Hi everyone here is the sequel to You alone can make my soul take flight. Hope you enjoy the first chapter. Takes place two years after the train accident. Please let me know what you think.

He sat there on his wooden piano bench like always, running his hands over the ivory keys of the piano. His hands sitting atop of someone else's, gently pushing down each finger to create the sound of every note that he wanted to make. First the b key, then c, then so on and so on until the melody of his music came out the way he wanted it to. Sweet sounds filled the room, a room full of students the ages of small children all the way to early adult hood. They were sitting there in their chairs listening to the music that Erik and his student were producing. He neither wore his mask, or his wig while he was at work. He had finally found a job where he could be free to look the way he was born and not have anyone scream at his hideous appearance. He sat behind his student who was no more than a twelve year old girl and placed his hands atop of hers to begin the lesson. She was a thin, blonde haired girl with blue eyes and had the most unusual smile Erik had ever seen. She was one of his usual students who enjoyed his company on a daily basis. Erik remembered the first time that he had met the girl seated in front of him. It was exactly two years ago when he applied for the job, she had been the first person he had seen in the building and had the pleasure of having a friendly conversation with her in the lobby before he was asked to go in for his interview. She had told him that her name was Emma and that she had been living there ever since she could remember. Erik had never had a job before and hated the fact of being in contact with others but he had his daughter to care for. The job of course was also out of the ordinary because not only was he a music teacher to a building full of orphans but the irony was that he was working in a building for blind orphans. This had worked out great, he would be able to teach without having anyone see who he really was, giving his ears the piece and quiet that they deserved.

"What are we going to play today Monsieur Kire?" asked Emma as she felt Erik place his hands over hers.

Each day the girl seemed to ask the same question over and over again but Erik didn't mind. It was as if her not being able to see him had made him a better person personality wise. Once a week he was able to play in front of an audience without his mask on and at the end he would receive an applause giving him a sense of excitement. Someone could finally listen to his music and see the true beauty of his work without having to see the hideousness of himself. He could even talk to someone without having to turn away because he would be standing straight in front of the person and yet they would stare at him as if he were like everyone else. This had been his job for two whole years and so far it wasn't half bad. Teaching a few students here and there and then returning to his daughter at night was the perfect set up. After a while of teaching Emma she had finally gotten good enough to play without Erik having to lie his hands atop of hers. She could play some of the most beautiful music just by remembering the way Erik would play it. That was his goal in teaching the blind, to make them remember every key and then to get them to remember songs. Once he had them remembering the keys of the piano, their imaginations took wing and they could all be able to play what they wanted. At night when the day's lessons were over, Erik would throw on his overcoat and hood and leave the building named "Manhattan Home For Blind." and walk down the dark cold streets. Once he had arrived in New York two years ago he and Clorinda lived on the streets for what seemed like weeks until he was able to land his job and get them a small attic bedroom atop of an apartment complex. The room suited him and his daughter leaving them enough space for a desk and a few things here and there. Once Erik made it to their room, he removed his cloak and walked over to the table to greet his daughter. She was now seven and seemed to get more beautiful as each day passed. She had started school a year ago and was doing excellent with a little help from him. The relationship they had worked out great because they would wake up together and eat breakfast together before Erik would walk her to school. He would then walk to work and when he returned home she would be there waiting for him.

"Hello Clorinda, how was school today?" asked Erik as he began to prepare them something to eat.

Clorinda looked up from her homework and smiled.

"Hi Daddy! It was alright, just book work here and there, nothing exciting. How was work? Everything alright today?"

"Yes of course, I performed today in front of them again."

"Oh what did you play?" asked Clorinda in excitement.

"Some of my Don Juan melody." replied Erik as he began to cut up a tomato.

"And did they like it?"

"Yes they really did."

Once Erik sat down a tomato sandwich in front of Clorinda he took a seat beside her and watched his daughter eat it. Clorinda took a few bites of it before placing it down and looking her father in the face.

"Daddy have you been keeping your mask off?"

"Yes why?"

"Your skin looks irritated again. I know how much mother……." Clorinda stopped herself from going any further and just picked up her sandwich again.

"What? What about your mother?" asked Erik.

"No it's nothing really. I know how much you hate it when I talk about mother." replied Clorinda, her voice filled with such sorrow.

"Don't worry about me Clorinda, I promised her that I would look out for you and I never dare to break that. Come, you must be tired and I would really like it of you read to me tonight. I have been tutoring you on your reading skills."

Clorinda shut her homework book, and walked over to her bed to slip on her night gown before Erik walked over and lied beside her.

"Now what would you like to read me tonight?" asked Erik holding out a small stack of children's books. Clorinda closed her eyes and reached over to pick out the first one that he hand touched. When he did, she opened her eyes and glanced at the familiar blue book in her hands.

"Peter Rabbit." replied Clorinda as she opened it's old pages. Erik sighed and took the book away from her.

"Clorinda, you read that same book to me every single night. Can't you read me something else? I swear you know it by heart."

"But it's my favorite daddy, please?"

Erik couldn't say no to his daughter and handed the book back to her.

"Well fine then but I want you to act out the story."

"What? Like get on the floor and act like a bunny?"

This made Erik laugh as he looked at the first pages of the book.

"No, you should make it interesting and change your voice for every character."

Clorinda climbed into Erik's arms as she began to read the story.

" ONCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were
Flopsy,
Mopsy,
Cotton-tail,
and Peter.

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree."

Clorinda read the story to her father and once it was over, he smiled at his daughter and tucked her in for the night. On the nightstand beside her bed, he glanced at a picture of him and Christine. It had been the first picture that they had been in together and framed it after finding out that it was the only one he had taken with him from the palace.

"Good night my angel, watch over our little girl." replied Erik as he touched the photo. Erik loved his life with his daughter but had become lonely in the past few years that he came up with a weekly ritual. A year ago on a stormy night Erik had become lonely being without a woman and always hoped that Christine would have come back but he lost all hope in it happening. Christine had been the only one to see past his disfigurement and love him for the man that he was and knew that he would never find anyone else again. It had been so hard for him going on without fornicating for almost a year and didn't know how to stop the urge. So on that stormy evening one year ago, Erik was walking home from work and passed a local brothel and decided just to go inside to have a look. He had never seen another woman besides Christine and frankly he couldn't even compare them to his angel of music but decided to try it once. He had on his mask of course so that didn't cause a problem to any of the women working there. He didn't even choose one to go with because he was so nervous. All he did was enter and take a seat in the lobby watching the women grab other men who walked in afterwards. He felt that it was a sin to be going with another woman but he had to face the fact that Christine was never coming back and he needed the release. He never forgot how sweaty his palms were as he sat there in a chair still trying to figure out what to do.

Everything happened so fast and before he could make up his mind someone make it up for him. A woman with black curly hair dressed in nothing more than feathered boas had a seat in his lap and pulled his shirt towards her. She had asked him what his name was and for the longest moment Erik paused as if he wasn't sure. His mind had gone blank and so the woman began to pull him up the staircase and to an empty room where she through him down onto a bed and danced in front of him. He would never forget how disgusting he felt watching this strange woman dance before his eyes and closed his eyes trying to block out the image. It was when he felt her straddling his waist when his body came alive. So long, it had been so long since the last time he had felt someone do this to him causing his body to become weak beneath hers. She wasn't trying to remove the mask and that was all that mattered. The woman wasn't the best looking woman in the world but when he closed his eyes and pictured what Christine used to look like that sent him over the edge. With woman's movements and the image of Christine playing in his head he had finally began to feel like his old self again. And so his weekly ritual was born, once a week after tucking Clorinda into bed he walked himself down to the brothel, with his face hidden completely with a hood and made love to a different girl each time. Every time shutting his eyes and imagining Christine doing every movement to him even sometimes calling out her name. He never had to tell them his name and he never had to show them his face and thinking of Christine gave him the same release as when he was with her.

Afterwards, he would pay and sneak back home to go to bed before Clorinda would even suspect that he was gone. And so now after tucking Clorinda into bed it was time for his weekly ritual once again. After placing on his hood, Erik quietly walked out of his room and began his trek up the street to the brothel. Once he walked through the door the owner, an older woman only known to them as "Mama Morton" was standing there waiting for him.

"Well it must be the end of the week, I know it's Friday when I see you here." she replied. Erik never spoke to anyone and always took his regular seat in the lobby to await the lucky girl. He always refused to look at them because when he would stare the image of Christine would be washed away from his mind making it hard for him to enjoy it. As he waited, he noticed Mama Morton approaching him and when she was at his side she handed him an invitation.

"That's for a party we're having on Tuesday . The women are going to be dressed up in masked costumes and dancing. I know that you don't come in on Tuesdays but maybe you should just for that night."

Erik didn't answer her and just looked at the colorful invite. He doubted that he was going to go but kept the invite anyway. His night started and ended like it usually did, first he would be taken to the room by some strange woman, then given a lap dance, then what he came for. Tonight however he tried to hold back from saying her name but couldn't and found himself calling for Christine as the woman made love to him. Once they finished, and Erik was getting dressed he heard the woman speak to him.

"Who is Christine?"

Erik couldn't possibly speak to her because that would interfere with his schedule. Instead he paid the woman and went on his merry way to go back home. Once he was back in his own lonely bed, Erik held Christine's picture in his hands as he slept hoping that she would protect him through the night and forgive him for what he has done. The next morning, Erik awoke to his daughter calling him out. He ignored her and pulled his pillow over his head.

"Daddy, daddy get up! You're going to be late."

Erik opened his eyes and looked at his pocket watch to see that it was only eight am. He never worked on Saturdays and wondered what on earth his daughter was yelling about. Erik just pulled his pillow back over his head and closed his eyes.

"It's Saturday Clorinda, go back to sleep. I told you before about the off schedule. I work all blasted week and on Saturdays I like to sleep in a bit."

"Why do you have to sleep in? we did go to bed early last night. You're tired every Saturday morning daddy."

"I'm an old man that needs his rest now could we please sleep."

"Only if we go ice skating today."

"Clorinda it hasn't even snowed yet."

Clorinda rushed over to the window and smiled.

"Yes it did, last night."

Once again Erik pulled the pillow over his head and groaned.

"Ok, later now please let me sleep for another hour or so."

Clorinda had a seat at the table, and opened her homework book.

"That's fine daddy, I'll just finish up my homework." replied Clorinda.

Erik smiled, and was glad to have Clorinda with him and to finally being able to finally sleep in on a Saturday morning.

Ok what did you think? I know it's a little short but that was just the introduction. I'd like to hear your opinions if you have something to say then please say it.