Disclaimer: Why not check out Charles Dance Phantom of the opera
miniseries? Or listen to Faust while reading this? Just a thought since the
original story is owned by Gaston Leroux. but oh! That's right! Faust is
Gounod's and the Charles Dance miniserie is Yeston/Kopit's. Darn. I don't
even own that!
~ Chapter nine ~
Why wouldn't she leave his things alone? He had asked her specifically not to touch his mask, yet she had ripped it off. He had asked her specifically not to touch the bag of life and death, and what was it now she was holding?
He felt rage coming upon him, it started storming within his soul, and he cursed all females on earth for not being able to leave certain things alone. If Erik's secrets cease to remain Erik's secrets, it will be a bad lookout for a goodly number of the human kind.
She knew there were two bronze keys in the bag, and that one of them went to the torture-chamber, but she had no idea why Erik had been so secretive when it came to the other one. She had to know where the other key went.
She had just finally untied the knot to the little bag when she heard a voice that roared like thunder behind her.
"So, you have a death-wish, after all?"
Christine jumped at the sound of his voice, and quickly tried to hide the little leather bag in her skirt before she turned only to see that Erik probably had seen all he needed to see. The blood froze to ice in her veins out of fright, yet she tried to sound natural.
"Erik, you've stopped playing! I didn't hear you come in!"
"No, I can see that." he said and gave a sinister chuckle.
"Christine, now I know I must be subject to hallucinations, you know what I just thought I saw. You look nervous Christine, what's the matter? .I thought I saw you holding the little bag of life and death just now, even though I specifically forbade you ever to touch it."
Christine tried to hide the bag even more in her skirt, and her knuckles whitened as she held the little bag as hard as she could.
"What are you talking of Erik? I don't know what you're talking about!"
Erik slowly stepped closer to her with heavy steps.
"No, of course not. I mean, I told you it was the bag of life and death, so why should you ever want to touch it again, since I gave the Daroga and your little precious Raoul life and there's logically only one key left in the bag after that?"
Erik was now standing just a meter away from Christine, and there he stopped, smiling a strange smile to her.
"You are shaking my dear Christine, what's the matter? Is it not warm enough in here for you? I light all the fires this morning, as I always do, so why are you shaking?"
Christine knew she was doomed, yet she clanged on to hope.
"I think I'm getting sick, Erik. Maybe I've got fever. I don't feel that good."
"If you want something warm, dear, you know where to find Africa, do you not? If you wish, I can turn on the spectacle again. Just for you."
"No, Erik! No! I'm not that sick, look, let's just sit down or something. It feels as if you're questioning me out or something, Erik?"
Christine nervously laughed and moved towards one of the chairs in the room. Erik followed her.
"Do I have a reason for questioning you, Christine?"
"Erik. No! Why do you say that? What would that be? Of course not!"
He walked closer to her, towering up over her, and suddenly grabbed the hand in which she held the little leather bag and forced it up under her eyes.
Christine screamed out of fear when Erik's cold bony fingers dug deep into her skin.
"What's this my dear? It's not an illusion is it?"
"Erik, Erik, you're hurting me! Let me go!"
Erik started laughing a mad, hysterical laugh. Silently at first, but it grew stronger and stronger in volume and suddenly filled the entire room. Christine covered her ear with her only free hand, screaming for him to stop it, and let her go. The laugh was so loud that it felt as if her head would burst. She screamed out of fear, and if Erik hadn't hold her so hard she would have tried to run, but now there was nowhere for her to go.
After a while the laughter echoed out. Erik stopped laughing, but watched her with eyes that burned down in her soul. Now she didn't have the Daroga, or Raoul to save her, now she had no one that could save her from the madman, this time she was alone.
The nightmare had started anew.
~ Chapter nine ~
Why wouldn't she leave his things alone? He had asked her specifically not to touch his mask, yet she had ripped it off. He had asked her specifically not to touch the bag of life and death, and what was it now she was holding?
He felt rage coming upon him, it started storming within his soul, and he cursed all females on earth for not being able to leave certain things alone. If Erik's secrets cease to remain Erik's secrets, it will be a bad lookout for a goodly number of the human kind.
She knew there were two bronze keys in the bag, and that one of them went to the torture-chamber, but she had no idea why Erik had been so secretive when it came to the other one. She had to know where the other key went.
She had just finally untied the knot to the little bag when she heard a voice that roared like thunder behind her.
"So, you have a death-wish, after all?"
Christine jumped at the sound of his voice, and quickly tried to hide the little leather bag in her skirt before she turned only to see that Erik probably had seen all he needed to see. The blood froze to ice in her veins out of fright, yet she tried to sound natural.
"Erik, you've stopped playing! I didn't hear you come in!"
"No, I can see that." he said and gave a sinister chuckle.
"Christine, now I know I must be subject to hallucinations, you know what I just thought I saw. You look nervous Christine, what's the matter? .I thought I saw you holding the little bag of life and death just now, even though I specifically forbade you ever to touch it."
Christine tried to hide the bag even more in her skirt, and her knuckles whitened as she held the little bag as hard as she could.
"What are you talking of Erik? I don't know what you're talking about!"
Erik slowly stepped closer to her with heavy steps.
"No, of course not. I mean, I told you it was the bag of life and death, so why should you ever want to touch it again, since I gave the Daroga and your little precious Raoul life and there's logically only one key left in the bag after that?"
Erik was now standing just a meter away from Christine, and there he stopped, smiling a strange smile to her.
"You are shaking my dear Christine, what's the matter? Is it not warm enough in here for you? I light all the fires this morning, as I always do, so why are you shaking?"
Christine knew she was doomed, yet she clanged on to hope.
"I think I'm getting sick, Erik. Maybe I've got fever. I don't feel that good."
"If you want something warm, dear, you know where to find Africa, do you not? If you wish, I can turn on the spectacle again. Just for you."
"No, Erik! No! I'm not that sick, look, let's just sit down or something. It feels as if you're questioning me out or something, Erik?"
Christine nervously laughed and moved towards one of the chairs in the room. Erik followed her.
"Do I have a reason for questioning you, Christine?"
"Erik. No! Why do you say that? What would that be? Of course not!"
He walked closer to her, towering up over her, and suddenly grabbed the hand in which she held the little leather bag and forced it up under her eyes.
Christine screamed out of fear when Erik's cold bony fingers dug deep into her skin.
"What's this my dear? It's not an illusion is it?"
"Erik, Erik, you're hurting me! Let me go!"
Erik started laughing a mad, hysterical laugh. Silently at first, but it grew stronger and stronger in volume and suddenly filled the entire room. Christine covered her ear with her only free hand, screaming for him to stop it, and let her go. The laugh was so loud that it felt as if her head would burst. She screamed out of fear, and if Erik hadn't hold her so hard she would have tried to run, but now there was nowhere for her to go.
After a while the laughter echoed out. Erik stopped laughing, but watched her with eyes that burned down in her soul. Now she didn't have the Daroga, or Raoul to save her, now she had no one that could save her from the madman, this time she was alone.
The nightmare had started anew.