| ~ Chapter 7 ~ |
| Christine ran boldly down the hallway, thankful for Meg�s ruse. She only wished that her heels were not quite so loud, for she feared that Raoul might hear her flight to her dressing room. When she reached the door to her old quarters, she cast a quick glance down the hallway and was relieved to see that it was still empty. Not wishing to waste a moment longer, she pushed open the door and flew into the room, running directly to the large mirror. She beat upon the glass, trying to find the key that would open the secret door. But her efforts seemed useless. �Erik!� she sobbed hysterically. �Please come back to me!� �As you wish,� she heard a beautiful voice say. In shock and disbelief, Christine fell back from the mirror and collapsed to the floor in a dead faint. The Phantom swept through the glassy doorway and knelt beside his beloved. �Christine,� he said gently. �Mon ange!� He gathered her into his arms and held her close. He would have liked to awaken her there, but he could hear the heavy footsteps of the Vicomte approaching the chamber. �I tell you, she�s not there!� Meg Giry screeched in the distance. Erik smiled thankfully at Meg�s unasked for assistance and lifted Christine into his arms. He carried her through the mirror then turned to shut the secret door. As he cast a glance over his shoulder, he saw the Vicomte burst into the room. Raoul took in the sight of the Phantom carrying off his love and his jealousy nearly tore him in two. He leapt at the glass wall when it snapped shut, and pounded on the mirror in vain. �I�ll find you!� he shouted. �You monster, ghost, mistake of a man! You�ll wish you were dead when I get through with you!� In a moment of anger, Raoul grasped a chair and sent it hurtling through the mirror, easily shattering the secret door. He stepped into the hidden corridor and was momentarily blinded by the darkness. But he would not be deterred. He returned to Christine�s dressing room and found a candle and match that would light his way. Muttering a curse, he lit the candle and rushed into the dim passageway. Erik carried Christine through the dark caverns beneath the Opera House. He was reluctant to take her to the lower levels which housed his lair, so he made his way to the Rue Scribe. His mind was racing with the possibilities of where he could take her, but at last he decided on Nadir�s apartment. As he hurried through the darkness, he came upon the old well where he had first held Christine in his trembling arms all those months ago. It unnerved him to realize he was treading the same path once again, but he hoped that Christine would awaken with joy at his presence this time instead of fear. He laid her near the well and pulled a set of smelling salts from his pocket. As he brought them to her nose, she awoke with a start and cried out. On impulse, Erik pulled her into his arms and silenced her startled cry with a kiss. At first she seemed to resist, but then she immediately recognized her lost lover and returned his kiss with a passion that set them both on fire. Breathless, they finally parted and simply clung to each other in the gloom. Erik could taste the salt of her tears, and for the second time in his life, his tears mingled with hers. �Erik!� Christine whispered in the darkness. �Is it really you?� �Yes, my dear,� he replied, sitting back to wipe the tears from her cheeks. �But Raoul told me you were dead!� she moaned, grasping one of his hands tightly in her own and planting a kiss on his palm. �Oh, no, my love,� he said softly. �Fate would not be so unkind.� She uttered a sob and flung her arms around him again, clinging to him like a child. While Erik delighted in her embrace, his acute senses reminded him that the Vicomte would soon be upon them. He lifted Christine to her feet. �Do you think you can walk?� �Erik, with you I can fly!� she said fervently. �Good,� he said with a smile. �Then let�s away!� He wrapped an arm about her waist and ushered her through the darkness. They were both aware of the small light that seemed to be creeping upon them, and they strove to quicken their pace. Raoul was the quicker, though, especially with the candle to guide him. He could almost make out the Opera Ghost and Christine dashing through the black caverns. He struggled to hold his tongue, and reached into his jacket to pull out his revolver. When Erik and Christine reached the exit to the Rue Scribe, they could hear the sound of someone trying to open the door from the outside. Erik pulled Christine into the shadows, and threw his cloak about them, hoping to obscure their forms. When the door opened, they both stopped breathing for fear that they would soon be discovered, but a soft voice called from the doorway. It was a voice inflected with a Persian accent. �Erik?� Nadir whispered frantically. �Nadir!