Happy Groundhogs day, six more weeks of Winter, even though it's not been much of a winter here in Oklahoma where I live.

Anyway, I know I usually don't update the same story twice in one week considering I usually am working on more than one story at once, but considering the flashback was supposed to be just one chapter that ended up being split in two I just had to finish it up this week.

Just a fair warning this chapter includes violence and some mild adult contact, but nothing major.

(Act 2: Scene 4: Twenty years in the past)

After that night we saw a completely new side of Creek, he was no longer a lonely kid who was always depressed, but instead one who was energetic, and enjoying life. School didn't even bother him anymore. In fact he woke up each morning with a huge smile on his face eager to see Christine there. There was still the bullies that teased him for how he looked, but with Christine by her side Creek just ignored them and walked off with a smile on his face, and if a bully tried to pursue farther, it would be Christine who turned around and broke their nose, not Creek.

The one obstacle was Christine's father Rayes. He was not happy of the fact that Christine fell in love with Creek. He still saw him as a freak of nature and the mere sight of Christine getting all touchy with Creek when he picked her up each day made him sick. The fact that he was so forbidding of the relationship did not go unnoticed by Christine either. And it started to take a toll on Christine's relationship with her father. Most nights they would get in huge fights because Rayes wanted her to end the relationship, but Christine kept refusing claiming she saw past his scars and saw him for his heart. One night the argument got so bad and so heated that Christine ran over to our house in tears, not able to be in the same house as her father.

"Christine what's wrong?" Creek asked with a concerned tone as the two of them sat on top of Creek's bed. Christine was still in tears not able to calm down.

"I just can't see why my father is so disapproving of us being together?" Christine sobbed "Why can't he see past your face like me, why does he have to be so hateful, so judgemental? Your the nicest boy I have ever met yet he talks about you like your a monster, a demon from hell. I don't know what to do?"

"Sadly most of the world hate those who our not like everybody else. They fear those they don't understand and reject those who are different. I was even despised by my own birth mother because of what I looked like which is why I round up in the circus."

"How do you find the strength to go on each day knowing that their our going to be people who attack you for how you look?"

"It wasn't easy." Creek admitted "For years after my mothers adopted me I feared going outside, because I was scared how everyone would react to someone like me. It was their love that kept me going. If it wasn't for them I probably would have taken my own life eventually, not able to handle the abuse of the circus. They showed it's not what you can see but what you can't. What's on the inside that shapes who you are. It was their love that kept me getting out of bed each day. I owe everything to them." Creek then turned to Christine and wiped a tear from her eyes. "And now you give me even more reason. You have given my life so much joy. You have given me even more reason to get out of bed, even more reason to live. You have given me things that not even my mothers could give me."

"Really and what's that?"

"You have given me your heart. Your love, and a future that I can look forward to. My parents may have gotten me out of the circus, they might of given me a chance at a better life, but you have made that life worth living. You have made it worth fighting for, and I can't imagine a future without you in it."

"Oh Creek." Christine cried tackling him on the bed as she kissed him. The two of them closed their eyes as they got lost in the deep kiss. Christine only broke the kiss for a few seconds in order to unbutton Creeks shirt and yank it off. This time Creek pulled Christine down and laid on top of her as they continued to make out, their kisses getting longer and deeper. Christine reached for the bottom of her shirt and pulled it off revealing a blue bra, she her shirt to the side not even looking where it landed as she put her hands to Creeks cheeks and rolled over on top of him.

That night Creek became a man, as he experienced one of the biggest joys of true love. Christine spent the night that night. After they finished making love Christine just fell asleep on top of Creek's chest, the covers pulled over them and completely undressed with their arms wrapped around each others waist.

Spending the night started becoming more common for Christine. Not being able to spend much time with her father she often times came by after dinner to hang out, make out and have fun with Creek, with it most of the time ending with them falling asleep halfway or completely naked under the covers.

Neither me or Chenille intervened, we waited so long for Creek to be happy that their was no way we were going to get in their way and risk ruining it. Did we agree with the fact that they were making love at such a young age? Not necessarily, but we knew it was true love and we knew that they were going to grow up soon and we couldn't hold on to him forever. Creek would leave someday to start his own life and we knew Christine would be the one he started it with. So we didn't intervene, we didn't say a word every time Christine came and spent the night.

