The Prisoner (A Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction)

Chapter 21

I should be studying for my AP exam. But I'm not. Because I love y'all. Sorry for the wait, I've been dwelling on some stories I'd like to start, and that sort of stopped my creative roll for a while. Oops.

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3rd Person POV:

Erik stroked his masterpiece gently, checking to see if the finalized copy's ink had dried.

How I wish I could give this to her, play it for her... But she would never accept me. Not after all I have done to her.

A few floors up, a very different scene was going down. A well-clad gentleman was stalking the ballet girls' dormitories, looking and listening for any sign of life. Any life he did find, he was intent on ending. Just fifteen feet away a small, thin girl shivered in the cold of the costume closet, not so much as breathing. There was no way for her to know how near her pursuer was, due to the closed closet door.

Erik had no clue any of this was going on. His mind was far from death, for the first time in ages. His mind was desperate. Desperate to show her.

I don't care if she won't listen. I will play it for her. Then let her hate me. A monster such as myself deserves such treatment.

Quickly tying the sheets together with a red satin ribbon, he ascended the stairs he had descended just hours ago. Granted, to him those hours felt like minutes.

The first thing he heard was a chilling voice.

"Renee, sweetheart, come out and I may not wring your neck. You little whore! You thought what you had before was bad, that was pleasure compared to what you will receive!" the voice whisper-yelled. Erik silently folded the music and tucked it into his coat pocket.

I need to lure him away from her... And to my lasso.

Focusing intensely, Erik imagined Renee's voice. At first he remembered her smiling voice, the one that she used whenever talking about her ballet. But he needed her scared voice, her timid voice. Blessing or curse, Erik could imagine it with startling ease.

"Ch-Christopher... I'm... I'm out here..."

Erik aimed his voice for the hallway to the immediate left of him, using Renee's voice.

"What a good girl." The voice sarcastically said, while boots clunked towards Erik, hidden in the shadows.

Renee, on the other hand, couldn't be more surprised. The second she heard her voice from the closet, she was stunned. In fact, she thought it was her at first. The imitation was perfect. She wasn't sure to be glad the voice was luring Christopher away from her hiding spot, or afraid of the person behind the voice. Her mind was easily made up when she heard Christopher's chocked voice.

"Son of a bitch! Were you the one who was hiding my wife?!-"

Christopher choked as Erik tightened his lasso. "Say another word and I snap your neck."

Renee rushed from her hiding place to the hall where she saw Erik slowly cutting off Christopher's airways. His eyes met here for a fleeting second before returning to the other man's neck.

"Renee, leave. I don't want you seeing this." he said through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowing at the bastard beneath him.

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't deserve it."

Erik turned to her, shocked. "You don't want him punished? After all he did to you?"

"No! No, no, no! I just mean that it seems like... like it's too fast. He doesn't deserve it like that. Plus, you don't deserve to have his blood on your hands. He's not worth it."

Erik smiled.

It has been a while since I have used my torture chamber... I wonder if it still works. That way I can grant both her wishes.

"Renee, reach into my pocket and grab a small black bottle. There should be a handkerchief, too."

Renee did as she was told, curiously eyeing the bottle.

"Oh, so you'll obey him without question, but not your husband?" Christopher chocked out sarcastically.

Erik flexed, tightening the lasso. "I told you not to speak, you bastard." His eyes softened as he turned towards Renee. "My dear, get behind me. You should not breath this in."

Renee was puzzled at his sudden use of 'my dear', but nonetheless obeyed.

Erik, on the other hand, forcefully clomped his foot onto Christopher's chest knocking his breath out of him. "I can and will still kill you." He said absentmindedly while pouring a small amount of the liquid onto the kerchief. Holding his breath, he caught Christopher by the collar and forced the cloth under his mouth and nose. Soon he was nothing more than a limp doll.

"What is that?" Renee asked from behind him, her tone laced with curiosity and fear.

Erik hesitated, remembering when he had used it on her. "It's chloroform. It's what I used on you by the lake."

Renee nodded, silently remembering their first meeting.

Erik, on the other hand, was throwing Christopher over his shoulders.

"Erik?"

"Yes?"

"Would you... could... Can I please come home?"

Erik turned to her, to see her hiding her face, twiddling her thumbs. Had she just called his domain home? She couldn't have possibly. "Why would you want to? He's not going to bother you," he said gesturing to Christopher, "You don't need my protection any more."

"No, I don't doubt you'll take care of him, and I know you don't want me, but..." Renee trailed off as she noticed two things: The sound of the ballet mistress's footsteps coming down the hall, and the look of pure horror on Erik's face. "What's wrong? Erik?"

Erik couldn't focus. She thinks I don't want her... Oh, if only she knew... He snapped out of his horrified daze as he finally heard the footsteps. He quickly grabbed Renee around the waist and ushered her towards the tunnel. She, thankfully, obeyed, although was rather confused.

"Erik? Are you okay?"

Closing the tunnel door, Erik turned towards the beautiful girl.

"You think I don't want you?"

She was shocked by the vulnerability and sadness in his voice. "I-well, you left me in a tunnel, alone. I figure my reactions were not the best, but I didn't- I didn't think you'd leave me. I thought it was just another one of your moods. I thought perhaps I should go back, but I wouldn't know when you had calmed. Then I thought maybe you'd come and look for me, but I waited three hours. You never came. Frankly, I'm surprised you weren't done with me earlier."

Tears were streaming down Erik's face, luckily obscured from Renee by his mask and the fun lighting of the tunnel. Nothing obstructed the tears running down her's. Throwing Christopher down, he gently took Renee's face in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

"I never came because I was afraid you had decided to leave me. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I wasn't prepared, I couldn't face it. But Renee, after losing you, I discovered something."

"What?"

"Renee, I love you. I have never not wanted you. Please come home."

Renee didn't hear the last part.

Renee, I love you.