Erik's POV

I never imagined myself to be a desperate man. I have lived my life alone, eating alone, sleeping alone, even playing my music alone. It was always just me…alone in my lair. But when Christine came along, it was as if the angels had finally looked down upon me. She was my light in darkness, my heaven to my hell, my everything! Was it so terrible for someone such as me to fall in love? A sin you could call it, but I was a living, breathing man, and unfortunately, men had urges. I have lived upon this earth for thirty-six winters and never once during those winters did I ever experience the joys of the flesh. The closest thing I ever got to experiencing the real thing were pictures in books. And when Christine came into my life, I had thought about nothing more than being wrapped up within my blankets with her.

Oh, how my body ached for such an intimate touch. Just to lay my lips upon her forehead would send me straight to heaven! I needed her, I wanted her! I wanted the rights every other normal man had! I wanted a wife to take for walks on Sundays. I wanted someone to share meals with, to share my music, to tell my stories to. I even wanted to carry my wife off to bed when she fell asleep beside the fire. Christine was my only hope of that ever happening, and for months, I had been in competition with her young fop! The fool! How dare he march into her life and try to steal her away from me! He even proposed to her! What hurt my heart worse was that she accepted! After everything we've been through… And tonight, after my performance of Don Juan, the fop was planning on taking her away! I wouldn't allow it! I had to do something! And therefore, I wouldn't let this happen.

My plan was simple. My plan was to take the stage in Piange's place after killing him, seducing my angel to love me…The last act of a desperate lover!

I was standing in front of my mirror in my bedroom, adjusting my wig and mask. After buttoning up my shirt, I turned to don my jacket and cape, when I heard a familiar voice calling me from the entrance to my lair.

"Erik? Erik, open up, man! We need to talk this instant!"

I rolled my eyes, knowing this voice anywhere. I strolled to my gate, spotting the dargona standing there with a desperate look upon his face.

"And what brings you here on this dreary night, Nadir? Can't you see that I'm in the middle of getting ready for what could be the most important performance of my life?"

I clicked open the latch, allowing the gate to open. My Persian friend scurried in, locking the gate from behind him.

"That's what I came to speak to you about, Erik- You can't go through with this!"

"Oh, please, don't come crying to me with this poppycock."

"Erik, I'm serious." he gasped. "There's an entire uproar above. Monsieur De Chagney has persuaded Andre and Firmin to call in the authorities. The doors are locked Erik… There is no way of escaping. They have guards at every box, at every door…"

"And let them come! I'm not afraid of a few guards…"

"Erik, please…"

Nadir grabbed my arm, but I pushed him away.

"No, Nadir! I have lived my entire life alone. Christine has been the light within my darkness and I refuse to let her leave! I need to do this…"

I threw on my cape, turning in full costume to Nadir who was still standing there.

"They have been ordered to shoot, Erik." he firmly stated. "And only shoot to kill."

But I wasn't listening to him. I refused to give up on winning my angel over.

"Are you finished, Daroga?"

"Erik-"

"No! Now you're going to make me late. The opera is already starting…"

"Erik, I'm only warning you as a friend."

I hopped into my gondola, rowing it away from my lair.

"You're not my friend…I needn't anyone but Christine…"

Nadir continued to call for me, but I never looked back. Yes, perhaps other men would have turned back, but I refused to do so. I wanted Christine at my side, and I would have her. I loved her more than anything in the entire world, and tonight, she would be mine. I hid behind the stage curtain, waiting like a lion stalking its prey. Piange was on stage, placing on a mask and Fedora…Finally, he came back behind the curtain to wait for his next scene, and that's when I pounced on him, strangling him with my lasso…And only when his eyes rolled to the back of his head did I stop and come out on stage with the cloak draped over my head… It was such a wonderful disguise, for no one knew who I was. My Christine was exquisite…so beautiful and pure. I approached her, running my hands along her body…Oh, how soft her flesh was…how wonderful! Such hands have never felt something so wonderful before. My nerves froze, blood rushing throughout my body. I had never been so close to her… Her curls smelled of roses, her body of lavender bath salts… Oh, what a rush! This was worth every risk! We sang past the point of no return… A song clear enough of its meaning. I had written this song while thinking about my angel. Each lyric was how I believed making love would be… Two passionate lovers, burying their bodies in one another, flesh burning on flesh… Blood rushing! Christine sat there on the bench that was being used as a prop, her hands running my own over her body! She felt just as I had imagined she would…. She was warm, her flesh soft, and flawless… How I wanted to show her how passionate I could be! Our positions were switched, and now she was standing behind me, as I sat on the bench that she had just risen from. Her hands wove themselves beneath my arms, her fingers brushing over my chest… Oh, no one had ever touched me there…Not even while I was wearing my shirt! Yes, there was fabric between her hands and my scarred flesh, but just to know she had touched me there sent erotic shivers down my spine. It made me wonder what her chest would feel like… These hands had never felt any part of the female body, only pictures of them in books, closing my eyes and imagining what one would feel like. My hand cautiously raised itself blindly as Christine stood behind me, placing itself over her chest… I gasped at such a feeling. Her breast! But when my hand shook in nervousness, she must have knew it was me. I grasped her hand, but this time, she fought, pulling away from me, but I grabbed back. The song was over now, her body so close to my own. And then, she lifted the cloak from off of my head! Why, Christine! Why! Everyone in the audience gasped, and I began to run for the stage curtain… No, no you fool! Turn around!

