Chapter Twenty: The Birth of a Phoenix
What raging fire
shall flood the soul?
When will the flames,
at last, consume
us . . .?
"Christine!" Erik screamed loudly as he entered the front door and saw that the staircase was already completely ablaze. Everything was, the drawing room, the hall to the kitchen, even Raoul's office that was to the right of him. He was sure it would be no different when he climbed the stairs to see the second floor.
"Christine!" he screamed again as he braced himself for the painful climb. The only response he got was Danielle's scared piercing cries.
Quickly he raced up the stairs calling her name once again, distantly trying to remember the last time he had screamed with so much fear.
When he reached the top of the stairs he looked down the hall towards Danielle's room then back at Christine's. There she was, pinned under a large beam right in the doorframe. The beam was burning on the end farthest away from her, but it still was a gruesome sight. Erik felt his heart stop and ran towards hre crushed form.
"Christine?" he spoke loud enough for her to hear but as gentle as he could be.
"Erik..." She whispered, her voice dripping with agony and pain. He quickly rushed over to the beam and tried to lift it, however it was too heavy. Crying angrily he clawed with his hands at the large block of wood until his fingers bled.
"Erik it's no use, leave me be..." She cried softly.
"No... NO!" He said, refusing to believe he could not save her. He could always safe her, that was his job on this earth. Angry he tried to push, pull, lift, do anything to the massive chunk of wood, but it did not move, Christine was trapped.
"No Christine I wont leave you, I wont leave you to burn to death, if I can't save you, I won't leave yourside!"
"Erik please, leave me, I am dying, I wouldn't even make it if you did save me."
"Don't talk like that!" He cried and pushed her curls back out of her face.
"Don't talk like that, you're not going to die." He said trying to smile to prove that everything was fine.
"You need to leave me here and save Dani." Christine spoke softly.
Dani, he had forgotten that he needed to save her too, but this was too much, he couldn't leave Christine to die here like this.
"Christine..." Erik sobbed stroking the hair out of her face more and cupping her cheek.
She smiled up at him and touched his cheek. "Your so good Erik, so kind..."
"What are you talking about Christine, I am none of those things, I am horrible..."
"No..."
"Yes I am..."
"No you are not... you are wonderful and caring, Erik you are the most beautiful and unique person I know and you have so much to offer this world Erik, still so much to offer."
"If I am so unique it is only because you make me." He said holding her free hand.
"That is a lie and you know it..." She said smiling at him.
"No it's not! surely you must know everything I do is for you..."
"Oh Erik, I know... I know... but I am not the reason why you are you. I am just a unoriginal girl, who happened to stumble apon someone who could make anyone great."
"Only you my child, only you... you are my angel of music..."
"You must go Erik, you must save the baby. She will need you to be her angel now."
"I can't Christine, I can't be anyone's angel but yours."
"No you must Erik, promise me, promise me you will be her angel. Promise that you will take care of her for me, and let her know about me. Promise me Erik, do not deny me this..." She said.
Erik hesitated, how could he take care of a child? He was old enough to have grandchildren by now. Surely she meant for him to save her then return her to her father.
"I know you love her, I know you already are her guardian, I saw you one night, I thought it was a dream, so I dismissed it. But you were singing to her Erik, you were singing to her like you used to sing to me. Promise me Erik, promise me you will continue to love and take care of her when I am gone."
Erik looked around him, she was right, if he didn't leave soon and take Danielle with him they wouldn't make it. Nevertheless he couldn't leave Christine, not like this, not now, not after everything.
"I.... I promise.." he managed to choke out.
Christine smiled peacfully in response. She no longer seemed like an innocent child he realized. It was if she were older then him trying to comfort and convince him everything was too be all right.
He only wish it were.
"You will make a wonderful father Erik, I know it, I know it in my heart." She said smiling.
He was caught by surprise, father? angel? he remembered a conversation like this so many years ago it seemed. how did it finish? friend or phantom? How could he interrupt her now?
"I always loved you Erik, I always will... Thank you for loving me Erik. It was the most beautiful gift I have ever recieved other then Danielle, she was Raoul's gift to me. Your love was your gift from you. If you didn't love me, I never would have been anything, you made me someone, someone to believe in. Therefore I am honoured and proud to be the one loved by you. Remember that, remember what I have said... remember... everything..." she whispered.
He looked away from her eyes, was this the feeling one gets when being stabbed through the heart? what was lodged in his throat, a peice of it broken? It beated rapidly and he wanted it to stop, to have the ache ceased, for nothing could compare to the misery and pain he was in now.
He felt her hand touch his face and he looked back down to see her smiling happily with tears in her eyes.
"What is it?" He asked.
"You're not wearing your mask." She said and touched his disfigured side.
It was too much for his ears to hear. He could have died a thousand deaths but he never suspected this. He never suspected he would outlive his lifesource. His concience, will and angel of music. As he leaned in to kiss her their tears mingled in a dance they never got to share. The kiss was a soft salty way of finally saying good-bye, and when Erik's eyes lifted from her face her beautiful sea blue eyes that once before held so much life were vacant.
He didn't have to make the choice to leave her now, she had made it for him.
Numbly he lifted himself up and treaded to Danielle's room. The flames danced around the bassinet and hovering in a protective circle around her, but never touched the infant.
Looking at his burnt and bloody hands he shook his fears of dropping her and carefully lifted her out of her cradle. Her whimpers began to soften as her red face began to turn to its original shade. She knew his presence, his voice.
"Hush petite, hush Dani..." He said holding her close, the warmth of her little body filling his heart with a new purpose.
Carefully he wrapped her and held her even closer as he descended the collapsing stairs.
He walked straight out the front door to find Michelle comforting Charlotte. Quickly he darted the other way, into the night so that they could not find him. If he were to carry out Christine's promise, he needed to make sure that no one knew he was alive... or Danielle.
Into the night he was embraced once more, the brisk air-cooling his face and burnt hands. He didn't look back as he walked through the forest. He would never look back again.
