The passageway was wet, cold, and damp, so very different from the first time she had traveled down it. That time though her Ang- no she could not go down that path of thinking again. It was bad enough that she was down here in the first place. She had made a promise though, a promise that she intended to keep, no matter what Raoul thought. It had been not a day since she had seen the notice in the paper. It had read simply “Erik is dead, as is the music of the night.”
Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
She came upon the gondola... oh the gondola. She knew coming down here would bring memories of such... but she had made a promise. Struggling with the pole she almost fell in the ice-cold water. Once she got the rhythm somewhat steady she found it actually quite easy to control. Long dead lanterns littered the walls, offering no light. The gondola hit the bottom as she pulled up to the shore that had housed her Angel.
I need some distraction
Oh, beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
There were traces of his recent touch everywhere. Semi-fresh ink bottles spilt, candelabras tipped over that had burnt themselves out... on the floor by his organ lay his mask. She gently picked it up, cradling as if it were as precious as a newborn child. She heard near silent moans of pain coming from before her. Still holding her Angel’s half-mask, she walked towards the noise. Next to the grand swan bed she had once slept in, lay her Angel.
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of an angel
May you find some comfort here
Christine rushed forwards, dropping the mask to support Erik’s head. His half-closed eyes widened all the way open in shock. “Ch-Chris-” he tried to form her name but his lips did not want to work.
“Shh... I’ve got you Erik.” She spoke softly. Caressing his malformed face while silent tears cascaded down his face.
“Y-you ca-came.” He managed to say.
“I came, I promised you, remember?”
So tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lie
That you make up for all that you lack
He managed to smile up at her before closing his eyes. Christine slipped the small gold ring off her finger; carefully she grabbed her Angel’s cold hand and put the ring on his pinky finger. She heard him sigh one last time, his chest stopped moving up and down. He... he was truly gone now. He was in the arms of fellow angels now...
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness
Oh, this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees
................................................................................................................................................
I don’t own the song nor the Phantom of the Opera.
