A/N: Sorry for the long delay between updates, you have probably heard that there was recently a rollercoaster accident in Cincinnati at King's Island, well just my luck my sister and I were among the injured on that ride so during recovery I have been thinking about updates on my stories and I finally am to the point where I can sit at my computer for a little while and write, so once again I apologize and I will try to be more prompt on my updates. Thanks!
Chapter 11-Escape
Christine blinked her eyes. It was extremely early in the morning, 2:00 to be exact and she had been tossing and turning all night thinking about her husband using morphine in front of her. She knew he used it, but it frightened her to see him do it.
Erik slept peacefully beside her. Why wouldn't he? Christine was able to make him believe that she totally forgave him for everything he did to her the previous day. They made love over and over that night and now she was remembering how much she hated her husband for the things he did. She did love him for the genius he was, but for the things he did to her and Raoul, she hated him. She knew what she planned to do and she quietly made her way out of her bed.
Christine stood at the foot of her bed and made her way over to the closet where she quietly pulled out a dress, undergarments and a small duffle bag with a nightgown and more undergarments. She picked up her shoes and dropped one on the floor. She looked at Erik in alarm, but he just made a small noise and turned over on his side. She quietly dressed in the bathroom and made her way into the bedroom again where Erik still slept on the same side. She looked at him and said 'farewell' in her mind before she left that bedroom.
She quickly made her way downstairs and past the study before she remembered that she should search for some money. She knew Erik had a lot but she didn't know where he kept it. She frantically searched throughout his desk for any money. Not finding any she gave up easily for she knew where she was going and she knew that Raoul would have plenty of money. She was certain that he would still be at his hotel.
She quietly closed the front door of the house and made her way down the tiny lit street toward the direction of all the shops and restaurants. She walked quickly due to nervousness and anxiety. This was the night, the last night that she would ever have to see Erik again. She thought on her way why she didn't do this earlier, but she knew that she loved him before, but after tonight she realized how she didn't want her life to be that unhappy and filled with ups and downs every single day.
Out of breath from walking quickly, she finally made the two miles to the hotel a half hour later. The front of her calves burned from walking so quick and her side was hurting quite a bit, but she pushed on into the building and up to the front desk.
A burly old man was dozing in and out at the desk and when Christine approached his eyes opened more.
"Please Monsieur; I need you to tell me which room the Vicomte de Chagny is staying in." The man looked at her for a moment and then reached behind him where he grabbed the registry book and threw it on the desk.
"Look in there Madame." He said noticing her wedding ring. She quickly flipped through the book until she caught the right date and searched down the page. After what seemed like forever she found his name and room number, 1162. He still hadn't checked out! She felt her heart begin to flutter and she quickly shut the book and ran up the stairs yelling,
"Thank you!" She ran all the way up the stairs and down the hall almost running past 1162. She banged on the door a few times until finally she could hear someone moving around inside. Finally the door opened and Raoul stood there in front of her, quite surprised to see her standing there.
"Christine! What are you doing here?" Christine kept her emotions together and pushed herself past him and into the room.
"I, uh, escaped tonight and we have to get out of here quick." Raoul looked at her quizzically.
"I had to tell you all those things this morning because Erik made me. He bound me up the other night and then tonight he injected morphine right in front of me. He made me watch as he deliberately shoved a needle into his arm. My whole life with him is terrifying. I love him so much, but I can't live like this!" She was shaking while he held onto her shoulders and sat her down on the bed.
She let out a little sob and a hiccup as Raoul sat and let her cry for a few minutes. Finally he rose and said,
"Well let's get out of here." Christine stood up too and helped shove stuff into his suitcase.
45 minutes later they left that hotel room and Raoul went to the front desk where he checked out. Outside, Christine hailed a cab and waited until he came out to join her. They got a very sleepy driver who barely helped them get their things inside. Once they were settled and on their way to the train station, Christine leaned against his shoulder telling him all about their marriage and how Erik treated her, so strange. One minute he was a loving husband, the next he was a raging maniac. Raoul put his arm around her and assured her that they would go back to his place outside of Paris until he could find them somewhere else to live and she could forget all about Erik.
Erik woke up before the sun that morning and looked at the clock, 5:21. He rubbed his eyes and noticed that the place next to him was empty. He quickly rose out of bed and threw on a pair of pants and a shirt. Buttoning it up, he made his way out of the room and down the hall. He checked all the bathrooms and bedrooms before making his way downstairs into the kitchen. He checked the back porch, his study, the main room and finally became worried. Where was Christine? He ran back upstairs into their bedroom where he threw open the closet door and checked all of her dresses and nightgowns. He knew how many of each she had. He then noticed that her white dress with the navy blue trim was missing along with the large brimmed hat that matched along with her white lace nightgown. He quickly dressed, threw on his cloak, hat and mask and jotted down a note telling Madeleine that he and Christine went on a trip for awhile and she could have off until they returned. He quickly made his way out into the stable where he hitched his horse and took off.
Raoul and Christine arrived at the train station during the early hours of sunrise, when it is still more dark than light. Raoul helped her out of the carriage and they made their way inside to the ticket booth. He ordered two tickets for Monsieur and Mme. Duchesne to depart on the earliest train to Paris. They were told that the earliest train that left for Paris was at 11:00 that morning.
