Let The Dream Descend

The Drug in Me is You

Erik paced around his dimly lit lair, his fingers running through his hair with a nervous agitation. Christine had fallen asleep hours ago in his bed, and that's where he had left her. He wanted to be close to her, but he was confused as to why she wanted the same thing.

I have caused my precious angel so much pain... He thought to himself. She has been hurt so much because of me, yet she still seeks comfort by lying in my arms...

Erik let out a frustrated groan and walked into his music room. What he saw shocked him; the glass shards were gone, the broken roses put on display, and his music all organized back onto his music stand at the organ. Erik was momentarily confused, when he suddenly realized that Christine must have cleaned it all up the day before...before Raoul made his unwanted visit. The masked man blinked in shock, and suddenly slammed his fists down on a small table that was residing inside of the music room. "After all her kindness, I almost showed up too late! She could have been mutilated by that damned fop!" Erik mumbled angrily under his breath. He sharply turned around looked down at a drawer in his desk.

I promised I wouldn't do this again... Not while she's here... Well, maybe one time wouldn't hurt... I've caused her so much pain... I need to forget what I've done to her for a few blissful moments...

Erik sighed and slowly slid open the drawer, pulling out an IV of morphine. He bit his lip and stuck the needle in his arm, injecting the liquid into his veins and letting it course through him.

He closed his eyes and let himself relax as the morphine flowed through him.

"Angel?" A small voice whimpered. Erik's eyes quickly snapped open and turned around to meet the teary eyed gaze of Christine. "Angel... What are you doing?" She said, her voice barely above a whisper. Erik quickly took the needle out of his arm and threw it into his drawer, a slightly panicked expression on his face.

"I-I... I thought you were asleep..." He managed to stutter, but looked away when he saw the sadness in his Christine's eyes.

"I was, but I awoke to found you gone so I assumed that you would've been in here, playing music," the young soprano mumbled, trying not to sound angry.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have assumed," Erik snapped.

Christine was taken aback by his change in tone, and she frowned slightly as she started to approach the masked man. "Erik... Why are you doing this?... How didn't I know?" She whispered, her emerald eyes starting to fill back up with tears.

"Because I haven't done it since you've gotten here," he quipped. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Angel... You aren't fine..." She replied, her lip starting to quiver.

Erik took a deep breath and looked away, "I don't need a lecture, Christine. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions about what I put into my body."

"You can't continue this... Erik, you have to stop..." She said gently, taking his rather large hands in her tiny ones. Erik quickly snatched back his hands and looked over at her, his golden orbs clouding over in anger.

"Who do you think you are to give me orders? I will not be told what I can and cannot do," he snarled, angrily.

"Erik... Please... I can't just stand by and watch you destroy yourself..." She whispered, tears starting to make their way down her rosy cheeks.

Erik at first had the urge to reach up and dry the tears off of her face but he resisted it. He absolutely detested being told what to do and he wasn't going to sit there and let her reprimand him as if he were a child. "I already told you, I'm fine," he said firmly, but his voice had lost the edge that it originally had and it softened slightly as he watched his angel cry. Her cheeks were flushed, and her green eyes twinkled with sadness as tears flowed freely down her face.