The Phantom And His Muse

Almost Goodbye

"Twisted every way,

what answer can I give?

Am I to risk my life,

to win the chance to live?

Can I betray the man

who once inspired my voice?

Do I become his prey?

Do I have any choice?

He kills without a thought,

he murders all that's good . . .

I know I can't refuse

and yet, I wish I could . . .

Oh God - if I agree,

what horrors wait for me

in this, the Phantom's opera . . .?"

Christine's trained voice sang. She was talking about my Erik.

My Erik who I had said goodbye to countless times. My Erik....

"Erik..." I whispered.

"Brighten." Raoul spoke. His eyes weren't daggers the way they always had been. They were kind, worried.

"Where is Christine, Raoul?" I asked.

He slammed me against the wood framing of the door and lifted me to be around his waste. "Christine does not matter to me."

And he kissed me. His hands stroking my body as he did so. Then he moved to my neck.

"Angel!" I yelled.

His kisses on my neck were nothing like Erik's. They were harsh and cold. Erik's were inhumanly comfortable and warm.

"Yes! Brighten!" Raoul yelled.

"No! Angel!"

Raoul growled. "I'm here!"

"Angel!" I sang. "Erik!"

Raoul stopped and stared at me. "Erik?"

"You will no more live in my presence

How you now you rapest

Leave her now and speak no longer

Brighten! You're safe now child."

Erik's song made me happy. Too happy. It was right, it made me happy.

"Angel," I sang weakly to him. "I'm bleeding...

Help me..."

My eyes shut.

What I herd was something of hate and anger, but it was the most beautiful thing I could find. The sound of my angel growling.

"Brighten.... Brighten...."

The sound was so mystic that I immediately reached out for the face of that voice. The feeling was distorted from a face, multiple indentions spread over the face. This was my phantom, my Erik.

He laughed lightly close to my ear. "You don't have to act like you're guessing who it is. Touch me. Trust me."

His hand went over mine and he squeezed it close.

"Ahh, now... there you are." he whispered.

I clung close to my Erik as I opened my eyes and he drew his hand back to grab his mask. I reached to stop him.

"No." I begged.

His eyes stayed on me. "You don't want me to put it on?" he asked

"Beauty isn't on the outside

What matters is what's in the heart

You can't find your beauty from a mask

Forget it..... let it be gone."

He pulled me close and kissed my neck. "Oh how I want you my love."

"Erik?" I moved from his side but he only followed, his lips never moving from my neck.

"Oh let me have you. please allow me to." he begged.

I pulled away and stared at his half bare chest, which I had never seen. Though his face was deformed, his body was beautiful and flawless.

I ran my hand across the flat hard plains of his chest.

"Beauty...." I whispered.

He pulled my face into his hands and kissed me again.

"Brighten, I love you."

I smiled and kissed him, touching our bodies together.

And we made love into the darkened night.