Erik's Past
-1854-
In a small town outside of Paris a small family where expecting a great gift. The gift of the life, and in a couple of hours a young woman by the name of Madeline would give birth to what she hoped was a son. The father near by waited and paced around the hallway of a rather large cottage as the doctor attended the pregnant woman. Inside the room with the doctor was the city priest; little did anyone know that what was to occur would shock not only the mother but also, rather the community.
Monsieur Charles Destler, master architect and musician continually paced the halls. The nurse came out to give periodic reports to the father, but it only served to make the man more stressed in his current state of health. Stressed and tired, the poor man had decided to get a drink to calm his nerves; it was only after turning a corner of a hall to his study did Monsieur Destler hear screams, it wasn't a frightened scream. It was a pain filled scream, the man turned and ran for the room that his was wife was in only to find that his chest started to hurt, the pain gathered and exploded in all ends of his body. The once handsome man now an old aged man in a matter of seconds holding his chest. It took a further couple more seconds for the man to drop to the ground and clutch at his chest in pain. No one found out about the master of the house till the nurse came out to tell the father that he had a son. The nurse screamed out as she found a dead Monsieur Charles Destler in what was his final resting place.
Doctors rushed around the man to try and revive him, but as no one knew how long the man had been down they found it was too late. Charles Destler died of a heart attack, he never saw his son nor saw that his son had a deformity that would burden him for the rest of his life. The child in his mother's eyes was a demon, it was the cause of Charles's death and it would be the result of Madeline's of so called sin to her husband. The child to the priest was no different to the other children or people of the world. And so it was baptized and named: Erik Charles Destler. The priest would look over the boy for the next few years till Erik's mother forced the priest away claiming that she could take care of her son.
-1859-
5 years have passed and the young Erik had taken after his father, he had already learned to play the piano masterfully and designs of buildings had been designed, and redesigned to perfection. Erik also started to learn magic and the art of Ventriloquism as well but he was in his early stages of learning that. Not only had Erik taken after his father in skills he took after his father in good looks as well. If it wasn't for the small patch of what looked like burned skin and the missing eyebrow the young man would be perfect even at age five. But to Erik's mother who was a devote Christian, Erik was subjected to beatings and lashings which left Erik's body battered looking. If Erik didn't do as his mother commanded Erik would have to run from his mother. Living up in the attic Erik lived with a pet dog named Sasha. The dog was his only companion other then the music and the drawings. The only time Erik was allowed out of his little area was if he was wearing his mask. It was a leather mask made for his use and also to mask away the deformity that his mother hated so much. Never allowed to leave the house Erik learned that if you wanted to explore it was better to do so at the dead of night. And so did Erik leave during the nights, he explored the town and the small areas that he saw other kids playing in if he was watching through the window that he had in his room. He smiled at the thought that his mother couldn't control him as any normal person, but then he was angry that he couldn't be a normal person. He would never be a normal person. It was on one of the nights out that Erik returned to see that people had come over to talk to his mother.
He had over heard the conversation that would seal his fate. His mother was talking to a circus that wanted to take Erik in. The mother had agreed that she would do the transaction the following night in exchange that she was to receive payment. Hearing the men leave Erik disappeared up to his room and got a pack together. Taking all his private possessions Erik looked to Sasha and told the dog that he was leaving before he could be sold away. To many at this period of time, people would think that a five-year-old child should be clueless to the world. But as you can see Erik is no ordinary child, the mother thought that the child was the devil, an evil genius. A genius Erik was indeed but in no way was he evil.
After his mother had gone to sleep several hours later, Erik and the dog slightly crept out of house and took off on foot. They wandered and wandered till they reached a bigger city. It was only a month later that Erik was caught but a band of traveling gypsies that caught up with Erik and took him in, it was then that Erik witnessed death first hand. As Erik tried to get away from his captors Sasha viciously attacked one of the men holding Erik. The man howled in pain, and had let go of Erik to clutch at the wound on the inside of his thigh that was bleeding out. Erik was watching the dying man when he heard a gun shot then a wounded whine. Turning his head Erik saw Sasha on the ground dead with a blood pool around the dog's chest. He looked up in time to see a club come down and hit him on the head.
