Chapter 2

Hello wonderful people! I just want to make a special shoutout to my guest reviewer and DarlingPhantom730 for actually being the first to review my story. Thank you so much you have no idea how your reviews made my day. And to anyone who might have read it but didn't review, thank you for even taking the time to click on my story. I have decided to continue my story and will try to update as much as I can. I do not own the phantom.

Now let this story begin!

I took the girl and her father over to the stables. There was no way I could fit the horse into any other of my hidden entrances. So I walked the stallion to the very last stable on the left hand side. I brought the horse inside and laid the girl on a mountain of hay off to the side. I then turned to the very back stone wall. I looked up to the right hand corner and smiled as I spotted what seemed to be a regular looking stone. No one would ever recognize its existence if they did not already know that it was there. I reached up and pushed the rock until I heard a familiar click. A door taller than I opened before us, almost spooking the horse again. After giving the stallion's snout a few reassuring pats I bent down and picked up the petite girl once more. I then made my way into my darkness leading the horse behind me.

After the secret door closed behind the stallion I made my way through my humble abode. It wasn't too long before we were behind a secret door just across from the infirmary. I checked the surroundings outside the hidden door before securing the horse to the place I wanted it to. I then checked one last time. After I was sure, I opened the door and carried the little girl onto an infirmary bed. I was able to light a candle on a nearby table and set it on the bed's nightstand. I turned to the girl and saw that she was still unconscious. With the light illuminating her face I could now see a bruise on her upper right cheekbone and a little bit of blood on her lower lip. She wasn't ugly, but compared to me nothing is. Her skin was pale white, she also looked far too skinny to look healthy, and she had large frazzled chocolate brown curls. What did he call her? Christine. He called her Christine.

It took me a good moment to get back to the task at hand, but something within me didn't want to leave her side. Never before had I been so close to someone who did not feel fear near me. Even Madame Giry had always kept me at an arm's distance, I've always felt it too have been because she too was afraid. She had seen, with her own eyes, just how terrifying I can truly be.

These thoughts gave me the push my body needed in order to complete my task. I then was back with the stallion pulling the dead man off and onto my shoulders. Being that I was usually known for having supernatural strength, I was having a particularly difficult time hoisting the man onto my shoulders and walking with him, his build was far greater and thicker than mine. As I made my way into the infirmary I placed the heavy man on the bed adjacent to his daughter.

After catching my breath I simply stared at the two. One body full of life, and the other rotting to its doom. Oh since when did I start caring for anyone?

Well my job is done. Off to my...

While crossing my arms I sighed heavily. If I just leave them, people are going to wonder why they are here? Merde! I am a living demon who hates everyone yet here I am, caring for two complete strangers! How pathetic.

But what am I to-Madame Giry! I must speak with her and show her what's happened.

I left the infirmary and went back to the horse hidden in the entry of the secret door. I lead him back to the original stables where I fed him. I then descended back into my labyrinth and made my way for Madame Giry.

Surely she was asleep but in a situation such as this, there is no time to lose. I quickly found my way to the Giry apartment just off to the side of the girls dormitory. I (gently) gave our secret five beat knock and waited for her response. When I heard her two knock reply I took a deep breath, relieved having gotten her attention.

She quickly opened the door with one hand while holding a candlestick in the other. Her eyes wide, staring at me as if I was covered in blood. I reached for the right side of my face to make sure my mask was still intact, but it wasn't until I looked down to see that my hands were truly covered in blood.

Her face fearful and full of shock, "Erik what happened?" She said as she stepped out and closed the door behind her. She became even more nervous when I failed to answer. I couldn't. I only shook my head side to side, where was I to start?

"Why is there blood on your hands?"

"It wasn't my fault I didn't do anything!"

"Shh Erik please be quiet. Are you trying to wake the whole dormitory?"

"No Madame. But you must follow me to the infirmary, quickly."

"The infirmary, but why? What's happened?"

"There's been an accident."

We made our way down the dark halls over to the infirmary. She silently gasped as soon as she entered the doorway. She walked between the two beds and set her candle down next to the one I had lit.

"My God. Erik-what happened to these people?"

"They fell off a horse just outside of the opera house. The man broke his neck and the girl seems to be unconscious from a hit on her head. I saw the whole thing and brought them here."

She went from the girl over to the side of her father. "What happened to his face?" she asked while hovering her hands across his face.

"The horse was spooked. So after throwing him off the horse trampled him." I almost felt pity for the man's now hideous features, because it reminded me of the sorrow I've had to endure because of my own face. That, however, faded rather quickly when I remembered that he was dead and I would still have to live with my face.

"Madame, may I ask what you are going to do?"

"I will have to think of a way to explain these two to Monsieur Lefèvre. Were there any others?"

"No they were alone."

She looked over to the small sleeping girl, "Poor child, orphaned and she doesn't even know it."

"Her name is Christine" I said. After receiving a questioning look from Madame Giry I quickly followed with "at least I believe that is what he called her." Seeming satisfied with the answer she stood up and grabbed a white sheet and threw it over the man's rotting corpse. "She will want to see her father's body before the morgue takes it. Although, given his appearance I do not believe that to be wise. Did she see you?"

"No I was hidden. I waited until they were both on the ground to go to them."

"Well then the body is going to have to stay until she wakes. She'll be very frighten to awaken in a strange place without her father. And we can not simply tell her that her father has died because there is always the possibility that she won't believe us." She took a deep breath, "she is going to have to see his body no matter what. I don't want her to feel as if we have kidnapped her."

A question was burning inside of me as she began cleaning the blood from the little girl's face. I didn't want her to think that I actually cared, but I had to know.

"What's going to happen to her?"

"What do you mean happen to her?"

"I mean if or when she awakes and discovers that her father has died, where is she going to go?"

She simply stated "I will take care of her."

"Oh?"

"You said she has no one yes?"

I nodded.

"Like I said, I will take care of her. It's not too different from when I rescued you Erik."

"Yes I suppose it's not" was all I could manage when memories of my gypsy days returned to my mind.

"Go rest now Erik. After saving these people I am sure you are tired."

"I didn't save him" I said as I looked to the body covered in the sheet.

"Neither was it your fault, sadly it was his fate. Now go, I will watch after the girl until she awakes."

I looked down at the girl one last time. "Alright. Well you know where to find me if you need me."

"Yes I do. Rest well."

To that I turned to leave the infirmary, and went into the secret door across the hall. Once more I was enveloped into the darkness of my labyrinth after shutting the door behind me. I couldn't move my legs. I simply stood there, as if my feet were a part of the cold hard ground. I was about to leave and descend down to my home, but on an impulse I went inside a hidden alcove just behind the headboard of Christine's bed. Two small peak holes served as my allies in my desire to simply watch over her.

It wasn't until the sun started to peek through the windows, that I realized I had stayed all night simply watching. Madame Giry had fallen asleep in a chaise off to the right side of Christine's bed.

My eyes started to feel very heavy, and before I knew it I was fighting to keep them open. I had closed my eyes for what felt like few seconds, before they shot open when I heard the most blood curdling scream in all my life.

Mwhaha! Oh I just love cliffhangers. But don't worry I will have another chapter up soon. Please feel free to leave any sort of review, thanks a million!