Summary: Based on Susan Kay's "phantom" written as a sequel. To those who knew of what unfolded in the end of Erick's story, eleven years later a child will be born to face the same cruel fate as he. Join her as she similarly follows her grandfather's footsteps almost from beginning to end in search of beauty and knowledge and uncovering a secret past. If you do not know what lies in the past, then you are doomed to repeat it…

An: alright, I feel a bit guilty for making a new fic when I have many others that are in progress, but I had to get this one out or I might have never got it started. Firstly, I'd just like to say that this fic is based all on Susan Kay's "Phantom" and it also is kind of like a sequel to it. This is a lot like her story except its about Erik's granddaughter who ends up being born with a very similar disfigurement and has to face life's harshness and cruelty as she journeys around the world, just like the phantom did, in search of knowledge and beauty. I dont want to say much else because i dont want to give anything away but as I said this is like Susan Kay's book, except for different characters and new places and themes. Otherwise it will seem very similar.

I always except advice to make my stories better so don't think your flaming me or anything just because you do that. (Except for grammar, please don't advise me about that because I already know its bad and I'm lazy lol).

secondly, I must say this is rated M for mature for language, violence, possibly sexual themes, and whatever else ends up later on.

And lastly:

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my own characters and themes. Everything else belongs to Susan Kay.

I hope you enjoy

Phantomess

Part 1: Sophia

England

1908-1920

I let out a great moan of pain as the midwife directed me hastily, yet diligently, towards the bed. The birth had come unexpectedly and I was greatly unprepared.

"Close the doors will you!" I faintly heard the midwife say to one of the house servants, " and bring me a bowl of water and towels, hurry!"

There were then many actions taking place within and out of the bedchamber. House servants were rushing out and in of the room as the midwife seemed to prepare for the birth.

Once everything was in order she commanded all of the servants out of the room as if this was a life or death situation.

This made me smile for an instant, for this was to be my third child and I was very familiar with all that must be done and was not at all worried. By the looks of the midwife, however, she seemed quite edgy.

This was strange to me for she had helped to give birth to my sons. Her name was Catharine. She was a stout woman who looked to be around mid- fifties. I was acquainted with her when I was pregnant with my first son, Charles. Now, after two births she and I had formed a small, innocent friendship and I admired her self-assurance.

"Alright madam, when I say, I need you to push." She said somewhat quietly as she washed her hands in the bowl.

Sweat had already begun to drip through my hair and around my body. I had the usual aching feeling that I had before when I was pregnant and I drew out slow, steady breaths.

At that instant, I wished deeply that my dear husband, Charles, were here with me. I was used to holding his reassuring hand in a tight grip by my side.

But now, there was no reassuring hand. The only thing I could grip onto was the bed sheet under me. My eyes began to form tears as I thought of my husband and how he would want to be here now seeing another child of ours being born. What I would give to see his handsome, smiling face again.

But now I was alone, except for Catherine.

"Alright you can begin to push now." The midwife said grabbing hold of a towel.

I began to take much quicker breaths and then pushed with all my might.

Within a couple of minutes the baby was more the half way out. My hair was now completely drenched in sweat and I continued to hold the covers in a death grip.

" Your almost there, keep pushing!" Catharine said in an exasperated tone. She also had begun to sweat as well.

The whole room was burning with steaming heat coming from the candles that flickered nearby. The room was quite dark, only enough light for the midwife to see.

I knew that everyone was waiting outside the door for the news of my newborn child. My sons, Charles and Raymond were in the crowd as well, awaiting the coming of their new sibling.

Thinking of them seemed to calm me a bit until the mid wife gave out a small, yet joyful, cry.

" Oh it's a girl! You're having a girl my lady! Now its just the head my dear, do exactly as I say and push."

Shoving away the fact I now had a daughter aside for the moment, I gave one last fierce push.

With a sigh of relief, the pain in my body finally subsided into a calmer feel as I again started to take slower, smoother breaths. My heart had slowed from a great pounding into a more rhythmic pattern.

I laid there for sometime in bleak exhaustion thinking how wonderful it was to finally be released from a nine-month pregnancy. I then remembered Catherine saying I had a daughter.

I smiled softly, and joyful tears began to form in my eyes. Finally a daughter!