We did however say a word to Rayes. Fed up with his attitude towards our son we marched to his house to give him a piece of our mind. Needless to say he was not to pleased to see us.

"What are you doing here? Were is my daughter?"

"You know damn well why we're here." Chenille barked "And Christine is with her boyfriend."

"Don't ever refer to that freak of nature you call your son as her boyfriend again. It disgust me."

"What is your problem?" Chenille snapped "My son and your daughter loves each other very much. They bring each other happiness."

"That son of yours is a freak and I'm trying to protect my daughter from him."

"My son has never hurt a hair on her head." I replied. "If anything Creek has been nothing but protective towards your daughter. He even defended her when she was getting harassed at school. You should be thankful for him instead of judging him because of his conditions. Why must you be so hateful, so bigoted, why can't you just look past his scars and accept him?"

"Because he doesn't belong with us normal trolls. You were a fool to think you could give him a normal life, when in reality freaks like him don't deserve a normal life. They were condemned at birth and our the stains of society. You should have left him at that circus were he belongs, with all the other rejects."

"If you even had a soul you would realize how wrong everything you said was." I growled, fighting hard to hold back my desire to beat the stuffing out of him. "And if you want to have a future with your daughter when she grows up you will get your head out of your butt and realize just how wrong you are. My son loves your daughter, and she loves him. Eventually Christine is going to become a adult and will leave home, and when that happens if you want her to even be in contact with you, you will put aside of your hateful ways and realize that there is more to Creek then what you see on the surface. Creek and Christine loves each other, and odds are they are going to get married when they are adults and there is nothing you can do to stop it. You can't stop love."

"Can I now?"

If I had none just what Rayes meant by that and what he would do next, I would have ran straight from that house and to the police station.

The next day Creek came home from school and told me Christine wasn't there. Thinking she might have been just sick we made some chicken soup and took it over to her house. I never would have predicted what we would witness when I arrived there.

When nobody answered the door I started getting concerned. Chenille took out her bobby pin and after a few seconds the door unlocked and we ran inside. When we got inside, we heard a cry for help coming from inside Christine's room. Our fear increasing, we dropped the soup and ran to Christine's room. Our eyes widened in horror when we saw Christine tied to a chair leg, screaming and struggling to get her hands free.

"Oh my god Christine what happened" Chenille screamed as she worked to untie the rope bounding Christine to the chair.

"It's my dad!" Christine cried "He's going to find the circus that Creek was from and lead them to Creek's house. They are going to drag him back to the circus. I tried to stop him but he tied me to the chair saying this was for my own good. Creek is in danger we got to get him out of here!"

"Okay when did he leave?" I asked as we freed Christine

"This morning before School, he said the Circus was in a nearby city and was going to lead them back here tonight. It's almost sundown Satin, we got to worn Creek now!"

"Okay, let's go." I replied, trying to be calm while Christine was straight up panicking, blaming herself for her dad's action.

"This is my fault, my dad is only doing this because of me."

"No this is not your fault!" I ensured as we ran towards home "This is your dads action! Your not to blamed for having compassion on my son!"

Creek was in his room taking a nap when we arrived, having finished his homework already. He was awakened when he heard Christine banging on his bedroom window.

"Christine, where were you this morning, you wasn't at school." Creek asked as he climbed out the window, taking Christine by the hands. "My moms left to see if you were feeling bad."

"Creek we got to get out of here now,"

"Whoa hold on Christine, you know I want to marry you but we are still in High school, We can't run away and elope yet."

"No Creek you don't understand. Your in danger."

"Danger, what do you mean?"

"It's my dad, he is leading the circus this way to take you back. I tried to stop him but he tied me to a chair in my room to keep me from warning you. They are own their way now, we got to get out of here."

"No," Chenille replied as we saw Rayes walking up to the door along with the circus owner and three other employees of the circus. "They're already here."

"Oh god what do we do?" Christine panicked.