It was then after that day that Erik was no longer seen as Erik, but as a monster to the people that paid to see. Put in a cage, possessions and cloths taken, his mask ripped on his face and burned. He was a trapped child with no one to care for him; the only possible thing to keep him alive was the scrap of food that the gypsies gave him, and the solitary that he had to remember what was good in his life, and to remember his companion, Sasha. But after so long Erik's mind no longer knew what love was, or what compassion was, all that Erik knew was pain, suffering, fear and hate.
-7 years later-
Traveling cities and towns was something that Erik had read in a book when he was younger, but he didn't expect to be traveling under these circumstances. At age 12 Erik had learned and mastered his magic even in a cage he grew in talent to further his changes of living. But there was still the change of being viciously whipped. Erik still had a heart of a lion, but even in his state all he could do was entertain, he would attack back properly when the time came. All that the young Erik could do was wait.
At a stop in Paris, Erik found that he was home again after so long. Tonight would be the night that he would make his break. As Erik sat and thought about his plan to escape he looked at the man that was his "keeper" after some yelling and lashings Erik found himself on the ground of his cage. A burlap sac with cut outs for his eyes was on the floor near by, reaching for it Erik pulled it over his head and looked around. Outside to the bars of his cage was a fallen rope, reaching for it Erik took it and tied it to the bars of the cage. In a couple of hours Erik would be free or so he hoped.
"Come in and see the Devil's child! Come, come and see the face of Satan!" the man that had beaten Erik was back. Fighting to keep his mask on because of small girls, Erik fought back only to feel the sting of the whip against his body. Blocking himself from the blows Erik lost grip of the mask. Feeling it slip away Erik felt someone grab his hair and force his face on the world again. After showing his face longer then he should of the keeper dropped Erik to the ground. Everyone left the tent or almost everyone. One young girl remained behind to watch Erik, this would be Erik's first kill, pulling his mask on Erik watch Jerah gather his wrongly earned coins from the ground. Untying he rope from the cage Erik came up behind the man and wrapped the rope around Jerah's neck. Pulling tight on the man's windpipe the young girl watched on keeping an eye out for Erik.
Once the deed was done, the young girl looked at Erik and held out a hand. The boy looked at the girl and took her hand and his pack of possessions that the people took from him all those years ago. The two made their way out only to see that the other gypsies saw Jerah dead. Yells rang out murder as Erik and the young girl ran for safety. Turning several streets the young girl opened a crate to what seemed to be hidden entrance to the opera house. Looking at Erik the young girl gently pushed him in.
"Wait here, I'll come and get you don't be afraid..." Nodding to the girl Erik stood and waited inside what seemed to be a small area to pray, it took in all the details of the little room before he whipped his sack covered head over to the door in fright. He only relaxed enough to see that it was the girl that saved him.
Taking Erik by the hand the girl took Erik to her own dorm room. Since she was lead dancer she got her own room with her own privacy. Getting a washbasin ready he made idle small chat.
"What's your name? My name is Antoinette Giry" The young girl took a towel and held it out to Erik. Erik in returned looked at Antoinette with a confused look on his face. It was so long since he was treated with kindness, so as he reached for the towel he offered a very shy smile.
"I… my name is Erik…"
-1860-
It was the start of what was to be a fragile friendship, as the time went by the young Giry married off and left the Paris Opera house. Erik thought of it as betrayal, and in return, accidents happened all around the theatre. A well-dressed ghost in gentlemen's cloths with a half mask haunted the theatre. Rumors started among the stagehands and the ballet rats. Erik made himself known as a wraith; he demanded payment for his services in giving pointers and directions to make a production flourish from the ill directed guidance of an age failing man. Monsieur Lefevre being a man that believed in the supernatural paid Erik, taking the money that he earned each month created his home underneath the opera house. An organ in place along with many, many devices of his own making he found himself sitting alone in his home when he heard a scream, at first he thought nothing of it till he heard his name.
