiss lasted but god himself.

Then Eric pulled away, eyes filled with tears he tried to blink away, and walked past her saying. "Take him. Take him and leave, go marry him if you wish, I know you love him."

Christine looked at him for a moment then ran to Raoul and began to untie him.

"Leave and never return to the opera above! If you must sing, sing someplace ells!"

Eric went to his levers and pulled one to release Nadir, then went into one of his room.

He sat there with his little music box, watching it play as tears dripped from his eyes like the beginning of a rain storm to come; then he looked up and saw Christine.

"Christine I love you more than I should." He said, knowing that hiding his tears would be useless now.

She took the ring Raoul had given her off her finger and gave it to him then said. "I won't marry him before seeing you again."

He looked at it for a long moment then saw she was gone, and then went to the edge of the water to see them in the boat with Nadir driving.

Christine lifted her head from its place on Raoul's shoulder as if to say "thank you" then rested it against Raoul again.

Eric sighed and somewhat sang. "Christine you are my angel and my shame! You will be in my heart for life and death!"

Christine cried against Raoul's shoulder, then cried more realizing Raoul was somewhat scolding her for kissing him.

Eric went to his throne like chair at his organ, sat down then wrapped himself in his cape so that he was completely hidden.

Moments later, when Christine, Nadir and Raoul were out of sight, a police officer pulled the came from the chair to find nothing there but some sheet music and a mask.

i think this is the longest chapter yet.

Me: Eric what's that look for?

Eric: you made me loose Christine.

Me: oh, yeah, story's not over yet just so you don't kill me. ever here of love never dies?

Eric: no.

Me: good