My Phantom of the Opera

Devil take the Hindmost

"Miss Lesch is right. I should be home with Jasmine and my son. I'm not afraid of the Mr. Y. I've bested hi before and if he ever had the courage to meet me face to face, man to man I'll give him what's coming to him."

The Phantom made an appearance. 

"No, no it can't be" freaked Raoul. "Not afraid of me, you say?" the Phantom asked with a grind. "Stay back or I'll kill you, I promise you, I will!" Raoul told him. 

"Of course. As you say, you've beaten me before back at my lair in Paris. But that was a long time, Vicomte and we were playing a different game. I was a different man back then, so have you." responded the Phantom. "Look at you, deep in debt. Stinking drunk and pitiful. Shall we two make a bet? I was the Devil's child and now Devil take the hindmost!" 

He walked up to Raoul. Raoul tells the Phantom "Look at you, foul as sin. Hideous, horrible. Call the stakes and deal me in. Devils take the hindmost." "Our Jasmine shall choose tonight" responded the Phantom. "Let her choose because I know she will choose me again" Raoul responded. "Is she really yours? Or mine?" responded the Phantom. "Draw the line" Raoul demanded. The Phantom smirked at him and said "Very well then. If she sings you lose tonight." "I won't lose" responded Raoul. "You leave from here" the Phantom told him. "Fine!" yelled Raoul. "Disappear from hers and the boy's lives" the Phantom added. 

"Fine? And if she won't? If I win?" Raoul asked. "All your debts wiped away" the Phantom promised. "Very well, let's begin" Raoul shake the Phantom's hand. 

"Our old game" responded the Phantom. "You think you have the odds," said Raoul. "It's been changed and this time, I will win" Phantom told him. "You think you're in control" responded Raoul. "Yes, I am" responded Phantom. "You think you've fixed the dice" Raoul responded. "Riskier than ever" the Phantom told him. "I will gladly roll" responded Raoul. 

"I will cut the deck" The Phantom stated. "I won her long ago; I will win her again" Raoul said feeling confident. "You and I" responded Phantom. "I wager even now" responded Raoul. "Once again" responded Phantom. "I'll win her back again" responded Raoul. 

"In the end" started Phantom. " And when the game is done!" continued Raoul. "Either way! Devils take the hindmost" they both said. The Phantom hold down his neck. "Now Jasmine shall choose at last. Is she yours or mine?" they both said. The Phantom let him go when Raoul said "We have a son, our bond's secure" Raoul said. The Phantom laughed. "Are you sure?" he asked him. 

"What?" Raoul asked. "Are you so sure?" The Phantom asked again. "What do you mean?" Raoul asked. "Such a child as he, strange to see. Different and musical" the Phantom started to explain. 

"Huh?" asked Raoul. "Is he more you or me?" the Phantom asked him. "Which one do you find most?" "You lie. That can't be true" Raoul denied. "Why don't you deal your cards than?" responded the Phantom. "I call you bluff," laughed Raoul. "Let them fall" responded the Phantom enjoying this moment. "Oh, the game is on" responded Raoul. "Then choose your hand" responded the Phantom. "And we will see" responded Raoul. 

"Try your best" responded the Phantom. "Who wins out" Raoul said. "He who wins" started the Phantom. "Once and for all" added Raoul. "Wins it all" explained the Phantom. Devils take the hindmost. 

"The music might call to her, but her heart will always follow me" Raoul told Phantom. "Follow you?" the Phantom asked. 

"She walks, you leave together. Pockets full, debts paid. She sings, you go away. Devils take the hindmost" the Phantom got the last word, and he left Raoul to realize what he had done. 

"Oh, God. What have I done? I could lose her forever. Look at me now. I am pitiful. The concert's only hours away. I must get to her."