Chapter One: Escaping his Past

Erik sat alone in his lair. His eyes scanned a news paper's headline, 'Titanic disaster'. His eye widened as he remembered Christine saying to Meg about going over to the Americas on the cruise ship. Reading the article over and over agian he realized his breath was caught in his throat. Tears filled up his eyes blurring his vision as he read about how not many survived the accident and his heart was pounding with fear now for his beloved, even though she wasn't really his anymore.

Christine had moved into a home with Raoul after 'the great opera disaster' as it was now called. He was updated oh her well-being by Madame Giry, but he knew that he'd never know if Christine was okay or not, not unless he went to the Americas in search for her.

Getting up and putting the paper into his cloak Erik grabbed a few of his things (music paper, some of his musical peices, a few outfits, and all the money from his sallary he had saved up) then headed out towards the stables where his stallion stood. He put a sattle and reins on the horse and took off down the street. His mask shone in the moonlight as he strode down the street on the back of his horse. Riding without thinking he didn't notice the sign to the tavern hanging infrotn of him and his head smacked into it. Falling back onto the ground as the stallion went striding down the street, Erik's eyes closed. His world went black as he passed out fro mthe fall and hit to his head.

Erik's eye's fluttered open slightly and scanned his surroundings. He was next to a dumpster on the side of a building. Looking out into the street he said that it was paved with something black and not brick or dirt. Rubbing his head and continued looking around and noticed it was night outside still, but he couldn't quite tell what time, or where he was.

Standing up and moving out into the street he looked around. All of a sudden a strange vehicle came barreling aorund the corner and made a really loud noise. Erik's eyes widened with fear and jumped out from the street. A guy's voice yelled from within the vehicle as it went speeding past him. "Get off the fucking rode you maniac!"

Erik looked after it as it turned another corner and growled deep within his throat. He didn't know where he was but he didn't like it. Getting up off the sidewalk where a few people were looking at him strangely he began walking quickly down the street. Not really knowing what to do anymore he traveled around thinking about how worried he was for Christine.

Large buildings were protruding into the sky and he had never seen such things. This was deffinately not Paris. He marvled at the buildings which were contructed so oddly yet so simple he felt like steeling the blue prints and just letting his golden eye suck in how the managed to stay up so high without falling. They were higher than the eiffle tower which he could see from the roof top of the opera house.

Though as he marvled at the buildings he couldn't get the thought of Christine from his head. Was she okay? Did they find anything out about the survivors? He knew so many people lost their lives, but he also knew that tons of people wanted to know who was alive, because they had relatives that had been on the ship when it crashed.

Noticing a news paper booth he went over and took a look at the news paper. Reading the date his eyes widened. "March 12, 2005!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah buddy, so you going to buy the paper or not?" The guy at the paper stand asked.

Erik looked up his eyes still wide. "W..where am I?" He explaimed now scared and amazed out of his wits.

The guy rolled his eyes and took the paper from Erik and mumbled something about always getting the crazys after sunset. "It's New York bub, and if you don't mind I'd apriciate it if you left." He answered and Erik nodded to shocked to get a comeback for the rude remark.

Walking down the street he continued to get stares, but paid them no heed. 2005! He was so far ahead in the future. Christine might have been dead before, but now he knew she was for sure. None of them, no matter how healthy they were, was going to live to see another turn of the millinium. Though somehow he was here. Maybe this was god's way of saying he had a new start on life. A new purpose!