I stopped, turning back to her and lifting the ring from off of my pinky. This was why I had come tonight! This was why I had risked everything to be beside her.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime…save me, lead me from my solitude. Say you'll want me with you here, beside you…"

I placed the ring upon her left finger.

"Anywhere you go let me go too, Christine, that's all I ask of-"

But I never got to finish, for a loud gunshot rang out and the worst pain I had ever felt struck me below my right side. When I dared to look up at box five, the fop was standing there beside a guard, a smoking gun still in his hand. The music had stopped, Christine looking me straight in the eyes… I reached my hand down over my cloak, to feel something sticky leaking from me… It hurt, oh, how it hurt! Searing agony that burned like the fires of hell!

"Shoot!" I looked back up at box five, Raoul demanding the guard to shoot me again. Before I even came out on stage, I had a plan, that plan being to disappear beneath the stage floor. Before the guard could shoot me again, I grabbed hold of Christine and stomped on the trap door with my foot, causing us to fall below the stage just as the second gunshot rang out. The entire audience was in an uproar now, I could hear the shouts from above. When Christine and I hit the floor below, I could hardly get up, blood and pain pouring from my side. I cringed, placing my hand tightly over my bleeding wound.

"Erik…."

Christine came to my aid, pressing her hand against my own.

"We need to get you to your lair….quickly…"

"Track down this murderer he must be found!"

Voices echoed off my walls, making it clear that this night had been a mistake. I was not only being hunted, but I was also injured, and severely… Christine lifted me to my feet, pulling my arm around her neck to support me. Blood was pouring from my body, my sight going blurry from all the pain I was feeling.

"Erik, stay with me…"

Christine was begging me to stay with her, and therefore, I would… I fought to stay awake, nearly dying the moment we were inside my home. Christine placed me down on the couch, rushing around as I sat there pressing against my wound.

"Erik, where is your brandy?"

I couldn't speak, for I was nearly out of breath. I pointed to the cabinet on the other end of the room, hoping it would be enough. By this time, I plopped back against the cushions, nearly at the end of my rope.

"Erik…"

Christine pulled my shirt out of my trousers and began to unbutton it. My entire side was gushing blood, my hand stained in the crimson red.

"Press tightly, Erik…"

But my grasp was coming loose, and my eyes growing tired.

"Ch…Chri…" I couldn't speak, nor could I move. She must have found my bottle of brandy, for she was pulling open the cork as quickly as she could. From outside, my alarm rang, making it obvious that someone was entering my lair. The alarm had caused Christine to drop the bottle of brandy, it smashing into a million pieces on the floor.

She needed to go! My angel needed to leave…. If she were caught trying to help me, it would be over for her.

"Go…" I murmured, "G..Go…"

Christine stood there, looking towards the lake, and then at me.

"No, I can't leave you…"

She pulled me up from the couch, her body barely being able to support me.

"Come on, Erik…" she whispered, everything is going to be all right. For as small as my angel was, she refused to stop dragging my boney body to safety. We were at the shore of my lake, when her body gave out and I plopped down at the water's edge. Water splashed against the top of my head, my black wig still staying in place.

"Christine?"

A manly voice called out for her, that voice belonging to the boy!

"Raoul…" Christine lowly gasped his name, working hard to move me away from the water's edge. She looked around for anywhere to hide me, coming up with only the large, wooden bin I used to store away my anchors and ropes for my gondola.

"In here, Erik…"

She stuffed my slender body into the bin, the ropes brushing uncomfortably against my skin.

"Stay awake…" she warned. "Stay quiet."

"Christine!"

My angel closed the lid, making everything dark. Raoul must have found her, for their voices were so close to me.

"Where is he?"

"He drowned in the lake!" Christine exclaimed. "I pushed him into it after he dragged me down here…it's over, Raoul."

"You're telling the truth?" he asked.

