Where oh where have my reviewers gon? oh where oh where can they be? i miss everyone's eviews they make me happy, don't murder my happiness!!! anywaho this chpater is finally done, so sorry for the long wait, but i've been super busy! i could write a novel on just how busy i've been! well here's the next chptr enjoy and please leave me a review!!! please! ta for now!

Chapter 12

Nightmares

It was dark, darker than the blackest of nights. There were no stars, moon or any source of light. Christine was lost. She could see herself, but nothing else. She stretched her right hand out in front of her and the darkness engulfed it and it began creeping up her arm. She watched her upper arm disappear; the darkness spread down to her torso and legs. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Christine could feel it crawling around her, as if the blackness itself was alive. Her screams came out silent again and fear filed every inch of her as the darkness finally consumed the rest of her.

She opened her eyes again and found herself on the shores of the sea; the place of her childhood. She sat up. The sound of the waves crashed before her.

She turned her head to get a better look at her surroundings. The shoreline was deserted, except for one figure was off in distance. The figure's gender was impossible to discern, there was no way to tell, it was too far off.

Christine got to her feet and strained her eyes at the mysterious figure in the distance. No sooner had she focused on it, a man appeared right in front of her. This was not just any man, it was Raoul.

Christine gasped at his sudden appearance and backed away. There was something different about this Raoul though, his eyes were blue like they used to be, his face was soft, this was not the man that had taken her from her Erik.

"You lost your scarf," he said softly holding out a sopping wet piece of clothe that was supposedly her scarf, a look of pure innocence on his face. Christine reached for it, as soon as she had a hold on the fabric Raoul's face twisted dramatically.

He grabbed both her wrists painfully; she could feel his hands bruising her wrists.

"You are mine!" he screeched, "and one day I will take you I will take you from that monster and kill him! You are mine!" Raoul's eyes burned dark red.

Christine sank lower; she could not tear her eyes away from his horrible stare. A Sharp pain stabbed her shoulder, and everything faded away.

Christine awoke with a jolt. Two men stood over her holding her down. She recognized Erik's white half mask above her and relaxed. The other man she did not recognize, he was foreign looking and seemed a bit younger than Erik.

Erik and the stranger released Christine gently and the searing pain in her shoulder returned. She gasped.

"Take it easy Christine," Erik soothed her. "You were having a nightmare; we had to keep you from thrashing about in your sleep, or else you might have caused more damage to your shoulder."

Christine sighed and relaxed

"It is good to see you awake Christine," the stranger said to her, "I was beginning to thing those nightmares of yours were going to take you."

"How long have I been out?"

"About four days," Erik said.

Questions flooded Christine's mind, "Where are we? Who are you?" she said talking to the strange man, "what happened to Raoul? Oh God! What happened to the priest?"

"Shhh settle down Christine," Erik told her, "This is Nadir Khan, he is the closest thing I have to a friend, and he has been kind enough to let us stay here in his home."

"Yes I was very suspicious of him at first, but your little blonde friend explained everything. I knew Erik long before he ventured here to Paris and let me tell you I have seen in the last four days that he is a very different man."

"You knew him from before all this?" Christine questioned.

"Yes," Erik agreed, "but that is a story for another time. Right now you need to rest."

Christine nodded; the short conversation had drained her. She leaned back and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Weeks went by and day by day Christine grew stronger. She learned a lot about Erik's twisted past when he and Nadir were living in Persia. She heard all about the torture chamber he had constructed and designed for the Shah, the odd acquaintance between Nadir and Erik. Then the horrible verdict the Shah inflicted upon Erik after he'd complete her palace and the bold rescue Nadir pulled off to save a man he barely knew and feared.

Erik was more secretive about his childhood, but hinted he had spent a lot of time with gypsies.

Christine had also learned the fate of the priest and Raoul. The Priest had died minutes after being shot and Raoul had gotten away undetected. Erik was angry at himself for letting him get away and vowed to Christine that he would hunt him until his dying day, but Christine told him not to do so. Even though the old Raoul she had known was gone Christine still felt there might a little inkling of her old friend in him and finally convinced Erik to let go of his hate.

The day finally came that Christine was strong enough to leave Nadir's and return home to the Opera. Meg had come to see her friend home and embraced her friend gently when they met outside in the Paris streets.

"Oh Meg! It is so nice to see you." Christine said tears in her eyes.

"I have missed you so, I am so glad to see you well Christine," Meg replied tears of her own falling down her cheeks.

Nadir came out and joined the two women.

"Meg this is Nadir Khan, without him I might be dead." Christine informed her friend.

"I remember you," Meg said, "we met briefly, but I don't believe we'd introduced ourselves. I am Meg Giry," Meg held out her hand.

Nadir took it, bowed and kissed it. Meg had a slight hint of a blush on her fair face, as she smiled at him.

"I am Nadir, as Miss Daae has already stated. Well we must be off," Nadir said to the women, "We do not want to keep Erik waiting and if I know Erik he is not very patient."

"YOU ARE MINE! I am coming for you! YOU ARE MINE!" Raoul's voice surrounded Christine. Raoul stepped out of the darkness. His long blonde hair was gone, cut short standing up in spikes on his head. His blue eyes were gone as well replaced by two black orbs outlined in red.

The searing pain in Christine's shoulder returned as he approached her.

"You are mine," Raoul hissed. He reached out menacingly toward her. His eyes burning Christine couldn't move; he was inches from her face. "I am coming for you!" he whispered sharply.

Then she woke up…