"ERIK! HELP!"
Turing his head Erik snatched up his cloak and ran where the sound was coming from. He heard the scream again then a whimper. He knew who it was and he had a very worried look on his face. Turning the corner he realized what room the person was in. It was his torture chamber that he had seen as a boy traveling with the fair. He had seen many deaths in his time; his hand did only one murder and now Erik had to live with the knowledge that he killed another man even if it was in part for self-defense.
Jumping through one of the trap doors Erik landed in the torture room. "Madame Giry! I thought… I… I'm sorry…" Picking the woman up he carried her out of a door and kicked it shut. He would have to remember that he needed to either destroy or lock the room away. Setting Antoinette down on the couch Erik looked her over and found that the room as dark as it was with the many dangers didn't harm the woman.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know that you would be coming back if ever…" He was surprised when his friend pulled him into a large tight hug. After a while Antoinette calmed herself down enough to pull back. It was then that Erik saw how frightened and upset she was.
"I should have told you…. I should have done something... now I've lost my husband and I have to raise my baby. My poor little Meg… Erik I'm so sorry I… and I have to tell you that we have a young girl, like you she lost everything… do what you can for her…"
"Madame… you have no obligation to me… it is I that should be apologizing… my behavior of late has not been in the least withstandingly pleasant to the people of the theatre… After all you gave me a home and you helped me become a man as well as I can understanding what I've been through… I shall help you, do not worry about the finances or raising Meg and this young orphan in your charge… I will help out as much as I can. It's the least that I can do with what you have done for me"
Madame Giry looked up and nodded; taking a deep breath she smiled and kissed Erik on the cheek. Standing up she shivered and looked around the room. It was cluttered with music paper and devices that Erik seemed to be creating, not to mention that amount of drawings that seemed to be showing themselves. Everything that Erik created was always a work of a master, but it was upsetting that a man of Erik's talents was to be shut away because of the mere look of his deformity.
Erik took his time with the young orphan, he watched over her till one night he found himself talking to her. The young Christine, who's name was learned from Madame Giry was sitting and praying to her father in the theatre's chapel. Watching the young girl he saw her anger, her sadness, he heard her cries to the heaven's for the promise of an angel that her father said would come. Moving in the darkness, the young girl on the floor looked around for the sound.
"Who's there?"The youngChristine looked around the darkened room, she found herself shivering again. Her candle that she lit for her father burned out, shadows danced around and enveloped her.
"It is your angel of music that is here… hush my child, no more fears, no more tears…" the disembodied voice seemed to come from all around. Closing her eyes,the young girl smiled brightly and thought about what she heard.
"Are you really the angel of music that my father promised?" Christine looked around in the shadows seeing it anyone was playing a joke on her. Her eyes spotted nothing so it must be true the voice was so beautiful, and heavenly. There was a pause before the voice answered,"I am… don't worry your angel of music shall watch over you, there is a cloak in the corner of the room. Take it and cover yourself… I will sing to you tonight…"
That night would be the first of many meetings even if it wouldn't be face to face. Erik didn't mind he wanted to make sure that Christine grew up happy with the knowledge that her father was partially right, an angel Erik thought he was not, but music there was truth to that.
the disembodied voice seemed to come from all around. Closing her eyes,the young girl smiled brightly and thought about what she heard.-1881-
After living for her art, her daughter and Erik; Madame Giry was made ballet mistress. Driving the students hard including her daughter who joined the ballet corps because her mother was there, a strict more disciplined ballet mistress broke through and was the front for Madame Giry. Erik was spending more time to work on what would be the greatest opera. And training a young girl to sing, even though she was just a chorus girl Erik could see much greatness in her. He stopped at his place in the hidden hallway to hear Madame Giry talk to the new managers about the ballet corps. He smiled at the mention of Christine Daae. Continuing on he climbed his way up to the fly's of the stage and remained in the shadows looking down at the stage no one saw the flutter of black fabric.
