Chapter 3: Total Strangers

A/N: WARNING! This chapter contains descriptions of gruesome torture. Not for the faint of heart or those with weak constitutions.

Erik's POV

Unbearable heat. Darkness. Red, yellow, orange, and white flames. Screams of agony fill the air, along with an overpowering, terrible stench of burning, rotten flesh and of brimstone and sulfur.

Hot.....Hot...... Have to get out of here! My flesh is BURNING! I can't breathe! I want to breathe in life-giving oxygen but instead, I choke on the smoke from the fires that surround me.

I find this is actually fitting. Like some type of poetic justice. In life, one of my favorite types of weapons was a Punjab Lasso, my "magical lasso" as the ballet rats called it. It was the weapon I used at the tender age of nine to escape my master, Javert, it was my method of choice to kill political enemies and "criminals" for the Shah and his mother during my time in Persia when the torture chamber wasn't enough, I killed Joseph Bouquet and Ubaldo Piangi with it for Christine's benefit, and I almost used it on that boy, the Vicomte, so that I could have her. Now, it is I who cannot and will not breathe for all eternity.

I can't see anything! Never in all my life had I wished to be able to see daylight or any type of light at all for that matter than right now. Before, the darkness was my friend. My comforting security blanket. My inspiration for my music. But now, the darkness holds nothing but fear, torment, and pain.

Pain. Pain is all I feel now. Normally, I would be used to such. After all, I am a monster and mother always said that all monsters deserve to feel pain. But this pain made the pain in my life seem like a blessing than THIS!

OH GOD! I'M IN AGONY!

"Hope you're comfortable, because you are going to stay here. PERMANENTLY!"

I recognized that voice. That was the final voice I heard before dying and he seemed just as cheerful then as he was now. Suddenly, a new Voice butted in.

"Not if I have a say in it!"

As He spoke, a blinding white light appeared , chasing away the darkness.

"NO! He died in his sins. He's mine!"

"Correction, he WAS yours. But I just sent someone to help him and they are praying for him as we speak. And I always answer prayers."

Soon, the light and darkness began to pull me back and forth until the light won.

"Now Erik," the Voice spoke, "I have given you a second chance. Please don't waste it."

And with that, it became dark again.

I opened my eyes slowly. As they began to adjust, I looked around and saw that I was in my coffin, but something seemed off.

"Hey, are you okay?"

It sounded like another voice. A woman's voice to be exact. Christine? I thought in excitement. I turned my gaze to see a young lady staring at me. Her skin was a dark brown, much darker than my "friend", the Daroga's. Her eyes were a deep brown and her hair.... I couldn't describe it. It reminded me of my Christine's hair because of the curls, but that was where the similarity ended. While Christine's curls were brown and tumbled down her back like a waterfall, this stranger's hair was black and the curls went in all directions around her head and the back of her neck, shaping her face, like the leaves of a tree. Her lips were different from Christine's, too. While her's were small and petite, this stranger's were large and plump. I slowly sat up and looked her over. She wasn't as small as Christine either. Instead, she was more robust, like that of La Carlotta, but not that much. I hope she doesn't sing like that toad as well.

"Are you okay? " She asked again, staring at me. I stared at her for a few seconds more. Her features were strange but beautiful. But beauty will not excuse her for intruding.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my lair?" I growled and coughed, my voice scraggly and rough.

A/N: So, how did you like this chapter? I want to give a special shoutout to @ninetailwolf09 for voting on my story. Stay awesome and I will see you in the next chapter! M'kay bye! ♡