The Fifth Cellar (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 30 - Christine's Promise

Evangeline's POV:

I turned toward the door and saw Christine standing there. She was white as a sheet and scared to death. I could see. Erik spun away from me and hid from her. Christine was shaking and I grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the house and toward the lake. I pushed her away from me and said,

“What do you think are doing here?” Christine drew away and whispered,

“I came to fulfill a promise I made to a dying man. But he isn't dying anymore, is he?” I shook my head.

“I saved his life.” Christine stared at me in horror.

“Why? Why would you save the life of a monster? He isn't even alive. He is Death!” I growled and took one step toward her. I wasn't normally dangerous or the angry type but I would protect Erik at all costs.

“He isn't Death! He's a man that needs love. I am giving him the love you denied him! All he wants is a normal life. The life he was never given.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek for Erik. After all he wanted love and kindness and all he got was hatred and pain. She stared at me and said,

“You love him don't you?” I nodded. I loved him with my whole heart. “HOW?” She shouted. “He is a monster! He is ugly!” I growled.

“He is not either!” I almost screamed into her face. “He is beautiful.” I stated firmly. Christine stared at me in shock. She couldn't understand how I could love his insanity and his face. She shook her head.

“I came to bury him. But as I see he isn't dying I will leave and never return. I don't want to ever see him again.” Christine turned to leave but a voice stopped her.

“Christine,” said Erik, “don't stop singing.” She looked back at him and nodded. A moment later she was gone. Erik watched her depart and then turned to reenter the house. I followed him and watched him collapse into a chair. He stared at the wall. I walked over and settled down into his lap. He didn't even seem to acknowledge my presence. I lifted the mask and hat off of him and kissed him gently. He looked toward me and held me against him. I had temporarily forgotten how tall he was. Even sitting in his lap, I only came up to his chest.

“Erik, tell me one thing.” I whispered, “How could you fall in love with me in the two weeks I wasn't around?” Erik pulled away and touched my cheek with one finger. It was to tentative that I took his hand in mine and pressed it to my face. He seemed to so scared to touch me. I smiled at his boney hand came in contact with my face. I didn't mind that the love of my life was different. I loved him any way. He sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

“When you arrived in my torture chamber I remember how annoyed I was. I never liked Ballet Rats, Eva. I never had. I had half a mind to kill you. Well, I wasn't up to doing that so I let you go. Then you came back. You weren't afraid of me. You just kept coming back. I was at first mad and then just annoyed then you became my only friend. If it hadn't been for Christine I would have known what I felt for you was deeper than a friend. But I never through about it. I had my head turned by a pretty face. Well, after kidnapping her and almost killing Raoul and Daroga and then letting her go I realized something. Yes, she had broken my heart but the real reason was that you deserved to be free of me.” I stared at him. I laid my hand on his heart and used that steady beat to reassure me he was still alive and mine.

“Erik, what do you mean? What do you mean about freeing me?” He sighed.

“My love is a poison. To be loved by me is death. So I realized that I had to do something about it. I couldn't poison you. I saw what I did to Christine and I couldn't bear the thought of doing it to you. I thought if I died then you would be free, I wouldn't have to live with the knowledge that I had ruined Christine's life, and the world would have one less monster.” My heart broke at his terms for himself. I wrapped my arm around his neck and kissed him.

“Your love isn't poison. Its a lifeline. You aren't a monster. You're a man that I want to spend the rest of my life with if you want.” He looked up to me and opened his hand. In it I saw a ring. I picked it up from his opened palm and said,

“What is this for?” He picked me up and set me down in the chair. He took the ring from me and swallowed hard.

“Eva, did you mean that? Do you want to spend the rest of your life beside the Living Corpse?” I nodded.

“I do. But you aren't the Living Corpse. Will you ever understand that you are a man?” He sighed and dropped to one knee.

“If you mean all of what you said, will you,” He took a deep breath and I just barely caught the rest of his sentence, “marry me?”