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Authors: Kailin Gow
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kiss the smooth line of her jaw while I brought the cross out of hiding and quickly secured it in place.
Her reaction was instantaneous and violent. Her eyes flew open with rage while she bared her teeth and growled at me. “What is this?” she screeched. “Get it off me! Get it off me!”
She struggled and twirled in a vain attempt to flee the pain of the cross. Bending over, she managed to get the cross to leave her chest, but it didn’t stop the pain.
I reached out and brought my thumb to her forehead to mark the sign of the cross. This threw her into a fit of rage as she thrashed about striking whatever got in her way.
“I command this evil spirit leave Annette’s body. Do not enter her again. In God’s name, Amen.” The words felt strange on my tongue, but Joana had assured me they would ward off Kristine’s hold of Annette.
“How dare you do this to me,” Kristine shouted. Her hands flailed out in attempts to strike me, but she seemed blinded by her rage. “How dare you. You vile monster.”
My hand automatically reached for my face, fingering the skin that had remained scarred and unsightly for so long.
“No one could even bare to look at you. Only I was capable of loving you, Eric. Only I had the heart to be with you.”
And she had never missed an opportunity to remind me of such. Despite the love she now claimed to have had for me, she’d controlled me and used me, sending me running to the salvation of the darkened tunnels below the Paris Opera House by simply reminding me of the monster I truly was.
“I did everything to help you, everything to bring you a life of wealth and luxury. When I plotted out Rupert’s demise at your hands it was for us, Eric. To give us a better life.”
“You tried to frame me for his murder.” Defending myself to her decrepit soul was useless, but the words nonetheless echoed in the small room.
“You’d betrayed me. You’d let me down. You never loved me, Eric. Neither you nor Rupert ever truly loved me. You both used me, toyed with my affection and left me struggling when things didn’t go your way. You deceived me into thinking you wanted to be with me for life. And now you're ruining everything again.”
Her face was twisted into an ugly grimace that was barely recognizable and the choking sounds that emanated from her had me fearing for Annette’s life. Would Kristine kill Annette rather than free her?
“I hate you, Eric,” she groaned. Her eyes rolled back in her head. “For all eternity, I shall loath you.”
She crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Chapter 8
Annette
The pounding of an intense headache greeted me as the distant sound of Eric’s voice broke into my consciousness.
“Annette, wake up.”
I felt the weight of the cross around my neck and remembered the last moments with Kristine. My eyes fluttered open and I tried to focus on Eric’s face.
“Annette?” He cradled me, his fingers lovingly tracing a line from my temple to my cheeks. But the doubt of who possessed my body was still with him.
“Eric,” I mumbled. My lips were numb and unresponsive. I reached for the crimson cross and held it tightly.
He smiled and wrapped his hand around mine. “Can you stand?”
I nodded, suddenly feeling a flood of strength permeate my body. This wasn’t the scant power Kristine had allowed me the day before. I was in full control and sensed she was no longer with me.
A knock at the door startled us both.
“Annette? We’re waiting for you.”
Shocked, I looked at Eric. “I have to go on. How can I…? How will…?”
“You’ll be fine,” he said, his voice a deep whisper that was thick with emotion. “Don’t fear all the sensations you now feel. Use them. Bring them to the stage with you and remind the crowd who Annette is and what she’s capable of.”
“I’ll be right out,” I called out though I had no idea how I would manage. Eric’s hand
Her reaction was instantaneous and violent. Her eyes flew open with rage while she bared her teeth and growled at me. “What is this?” she screeched. “Get it off me! Get it off me!”
She struggled and twirled in a vain attempt to flee the pain of the cross. Bending over, she managed to get the cross to leave her chest, but it didn’t stop the pain.
I reached out and brought my thumb to her forehead to mark the sign of the cross. This threw her into a fit of rage as she thrashed about striking whatever got in her way.
“I command this evil spirit leave Annette’s body. Do not enter her again. In God’s name, Amen.” The words felt strange on my tongue, but Joana had assured me they would ward off Kristine’s hold of Annette.
“How dare you do this to me,” Kristine shouted. Her hands flailed out in attempts to strike me, but she seemed blinded by her rage. “How dare you. You vile monster.”
My hand automatically reached for my face, fingering the skin that had remained scarred and unsightly for so long.
“No one could even bare to look at you. Only I was capable of loving you, Eric. Only I had the heart to be with you.”
And she had never missed an opportunity to remind me of such. Despite the love she now claimed to have had for me, she’d controlled me and used me, sending me running to the salvation of the darkened tunnels below the Paris Opera House by simply reminding me of the monster I truly was.
“I did everything to help you, everything to bring you a life of wealth and luxury. When I plotted out Rupert’s demise at your hands it was for us, Eric. To give us a better life.”
“You tried to frame me for his murder.” Defending myself to her decrepit soul was useless, but the words nonetheless echoed in the small room.
“You’d betrayed me. You’d let me down. You never loved me, Eric. Neither you nor Rupert ever truly loved me. You both used me, toyed with my affection and left me struggling when things didn’t go your way. You deceived me into thinking you wanted to be with me for life. And now you're ruining everything again.”
Her face was twisted into an ugly grimace that was barely recognizable and the choking sounds that emanated from her had me fearing for Annette’s life. Would Kristine kill Annette rather than free her?
“I hate you, Eric,” she groaned. Her eyes rolled back in her head. “For all eternity, I shall loath you.”
She crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Chapter 8
Annette
The pounding of an intense headache greeted me as the distant sound of Eric’s voice broke into my consciousness.
“Annette, wake up.”
I felt the weight of the cross around my neck and remembered the last moments with Kristine. My eyes fluttered open and I tried to focus on Eric’s face.
“Annette?” He cradled me, his fingers lovingly tracing a line from my temple to my cheeks. But the doubt of who possessed my body was still with him.
“Eric,” I mumbled. My lips were numb and unresponsive. I reached for the crimson cross and held it tightly.
He smiled and wrapped his hand around mine. “Can you stand?”
I nodded, suddenly feeling a flood of strength permeate my body. This wasn’t the scant power Kristine had allowed me the day before. I was in full control and sensed she was no longer with me.
A knock at the door startled us both.
“Annette? We’re waiting for you.”
Shocked, I looked at Eric. “I have to go on. How can I…? How will…?”
“You’ll be fine,” he said, his voice a deep whisper that was thick with emotion. “Don’t fear all the sensations you now feel. Use them. Bring them to the stage with you and remind the crowd who Annette is and what she’s capable of.”
“I’ll be right out,” I called out though I had no idea how I would manage. Eric’s hand
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