Esmeralda slowly replaced her emerald around her neck, her eye's were bleak. She looked back recalling how it all started.
Claude listened intently as Esmeralda told her tragic tale. "When Clopin took me out of the city, I lost him. I had not idea where to find him. I haven't seen him, or Gringoire since. I was on the streets alone and Monsieur Dubois found me. He saw my dance and heard me singing. He told me he would pay me to see it again, only if I did it without my clothes. He told me he had seen Clopin and that he could take me to him if I had showed him. He took me to a room and…" she stared to tear up as she revealed her story. "No, go on. I need to know!" he said shaking her. She busted out all her sadness and shame "I started to dance and he told me to take my clothes off. I told him no, but he threatened me with horrible things. I ripped off my top and he touched me. I slapped him and then he ripped the rest of my clothes off and touched me, I cried for him to stop. Then I saw that people where watching and he brought them there. I felt so ashamed and he wouldn't get off me!" She was in complete tears. She fell into Claude's arms, she was so tortured and saddened, she was in the arms of her rapist.
"Then how did he make you work for him!" Claude said caressing her head. "He had made me go unconscious and the next time I could tell what was going on, I was blindfolded. I heard men laughing and my blindfold was removed. I had no clothes on and I was tied. A man said he'd take me and I was put in a room with him. He said he'd give me the money after, then he tried to get on top of me. He said disgusting things that made me shake on the inside. I was terrified and I started screaming. The Monsieur came in and he slapped my face and hit my body so hard I was bleeding. He threw me in the cellar and locked the door, no matter how loud I screamed and pleaded, he would not let me out. I heard things and felt odd things I was terrified, when he finally let me out I promised to do anything. Every night he could he would put me on that stage to dance naked, or take my clothes off, or other disgusting things. I was so humiliated. On the street he would tell me to get men to give me money to undress for them. When ever they tried to touch me I struggled to get them to stop, they would not pay me if I wouldn't let them touch me. If I can't pay him he'll lock me in the cellar again. I can't go back there, he said he might even make me spend a night with him, I can do that again…not again…I can't even begin to tell you about that…" she was breathless and frightened.
Claude was appalled. He stared at her, he had never seen her this way. "I, I don't know what to say. You have to be saved from that place!" he yelled. "No! He will find me! If he thinks I'm trying to get out of working for him, he will lock me in the cellar or worse!" she begged. "Now you should sleep. I promise that I wont do anything to you." Claude said. She whispered to him filled with thanks "Thank you, I cannot thank you enough." She fell asleep fast and deeply. "How?" Claude thought. 'What animal would do this to you?" he fell to his knees and ran his hands just above her body. "They certainly do not deserve to live. They sold you, your beauty and purity was abused. All of those men who saw your body, not even angels should be privileged to see such a wonder. I won't let anyone else see you, touch you, even fantasize about you. I will keep you safe forever…always till the end of time." he spoke softly to her, though she could not hear with all his heart.
He walked out of the room to leave her, but then all sweet, tender love turned into lust. She was there, unarmed and unbridled. He could feel her body, caress it, see it. He remembered the first time he saw her, the last night he saw her. The rapture he felt, the power he had over her, and most of all the feeling he had being the first man to be inside her, the first man to really feel her fully. He tried to hold down all the feelings, the pressure, and most of all the fire. It returned for him again. He threw open the door and ran to the bed and prepared to mount her, but the bed was empty, the window opened, the gypsy gone. "Every time I almost have you, you escape me. You cannot run forever, you will return…" Claude snarled in fury. The moonlight drowned him in his emotions, feelings and fire.