Captivity Defined

Chapter Four

"Christine!"
The sound of Meg's voice penetrated through the black cloud of sleep in Christine's mind and she slowly opened her eyes, resisting the urge to close them at the harsh, unforgiving light seeping through the window. She slowly sat up, the blankets falling to her sides as her chocolate curls fell delicately over her right shoulder, ever-reaching beyond her waist. She blinked and raised her emerald gaze from the floor to her best friend. "What is it?" She murmured.

"The Phantom killed someone!" Meg stage-whispered, her eyes sparkling in fear.

Christine sighed. "You woke me to tell me that? Meg, you know that I do not believe in the Phantom.

"But it's true Christine! There was a note attached to the body, which was practically bathing in its own blood-"

Christine held up a hand. "Meg.. Please don't give me the details or I may not be able to eat breakfast."

Meg's gaze soften. "I'm sorry Christine... Just I wanted to tell you, that the note was demanding that you sing the lead role tonight."

Christine's eyes widened. "I can't do that.... That's Madame Carlotta's duty."

"But the Phantom made his instructions quite clear Christine. The managers were either to put you in the role or face another catastrophic death."

Christine's heart raced rapidly, pumping the blood through her veins faster than normal. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage, feeling as if it might just beat it's way out of her body. Her ivory skin paled, her emerald eyes wide and bright in fear. "I can't sing.. I'm not good enough to be in front of all those people! What if I mess up-"

"Christine you will do grandly! I just know it! Now you must get up or we will be late for rehearsals and you know that the managers wouldn't be pleased with us." Meg giddily interrupted Christine, and hugged her excitedly before skipping out of the room.

Christine slowly got out of bed, trying to swallow the nervous lump in her throat. Her stomach was in a million knots, and as she thought more about it, the worse her tummy tantrum became. She gagged and made it to the women's room just in time to empty her stomach of all its contents. She collapsed onto her knees on the floor, shaking and trembling like a fragile doll.

Christine....

Christine looked up at the comforting sound of her Angel's voice and started to cry. "I can't do this Angel! I'm not ready for this! My voice-"

Is perfectly ready for this Christine. You will do fine; I know. We have been rehearsing these songs for over a month now and you know them from your heart. Now, lift up your head my dear child, and run along to rehearsals. I will be with you the entire time tonight. Whenever you are feeling frightened, tune out the audience and sing for me. For no one else but me.

Christine relaxed and stood up from the floor. "Thank you Angel." She whispered and without another word swept out of the room to change for rehearsals.

{~~~~~~~~~~~~~}

Christine stood before the closed curtain, nervously moving the silky material of her skirts between her fingers. The brightly-coloured dress fit her form beautifully, sucking in at her waist and flaring out to past her ankles. She ran the lyrics of Think of Me through her mind, though she had sung it nearly a million times already with her Angel. It did not help that she had overheard Meg whispering something about a full house to Madams Giry.

The curtain started to slowly slide upwards, and Christine stood frozen in fear, her throat closing up. But then, she felt it. His presence. She could not see him, as always, but she could feel him as if her were standing beside her.

She straightened her shoulders, confidence now sliding through her as she started to sing. Her view of the audience faded away, and even the very stage floor beneath her feet disappeared as she sang for no one but her Angel.

Her voice soared through the notes, and narrowed golden-flecked eyes closed as he enveloped himself in the beauty of her voice. It swirled around him, teasing at his emotions and drawing out long-buried feelings of longing to have her with him every single second of every single day. He breathed in deeply as the song came to its climax, his Christine's voice purifying the very notes themselves so they sounded as if they were from the very Heavens he claimed to belong to.

Christine's voice slowly faded away, and as the audience leapt to their feet, roaring and whistling and clapping in appreciation, his golden eyes snapped open and locked onto the very object of his attentions.

There would be no more waiting. Christine would be his, fully his, this very night.