� The Phantom leapt from the shadows and wrapped the Daroga in a hug. Nadir stumbled back in shock, but had the presence of mind to help his friend and the lovely Miss Daae escape through the door. As they rushed into the alleyway, the sound of a gunshot echoed in the chamber behind them. �By Allah!� the Daroga cried, glancing back over his shoulder. Erik grabbed the Persian by the arm and dragged both him and Christine toward the street. �We have to get out of here!� he cried. Christine darted ahead and hailed a hansom, motioning for Erik and Nadir to jump into the cab. Erik thrust the Persian into the coach and turned to help Christine into the carriage. But Christine glanced back to the hidden passageway and could see Raoul step out into the street. The Vicomte leveled his gun at the Phantom�s back and fired. �NO!� Christine screamed, flinging herself towards Erik. The Phantom caught her as she flew in front of him, and he threw his arm out as if he could halt the bullet with a wave of his hand. But there was no stopping the reckless shot of the Vicomte de Chagny, and Christine gasped in pain when the bullet struck her. �No!� Erik cried as Christine collapsed into his arms. His moan was echoed by the foolish Vicomte, who was already starting to run towards them. Nadir helped Erik to pull Christine into the coach, and he shouted frantically to the driver to move on. �Drive! Drive!� he commanded. The carriage took off at lightning speed. As Erik laid Christine down on the seat, he glanced out the window and saw Raoul jump into another coach, motioning to the driver to follow them. The Phantom swore in Persian and then turned his attentions back to Christine. She had been shot in the arm, barely six inches away from her heart. Erik threw off his cloak and tore at his garments, immediately forming a tourniquet from pieces of his tuxedo shirt. The bullet was still in her arm, but once they arrived at Nadir�s flat, he would be able to remove the dangerous pellet...provided they could get to Nadir�s flat without further incident. The Phantom cast a wary glance out the window and could see the Vicomte�s coach directly behind them, gaining speed. �Damn that boy!� he cursed. He looked helplessly to Nadir, who seemed at a loss as what to do. Then he looked down at Christine, whose pale face was cradled gently in his lap. Her eyes fluttered open, the pain apparent in the crinkle of her brow. �I�m sorry,� she choked. �For what?� the Phantom asked in astonishment. �For putting you in harm�s way,� she wept. �Oh, Christine,� Erik hugged her to him. �I would walk through fire for you!� He kissed her on the forehead and cradled her in his arms. �I don�t want to lose you,� she sobbed. �You won�t, my sweet. We'll get through this.� �But�Raoul won�t stop� until he has me�� �And do you want him?� Erik asked fearfully. �No!� she protested, her body shaking with sobs. �But I don�t want him to hurt you...� �He�s not going to hurt either of us,� Erik promised, striving to keep the vengeance from his voice. �Just rest, Christine. Save your strength.� Christine managed a smile, and closed her eyes. Erik looked to Nadir. �Please watch over her, Daroga. My life is hers. You must keep her safe for me.� Nadir reached out to his friend. �What are you going to do?� The Phantom moved from his seat and was already crawling out the window. �I have to settle a score,� he said fiercely. And with that, he was gone. * * * * * The Victome kept a close watch on the coach that held his runaway bride. When he saw the Phantom crawl from the window and climb to the top of the coach, Raoul felt certain that victory would soon be his. He stretched his arm out the window and took aim. One shot fired off, but the carriage shook viciously as it hit a stone, and the gun tumbled from the Vicomte�s hand. �Blast!� he swore. Not to be outdone, Raoul climbed out the window of his moving cab and crawled onto the roof as well. �You think this is over, Erik?� he shouted. �You�re in my realm now!� �What? Do you own all of Paris?� the Phantom taunted. Both carriages rumbled over the cobblestones and the passersby exclaimed in horror at the two men on the rooftops of the cabs. �No,� Raoul answered. �But you have kidnapped my bride for the last time. I will see you in chains before this day is through!� Erik looked wildly about and caught the eye of his driver, who was aghast to see a masked man on the roof of his carriage. �Just drive!� Erik snarled. �And I'll pay you handsomely!� The driver gave a frightened nod and urged the horses on. Raoul looked to his driver and grabbed hold of a whip that was coiled next to the man. He unfurled it and lashed out at the Phantom with expert ease. The whip hit its mark, drawing a line of blood. �You really are a beast,� the Vicomte laughed. �Perhaps you only need to be tamed!