Chapter Thirteen

The night arrived slowly as the moon rose and the sun fell. The sky became a scarlet color and I stared out the window.

Then the door creaked open and Aurora stepped in. "Emily?"

I turned around and looked at her. "Yes?"

Aurora sat down on the bed next to me. "Emily I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I got angry. I was just in shock that-"

I nodded. "I understand. And I forgive you."

"You were right about Jude, as well," Aurora continued. "I asked him questions about the incident and he lost it. He went mad."

"It doesn't surprise me. I can only wonder what caused Jude to be this way." I licked my lips. "When we were children, he always understood things and was never angry. But now… I-I just don't know what happened."

Aurora sighed and nodded. "It's not like him. Have you talked to him since?"

"Oh, no." I shook my head. "I haven't seen him since. I don't want to."

"Well, perhaps I should leave and let you rest," Aurora said. She got up and bid me goodnight, then left the room silently.

After she was gone, I changed into my white nightgown and sat down on the bed. My life his falling apart, she thought gravely. All of hell is bound to break loose.

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I sat in the carriage as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Meg and Madame Giry sat across from me.

Meg reached over and smiled a bit. "Don't worry… His memory will be gone soon…"

I shook my head slowly. "How can I forget a man such as him?"

Meg sighed and didn't answer. She sat back and the ride seemed to be come longer and more awkward.

Madame Giry and Meg didn't understand my affection for Erik. He was a man who murdered without taking a second glance at what he'd done.

My dress was a violet color and my limp, wavy hair fell around my face. My hazel eyes were even duller than they usually were, on this morning.

A sigh escaped me as the carriage came to a gradual stop.

Madame Giry and Meg stepped out before me. I was reluctant to watch him lose his life, but I wanted to be there if he was.

There was a rather large crowd around the platform for Erik's hanging. People muttered amongst themselves about the infamous Opera Ghost who was about to die the way he cause others to die. Some called this the 'hanging of irony'.

I narrowed my eyes at their comments and rushed to the front of the crowd.

Erik stood there, his face pale and his mask removed, revealing his ugliness.

I stared up at him, tears forming in my eyes and a man read aloud his list of crimes.

I wiped tears away as he was ready to be hung. His hands were tied, his feet were tied and his eyes stared at the crowd, desperate for help. Then they looked to me, his green-grey eyes looking at me, practically weeping.

"Stop!" I ordered. Although my voice was quiet, the man stopped reading.

"Pardon?" he said, looking at me.

"Stop," I repeated. I rushed onto the platform. I stood next to Erik and stared at the crowd. "This man has done nothing wrong!"

The volume of the crowd grew louder.

"He's killed innocent people!" someone yelled.

"And he himself is innocent!" I said back.

"Innocent? You're mad!" a woman yelled at me.

"His killings were an act of defense. You cannot kill him for that."

"Let us watch his body hang!" someone yelled. The voice was all too familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint the destination of the voice.

Erik turned his head to me. "Emily. Stop…" he said.

I looked at him, blinking tears out of my eyes. "No, Erik. I won't stop. Not until you're safe."

Erik shook his head and then looked at the ground.

I sighed and walked closer to him. The time of his hanging drew nearer. He would soon die.

A man grabbed my arm. "Mademoiselle, step down," he said.

I tried to free my arm from his grasp, but he was strong and he started to drag me off the platform. I reached my free arm out to Erik, but he didn't look up. "Let go of me! No!"

Madame Giry and Meg rushed to me. "Emily! Just let it end!" they said.

"I can't stop. I won't stop," I sobbed. The man let go of my arm harshly and I was pushed into a few members of the crowd. They pushed me back in disgust.

Meg took hold of my shoulders, staring me in the face. "Emily. Mother's right. Just let it end."

I shook my head. "It can't… If his life ends, I have no reason to live…"

I watched as Erik lifted his head, eyes closed, waiting for Death to claim him.

It wasn't supposed to end like this! It wasn't…

The man put his hand on the lever and I stared in distress. I told myself to do something and eventually, I lifted the folds of my skirt, rushing onto the platform. "No!"

Just before the man pulled the lever, I had taken the noose off Erik's neck and pulled him aside.

He fell beside me, hands and feet still bound.

I took the binds off him and he rubbed his wrists. He stared at me and we rose to our feet.

I put a hand on his left cheek and smiled a bit, but tears still came.

Madame Giry and Meg rushed up the steps to me and Madame Giry took my arm and began to pull me along. "Emily. Come. Leave him."

I took my arm from the elderly woman's frail grip. "No, Madame Giry," I said. "I'm not leaving him."

