Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Phantom of the Opera. The rest is my own version of the story.
To anyone who asks, I will always be the tragic beauty who killed herself when her deformed, demonic child died. That will always be incorrect. No one knows the real story. My time is running short. I have to tell all now. I have to set the record straight.
Erik. Yes, it had a name. He was named Erik. I knew he was different before he was even born. Any woman can tell you that pregnancy isn't easy. You always wish it to be, but rarely does it give you a break. Erik was worse than any other unborn child had ever been. The night he was conceived was a night of dancing, silk sheets, and too much wine. The morning after was hell. The entire pregnancy was unusual. It would steadily get worse too.
I woke up that morning and before I could sit up vomited, violently. I figured it was some sort of hangover. I shuffled to the bathroom to get cleaned up, when I was sick again. It seemed odd that a headache didn't accompany the sickness but I shrugged it off. I was just stepping into the shower when I felt something warm trickle down my legs. I was bleeding. It wasn't my period either. I pulled on my robe and ran to the phone, frantically trying to recall the previous nights events through the alcohol-induced fog. He had seemed so gentle.
My fingers fumbled over the keys. After redialing multiple times I eventually got a hold of the emergency room. They instructed me to come immediately. I pulled on sweat pants and a sweatshirt and drove as fast as I could to the emergency room, having to stop halfway there to get sick again. They received me immediately and pulled me into a stark white, examination room. The doctor began asking me questions and I had to catch myself when he asked whether I had engaged in sexual activity. After noticing my hesitation, he asked when the last time I had was. I replied that it was last night and he automatically stood up and informed me that I had most likely become pregnant the previous evening and had had a miscarriage this morning. I was terrified to think that I may not be able to have children. Yet, I was also terrified to think that I might have had a child. They preformed several tests and then the doctor came to deliver the facts to me. He seemed oddly confused as he proceeded to tell me the one sentence that would change my life forever.
"You tested positive for pregnancy."
"So I did have a miscarriage? " I asked, feeling on the verge of tears.
"No, you tested positive for pregnancy now. It looks as though you had a miscarriage but the baby is still inside of you, and it is still alive. We've never seen anything like this. It truly is a miracle," he proclaimed, beaming me a smile as though I had been trying for a child. I wasn't ready. I still had to finish my degree. I wanted to get to know... I needed to tell... This child was his. Yet, I couldn't remember his name.
As if he could read my thoughts, the doctor asked, "May I ask who the father is? We can call him in if you'd like."
"I... I don't know," my bewildered voice stammered out.
He looked at me concerned as I heaved into the trash can again.
"This is the worst morning sickness I've ever seen. We'll prescribe some pills to help you with the vomiting. For now, I need you to try to keep down some fluids, call into work for the week, and don't go back to school until you can keep solid food down. Is there anyone who can stay with you for a while?" "No it's just me. Us. It's okay. The baby will take care of me."
Oddly enough, I believed in it.