"You two run as fast as you can and don't look back. I will hold them back as long as I can." I replied

"No, mom these guys are dangerous, you got to come with us." Creek begged

"And risk them getting to you? No way! We knew the dangers taking you in but we did it anyway because we care for you. You get as far away from here as possible."

"But they will kill you. This people were sadistic."

"Creek listen to me." Chenille said putting her hands on Creek's cheek, tears falling from her eyes. "As a parent, I am willing to die to protect you. Your birth parents or not you are still our son, and I will protect you with my life. Now go, and don't look back."

"Moms, no"

"Goodbye my son." Chenille said with tearful eyes as we turned to face Rayes and the circus, ready to give our life for our son.

"Moms!"

"Rayes what is the meaning of this intrusion?" I demanded as I marched up to Rayes and his crew.

"Where's the boy Satin?" Rayes demanded

"None of your business, now get off my property. Your not welcome here."

"And that child don't belong to you mam." The Circus owner chimed in. "But that didn't stop you from stealing him from us now did it?"

"That boy did not deserve what you was doing to him," I replied. "You kept him chained up like a animal. Kept him locked in a cage, treated him like one of your animal acts. You acted like if he didn't even have a soul. You were abusing him and you didn't even care.

"And what you are doing is so much better?" The circus owner replied again. "You feed him false hope that the world will accept him, but deep down you know that they never will. And you know why? Because the only place for freaks like him is in a show with a bunch of other madmen like them."

"Where is the boy Satin?" Rayes asked again getting impatient.

"Yeah, where is my property."

"Get out of here!" Chenille growled.

"Now mams we can make this easy as possible, hand over my property and I won't have to hurt you."

"Go to hell." I replied.

"Have it your way." The circus owner replied before taking out a whip. He struck me first, sticking me in the chest causing me to fall to the ground. He struck Chenille less then a second later.

"Where's the boy!" The circus owner roared as he stood over our bodies.

"His name is Creek." Chenille replied bravely as we stood up, refusing to look intimidated by the man. "And you will never get your hands on him again."

The circus owner was about to whip us again when he suddenly got hit in the back of the head with a rock.

"Get away from my mothers!" We heard Creek roar. We turned and saw both Creek and Christine holding rocks in their hands, ready to use them if they didn't back off. The brief distraction was all we needed to punch the circus owner in the nose and run for the hills.

"Kids run, RUN!" I screamed as we started running from the mob. The kids listened this time and we ran into the woods behind our house, hoping to lose them in the tall grass and trees.

"After them!" We heard the circus owner scream. None of us looked back, to scared to see if any of them were right behind us or not. There was a small drop a few feet ahead of us, a small one of just two feet. We had to take it if we hoped to escape them. We jumped landing both feet on the ground. Christine landed wrong however and she fell to the ground, holding her ankle.

"I hurt my ankle, oh god I think I twisted it!"

"Can you get up?" Chenille asked worried.

"I think so." Christine replied as she grabbed hold of Chenille's hand who helped her to her feet.

"Don't bother guys." The Circus owner replied as him and his goons surrounded us, swords drawn.

"Hand over my daughter Chenille" Rayes demanded "And I will promise these guys won't have to kill you."

"Dad, why are you doing this?"

"Because he knows this things place is in the circus." The owner said "He's not a naive little kid, who still has a whole lot of growing up to do."

"I am more grown up then you will ever be dirt bag."

"Boys grab Phantom," The owner replied referring Creek to his stage name. "And grab the girls to all three of them." The owner's goons them came up from behind and grabbed us and Christine, much to Rayes shock.

"Hey I thought we agreed that my daughter would not get hurt!?"

"Sorry Rayes but if you kept her tied in her room like you were supposed to this wouldn't be a issue. Now she has seen to much and her naive love for the boy here will cause her to go the police if we let her go. She has seen to much I'm afraid, and now must face the same fate as the others.

"No!" Rayes screamed as he attempted to lung at the owner, only for the owner to impale him through the abdomen with his sword. Rayes was dead within seconds after he hit the floor.

