14 Days

The duet

Erik hated humans, but he hated himself even more. He hated his uncontrolled outbursts - how could he scare the girl like that? Had it not been bad enough that she had to see his face? Why did he hurt her while she was shocked?

He did not sleep that night; he decided to go out of the house for some hours. So he quickly wrote a little note to Christine and put it on her table together with a red rose. He looked at the sleeping beauty for a few seconds. Wrapped in the blanket, she lay on the bed curled up like a child. Her dark hair seemed to flow over the pillow, her chest and her shoulders moved in deep, evenly breaths. She seemed to have a calm sleep. And she was so beautiful, indeed like an angel... his angel...

When Erik returned to his house hours later, he found Christine in front of the extinct fireplace. She held his cat Ayesha in her arms and he could see that she was shivering.

'Are you cold, my dear?' he asked and she jumped frightened. She had not noticed him coming in.

'Christine...' Erik said carefully, 'Do not be afraid!'

'I want to go home' she said quietly and stared in a distant.

When he did not answer, she dared to look at him, relieved that he had covered his face behind the lifeless white again. Now that she looked at him, Christine could see his sad disappointment at her words. Suddenly she understood that it had not been the worst that she had taken away his mask, but that she had ran away from him. How many people had reacted like that before? How much pain did this man had to feel in his life? Had he lived a whole life without love or friendship? Why else would someone decide to live in a cold dark cellar? At the sight of this immense sadness in his amber eyes, Christine overcame her fear. She stood up and the cat jumped from her lap. She slowly approached Erik who stared at her in disbelief. How did this girl get the courage to come closer to him now? But her face was full of pity and that gave Erik the courage to ask for the one thing he had brought Christine to his house for: 'Would you please sing one duet with me, Christine? Then I will bring you back upstairs to the opera'

'I will sing it with you' she said and added shyly: 'Erik'

He did not believe what he was seeing and hearing; his angel had said his name and even gave him a little smile. Timid he took a step towards her and raised his hand a little bit, but she made a step backwards immediately.

'I am sorry' she whispered 'But please don't come closer.'

He stopped instantly, lowered his gaze rueful and turned away.

'I will wait for you in the music room' he said simply and walked through another door.

Before Christine had reached the music room, she heard the sweet sound of a piano. It was the most unearthly music she had ever heard before. The music caressed her took her fear away and begged for forgiveness at the same time. She was sure that Erik had composed it himself. Then, suddenly, Erik started to sing. It was a duet she knew very well. Her body moved towards the piano he was playing on, she just had to go there; Christine was bewitched and magically attracted by his infinitely soft and gentle voice. Shocked she realized that this voice touched her extremely, while Erik sang she was willing to do anything, as if she was hypnotized, as if the magic of music had spun an invisible cobweb around her. She wondered if he was aware of the power of his voice. It made a young, innocent girl without will, worse, even willingly. In the moments when she listened, she wanted nothing more than to lie forever in his arms ant to hear his voice forever. She understood that this music was something that connected them strongly to each other; they both felt the same passion for singing. She joined in the duet.

Christine voluntary approached Erik and sat down next to him on the piano stool. She was not touching him, but her proximity was nearly unbearable for him and his loneliness. They sang together and their voices rose and fell like one. Two angelic voices, a tenor and a soprano, that caused the music to fill the whole underground lair. Erik stopped playing the piano; it was inaudible anyways, drowned by their voices. Christine eventually took his hands in hers and Erik's eyes widened. For the first time in his life someone had touched him voluntary and tender. He carefully stood up and pulled her gently upwards. During the whole duet they did not let go of each other, did not dare to break this passionate eye contact. Christine's eyes, her intensive touch and her graceful voice were everything that mattered to Erik in that moment. The whole world, the opera and the humans seemed far away and the moment belonged to nobody but Erik and Christine. For her it was like she was losing a piece of her innocence, making a tiny step from her child being on the road to an adult woman. Erik was overwhelmed by her beauty and that voice which filled his spirit with a sweet sound he had never known before. The last Crescendo swelled and then their voices fell silent.

It was over. It had been the best and most intensive thing Christine had ever experienced. They were still holding hands; saying no word. Then she blushed, turned her face away and dissolved her hands from his. The magic of the moment seemed to have gone away, even if both of them were still bewitched from what they had experienced together. Erik would have liked to caress her cheek, but he still did not dare to touch her of his own accord. He could not bare the thought that she might just run away. He was sure that Christine never would want him to touch her if he did not sing and he did not want to daze her with his one power; he wanted to win her heart.

All he wanted was to be loved for himself and Christine could never give him that love. He was really thankful for her bringing a light to his darkness and now he was ready to bring her back home. He felt really sad, but he said: 'Come, Christine, I will bring you back up.'