Past the Point of No Return

I live in a dungeon of black despair. My world is a world unlike any other for I am Erik, the Phantom of the Opera. I love one woman, but I am afraid that love will never be returned for she loves another. The first time I ever heard Christine sing, I believed my life had changed forever, that there was finally some hope for this broken heart of mine, but I was very sadly mistaken.

Raoul DeChangny is the reason Christine will never love me, and for that I will never forgive him. I know the boy is young and handsome, things that I will never be, but I cannot help feeling some degree of hatred toward him for he stole the only thing that ever meant anything at all to me away. Her.

I wish there was some way I could change her mind, some way to make her loves me, but this cursed face is the reason I can never know love. She kissed me once, but it was only a kiss of pity not one of true love as I was dreaming it could be in my mind. Well I suppose the time has come now to move on with my miserable existence and try to live my life in another place, for now my beloved Opera Populaire is gone having been destroyed by the fire. Ah Madame Giry has come to see me, and she has come to bring me my mask

She said her daughter Meg found it in my lair after I left through the broken mirror. Madame Giry is truly the only friend I have ever have, the only person in whom I put one element of trust.

She says she has found a new home for me at a secluded chateau in a very private part of France at least 50 or 60 miles from here, somewhere. I can start my life anew, and where Paris can forget the Phantom of the Opera. I plan on dropping my role as The Opera Ghost and plan to live my life as Erik Deveraux, but I must not let myself be seen at all, when I do go out it will be at night to get the barest of necessities then return home as quickly as possible.

Madame Giry has agreed to come with me to help me out, not so much as a maid, but as a personal assistant to help me with the things I need. Well here I stand at my private entrance to the Paris Opera looking back at the blackened remains of the only home I have ever known. Now as I step to the foot of the private coach I have hired to transport me to my new home, and a whole new life, I feel a small arm softly touch my shoulder.

Turning expecting to see Madame Giry standingthere, I see Christine instead. " Erik, where are you going?" She asks innocently and a bit naively.

"What do you care," I reply coldly? "You left me back there in my misery expecting me to live the rest of my life pining away over you, and though it is true you did break my heart, I have decided to move on with my life and leave all my old memories behind including you. And where is your beloved Vicomte, by the way. I thought you two were so in love and now here you stand before me without him. What's the matter Christine, is there trouble in paradise?"

"Oh Erik I have made such a huge mistake." She says, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. "Raoul promised me everything, he said we would be so happy and when we returned to make our wedding announcement to his family, he ran upon an old flame his parents had obviously set up to be there when we arrived, and she used her evil feminine wiles on him and seduced him, and he told me to get out, that he preferred her to me and when I refused telling him that she was wicked and only wanted to use him, he had me forcibly thrown out into the streets and I didn't know where else to go and oh Erik, I just don't know what to do. I knew the only person I could go to that truly cared was you, and that maybe if I returned I could repair the damage I had done to you and make it up to you, and be the wife, you've always dreamed of having and we could be happy together. Oh Erik, please say you'll take me with you, lets leave Paris together, we'll go to your new home together and start a new life." Christine said, eagerly and a bit hopefully looking up into my masked indifferent face.

"Oh Christine." I sighed, "You are indeed such a child." I replied. "You believe just because your happy life with Raoul did not work out the way you planned, you can just come running back to me, expecting all to be forgiven and for me to welcome you back with open arms, even after you deserted me and broke my heart. Well I'm afraid it's not that simple my darling. Even though I must admit, I do still have feelings for you, I just do not feel that I can allow myself to love you again after all that has happened. No, Christine, I'm afraid your beauty and charms, and lovely voice will not be able to work their magic on me this time. I'm leaving everything in this world behind, and I'm afraid that includes you as well my dear."

I reply looking into her lovely tear stained face.

"But Erik, what will I do, what is to become of me, oh won't you please change your mind?" She pleads looking up at me pitifully.

"Actually Christine, I really don't give a damn what happens to you." I lie, my heart breaking inside as I speak to these words to the only woman I have ever loved. "Farewell Christine," I say stepping up into my carriage.

" I hope you find someone with whom you can be happy and maybe someday, somewhere I may as well."

As I sit down in my carriage seat, and turning to Madame Giry my only true friend sitting in the seat across from me, I reply, "Well I wish it could have been different for Christine and me, if she had only stayed with me instead of leaving with Raoul DeChangny, we would be leaving for France together now, but she chose a different path, and now I'm choosing mine."

Turning slowly in the carriage, I watch as we drive away leaving Christine standing crying in the street.

As we disappear around the bend, my heart breaking inside once more, I softly sing to myself, "We've past the point of no return.". Forever.

The End

by Kelly Fournerat