"Very well… But if you are taken away for freeing him, it will be by your own hand," she replied.

I looked at the ground briefly and nodded. "I understand."

I turned back to Erik and he stared into my eyes gratefully. Then he snapped back to reality. "We have to leave here."

"Yes," I breathed.

Erik took my wrist fiercely and began to lead me towards a few carriages, but there was a lone horse.

Some people began to yell and say, "Get them!"

Erik lifted me onto the chestnut-colored stallion and climbed on himself then we rode back to the opera house.

When we got there, we ran inside and towards my mother's dressing room. But before we could get there, Jude stopped us.

I looked away from him.

Jude's eyes were narrowed at Erik. "You…" he growled.

I looked at Jude. "Jude, let us pass!"

Jude ripped me from Erik's grasp and pulled me close to him. "No! He will pay for taking you away! I will not rest until he is dead!"

I struggled to escape Jude's hold on me, but his arm was tight as he held me to his side. "Let me go," I protested.

His grip only tightened.

Erik stood before Jude, breathing harsh and deep, eyes narrowed. "Let her go."

Jude chuckled and smiled a bit. "Or what?" He unsheathed a sword from his belt.

Erik looked at the sword then to me and back to Jude. "Let her choose."

Jude's jaw dropped a bit. "No!" he said. "She'd only choose you."

I wriggled in Jude's arms, still trying to get to Erik, but Jude was stronger than I thought.

Eventually his grip had slackened when he lunged to kill Erik and I had just enough time to rush through the door to my mother's dressing room.

Erik jumped out of the way of the blade and followed closely behind, stumbling a bit, as I opened the mirror-door.

I walked through and Erik walked behind me, but we sped up our paces as we heard Jude's footsteps behind us.

When we reached the water, Erik helped me wade through, but Jude was quick. He was catching up and I began to panic.

"Emily!" Jude yelled, the echo bouncing off the stone walls. "Leave him!"

I panted and Erik kept guiding me through the water to his cave. The water was tough to walk through and it was cold. Soon, I couldn't feel my legs and I slowed me. That's when Erik lifted me and ran through the water himself, small splashes hitting me.

As we reached the lair, he set me down in the shallow water and I ran onto the stone floor, and we waiting for Jude to find us.

Erik looked at me. "Quickly. We must leave here. He will find you and kill me."

I shook my head. "Where will we go? How will we get out?"

Erik took a candlestick and walked to a certain mirror. He pulled his arms back and with a strong blow, the reflective glass shattered to the floor, revealing a passageway.

Erik took my arm and began to take me towards it. He soon pushed me through gently and was about to follow until we heard an angry holler, "You insane monster!"

Jude walked to Erik through the water, sword pointed at Erik's heart. "Give her to me."

I turned around and gasped, running back through the broken mirror. "Jude, don't do this!" I said out of desperation.

Erik stared at Jude intensely, his deformities making it even more frightening. "If you kill me, she will never forgive you."

Jude didn't reply. He breathed through his nose fiercely. "She belongs to me."

I looked at Jude, still panting a bit. "Belong to you? Since when have I belonged to you?"

Once again, Jude didn't reply. He only progressed towards Erik, but Erik stepped back.

Jude reached into the water and picked up a rather large stone. He raised it, his hand dripping with water. He turned to me, but looked at Erik. "Hand her over."

"Never," Erik said. He walked towards Jude, fists clenched.

Before he could reach Jude, the stone had flown out of Jude's fingers. One moment, I was watching them, the next I was on the ground in intense pain. The rock had struck my side.

I lay on the floor, clutching my side.

Jude stared at me angrily. "You won't escape."

"Stop…" I coughed.

Erik looked at me, his eyes concerned, but he was afraid that if he turned his back Jude would surely kill him. He was a bit fidgety as he tried to decide what to do.

Soon, he had rushed to me, lifted my head into his arms. "Emily…" he whispered.

I looked up at him. The pain was going away, but it was still very sore. I winced and closed my eyes.

Erik whipped his head around to Jude. He set me down softly and got to his feet. Erik reached down and lifted a long, sharp piece of glass from the broken mirror. "You will be the one to die tonight."

"I beg to differ," Jude said. He ran at Erik, his arm outstretched holding the sword.

Erik dodged Jude's blow, stepping to the side.

Jude grunted angrily and turned again, slashing at the air towards Erik.

The blade pierced Erik's arm and Erik gave a yell of surprise and pain. He dropped the glass and took his hand and placed it over the wound. The sleeve of his white poet's shirt quickly turning scarlet.

