Poto One-Shots

All I Have Left is His Mask

*This takes place after Erik's death in Gaston Leroux's book*
*Christine's POV*
I'm standing on the shore of his lair. I thought it would be years before I came to fulfill the last promise I gave him. I'm here to bury Erik Destler, the Phantom of the Opera, or ,to me, my angel of music.

It was so sudden. Three weeks without a word about him until yesterday when I read the headline, saying he was dead. I was shocked. The article said he died a natural death, but I have a feeling it was of a broken heart.......because of me.

Not many people are here; only me and a man named Nadir. Nadir has already placed Erik in the casket, which also served as his bed. My eyes welled with tears as Nadir brought the casket out. I knew I could have prevented his death if I had stayed with him. Instead, he let me and Raoul go because he loved me so much.

Nadir looks at me and nods his head. I walk up next to the casket and look inside. He looks so peaceful; he looks like he's sleeping a dreamless sleep. I see Nadir holding his mask, which he will put in the casket before he buries him. I just want to shake Erik to wake him up, but I know that he is gone.

I take a deep breath and start saying the words I wrote for him last night. "I never expected this day to come so soon. I remember when I first met you as my angel of music, I knew my life would change, just not in the way it did. If I could change one thing, it would be the way I treated you." I feel tears stream down my cheeks and I begin to choke up, but I need to finish. "I wish Raoul had never come to the Opera House. If Raoul had never come back, I know I would have married you sometime in the future. But because of my childhood feelings, I lost my angel of music, the person who made me who I am today. I will always remember you." I wipe away a tear before saying the last three words. "I love you."

I completely break down as sobs rack my body. I feel an arm wrap around me and I turn a hug Nadir and sob into his shirt. Even though this is completely inappropriate, neither of us care at the moment. After a minute, I pull away. I look at Nadir and surprisingly I see a single tear slide down his cheek.

Nadir quickly swipes it away and walks over to the casket. I see him begin to set the mask in the casket. "Wait," I say as I walk over to the casket. I pull the gold ring that Erik gave me off my finger. I examine the smooth, golden surface before picking up Erik's hand.
OHis kskinny and boney, but his fingers are long, perfect for playing instruments like piano. I begin crying again when I put the gold ring on Erik's leftt ring finger. The ring   is a perfect fit. I gently place Erik's hand down back to where it was originally.

Nadir then begins to set the mask down again. "Wait," I say again, before I can stop the words from coming out. Nadir looks at me with a puzzled expression. I take a deep breath. "Can I keep his mask," I say, barely audible.

He smiles a small smile. "Of course," he says as he hands me the mask. I smile and gently take the mask. The mask feels like it's made of leather and I hold it close.

The rest of the funeral is a blur as Nadir puts the casket in the ground. Nadir and me make it out of the catacombs and enter in my old dressing room. Nadir opens the door, but I stay where I am. "I'm going to stay here for a while if you don't mind," I say.

Nadir looks at me sympathetically. "Alright," he says. "Goodbye, Christine."

"Goodbye, Nadir," I say. He leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

I turn back around and look at the mirror. Memories flood back in as I stare at the mirror. All the nights I would talk to him through the mirror and have lessons with him. The night I first met him, went with him to his lair, and seeing him without his mask for the first time all started with that mirror.

I fall to my knees in front of the mirror and begin to sob. It's all my fault Erik's dead. If I had only stayed with him.......

I look down at the mask and feel a longing for him, to feel his presence. I see tears make small drops on the mask. I lift the mask and watch the tears go down the sides and fall on the floor. I then do something that surprises me; I lift the mask up to my face and kiss the place right above where his lips would be. I wish his face was behind this mask, but he is gone now. And this time, he's never coming back.

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I'm sorry for a sad one-shot, but I really wanted to write this one. I hoped you enjoyed it though. :)