When I Hear You Sing.(Phantom Of The Opera)

Chapter 7- Where Is She?

Christine Daae.

        Before I could think, a gunshot fired, people broke out into screams, and the world quickly faded away.

           I didn't know what to think as the floor caved in beneath us and William latched on to me tightly. I remembered Erik trying to grab me, but gravity kept us apart.

It made me laugh to think about it. We worked like magnets, even while we didn't want to be together, but the night that we needed to be together, we were pulled apart.

We fell into a big lake of water. I silently prayed that it was Erik's lake. My prayers were not answered. It was dark and freezing in the lake. I knew most of the catacombs fairly well, but I wasn't familiar with this place.

"William, hurry up! Stop lolly gagging!" James's familiar voice was calling to us from an unknown area. I felt William pull me into land and warmer arms wrapped around me. They weren't as comforting as Erik's were, but I was cold and I needed warmth.

"The plan went great." I imagined William's nasty smirk spreading across his face.

"William, she's freezing!" James wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair. I was too cold to protest.

"Who cares? She'll live. I'm freezing too, but I don't see you holding me." He joked.

"We're not hurting her. I made that very clear."

"It's not hurting her if she doesn't cry out in pain." I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I assumed it was probably a blade of some sort, but I didn't know. I remained silent, my hands quickly balling into fists.

"That's enough, William. Let's get out of here before anyone finds us."

Erik Destler

She was gone. Christine had slipped away from me once again.

I still didn't understand something: how did William know the words I said to Christine that night? The only people there were Christine, Raoul and me. I was sure of it. So, how did he know? Someone had to have told him. Then, it hit me. Everything made sense.

I looked around the back of the stage until my eyes landed on Meg. She was talking to Raoul. She wouldn't be for long.

I stomped over there and grabbed Raoul by the throat, pushing him against the wall. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'll kill you, you foppish bastard!", I roared, slamming his head against the wall once more.

"Wha-"

"You told him those words from that night! You're the reason Christine is gone and the reason Gustave will be crying! Don't you see what you've done?!" I screamed. Raoul tried to pull my hands away from his throat, but I was too strong. He kicked my leg, almost causing me to jump back. I threw him down, smashing him into the ground.

"Stop! Please, stop it, Erik!" Meg's quiet and desperate tone reminded me of Christine. I instantly stopped.

"Erik, could I speak with you privately, please?", Raoul coughed, wiping away the blood from his nose. I reluctantly nodded and walked into the back room.

"What do you want?" I spat.

"Look, I don't know where they are. All they told me is that if I helped them get Christine, they'd help me with covering the payments for Meg's...drinking problem."

"They? Drinking problem?"

            "They as in William...And James. Meg had a bit of a phase of drinking...I won't go into detail.", Raoul rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

             "James...He sounds familiar, but what does he want from Christine?"

         "I think he's just insanely in love with her."

          "Who wouldn't be?" I mumbled under my breath. I wasn't surprised that a man was in love with Christine. Anyone sane would be in love with Christine. But perhaps I was a little too insane. Perhaps it was the sanity that drew her in. Perhaps she wanted a more mentally secured man. She didn't want to hurt me, so she made herself look like a victim in this cruel trick of life.

She would never do this to me, but wouldn't she? She fled from me once before to the arms of the Vicomte after showing me the only sort of love I had ever felt.I couldn't bear to think about it and yet it was the only thought on my mind.

I decided against it. She wouldn't have a son with me if she didn't love me. She wouldn't agree to marry me if she didn't love me. Christine was pure and kind. She would never play these mind games.

"Well, you have to help me find her. Please. I'll pay you whatever you may want. The audience needs her, my son needs her.." I need her, I thought.

"Very well. I'll help you. I know how much she means to you."

"Thank you," I said kindly. "I- I have to find Gustave now."

Christine Daae

"So Christine," William spoke up as we walked through the dark alleys of Paris. "What did you think of our performance? I thought we were very good, no?"

"A little too dramatic for my taste. I much prefer heart felt performances."

"But it was heart felt! You were crying, your lover was crying, and-"

"He is not my lover! He's my husband! Stop calling him that." I growled.

"You're feistier than you were a few years ago. By the way, you won't be getting away so easily this time." William shot James a glare while he spoke.

"I've matured. I'm smarter than you think. You underestimate me, Monsieur.", I spoke more confident than I had felt a minute ago. An angry fire quickly filled his eyes and I suddenly felt like a little girl, helpless and weak.

              "Face it, Daae. You're still that little girl on the stage."

                "Destler."

                 "Excuse me?"

           "Destler," I corrected him once more, trying to be brave. "My name is Christine Destler."

              "Yeah. Whatever you say. Do me a favor, though, and keep your mouth shut before I make you shut it." William toyed with a small blade in his hand and smirked at me.

           What fresh hell awaits us?