He picked the glass up from the ground, gripping it in his palm.

Jude yelled and lunged at Erik, but Erik jumped out of the way and pierced Jude's side with the glass.

Jude stopped, his eyes wide as he choked back breaths. He tried to take breaths, but they were short and stopped easily. He fell to his knees. He was wounded badly, but would not die, yet.

He looked up at Erik and choked out, "Damn you…" A small trail of blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

Erik stared down at him, and then kicked him so Jude lay on his back in pain. His hand reached down and took the sword from Jude, pointing it at Jude's heart.

I looked up wearily and lifted myself, still holding my side. "Erik, don't kill him."

The Opera Ghost looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"Don't kill him," I repeated.

"Why?"

"Everyone deserves to live. Even him."

Erik sighed and threw the sword down, then walked to me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'll-I'll be fine." I took my hand away. Part of my dress was ripped and showed a deep gash in my side. My hand was stained with blood and I looked up at Erik, painfully. My eyes weren't wide, but my pupils were small, making me look frightened.

Erik looked down and touched the gash with his own hand.

I shrunk back in pain. "Ah!"

He apologized and ignored the pain his arm. He looked me in the face. "You need a doctor."

"N-No, I'll be alright," I argued. "I'm fine." I touched a hand to my forehead, my vision going a bit fuzzy. I groaned quietly.

Erik took my in his arms and picked me up.

My head fell back, still barely conscious.

I felt him set me down in the gondola.

Point Of View Change

Erik set her down and sighed. He looked back and Jude and frowned, leaving the man there to die.

He climbed into the boat and began to lead it through the water quickly. He didn't want to lose Emily- he loved her.

Emily looked up at him, trying to manage a smile, but it didn't work. She gripped her side in pain, sitting before him.

"Don't move," Erik ordered.

Emily didn't answer, and did her best to stay still.

The ride wasn't that long, surprisingly enough.

Erik picked her up again, rushing down the passageway.

He stepped through the mirror and set Emily down on the bed gently.

"Emily!" a voice called.

Erik turned and heard footsteps approaching the room.

"Emily! Are you here? Mother, I think she's in here!"

Meg Giry stepped through the door and saw Erik with a gasp. "Mother! Come quick!" She ran over to Erik and Emily, looking down at Emily sadly. She looked at Erik. "What have you done?"

"You are a fool, Little Giry," Erik scolded. "I wouldn't hurt Emily."

"Then who did this?"

"Judas DeLouis," Erik answered.

Meg gasped quietly again and her mother entered.

"Oh, Meg!" she said. "Meg, fetch a doctor!"

Meg nodded and ran out of the room gracefully.

Madame Giry sat on the edge of the bed.

Emily laid down, her eyebrows knitted in pain. "Madame Giry…" she whispered.

"Who did this to you, child?" The woman brushed hair out of Emily's face.

"Jude…"

"Where is he now?"

"Below… Dying, if fate will be kind," Erik cut in.

Madame Giry turned to him. Her blue eyes were clouded with confusion. "What?"

"After he hurt Emily and myself, I…" Erik trailed off. "I can only hope she will forgive me."

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Point Of View Change

My eyes opened slowly and I saw Meg sitting at the edge of my bed. "Meg?"

Meg smiled. "You're alright!"

I chuckled. "Yes…"

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright, but my side is sore."

Meg nodded. "I can believe that. The doctor helped you and stopped the bleeding. He said you should stay in bed for a few days."

I nodded and then I remembered something. "Where's Erik?"

"Erik?" Meg echoed. "I, er, I'm not sure."

"He wasn't taken away again, was he?" My voice was quickly and my chest rose and fell quickly, causing more paint to come to my side.

"No, he wasn't. He fled just before the doctor came. Mother doesn't know where he is either."

I laid my head back down and sighed. "Please, find him for me. I want to see him."

"Emily, I don't think-"

"I want to see him!"

Meg was taken aback by my sudden tone and walked out of the room, looking for her mother.

The door shut and I turned onto my side, staring at the wall. "Oh, Erik… What have I done?"

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Author's Note: Chapter Thirteen finally! Sorry it's been taking so long. I hoped you liked it and it's not over yet! Chapter Fourteen will probably be much shorter, because there's not much more I can do.

BUT! One review will help me write Chapter Fourteen. If you like, you can PM me with your idea of how Chapter Fourteen should go and the way it should end. If I like your plot ending, I will take it and turn it around in my own way and give you credit for the main idea. So start messaging! Can't wait to hear your ideas!