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Chapter 3-Trying to Change

Christine sat in the carriage after it had been stopped for some time.

"Christine? What are you thinking? Are you happy with this home?" Erik asked concerned because Christine was crying again.

"Oh…" was all that Christine responded with. She slowly made her way out of the carriage and remained staring at the house. It wasn't the same house indeed, but it did have some of the same features. Christine finally started walking slowly toward the house while Erik followed struggling with all of the bags. They made their way up to the white two story house and Erik stopped on the front porch in front of the door. He decided upon a key and unlocked the front door allowing Christine to enter. She looked around at the well furnished house. In the foyer was a grand staircase with a giant chandelier hanging. Christine squealed and acted like a child doing circles in the room. Erik enjoyed watching her smile and spin. She finally stopped and looked at his serious look. She stopped smiling and asked,

"What's that face all about?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that I would never forget this moment for as long as I live." She smiled and came towards him pulling him into a friendly hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. She then pushed away and ran upstairs with Erik right on her heels.

"I have decorated a bedroom for you." Erik said running in front of her. He stopped in front of a door and Christine noticed on the doorknob there was a keyhole.

"No! NO!" She screamed running away from him. Erik stood there confused and quickly began running after her. When she was halfway down the stairs he grabbed her arms and slammed her against the wall.

"What the hell is wrong with you woman? You were fine until now!" He screamed in her face. Christine closed her eyes and could feel his hot breath on her face.

"I saw the hole for the key…" she began sobbing,

"You are going to lock me up again, aren't you?" She asked crying harder. Erik looked confused. He never noticed any keyhole in that door. If there was one, he didn't have a key for it. But this angered him that she would suspect only the worst from him.

"There is no key for that door if there is a keyhole! So I wouldn't be able to lock you in there even if I wanted to!" Erik shouted again.

"I-don't-believe-you." Christine sobbed. This angered Erik even more. He quickly grabbed her by her forearm and began dragging her up the stairs with her feet stumbling on each stair. He dragged her down the hall back to the same door and saw that there was no keyhole.

"Look Christine, look!" He shouted pointing at the doorknob.

"You are imagining things that aren't there!" Christine stopped sobbing for one second to look at the doorknob and realize that there was nothing on it. She stopped crying and looked up at him. He opened the door and threw her in the room with her falling on the floor. She sat up and looked around. The room was beautiful. There was a large four poster bed with a matching dresser and nightstand. Every surface was covered in vases of flowers. It looked like a florist shop. Christine looked at the back wall and saw nothing but windows. In the middle of the windows were white French doors leading onto a balcony overlooking the ocean. Christine was amazed at how beautiful the room was and looked up at Erik who was frowning down at her.

"Why the hell would I lock you in here when you can climb off that balcony? Honestly you women act so stupid sometimes!" He said walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him. She stared at the door and slowly stood up. She quietly walked over to the doors and walked outside on the balcony. On it were two little chairs and a little tea table. She sunk into one of the chairs and stared out at the roaring sea. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the sea remembering her childhood.

She remembered when she was on the beach and her red scarf blew off her body. She screamed out and reached her arms toward the sea where he scarf had settled on the water.

"It's all right; I'll go fetch your scarf out of the sea!" She heard the voice and looked out to see a little boy with blondish hair swimming in the sea rescuing her scarf. When the little boy returned with her scarf, Christine laughed at the little boy who was soaked all the way through and kissed his cheek. He was none other than Raoul.

Christine opened her eyes to erase the memory and stared out at the ocean. She quietly began talking to her father,

"Father, is this my fate forever? I am so unhappy and I wish that you were here to tell me what to do and hold me. I know that I should be brave and try to be strong. I know that I should make the best of everything, but I hate it here!" She began to cry again and the tears were coming down as fast as she could wipe them away.

Erik quietly walked into the room and stood behind the door listening to what Christine had said. He felt so terrible for what he had done. He wished that she would be saying good things to her father, but she truly hated being with him and he was the cause for her misery. He wanted nothing more to be loved by her and yet he kept fouling it up. Every time they began to get along, he would push her away. He couldn't take hearing her cry anymore and he quietly left the room as quietly as he came in leaving her suitcase behind.

