Night merged blissfully with day, Raoul grimaced at the sun as he pulled the shutters of his loft open. “Evil, savage.” he repeated to himself recalling what Erik had said the night before. “I am not the evil savage phantom dear.” he turned to face a large mirror he’d hung on his door. “I’m the damaged heartless boy whose life was stolen from him by a beast. Evil savage indeed phantom, you’ll soon know how evil I can be.” Hate had consumed him, he dressed quickly and removed his savings and jewelry from the safe, Raoul took his valuable to a dealer and traded them for a pistol with four shots. “Only four Monsieur?”
“That’s all I’ll need.” Raoul grinned at the broker, the grin of a mad man. Raoul spent the rest of the day in the tavern wasting away the last of his coin on booze and cheap women. When night fell he gathered his few lasting items and mounted his horse. He road hard until he came to the small home where his Gia-Marie was being kept, kept away from him, kept against her will. He dismounted and walked slowly to the door. Beyond it he could hear laughter and singing, he immediately recognized Christine’s voice. She was singing the song he’d last heard her sing at the Paris Opera house, the phantoms music. “Indeed the point of no return phantom dear.” Raoul whispered to himself. He crept around to the back of the cottage, through the garden and into the kitchen.
“Erik, did you hear something?” Christine asked stopping mid-song.
“Take Gia-Marie upstairs, do not return until I call for you.” He pushed them to the stairs and moved into the dining area. “Viscount, what an unpleasant surprise.” Erik said to the blackened kitchen.
“I want my child.” Raoul shouted. “I’m willing to use force to get her.” he waved the pistol about “now let her free.”
“Raoul, we both know that’s not going to happen. Why can’t you understand that?” Erik stood at the doorway between the two rooms, knowing he’d run into Raoul soon
“She’s my daughter. I can prove that, now give her here before we involve the law.”
“The law my good sir?”
“Indeed beast, not even you are above the law.” Erik pinpointed where Raoul was hiding by his voice, quickly he moved to be next to him. He flicked a match and grabbed Raoul by the neck. He twitched and fought Eriks’ grip. “No rope Monsieur?” Raoul held the pistol to Erik’s head.
“Do it Raoul, it’ll be simple and you’ll have all you want. Christine, Gia-Marie. But then what? They’ll hate you forever, resenting you for killing me. What a tangled web eh Viscount?” Erik had a point and Raoul knew it. Even with Erik out of the way there was no guarantee that Gia-Marie would remember that Raoul is her father.
“You’ve brain washed her!” Raoul shouted.
Christine held Gia-Marie close, the house was far from sound proof and they listened to the shouting in the kitchen. “Mama what’s going on?”
“Gia my dear, do you remember me telling you about Meg?”
“Yes Mama, she gave me life you said.”
“Yes child, she’s your mother, the man with your daddy is your father. I know it doesn’t make any sense. Your father was very sad when your mother died after she gave you life and he asked me to care for you. Since he felt like he couldn’t.”
“Why did he come back then? Can he care for me now?” Gia-Marie looked at Christine with sadness and wonder.
“I don’t know my love, I don’t know.” Christine held the child. Fear was taking over.
“We both know you can’t kill me Phantom, you’ve tried it’s not in you.”
“I couldn’t kill you when Christine loved you, now there is little holding me back.” Erik pressed his fingers harder onto the Viscount’s neck he choked.
“Then end it.” his voice was shallow and pleading. Erik found it comforting to have the option, kill him with pride or let him struggle. As Erik considered his options a sudden thrust of pain entered his abdomen causing him to release Raoul, the gun shot didn’t register until the blood pour onto Erik’s hand.
“Now whose going to die?” Raoul pushed the gun to Erik’s head.
The sound of a cannon caused Christine to bolt upright from her place on the floor behind the door. “Stay here.” she instructed Gia-Marie. Christine took a candle and walked slowly down stairs. “What a mess you’re making Erik, here let me help you.” she heard Raoul followed by the painful sigh of Erik. Tears fell from her eyes as she rounded the corner to the kitchen. On her left was Raoul, still unaware of her presence, on her right was Erik, his abdomen was bleeding substantiality but once his gaze met Christine he motioned for her to go back upstairs. ‘No.’ she mouthed to him, stepping closer to Raoul.
“Ah Christine, Nice of you to join our party. Sorry about the mess dear, blood can be a pain to get out of wood floors.” he grabbed her by the arm and swung her into his grasp, her right arm crossed her body as he held her captive with it the gun pointed to her temple. Slowly he rocked with her, swaying his hips into hers “Oh how I loved you Christine.” he whispered into her ear caressing her face with the cold pistol. “Why did you leave me? What did I do?” He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. Erik found this was his moment, he raised quickly from the floor ignoring the pain from his wound and ran into the study, there he grabbed is trusted Punjab lasso.
