The Phantom's Revenge

Chapter 9: Me? A bad husband?

It had been a little over two weeks since I was taken to this torture chamber. My jaw hadn't been set, it still throbbed and hurt to speak. If I was to speak I mumbled and moaned, which I sometimes received a slap for. Christine had even administered punishment for this once. I had lost three teeth since I arrived and about fifteen pounds. As I lost weight they tightened the chains. The gate dug into my back and caused open sores. If I moved, they would throb and ache. I had begun to wish I was dead. Once I even begged for him to kill me! He denied me saying

"Even though it'd bring me great joy, it'd be too compassionate. To easy to give you death. Besides, it's what you want!"

My hatred for them grew stronger each day. They would do anything they could to emotionally torture me. Christine knew that even though I hated what she was, what she did I still loved her. Even though I had done some things in the past I shouldn't have. She knew this and she used it against me. It was hard to hate Christine, but him no. I hated him from from the start. Everything he did upset me. The way he breathed, the way he walked... They kept feeding me bread and water. Every now and then when the bread hadn't begun to mold I would get bones to gnaw on. I couldn't believe what I had become. I'm the Vicomte de Changy. I was treated like royalty. Now, it was as if I were an animal. My strength was next to nothing. My eyes drooped. I only opened them when I was being fed or given a drink. I had started to hallucinate as well! I saw visions of wine, feasts, my bed, women caressing me. Oh how I yearned for it all. I couldn't separate reality from my hallucinations a lot of the time, so I just smiled and went along with them.

I heard the scurry of feet. The rats? Yes just the rats. I wondered how Rat tasted. Again I heard small footsteps.

My head was too heavy to lift. I opened my sore eyes and saw her tiny feet. Christine was in front of me.

"Well, hello. Come to water me? It's only been an hour since I last had a drink."

I mumbled.

"No.

Then what? Come to tell me how awful I am?"

I picked my head up and saw she had a bucket of water with her.

"I was just going to pour this on you, clean you up a bit...

You may proceed."

I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the water. She raised the bucket above me and emptied it's contents on me. It contained ice cold water. I practically jumped out of my skin. The water woke me up. I knew it was too good to be true.

"What the hell?

I didn't say it was warm water."

She was holding back laughter. And I glared at her.

"Bitch..."

I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

She gave me a look, I knew she had heard me.

"Nothing at all...'

She turned to leave and I watched her walk back to him. They embraced and it pierced my heart. I continued to watch them. They sat by the fire, holding hands and read. I could see him making circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Ah, Christine. My Christine, finally happy? Had I been a bad husband? No. Of course not. I had been wonderful to her!!! And with that thought I shivered and shook as I tried to sleep