Christine awoke woozily. Erik had tied her to a chair and her bonds bit cruelly. The last thing she remembered was striking her head against the walls. Had she knocked herself out? No, she also remembered being tied and then hearing voices, but nothing after that. Voices? Raoul! She struggled against her bonds, but it was no use.

“So I see you’re awake, my little dove. I must thank you for giving me the ability to remove the obstacle that was in my way. I wouldn’t have considered the idea seriously if I hadn’t found you all bloodied up like that.” He was unmasked, lounging against a curtained wall and leering at her.

“Erik! What do you mean? What are those stains on your cuffs? Erik, answer me!” Christine was nearing hysteria. Something was off with her vision. It was as if she saw too clearly or through things. She could also smell chloroform and blood. Fresh blood. “Erik, please! If you love me what have you done?” She tried so very hard not to cry. Tears only enraged Erik.

“I removed an obstacle, I told you. You see, the blood that covered you triggered a thought: you did that horrible thing to yourself because you have no empathy for me. If a certain obstacle were removed, you’d love me. Because you’d see I’m really not at all bad-looking.” He giggled a little at this. Was he drunk on top of all else? Christine had to be careful; Erik was toying with her. She thought she knew why.

“Erik, its Raoul, isn’t it? You, made him go away, didn’t you?” She feigned a pretty smile at him. Erik snorted in contempt.

“Made him go away? Of course not, I killed him. Daroga too, I’m afraid. But that isn’t the obstacle I was talking about.” He leaned towards her, and loosened her bonds. “Come I’ll show you.” Christine broke away from him.

“It can’t be true, they are not dead! You’re lying to me Erik! You did not kill Raoul you could not. I’d never love you that way.” Erik sighed and drew back the curtain, revealing the bodies, both heads smashed against the glass, both skulls pouring forth clotted gore.

But it wasn’t the bodies that upset Christine; it was her own reflection. Where her nose should have been a gaping hole now stood. She screamed in horror, turning to Erik’s awaiting embrace in her flight.

“I told you child, I’d removed the only obstacle between us. There would have been other Raouls but not now. Only I can love a face such as this, so much like my own.” Something in Christine’s mind snapped when he cupped her chin, and she knew no more. Erik watched over his beautiful angel the rest of his days, happy to have her empathy at last.

Nightcat's Phantom Fiction
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