Christine sat outside thinking until the sun began to set. She began to shiver as the night air came in off the ocean and decided to go inside. She closed the door behind her and lit some lamps that were placed around the room. She saw her suitcase sitting by the door and decided that now would be a good time to unpack some of her things. She began hanging her dresses in the closet and putting her undergarments in the dresser. During this unpacking she heard a soft knock on the door. Christine really didn't want anything to do with Erik right now but told him to come in anyway.

She turned her back toward the door so as not to look at him. Erik stepped in carrying a tray of food.

"I thought you might like to eat." He said softly. Christine turned around to look at him. His white mask was gleaming in the light and he walked over to the dresser where she was standing and sat the tray down. She looked at the tray and then looked at him.

"I'm sorry; I just don't know how to love you. I want you so badly and yet I am pushing you away even farther. I'm so sorry, my lovely, beautiful Christine." Erik said now with tears in his eyes. He turned away from her, taking off his mask to wipe away his tears. He put it back on and turned back to her who continued to stare at him.

"I want to make you happy and I am willing to try to change myself to make you happy with me." Erik said with a little hiccup. Christine continued to stare at him until he finally left the room without saying anything, leaving the door open behind him.

Christine was standing in the grass, helpless while watching the two men. Raoul pulled a pistol out of his jacket and pointed it at Erik. Erik stood there laughing at him until Christine heard the gun fire. She screamed and looked at Erik who was clutching his chest as he fell to his knees. She ran to him and watched as the blood oozed between his fingers and staining his white shirt. She held onto him and looked back at Raoul who was smiling.

Christine sat straight up in bed sweating. She looked around the dark room and realized it was only a dream. She pushed off the covers and stood up walking over to the doors leading to the balcony. Feeling extremely hot, she opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. She stepped out to the railing and noticed a small lantern almost directly beneath her. She looked out at the sea and could see a small head popping in and out of the waves in the moonlight. It was Erik. She couldn't see him swimming and immediately ran out of her room and down the stairs out the back door.

"Erik! Erik!" She screamed running over to where the lantern was. She stepped on a pile of clothes and saw his white mask lying in the sand. She calmed down knowing that he had intentionally gone swimming. She sat down in the sand by the lantern and watched his head bob up and down in the waves. She squinted her eyes to see the little head coming toward the shore.

Erik heard Christine's voice yelling for him and looked back toward the house. He saw her run toward the lantern and immediately began swimming back. The first time he heard her voice, he thought he imagined it for she wouldn't worry about him. But when he heard it a second time and looked back to see her, his heart skipped a beat. He wanted nothing more than to hurry up and get back to her.

Christine watched as he swam up to the shore and sat down in the water.

"Turn around!" He demanded at her. She immediately turned around to leave him some dignity. She listened as his footsteps made their way to where she sat and she could hear him drying off and putting on his clothes.

"You can turn around now." He said quieter. Christine turned around to face the ocean and Erik sat down beside her adjusting his mask. Christine grabbed it from his hands causing a little anger to rise up into him.

"What are you doing?" He said almost shouting.

"I can't see you, be comfortable." She replied placing on her other side. Erik decided that he wouldn't lose his temper. He shouldn't care; she had already seen his ugliness.

"Why did you come out here? I heard you yelling my name." Erik said breaking the silence. Christine thought hard for a moment trying to think of what to tell him. Should she tell him about her dream or should she make something up.

"I know you had a bad dream, I could feel it when I was swimming. I know that I died in your dream and you were worried about me." Erik finally said staring fixedly out at the sea. Christine stared at him amazed at how he read her mind all the time. It was something that she wished she could do to him, for then he wouldn't be so mysterious.

"Erik, even though I say I hate you, I do care about you. Even though I think I hate you, I do care about you." Christine said softly. Those were the most beautiful words Erik ever heard, someone cared about him. Erik was so inexperienced at showing affection and quietly asked,

"Christine do you mind if I hold your hand, for you just lit up my life." Christine smiled slightly and nodded in the small light of the lantern. Erik barely touched her hand and didn't have a firm grasp on it, but that was enough contact for him and he could stay that way forever.