When Love Begins

The Magician Meets His Match

Christine POV:

I stepped onto the balcony and thought about how my life had turned out I was in a marriage that I didn't want to be in. Yes, I loved Raoul, But the way one loves a friend. I felt Erik behind me, and started to sing.

"Once upon another time, our story had only begun. You chose to turn the page, and I made choices too." I looked down at the ring on my finger. "Once upon that other time, we did what we thought must be done. And now we have no choice. We do what we must do. We love, we live, we give what we can give. And take what little we deserve." I deserved everything that Raoul did to me. I thought about  all of the times he hit me, and sighed. This was my punishment for that night with Erik I was still thinking about it when he started to sing.

"Once upon another time, I knew how our stories would end. And maybe I was wrong," He was wrong? Well, yes he shouldn't have kidnapped me. But he also shouldn't have left me when I needed him the most. "But now the moments gone. Were it still that other time, I'd make time it's self somehow bend. But now I'm not that strong, and time keeps moving on." I looked up at him and we sang together.

" We love, we live, we give what we can give. And take what little we deserve." He reached out to me, but I pushed away and went to the other side of the balcony. I faced away from him. "Once another time..."

I was still facing away from him. I couldn't look at him. I didn't know what to do. I just felt so lost. I turned around though, when he started to sing.

"Ten long years of yearning, years of dreaming of this moment.  When that miracle, that peerless instrument plays for me, just fleetingly. Lays the ghost which tortures me. Tortures me." He took a step closer to me. I shrunk back in fear of what he was going to say. This wasn't Erik anymore. The Phantom was back, if only for a few moments. "Ah, Christine. I know what Hammerstein is paying you, I will double the amount for just one night's work. One night here in my concert hall."

"No!" I couldn't believe I was out here. He took a step closer, until we were almost touching. 

"Just one night Christine! One song, that is all I ask." He went to take another step to me, but I pushed him away.

"Why should I? For ten years you've let me believe you were dead! And now you lure us here and expect me to do you're bidding, submit to you again..." I looked up at him and started to fall under his spell again. I pushed away and walked to the doors. "I won't do it! I owe you nothing!" Just then, Gustave came out and grabbed onto my waist.

"Mother please I'm scared.  What a dream, an awful dream. Someone strange and mad, seizing me and drowning me!" He couldn't swim, and he was constantly having nightmares about drowning. I suddenly remembered Erik, and just prayed that he wouldn't see the resemblance between him and Gustave.

"Shh, darling. It's alright. Come and meet a friend of mine." I turned him to Erik.

"Welcome to my world, young friend." Gustave looked confused.

"Your world? Where are we?"

"We're in Phantasma, little Vicomte! On Coney Island! A world of fantasy where illusion is emperor!" He lifted Gustave onto the railing , overlooking the sea. I grabbed onto Gustave's arm.

"Tell me where you'd like to go. Tell me what you want to see," I started to protest, but he held up a hand. "Madame please, I insist."

"Could you show me if you please, all Phantasma's mysteries? All that's strange and wild and dark, in the shadows of the park?" Erik put Gustave back down on the ground and I could finally let go of his arm.

"You shall see it all tomorrow. In fact, I myself will show you. I promise." He looked down to me, and I quickly ushered Gustave back inside. 

"Why does he wear a mask mother? Is he a magician?" I paused, unsure of how to answer

"Yes darling, in his way. Now go back to bed, Gustave." I walked him to his door and stayed there, ot turning around to face Erik. 

"What a child! Full of life...full of you, my Christine." I turned to him, but didn't move. He started to walk around the room, talking.

"Help me through the sadness, do this kindness for your mentor. Or your progeny, that perfect specimen, may disappear on Coney Island. Vanish here on Coney Island. Ah, Christine." I couldn't believe it. Surely he wasn't saying...

"What are you saying? How could you? After all that we've been? Who are you?" I didn't know this man. I didn't want to ever see him. He ran to me and grabbed my arms roughly.

" I am your angel of music! I am dying Christine! Suffocating here in the dark! Give me breath, give me life! Sing for me! Or I will take from you everything you have ever loved!" I got myself free and ran to the piano, holding onto it for support.

"No, you can't!" I sank onto the bench, knowing that he could, and would.

"Oh, but I can.  A man as hideous as this, believe me, is capable of anything." I put my head in my hands. I couldn't believe this was happening again.

"And what am I to sing?"

"One song composed by me."

"And then we're free to leave?"

"And will of course receive a princely fee." He walked over to me and held out some sheet music. " Is it on with the show? Does he stay? Does he go?" I waited a few seconds, then took it from him. I kept my head down as he walked behind me. I opened the music and started to hum it. It was beautiful, of course. Ii looked over to where I tought he was, but there was nobody there. I got up and looked on the balcony, but he was gone. Things hadn't changed at all.

The door opened and Raoul barged in, smelling like the bar. "He's nowhere to be seen! Insolence!"

"Who?" I had forgotten all about his meeting. He sat down in the chair.

"Hammerstein! What the devil is going on in this place?" I looked down at the music in my handand new that Mr. Hammerstein never sent that letter."

"Raoul," I finally spit out. He sat up in the chair and looked at me, worried.

"Christine?"

"Things have changed Raoul."