The Lure of the Phantom ~ Part Thirteen

As Kathy made her plans to leave in the dead of night, she drifted off to sleep and had the first dream she had had since she had arrived in Paris…

            

She was in a room filled with people who all looked very familiar.  They were all gathered around a large four-poster bed in which lay an old woman, who was quite plainly in her last hours.  Kathy knew the old woman must be in considerable pain as she detected the scent of morphine in the room.  She slowly pushed her way through the people to get a better look.  She could not quite tell who this woman was, though she felt as though she knew her.  It wasn’t until an old man, obviously her husband, spoke her name that she choked back a horrible sob of recognition.  “Christine…” he whispered gently as he took her hand. “We are all here my love.”  He bent down and kissed her hand.  Kathy felt as though her heart would break.  She knew he had loved her, and for the first time, she felt genuinely sorry for Raoul.   No one spoke for a very long time.  All that could be heard were the sounds of the women crying and the terrible sound of Christine’s labored breathing.  Then, suddenly Christine’s eyes opened and she looked around at her children, grandchildren, and at last looked upon her husband and smiled.  She said, “I have led a good life.  I have been blessed with having all of you in my life.  I love you all!”  Her voice was barely audible in the oppressive silence, but it still held a beauty that time and illness could never take away.  She then lay back on her pillows, and issued one last word with her dying breath, “Erik…” and as she said the name which had long been hidden in her heart, she closed her eyes…and that was it.  She was gone.  There was now a look of complete and utter beauty and peace on her face, which was no longer ravaged by the disease that had spread rapidly through her body. As this scene dissolved, Kathy could hear the wailing of the family for their loss, and she again felt the pain of the loss of her own mother only four months before. 

            

As Kathy slowly regained her consciousness, she was aware that it was very dark in the room and was reminded of her decision to leave.  As she got up she heard something…it was very faint, but she knew what it was.  She slowly crept into the kitchen and found a flashlight.  She quietly opened the back door and slipped out into the night, out into the deserted streets of Paris...