� He lashed out again, but this time Erik caught the whip and coiled it about his forearm. Raoul held tight to his end and tried to pull the Phantom off of his carriage, enacting a gruesome game of tug-of-war. But Erik held his ground and managed to keep hold of the end of the whip. �Come, come, Phantom!� Raoul cried. �There�s nowhere for you to run! I will hunt you down wherever you go!� �And what of Christine?� Erik challenged. �Will you hunt her down too? Will you shoot her like a dog in the street if she disobeys you?� The Phantom gave a sharp tug and nearly pulled the Vicomte from the carriage, but Raoul released the whip at the last moment and clung to the small railing on the coach. �It�s your fault she was harmed!� Raoul spat. �You warped her mind and twisted her heart! Now you are the cause of her spilt blood!� Raoul�s words hit Erik painfully, playing upon all the doubt that had ever plagued the disfigured genius. The Phantom looked down, momentarily grief-stricken, his heart and mind filled with guilt and concern for Christine�s well-being. Raoul used this moment to leap aboard the Phantom�s coach. He used the force of his flight to try to knock the Opera Ghost from the roof. But Erik was far more agile, and he was able to free himself from the younger man�s fumbled attempt. Raoul steadied himself then hauled back to throw a nasty punch at the Phantom�s face. But at that moment, the carriage hit a large stone in the street and the cab lurched dangerously forward. Erik fell to one knee, going with the motion of the coach, but Raoul was not so lucky and pitched over the side of the cab. In desperation, the Vicomte grabbed onto the railing with one arm, halting his descent to the street below. He struggled to hang onto the bouncing carriage, but seemed to be running out of time. As his fingers began to slip from the railing, the Phantom reached out and grasped the young man�s hand, trying to keep the Vicomte from falling. Raoul looked up into the white masked face with surprise and clung to his savior in desperation. At that moment, Christine opened her eyes and beheld them both dangling over the side of the carriage. �NO!� she screamed, sitting up and reaching out to both of them. Raoul grew bold at the sight of her and sneered up at the Phantom. In a recklessly insane moment, he reached up and tore the mask from the Phantom�s face, displaying the Opera Ghost's hideous features for all to see. Erik instinctively pulled back to cover his face with his hands, and thusly released the foolish Vicomte, sending him tumbling into the street. Raoul tried to stand as he watched the Phantom�s carriage gallop away, and he caught his breath to hurl out one final insult. However, in the darkness, another approaching coach did not see Raoul in time, and the horses collided right into him. The Vicomte screamed in torment, and numerous passersby ran to the scene, drawing lanterns with them to see who was the victim of such a dreadful accident. L�Epoque would later report that the Vicomte de Chagny had been thrown from his carriage and would be forever crippled because of the incident. * * * * * * Christine Daae looked out the train window, enjoying the view before her. Her husband rested comfortably beside her, more intent on his wife�s lovely face than on the charming little villages that they passed by. It delighted Erik to no end to see Christine smile and to hear her exclaim with delight about the wonders of each city they traveled through. As Christine looked down at the map in her lap, Erik caught sight of the scar that would forever mar her lovely white shoulder. It pained him to see it, but he did not find her less lovely because of it. The scar was a tender souvenir from their past, a reminder that Christine had once risked her life to save his. That in and of itself was a miraculous thing, and Erik thanked the gods for the hundredth time for the gift of Christine in his life. �What do you think of Prague?� Christine asked joyously, pointing to the map and drawing the former Phantom from his more serious thoughts. �Hm,� he mused, his voice full of love. �I don�t believe I�ve ever had the pleasure...� Christine turned to her husband and impulsively threw herself into his arms. �Perhaps we might lose ourselves in some ancient castle�� she said, teasing him with a kiss. Erik drank in the sweetness of her kiss and marveled at his good fortune. He still could not believe that he and Christine were alive and in love and were making the world their oyster. He hugged her tightly against him and gently tangled his fingers in her long, lustrous curls. �Now that is one thing I will never consent to,� he said softly. �What?� Christine asked, sitting back in surprise. �Losing you,� the Phantom replied. And he kissed her once again. ~ The End ~ ~ Back to the Ghost's Story ~ |