Poto One-Shots

The Monster and The Beauty

*This is Gaston Leroux's version of the phantom andthis is from Christine's POV*

I'm standing at the lake's edge waiting for Erik to return. Since I chose to stay with him, Erik decided to return Raoul and the Persian man, I think his name is Nadar, back to the surface. The choice Erik gave me didn't seem fair; either I stay with him or we all die, the choice seemed simple, but now I'm beginning to regret my choice.

I hear Erik paddle back to the island as I turn and head into the living room. I walk over to his bookshelf and begin to look for a book to read, finally deciding on Romeo and Juliet. Once I'm sitting down and have started reading, I hear Erik's boat hit the shore and his footsteps as he walks towards the entrance.

I look up once Erik has entered and see his golden eyes gazing at me through the eye holes in his white mask.

"Is there anything you would like, Christine," Erik asks, semi-bluntly.

"Yes, I would like to get out of here and go home," I snap at Erik.

"You know I can't let you go," Erik says. "We have an agreement. You stay here with me and become my wife and your friends go, alive."

I remember that Erik is right. "I'll never be able to see them again," I say. "Will I?"

Erik looks at me, there is not even a thread of compassion or kindness in his eyes. "No," Erik says, plainly.

I feel my eyes begin to water as I set my book down. "I never wanted this," I think. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Christine, if there is anything you want I ca-," Erik starts, but I interrupt him.

"You don't understand," I yell, not being able to hold my emotions back anymore. "I have been living around people my whole life. They helped me get over the death of my father when he died, they became my friends, and now I'll never be able to see them again. That is worse than death; honestly I wish I was dead. And it doesn't matter what you do or say, I will never love a monster like you." By the time I'm finished, I have tears running down my red cheeks from yelling. Before Erik can react, I turn and run out of the living room to my room, slamming the door behind me.

The next day, Erik is somehow able to get an ordained minister down and we are married. And once the minister said we were married and Erik leaned in to kiss me, I turned my head, causing Erik to kiss my cheek instead. The next month is long and excruciating; we both sleep in different rooms, we barely speak to each other, and the worst part is there is no music. Erik hasn't touched his piano once since I have been here. The piano is beginning to become dusty from the lack of no one touching or playing it.

But one day, Erik leaves to go get some more food for us and I decide to play it. I know how to play the piano a little; my father taught me a little when I was young and once my father died I never touched a piano, afraid that it would bring back memories of him. I walk over to the piano and run my fingers over the dusty black and white keys. I then notice piles of dusty sheet music on top of the piano and begin to look through them, hoping I can find a simple song. With no luck of finding a simple song, I begin to think of a song I can play. Suddenly, I remember a song my father used to sing for me to help me fall asleep. I remember begging for him to teach me how to play it on the piano. Smiling, I pull the bench back, sit down, and place my finger on the keys before beginning.

The beginning is a little rusty as the first notes are a little fuzzy in my mind, but as the song progresses the notes begin to flow, making a comforting melody. Before I know it, I get lost in the music, singing the words I thought I had long forgotten. Memories of my father and childhood run through my mind as I play. But the memory that sticks out the most is was when my father first told me about the angel of music, telling me that he would send me mine as he was dying . I feel tears run down my cheeks as the song and memories come to an end. Suddenly, as I wipe a few tears away, I hear clapping from behind me.

Turning around, I see Erik clapping his boney gloved hands together. "I didn't know you knew how to play piano," Erik says walking towards me.

I feel myself blush slightly. "My father taught me a little when I was younger, Christine says with a smile as Erik sits down next to her on the bench. "I didn't learn much because he died a little while after he began teaching me, but I somehow remember that song."

I feel Erik hesitantly put his arm around me and I don't push it away. Instead, I turn and wrap both of my arms around him. I feel Erik tense up, surprised at what I just did, but he relaxes and places his other arm around me. "Erik is very skinny," I think as my arms wrap around him. "I'll have to put some meat on his bones."

"If you would like Christine," Erik says with his arms still around me. "I can teach you piano."

I lift my head up off of Erik's chest and look up at him. "You would do that for me," I ask. "Even after how awful I've treated you."

"Of course I would," Erik says. "I used to be treated far worse than you can imagine, Christine."

I suddenly feel guilt rise up in me. "He has been mistreated and rejected all his life and I have done the same to him," I think. I bury my head back into Erik's chest and begin to cry.

"What's wrong, Christine," Erik asks, worriedly

"You have been mistreated all your life," I say between sobs. "And I have treated you the same way. Why do you still want me here?"

"Because I love you, Christine," Erik says.

"How," I ask as tears continue to pour down my cheeks.

Erik wipes a tear away before starting. "When I first heard you sing, I never thought I would fall in love with you. I only wanted to show the world that I was more than a monster. But as each lesson went by, I began to fall in love with you. The way you would twirl a curl with your finger as you waited for our lesson to begin, when you would gently bite your lip if you messed up, the way your face would light up when you heard me; just little things like that caused me to fall in love with you."

"I'm so sorry for mistreating you, Erik," I say as a final tear falls down my cheek.

"I forgave you a long time ago," Erik says.

"What did I do to deserve an angel like you," I ask.

"Christine, I am the farthest thing from an angel," Erik says. "You are the angel; I am a monster."

After I hear Erik utter that sentence, I reach over and pull his mask off. His hands immediately fly up and cover his face, but I reach over and pull them down, holding his hands in mine. "I don't see a monster," I say. "All I see is my angel of music."

I see a tear roll down Erik's cheek."I know I haven't been the best wife," I say. "But, if you still want me, we could start over."

"I would like that," Erik says smiling.

I smile and then remember that me and Erik didn't kiss on our wedding day."Do you remember our wedding day," I ask Erik.

"Of course," Erik says.

"We forgot to do something," I say.

"What did we forget," Erik asks, confused.

"This," I say placing my hands on Erik's cheeks before placing my lips on his. I feel Erik tense up once my lips touch his, but he eventually relaxes and kisses back. The kiss beyond anything I have ever experienced; the kiss had love and passion. Once we pull away for air, I realize that 'm meant to be with Erik; it was him all along.

"I love you, Christine," Erik says gazing into my eyes with his glowing golden ones.

"I love you too," I say gazing back into Erik's eyes. Maybe staying with Erik isn't so bad after all.