“I was crazy to leave you Raoul” Christine played rocking her hips with his. “Free me darling and we’ll start over.” this seemed to anger him more, his grip tighten around her. “Where is your phantom?” he demanded coking the gun.
“No Raoul please.” Christine begged moving her free arm in an attempt to pry him off.
“Tell me where he is?!”
“I’m here Monsieur, right where you left me.” Erik’s voice carried through the cottage as if he were in every room. Raoul angry pushed the gun harder into Christine.
“I’ll kill her Phantom, then what will you have accomplished?” Raoul moved uneasy, dragging Christine with him. Erik bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment.
“She’s not the one you want boy, I am!” Erik shouted deciding his time was now, he fell from the ceiling onto Raoul and Christine, the pistol fell inches from where Christine had been tossed, he lifted it. Erik wrestled Raoul getting the lasso around his neck and pulling on it.
“Strange how the past is new again.” Erik smiled. “You should have left alone.” Raoul coughed gasping for air, he moved his elbow into Erik’s bleeding stomach
“You don’t exactly have the upper hand chap.” Raoul said as Erik loosened his grip from pain, he regained control and moved behind Raoul.
“Minor setback Viscount.”
“What will you tell Gia-Maire?”
“That her father was a raving lunatic.” Erik answered sharply as Raoul gave another gasp for air, his legs flailing his hands busy trying to remove the lasso.
“You’re hand at the level of your eyes.” Erik taunted. Raoul smirked as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small utility knife.
“Or be prepared.” Raoul answered cutting the lasso just above his head. As he fell to the ground a shot echoed through the house. He checked his holster but his pistol was gone. As he landed Raoul suddenly felt very cold, he glanced down to find his shirt full of blood. “Heavens.” he said faintly looking at Christine with wonder “You’ve shot me.”
Tears filled Christine’s eyes as she tossed the pistol far from her, she fell to the ground begging god to forgive her. Raoul fell to his knees, then onto his back. “Christine, I’m” he trailed off into a whisper “I loved you. I’m sorry.” Raoul took his last breath.
“Oh Erik.” Christine ran quickly to the side of her fallen angel. “You need a doctor.”
“It’s too late for that Christine. Get Gia-Marie.” Erik stood slowly as Christine raced up the stairs to fetch the child.
“Don’t be scared” she instructed through tears
“Daddy?” Gia-Marie screamed rushing to Erik’s side. “You’re oka?”
“No child, I’m not oka. I need you to be a good girl for Mama, and do everything she tells you to do. Daddy has to go away. Far away.” Christine became hysterical
“Don’t say that Erik, no, you can’t . I wont let you.” she paced around him, pulling at her hair and rubbing her redden eyes. “Erik. No!” she collapsed next to him
“I need you to be strong for Gia now Christine. I’m not leaving forever, merely changing form from human to angel. Don’t cry my love.” his words were labored as he held on for her.
“Erik I love you.” she cried
“Oh Christine. I love you.” he kissed her softly before closing his eyes.
“Mama, come quick, he’s here the angel of music.” Gia-Marie stood in to door way of the vaults of the Paris opera house.
“Truly Gia, this is where your Papa lived. Many years he was alone here.” Tears slowly poured down Christine cheek.
“I know that Mama, but honestly look, they’ve made a portrait of him. It looks just like Papa.” Christine moved pasted the line marked ‘do not cross’ for a closer look. Indeed there on the wall of the opera house Erik had so loved was his picture. ‘Our greatest rival and patron. Erik The Phantom.’ read the caption. Shocked Christine returned to the side of her daughter.
“Do you like it Christine?” a familiar voice asked from behind.
“I do.” she cried softly.
“He was many things. Many things to all of us.”
“Madam Giry?” Christine asked bewildered. The older lady nodded.
“Meg told me you were dead.”
“Dead, child! Hardly. I took my leave after the fire, everyone was accusing me of being involved, I could not betray my family, nor could I find it in my heart to accost Erik. I searched for Meg but I never could find her. You’re child, she reminds me of her so much.”
“Madam Giry, this is Gia-Marie Meg’s daughter.” Gia-Marie bowed to her elder
“Meg’s what?”
“My mother died giving birth to me, Mama took care of me.”
“Oh, my daughter.” Madam Giry covered her mouth and looked away.
“I have so much to tell you.”
“And what of Erik?”
“Also dead.”
“How?”
“A story, for another time Madam Giry. Another time.” Christine walked slowly out of the opera house, she was accompanied by her segregate daughter and her dear friend. Ten years had pasted and she’d been oka, more would come and go and she knew she’d be fine, she could feel Erik around her always, that is what kept her sane.
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