I heard footsteps coming closer to me, so close that they must have been right outside the bin. Oh, if he opened this bin and found me-It would surely be over. I wanted to whimper in agony, but I held it in, pressing my hand against my wound.

"Come along, Christine, we must leave here… The mob will be down shortly…"

I heard the splashing and rowing of my gondola, making it obvious that they had taken the boat. I was wet, cold, tired, bleeding, and slowly slipping away. I wasn't sure how long I laid there on top of those ropes, but it was long…I heard smashing, angry voices, even seen the flames of torches…but I was never spotted.

"Erik?"

I heard my name being called hours later, but I was at death's door. When the lid of the bin I was in finally came away, I prepared myself for the death I was most likely going to endure at the hands of the mob. But instead, I saw Nadir standing there.

"Oh, Erik…"

He lifted my body out of that horrible storage bin and supported my weight with his arm.

"We have to get you out of here… Miss Christine told me where you were. I couldn't come down until all search parties have been called off by the mob."

I couldn't hang on any longer… I had promised Christine to stay awake, but I couldn't… And therefore, I closed my eyes and let my body enter the blackness of my certain death.

"Erik…"

I came back to consciousness, Nadir dragging me into the night. It was raining, making my body colder than it already was.

"Come on, man…" he groaned. "Work with me…."

But I couldn't.

"You're really going to make me carry you, aren't you, Erik…"

I was having a hard time breathing, and that's when Nadir propped my body onto his back. I blacked out again, knowing that I had to be dying this time.

When I felt my back land on something hard, my eyes flew open and I took notice to the strange room that I was now in. I saw a counter, a stove, even an ice box… It only took a few moments to realize that I was laying on the kitchen table.

"You've lost so much blood…"

From out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nadir pacing back and forth, pulling out towels from the linen closet and coming back to press them against my side.

"You need a doctor…"

I tried to close my eyes again, but the Persian slapped my cheek.

"Hey, stay awake, man! No more naps… I need to find a doctor…"

He paced a moment more, pulling at his dark hair.

"What am I saying? There won't be a man in all of Paris who wouldn't turn you in upon seeing you laying here. At least not until everything calms down in a day or two…"

How I wanted him to shut his mouth and let me rest, but I knew he was going to do anything but that.

"A friend of mine back in Persia got shot once." he continued. "I assisted him to the infirmary and watched the doctor take out the bullet. I could do it, you know… Perhaps, not as well as the doctors would, but something needs to be done."

He went rummaging through the drawers, coming back with a few household items. I was freezing, my body barley being able to hold on another moment.

"Do you trust me, Erik?"

Did I? I wasn't particularly sure. He hadn't turned me in… he perhaps even saved my life tonight.

I couldn't speak, but managed to nod. It was as good an answer as any, and with that, his hands began to work away the buttons of my shirt. When he was down to nothing but my scarred chest, he loosened my trousers and pulled them down enough to expose the full extent of my injury.

"…Oh, Allah…" his voice didn't sound at the least one bit promising. "What if the bullet cut an artery? Perhaps that's why you're bleeding so much…"

His fingers grazed over my side, a new pricking sensation sending my body into a fit of pure agony.

"Stay still, Erik." he warned. "I have to get this bullet out of you…"

I was on the brink of passing out again, but fought against it. It was right above my hip! The damn bullet had entered me right above my blasted hip! Oh, how painful this was… I couldn't take it… I needed something!

"…N..Nadir-"

"Erik, I haven't anything to give you."

My friend disappeared for a few moments, coming back with a wooden spoon in hand. It wasn't chloroform, but it would have to suffice. He stuck the handle between my teeth so I could bite down on it, the pricking sensation occurring once more. This man was digging into my flesh, so deep that it was churning my stomach.

"I've found it…"

I relaxed my muscles, my flesh burning like it once did after a whipping from my master.

"I'm going to stitch you up now…"

As the needle wove in and out of my wound, I grunted and bit down on the spoon. This entire surgery had been more painful than being shot. For what seemed like the longest few moments of my life, that sharp needle drove me straight to madness! What hurt me even worse was when he pulled it tight, causing my flesh to do the same.

"Not bad for an amateur."

The man bandaged my entire torso, helping me up off the table and carrying me to another part of the house we were in. I don't remember much after that, for I had allowed myself to black out, and this time, I didn't wake…

Greetings once again readers! I told you I would be back with a new story. This one seems promising. Anyway, please review and I will be updating after Love Lives On is complete within a few days. Happy Reading! I'll be updating between writing chapters for this and working with a publishing company to publish my first book "The Escapades of Augie Atwell." It will be on store shelves soon... Will keep everyone updated!