Erik arrived at the hotel in less than ten minutes and rushed inside to see the same old man that Raoul and Christine spoke to earlier. He pounded his fist on the desk to wake the man up and asked urgently,
"When did the Vicomte de Chagny check out?" The man began to get the book but Erik shouted at him,
"I don't have time to look through the book! I want all details, NOW! When did he check out and who was with him?" The man became a little scared of Erik's mask and crazy behavior.
"Uh, about an hour ago."
"Who was with him?"
"A young woman, with dark hair and she had a large white hat on. They left not long after she arrived." Erik turned his back on the man and ran out of the hotel. He got back on his horse and knew exactly where to go, to the train station. They were going to run.
Christine bit on her slender fingers nervously and began pacing as Raoul sat on a bench watching her.
"He's getting ready to wake up and he'll be here before 11. He's going to know exactly where I am. Our escape plan is going to backfire. He'll take me away again, but this time it will be forever. Oh Raoul, I'm so frightened. After his last punishment, what will it be this time?" Raoul finally stood up and said,
"He will have to kill me first before he can touch you. Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to you, I can assure you of that. Look what happened the last time, I defeated him. He's only got one good arm now." Christine smiled faintly but still worried.
"Come on; let's get some breakfast in that restaurant over there."
They made their way inside the crowded restaurant across the street from the train station. The waitress made them wait a few minutes before giving them a place to sit down. They both ordered tea and Raoul lit a cigar.
Erik made his way toward the train station; he could barely see it in the bright early morning sun. When he finally arrived, he ran inside the building and asked when the next train for Paris left. The man behind the counter told him it was at 11, but there were no more seats. Erik nervously looked around the crowded station but didn't see anyone that resembled Raoul or Christine.
"Sir, I need your help. Were there a young man and a young woman that got tickets for that train? She had on a white dress and a matching hat with dark hair. They both were in their early 20's. The man looked at Erik puzzled for a moment and then suddenly his eyes lit up.
"Yes, Monsieur and Madame Duchesne, they should be getting on that train you asked about."
"Sir, I need to get on that train. That woman is my wife and she is trying to leave me. Please, I need your help." Erik urged the man.
"I'm sorry sir, but the train is sold out." Erik pulled the Punjab lasso from beneath his cloak and said in a darker tone,
"Give me a ticket and there will be no harm done to you. Trust me Monsieur, I know how to use this well." The man swallowed hard and said,
"Please, go sit over there and when I exchange your ticket with another passenger I will gesture for you to come back."
"Good man." Erik said backing away and sitting on a bench where he could watch the man closely. He watched the man write something down in a book, go over to another passenger and explain some kind of situation, while the passenger got somewhat angry but understood. The man returned to behind the counter and waved his hand toward Erik who instantly was up.
"Here Monsieur, this was the best I could do. It's not in their same quarters, but you can still access any part of the train." Erik took the ticket and threw down some money before making his way outside. He stood in a corner keeping his hat down low concealing his face. But he somehow thought this wasn't good enough. He wanted to disguise himself from Christine until they got to Paris so he could kidnap her easily when Raoul wasn't around, instead of having to go through that ordeal again. He went back inside and bought a package of cigars. He went back out to his corner, concealed himself again and lit a cigar. He coughed a few times and remembered why he gave up the opium pipe to morphine, because it burned the throat.
Raoul and Christine made their way back to the train station at about 10:15. She was feeling a little bit better and safer on Raoul's arm when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Is that Erik over there?" He said pointing to a black figure standing in the corner smoking. Christine's heart jumped into her throat and she looked closer to the figure. But when she watched him take a drag of the cigar, she suddenly let out a loud sigh.
"No, Erik won't smoke. He used to smoke opium, but he said that he was afraid it would ruin his voice and so he would never smoke again. No, no that's not him." She said shaking her head with a little bit of worry left inside of her.
"If you're sure?" Raoul said.
"Yes, I am sure." They made their way over to a bench and sat down not noticing the man in the corner watching them. Erik became angry, he clenched his fist in his right hand suddenly feeling the pain in his shoulder. He watched his wife talk to this young man and wanted to kill Raoul right then and there. But he knew that he couldn't. He vowed to himself and to Christine that he would stop acting like a lunatic animal.
15 minutes later the train pulled up. The passengers began making their way to the cars and Erik watched Raoul and Christine board before he got in line to board. As he stepped up to the man taking tickets, the man looked at it and said,
"Sir, third class boards down there." He said pointing toward the back of the train.
"But my ticket says first class." The man continued to look at his mask and pointed,
"Down there." Erik not wanting to cause a scene because of his damnable mask stepped out of the line and made his way toward the end of the train where they finally let him on. He made his way all around the train searching for Raoul and Christine, but they were nowhere to be found.
Christine sat inside of their second class cabin and stared out the window as the train blew its final whistle and began to leave the station. She felt relieved that she was leaving. Raoul sat down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder,
"Say goodbye for today is the start of a new life for you." She took his hand in hers and turned around to face him, taking him into an embrace.
"I'm sad but happy at the same time. I don't know if what I'm doing is right."
"It's better for you." Raoul said reassuring her. She smiled at him and took his face into her hands and kissed him. When she broke the kiss she whispered,
"You're right."