Love me...

Forgive Me, I Beg You!

Flashes of light hit my eyes, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Was this what dying was like? If so, I wished there was less of the blinding light. And the noise! What was that? Why was there so much noise? I thought dying would be quiet, peaceful, like stepping up a glowing staircase, then through a tunnel of stars, bedore arriving in a judgement room and going to either Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell.

"Christine!"

Why did that sound like Meg? Was she dead, too? Had Erik killed her? Did he kill her when she killed me?

"Christine, are you all right? Open your eyes!"

Meg's voice came again.

"Leave her be, Meg. Meg, leave for a moment."

Now that voice was definitely Madame Giry's. What was going on?

"Christine, open your eyes. Now." Madame was firm, but kind, just like she was before Erik left me the morning after that night...

I opened my eyes.

Madame was hovering over me, looking younger than when I'd last seen her.

"Christine, you remember, don't you?" I looked up into her face, and saw something in those eyes, a sorrow, a knowledge.

"Madame, what happened? Where are we? I thought I died?!" I couldn't stop the words from spilling from my lips.

"Shh, child! Someone may hear you!" She scolded, then sat down in a chair. "I do not know what happened, Christine. All I know is that one day I woke up, and knew what happened to us, later. I know it really happened, and now I know I'm not crazy, for here you are, and you have that look in you—the same knowledge I see in my eyes, when I look in the mirror."

I nodded, "So fate has given us another chance?"

She nodded back, "Yes."

I sensed she wasn't telling me something.

"What is it Madame?" She smirked, "The old Christine would never have noticed that I hold something back."

"I'm not the young, naïve girl I once was." I replied. She grinned at me, "No, you're not."

"You avoided my question, what's wrong?" I stared at her, She looked away. "What is it?"

"I've not seen him."

I sat up, "What? What do you mean? You've..." I wrung my hands through my hair, How could he not be here? Where was my Erik?

"I meant what I said, Christine. He is not here."

I stood up, "So you not only get your daughter to kill me.." She winced, but I continued, " But now, you lose my Angel?!"

She turned at me, "Oh, yes, I am Erik's keeper, he relies on me, does he? He is your love! You should know where he is, Yes?!"

I glared at her.

Meg came staggering in, and I saw it in her eyes, she knew.

"Christine! Oh, Christine!" She gasped, almost sobbing, "I'm sorry!"

I looked my oldest friend in the eyes, "I know. I am sorry, too. I never meant anything!"

We embraced, sobbing.

"Madame, what day is it today?" I looked at her, still hugging Meg. "The year is 1881, the day? It's the day of the Gala, Christine. There are new managers coming today, and Raoul will be the patron."

I gaped, "That's where we are? At the beginning of our story?...At the beginning of our story, and no Erik in sight..."

Meg looked up at me, "No Erik? What does that even mean? He's not here?"