Erik's POV
I had been asleep, my mind racing as I thought about Christine and my life. As my mind raced, I pictured Raoul standing before me, a gun in hand, and pointed towards my chest. On that faithful night in the opera house five years ago, the man had pointed his gun at me when I had tried to make my escape after Don Juan. And when he pulled back the trigger, I felt the agonizing pain of the bullet entering my side. I jolted awake, feeling my side burning with agony. I gasped for air, gripping my side and noticing that I was indeed bleeding. But how? How was it that I was bleeding? Curious, I sat up and pulled up my night shirt, realizing that I had torn open one of my scars. Usually, a lot of times my body would become irritated when I tossed and turned. I gripped my side and cringed…Oh, this couch would never do…
"Erik?"
When I heard my name, I spun my head to find Christine standing in the hallway. I wasn't sure if she was back to being all with it or not, but I wasn't about to sit around and find out. I got to my feet and headed towards the bathroom in the hall, warning Christine to go back to bed. When I was in the bathroom, I closed the door and began tending to my open wound. If there was anything that I wanted to do, it was go back to my own bed, but since Christine wasn't feeling well, I spent the late hours tossing and turning on that dreadful couch.
"Erik, did your scars open again?"
Curious as to why she was asking me about my scars, I pressed a wash cloth against my bleeding wound and opened the door.
"Christine, what are you talking about?"
"Your scars," she began. "I know how much they irritate you when you toss and turn in bed…"
I sighed in relief, for Christine hadn't lost her memory after all.
"Christine, where are we?"
I hated making the woman sound stupid, but this needed to be done. I had to know for sure that everything was all right with her.
"Erik, what are you talking about? We're here…We're on Coney Island. Your park is going to be opening within a few days."
I pointed to the hideous scar that was stretched across my neck. "And what about this? Where did I get this from?"
"Erik, are you all right?" Christine placed her hand against my forehead. "You're acting rather strange tonight."
"Enough, woman, where did I get this scar from?"
"Someone slashed your neck a few weeks ago, Erik…Remember? You had stayed at your office a little late and someone had followed you. You told me this yourself."
Oh, Christine was going to be just fine. Satisfied with her answers, I motioned towards the kitchen.
"Let me clean myself up, Christine and I'll meet you in the kitchen for some tea…Perhaps a cookie or two."
"Sounds lovely, I'll go start the kettle."
When Christine was finally gone, I finished wrapping up my side and rummaged around for a fresh shirt, tossing the dirty one into the wash bin.
"You don't need to sleep on that couch any longer," Christine assured as soon as I entered the kitchen. "I'll be all right."
After taking a seat besides Christine, I took a sip of my tea, knowing what had to be done now that she was feeling better.
"Christine," I placed my hand over her own. "Tell me what happened to you that night…"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, the night that someone came in here and hurt you…"
I had expected her to tell me everything, but instead, she gave me an uncertain look, one that made it seem as though I were going crazy.
"I don't understand, Erik…No one came in here. My head does hurt a little bit, but that's from when I fell in the hall…Well, slipped, actually. I was cleaning and I slipped on one of Gustave's toys."
My hand slowly recoiled from her own. It was either Christine had forgotten the entire trauma that had taken place a few nights ago, or, it was that she didn't wish to believe it. Back in Persia, I had come to realize that sometimes, a person may push a terrible event into the back of their mind, and sometimes, it made it easier to forget. I was glad that Christine had not lost her current memory, but now, I was even more devastated in knowing that I would never be able to catch the bastard who had harmed her…Even worse, raped her…Oh, it hurt me to the core.
"Erik, is everything all right?" she asked. "You've been acting so strange lately…"
"I'm a little tired is all."
Yes, I could have lied and begged her to tell me everything… I could have even explained the events to her in hopes of gaining something, but hurting Christine wouldn't do her or me any good. In a way, I guess it was better to forget than to remember something as horrible as that. I wish my memory worked the same as hers, for I would do anything to forget the night rapes and beatings I had received as a child.
"Mama, you're awake!"
Gustave came running in and wrapped her arms around Christine's neck. Oh, I couldn't have this…Not when Christine didn't have any idea about what had happened to her.
"Gustave, what has gotten into you?"
I scooped the child up into my arms and excused myself from the table.
"But Mr. Erik, I want to see mama… She has been asleep for days now."
"Gustave, that's what we need to talk about."
When we were back in the boy's room, I placed him down on his bed and handed him his stuffed tiger.
"Gustave, you can't be all excited around your mother, all right? She…She doesn't understand it."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't bring up anything to her about the attack, all right? You see, your mother doesn't remember being attacked, and I believe that bringing it up will only hurt her. So, you and I need to pretend that it never happened…Can you do that for me?"
"But mama got hurt really bad, Mr. Erik… How can we just continue along acting as though nothing has happened to her?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I know that it seems strange, boy, but you have to promise me that you will never bring anything up about the attack…"
Gustave nodded. "All right, Mr. Erik."
I patted the boy on the back and stood to my feet. "Good, now get some rest. In the morning, you and I have a big day."
"And what is that, Mr. Erik?"
"You and I are going to go to Phantasma and inspect everything for opening day, boy…"
The boy's eyes widened and I smiled as I shut off the lights.
"Christine, I'm going to go to bed…I have some things that need taking care of in the morning."
Christine came walking out of the kitchen, her hand placed at her head once again.
"Oh, you should lie down, Christine. You shouldn't be up wandering around and at such an ungodly hour. In the morning, I'll stop by the drug store and pick you up something to help you with your pain."
"That's really nice of you, Erik…"
"Well, I'd really like it if you would accompany me tomorrow, Christine. I don't like the thought of leaving you here all by your lonesome and bored."
