Under The Spell Of A Phantom
Eighteen: Just Breathe.
Ruby's POV
I was falling in a never ending pool of pitch blackness, my outstreched hand reached out to thin air.
Flashes of my life appeared in my mind from my childhood to the moment I discovered the blood coarsing from my body.
The last thing I heard before I succumbed to this dark oblivion was Erik crying out my name like he was in agony.
All I ever wanted was to see his face again, be in his arms and let his lips capture my own. I wasn't ready to die.
Shooting my eyes open, I landed softly on the ground with the flashing images suddenly fading away to nothing.
I looked around the barren surroundings, not a sign of life or light. I was simply alone in this lonely place.
Tears began to fall down my face, how I miss Erik terribly! "Let me out of here!" I scream, my voice echoing everywhere.
Suddenly the sound of hollow footsteps come towards me, a large and tall man wearing a hood appears with a staff in his skelton hand.
A wave of fear ran through my body, this had to be Death with those black orbs and a unsettling grin across his bony face.
"Please, don't take me! I'm not ready to die!" I sobbed, begging on bended knees. But Death didn't utter a word to me.
Instead he rose his empty hand to point at the right direction to where we were. "What is over there?" I asked.
Again he didn't reply, it was useless asking a dead skelton questions. So I rose and made my way along the darkness.
I turned to look behind me, Death was still pointing at where I was going. I frowned at him but carried on walking.
Then I heard a familer and beautiful voice. Erik. It couldn't be anyone else, no-one could sing like a fallen angel.
A bright white light sucked me in until I was standing in a dressing room with a painting of a woman holding a plate with a man's head on it.
Looking away in disgust, I turned my eyes to a large and proud mirror that revealed it's own secret. There was a room on the other side.
Strangely taken by it, I pushed the slide door aside and stepped in without any fear. Candles were held by green hands that moved whenever I did.
Wandering through this long and winding hall, I paused at a staircase that was awaiting me to go down them. Taking a steady breath, I began the descent.
His strong and powerful voice was pulling me to find him, just a moment without seeing Erik was unbearable. My life would have no meaning if he wasn't there.
As I reached the final step, a proud black stallion stood before me. There for a reason, I hopped on the saddle and let the animal lead me down the darkest parts of this unusual place.
Closing my eyes to listen to the melody, I wondered how can a man like he pour out such haunting and enchanting harmonies with a piece of paper and a organ.
The horse stopped at where a small boat lay in a large amount of water, I got off the saddle and stroked it's mane before stepping on the boat and rowed down the lake.
I was getting closer to him, my heart was pounding ever so fast of the thought of seeing those soul-capturing eyes and being held in his broad arms again.
Reaching towards a large gate, it opened by itself as the boat led me inside a beautiful and strangely unusual lair filled with candles and other such things.
Once it stopped on the shore, I stepped out and wandered around this new surrounding. There was a large organ with dozens of musical pieces and lots of drawings along the walls.
I studied the woman in them, it had to be Christine. She had brown choclate eyes and curly brown hair, no wonder he was so taken by her. She was truely breath-taking.
Suddenly I felt so heart-broken, he didn't really want plain old Ruby. Erik wanted his dead Christine back, love and protect her forever. What was I thinking that he would ever love me?
As I turned around, his voice made me stop from making a another move. "You alone can make my soul take flight, let me make the music of the... night..." He sung so perfectly.
I slowly moved my body, my eyes looking into his. Standing there dressed in black with only a white frilly shirt and his half moon mask hiding his disfigurement, I couldn't deny my racing heart.
"Ruby..." He sighed, walking ever so slowly towards me. "But, don't you want Christine?" I asked, with a frown. "No." He replied, stopping to place his warm hands on my bare arms.
"All I want is you, no-one else." "What about the drawings?" I pointed at them. He stepped aside for me to see that instead of seeing Christine's face it was me with my blue eyes and short brown hair.
I gasped, looking back at Erik. A smile was across his face, one that set alight my body with furious rapture shivers. "Come with me." He said, offering his gloved hand to me. I didn't hesitate.
He led me up the six little steps, passing by two life-like stautes of myself and Erik wearing wedding clothes, to a swan bed with red sheets and fluffy pillows. I looked at him, instanly knowing.
Cupping my cheeks, he leaned down to capture my lips while rising his hand to pull down a handle where two red curtains shut us away from anyone so it was just me and him, the man I love.
Gathering me in his arms, he laid me down on the bed and took off his mask. Seeing his disfigurement didn't disgust or terrify me, in fact I took that one side of his face and let my lips caress it.
A long sigh came out of his mouth, I could see very clearly that he savoured the special moment. We soon made love in a slow and tender way, each of us escaping from our viginaity at long last.
Laying naked in each other's arms, my eyelids felt very heavy. "Just breathe, Ruby. It will take you back." Erik said, while stroking my hair. I looked up at him with a frown. "What did you say?" I asked.
"Shut your eyes and just breathe, then you can return back to where you came from." He replied. "But what about you?" "I'll be waiting for you to awake, do not worry. You did not die."
I bit down my lip, I feared of it not working. But when I looked in Erik's eyes, I could see that I could trust him with anything he just said. I leaned down to take his lips into mine for a passionate kiss.
It lasted longer than a minute until I pulled away, holding back the threatening tears that were pleading to come out. I laid down on his chest once more, slowly shutting my eyes and breathed.