I had wanted a daughter for sometime, but when my second birth came producing a son, I had almost lost hope. Charles had no problem with this, for he had wanted a son. Once, however, we were to expect our third child I immediately beilieved it must be the daughter that I wanted.

I escaped from my thoughts, however, to a sudden unfamiliar silence that I never heard before when giving birth.

When I had given birth to my two sons there had been screaming cries coming from their little mouths and Catharine would be congratulating me for my newborn child and carrying them genteelly to the side of the bed for me to look upon there small red, faces.

But, noticing no noise what so ever, I felt something must be wrong. I sat up, opening my eyes in the dim light to look up at the midwife.

Her face had gone quite pale and her eyes were as wide as the china plates we used at dinner. Her eyes seem to be glazed over as if her mind where trying to block out whatever terrifying sight she had been brought to.

In some strange instinct I put my hand to my mouth in horror.

Oh god my baby was dead…. my daughter is dead…

This sudden thought was taken back, however, by a soft whimpering cry unlike anything I could imagine hearing from a new born.

With some relief I settled back down on the bed.

" Catharine, what's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?" I heard myself say. I couldn't see the baby for Catharine had put her in a blanket.

The midwife seemed to have not heard me or rather; she was not able to respond. This made me even more nervous.

" Please! Tell me what is wrong! Let me see my baby!" I shouted a little louder then I wanted to. I was beginning to feel very dizzy and disoriented from the heat inside the room and wished very badly that someone would open a window, but more importantly I wanted to see my child.

" Please Mrs.," I heard Catherine whisper, "Please…I… I rather you didn't."

I was becoming very irritated. Catharine had never acted this way in front of me before and I had never expected her to. This came as a very big shocker, but friend or not she would hand over my daughter. As long as she wasn't dead I didn't care.

I stretched out my hands towards the midwife. "What has come over you Catharine? You must let me see her. She is alright isn't she?"

The midwife then seemed to choke up in silence. At first she started to shake her head, but then stopped herself, still staring in disbelief down at the small bundle in her arms.

" She's quite fine Mrs. Chagny…or so it seems…" The midwife said in a shaky voice. Looking closer at her I could tell she was shaking and she carried the infant farther apart from her has if she was afraid of it. I was almost afraid shed drop it!

" I don't understand…" I said in a harsh and confused tone. This was quite absurd! If Charles were here he would have never allowed such behavior.

As my anger began to build up the midwife seemed to notice this and realized her impertinent behavior. She moved slowly towards the side of the bed as if she were some dark dreary creature of the night. The candles flickered fiercely around me, distorting objects and creating monstrous shapes upon the walls.

I could barley see the midwife's face, but knew by her previous looks that something must be very, very wrong.

I was a practical woman and did not or would not think of the obscurities of the world. I saw things as natural and realistic and because of that I believed everything to be that way.

But when the midwife practically dropped my newborn into my arms my whole out look on life had been completely shattered as if an invisible rock had come smashing down upon it and broken it in an instant.

The shield I had placed in my mind to block ugly or unnatural things had been destroyed in that very instant as the true world I was living in came down right in front of me; A very dark and bleak world….

Nothing I ever believed or could even imagine to be a living creature was what could only be said about my daughter. How could something like this possibly be living?

The creature within my arms began to move softly within, like a large, nasty snake in a coiled sleep. It then turned its head up towards me and stared right at me with what looked like blazing yellows eyes behind deep sockets.

It looked like a corpse, a living, breathing creature with death's head and body. There were also scars running deep through its skin and blue veins popping out from its temples.

A great feeling leapt up inside of me and I began to recognize it not as the usual love I would have felt over a newborn, but an overcoming hatred and fear.

How could someone like me produce something so horrible and menacing! How could Charles' love and mine come out to making a monster!

I began to think on like this for sometime, continuing to stare down at the little demon within my arms as if the devil himself had come and placed it there to taunt me.

The creature did not move for sometime and I almost tried to believe it was dead. But suddenly it began to stretch out its tiny skeletal arms towards my body and grabbed on to a piece of my linen white shirt.

Then, as if I had finally come to terms at what was happening to me I suddenly felt myself go extremely light headed and dizzy.

" Sophia? Sophia! " I heard Catharine say. "Quick! Someone fetch the doctor! And a priest!" She yelled out from the room.

I then heard no more and everything fell into darkness.