"If I am feeling better, Erik, I would love to come with you."
I waited until Christine was back in her room before heading back to my own. I hated lying to the woman, but I would never allow harm to come her way ever again. If she needed to stay by my side every second of every day, so be it…Oh, and if I ever saw anyone looking at her the wrong way, I would make them pay. I turned over my night table and kicked it, for I felt helpless that I couldn't help Christine find her assailant. It made me feel weak inside, weak and tormented. For the remainder of the evening, I sat at my desk and continued working on scores, scores that would one day become arias that Christine would be singing at my opera house. There were only a few more days until my park opened, and that meant that Christine would soon become the star that I always knew she was. Coney Island would be at her feet and in doing so, she would hopefully become my lover…Lover, oh, what a wonderful word. I had spent over forty years hoping for such a thing, and yes, back in Paris, the girl didn't want anything to do with me, but now was a different time. Yes, Valentine's Day had been a disaster, but it couldn't be any worse…No, I would do something special for the girl on opening night to show her how deeply I cared for her. In my heart, it seemed a little wrong, but I had to start ignoring my broken heart and do as I wished. That was the only way I was ever going to win Christine again. She had already confessed to loving me several times in the past few months, and now, it was time that I did the same.
The following morning, I woke and dressed, hurrying down the stairs to find Gustave already waiting for me. But where was Christine? She was nowhere in sight.
"Where is your mother?" I asked.
"In bed, Mr. Erik…I don't think that she's feeling so good today."
"Stay here, boy…"
Like the gentleman I always tried to be, I lightly knocked on her door and called out her name in the most soothing tone of voice I could render.
"Christine, are you up?"
"I'm not feeling well this morning, Erik… I think that I'm going to pass on accompanying you to Phantasma today."
"May I come in?"
When she consented, I entered and found the poor girl laid up in bed with another terrible headache.
"You rest, I'll go to the drug store and pick something up for you. Just please promise me something, Christine…"
"Anything…"
"I'm going to lock up the house, Christine…Just don't answer the door if anyone comes knocking. Just stay in bed, all right?"
"All right…"
I wasn't sure why I did it, but I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"Rest, Christine, I shall be back soon."
After closing Christine's door, I scooped Gustave up into my arms and headed outside.
"Come along, Gustave, we have a lot to do today…"
"Where are we going first?"
"To the drugstore…"
"For what?"
"For some medicine for your mother…"
Gustave loved it when I carried him places, and I didn't mind it. I allowed him to ride on my shoulders until we arrived at the drugstore. Once there, I set him down, only to have the boy run down the candy isle. I rolled my eyes and headed to the medicine isle, picking up a bottle of pills that were for headaches and carried it to the front counter.
"Gustave, come along, boy," I called.
The child came running up to the counter with a handful of candies in hand.
"Please, Mr. Erik…I got some for you too."
"I don't eat candies, Gustave…"
"Please, Mr. Erik…"
"All right," I said, taking the candy and placing it beside Christine's medicine. "But you have to save some for after dinner. Your mother will have my head, boy."
When everything was paid for, Gustave took a lollypop and stuck it into his mouth, sucking on it as he and I walked the streets towards Phantasma.
"Mr. Erik, when is mama going to sing?"
"In a few days, Gustave…"
The first place we visited was my opera house.
"Come along, I'll show you her dressing room."
Gustave seemed excited over this, for he followed me and I unlocked the door. Once inside, I pulled out the dress that she was going to be wearing, and Gustave's eyes widened.
"It's going to look beautiful on her, Mr. Erik…"
It was a blue and green dress, one that was covered in sequence. My stage back ground was one consisting of paintings of peacock feathers, therefore, this dress seemed to fit her perfectly. Oh, she would look absolutely stunning!
"But something is missing, Mr. Erik…"
"What would that be?"
"A necklace. Mama won't look right without one. No, she needs a necklace, all ladies wear them."
The boy was right…Christine indeed needed some jewelry.
"Well then, why don't you help me pick out one?"
When Gustave was back upon my shoulders, I headed towards the nearest jewelry store, entering and heading towards the necklace case.
"That one, Mr. Erik…" Gustave pointed to a beautiful blue pearled necklace with a stunning green diamond hanging in the center of it. Oh, this one would make her look like the angel that she was.
"Can I help you?" the manager questioned.
"I'll take this one," I said, motioning to the necklace. While the man was getting out the necklace, I happened to pass a case, one that instantly caught my eye. There, in the case, was a gorgeous diamond ring…It had a silver band and a pink and white diamond. Oh, it screamed Christine all over…I had to have my hands on it! I needed to surprise her with that beautiful trinket. It wasn't an engagement ring, that was for sure, nor was it a wedding band… No, it was just beautiful.
"Ah, eying the promise ring, are you?"
I raised my eyes to the manager who was standing behind the counter.
"Promise ring?" I questioned. "What exactly is that?"
"Oh, you know, these Americans are strange. Years ago it was just the engagement ring, and then, the wedding band. Now, they have a promise ring. It's simply a ring that the lady wears…And when she wears it, she is promising that she will always be faithful to the man who gives it to her. Strange, is it not?"
"No, not at all…" A promise ring…Oh, I loved the idea of it! It wasn't a promise for marriage, but it was hope.
"The matching ring for the man comes along with it…"
The man opened the case and presented the beautiful diamond ring and then, the silver band that the man was supposed to wear. I gazed down at my left ring finger, the very finger that had always been bare and cold…Oh, to walk around wearing a ring in public would make me feel human and like everyone else. If Christine refused to wear my ring, then I would never attempt it again, but this was something I needed to try.
"I'll take it…"
Things were about to take a turn for either better or worse...
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