Hopeful Soul: A Phantom Story

Chapter Twenty-Four.

ERIK:

After leaving the daroga at the doorstep of his home with the Vicomte, I went back to the cellar and indulged in a glass of red wine. My girl had crawled up to my feet just as I sat in my red armchair and I reached down to pet her. Ayesha, too, had felt the stress I was in and she let out a soft meow. I checked the time on my pocket watch and realized that Christine would be waking up soon, pulling the golden band off my little finger. Ayesha jumped onto me and rubbed her head against my chest, sitting on her hindquarters as she looked up with another soft meow.

"Yes, my girl," I sighed, rubbing her head, "It has indeed been a long night."

I took another sip of wine before setting the empty glass on the end table and watching the flames flicker in the fireplace. I was almost like any other man. I had the privilege of a drink of wine and a place to sleep, but now I had the best thing of all - a female companion. I should have been much happier, but I felt no different - she didn't do this on her own. I had forced her and now I felt her sorrow.

Another sip of the red liquid left me somewhat numb, but I still felt a tear slide down my naked cheek - my mask! Oh, Lord knows where she put the blasted thing.

A sound came from the hall and I remained quiet until I saw her shadow flicker against the wall, "Come in, my dear."

Christine sat at my feet, looking up at me with tears still in her eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. Her sadness made me want to die and I felt that if I saw just one more teardrop on her precious face I would,"Oh, my dear," I cautiously rested my hands on each of her shoulders - and she did not budge, "You cry."

She sniffled and murmured my name with her eyes closed. I looked all over her face, admiring the pretty shades of pink and the tone of her fair skin and, summoning all the bravery I had, I pressed my lips to her forehead - and she did not die! She looked up to me with a soft smile on her face and I felt complete. Tears now stained my own cheeks and I joined her on the ground where she pulled me into an embrace - silence.

Peaceful, uninterrupted silence laid between us until my girl had rubbed against my rib. I broke from Christine to move Ayesha, rubbing my eyes, and then I found that we cried together. Christine had then rested her lips onto my forehead - her sweet, soft, rosy lips - and kissed me there just as I had. We cried together, our foreheads pressed to each other, and I fondled her little fingers fondly. She deserved better than me. She deserved a handsome man who would be able to give her the world... and that man wasn't me.

"No," I shook my head, standing to face the fireplace, "No, you don't need to cry anymore," I turned around and found her standing as well, looking up at me hopefully, "Go back to your boy. I don't deserve you. I have done nothing but cause trouble."

"Erik-"

"No, no. Erik needs to be alone. He needs to die alone," I took the skeleton key from my pocket and gave it to her, "Go back to him. You deserve happiness. You deserve everything."

She still cried, slowly accepting the key, "Won't you need this?"

"I have other ways of opening things. Just take it. You'll need the key. And this," I gave her the golden band from my finger and she gazed at it for a moment before accepting it, "this is for later. I am dying, Christine, and I want you to place this ring on my finger for my funeral. Someone will tell you when I have died."

She still cried, looking down at the ring and key in her hands. I wanted her to be happy and this was not at all what I expected, "Will you be fine, my dear?"

"I- I-"

I held her and helped her leave the little house on the lake. I took her to the gates on Rue Scribe and she cried the whole way, holding me tightly at the exit. Why was she sad? This would be her freedom, "Why do you cry? You will be free."

"I- I do not want you to die," she looked to me with tears still staining her cheeks, her bottom lip quivering, "I shall miss you too much."

"Well, now."

I couldn't understand her sadness, the fact that she would miss me causing me to wonder. Just as I had pushed open the gates she sobbed into my chest. There wasn't a thing I thought to do other than comfort her by gently stroking her hair. She sobbed greater than that night I saw her on the rooftop with that boy and I regretted my selfishness. I gently pushed her away and held the gate open, "Go. Please. Go now."

She slowly went through the gate and as it closed, she turned to face me again. She gazed up at my eyes and shivered, "Erik. I...I-"

"What is it, my dear?"

Her tears continued as she walked away from the gate and I wondered what she was about to say. I could not believe I was letting her go after all I had went through to have her, but it felt wrong to keep her here when she did not love me. I had to live with that reality - no one loved me and I should have realized that long ago.