"Now ladies," The owner said calmly has he put his sword back in his sheath. "If you had just given up the boy nicely we wouldn't have to do this to you. But sadly, you had to be little pains in the butt. And now we are forced to do something we didn't want to do." The owner looked up to face his goons. "Boy's the ropes." Our captures suddenly put nooses around our neck's attempting to hang us. Me and Chenille tried to put on a brave face, hoping to hide the fear that we were feeling inside. Christine didn't even attempt to hide her fear, she was straight up sobbing in terror, witnessing her father's death didn't help the matter at all.

"No please!" Creek cried as he struggled to get free from his capture "You have me, that's enough let them go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. They need to learn that there is consequences for messing with things that don't belong to them."

Creek suddenly formed a rage we had never seen before, using the magic he learned in the circus, he made a knife appear in his hands and stabbed his capture in the stomach, making sure it was deep enough to kill him. He then formed another knife and threw both of them at our captures, aiming it just right that it didn't hit either us or Christine but instead hit our captors right in the neck. The owner was next, screaming in rage Creek tackled the owner and the two of them rolled down a heal, Creek punching him in the face as they rolled

"You... dare... to... threaten... my... mother!?..." As soon as they stopped rolling Creek picked up a rock and started beating the owner over the face with it. He started beating him with it, refusing to stop until he was sure the owner was dead.

As the owner died, his entire face covered with blood, Creek tossed the rock to the side and calmed down. Taking deep breaths he looked at his hands and saw they were covered with the owner's blood. His eyes widened in realization, he just took a life, scratch that he took four lives. And it was his fault, they all attacked them because of him. Us, and Christine ran down the hill in a attempt to comfort the distraught Creek, but to our surprise Creek put out his hands to stop us.

"Don't come anymore near me."

"Creek?" Christine gasped

"Sweetie what our you talking about?" I asked concerned.

"This is my fault, you nearly died tonight because of me. Because I thought I could be happy and have a life."

"Sweetie that's not true it's not your fault it was..."

"IT WAS MY FAULT!" Creek insisted "I nearly got you all killed. I..." Creek was freaking out. He was scared and wasn't thinking straight, what he witnessed got to him, and he blamed himself for it. "I'm sorry I can't risk any of you getting hurt because of me again."

"Creek what our you talking about?" Christine asked scared

"I'm sorry, I love you, which is why I have to do this." Creek took off running deeper into the woods. We tried to follow after him, shouting for him to please stop, but he kept on. He ran so fast that none of us could keep up. Soon we collapsed on the ground, no longer able to run as we looked towards the direction Creek ran, we had lost him. Christine fell to her knees in tears and Chenille wrapped her arm around her to comfort her. Within a little under thirty minutes she had lost both her father and her boyfriend all at once. Despite our best attempts to act strong, tears weld up in our eyes too. This wasn't Creek's fault but he blamed himself. All Creek wanted was a happy life and now, he left it behind out of fear of harming us again. Not realizing that leaving us hurt us more than that noose ever could.

Creek took a train to Paris and arrived the next morning. As he walked around the new city he saw a opera mask and cloak on display in a store window. Wanting to hide his face from the crowd fearing that someone might see him and report him, Creek smashed the window and took the mask, cloak and a wig to hide in, that day he was no longer Creek, but the Phantom, the Phantom of the Opera.

"Oh my God." Branch gasped in disbelief as Satin finished her story.

"That is so horrible," Poppy had closed fist over her mouth as tears fell from her eyes "No one deserves what he went through."

"Now you see why he is what you see today." Satin replied, tears of her own started to fall as she reminisced that terrifying day. "My son was not a monster, he wanted to be loved like everyone else, but the world rejected him."

Something suddenly donned on Poppy "Wait a second, you said Christine had pink hair and skin, was it a similar shade as mine perhaps?"

"Actually it was the exact same shade." Satin "He looks at you and he sees Christine." Poppy's eyes widened in shock when she heard that.

"It was never just about your voice Poppy." Satin continued "That may have been how he discovered you, but when he laid eyes on you he saw the woman he lost, and now he will do anything to make sure he doesn't lose her again."

"But Poppy is not Christine." Branch replied

"I know." Satin replied "But Creek's mind is at a unstable position right now. The lost of Christine messed him up so bad. To the point he is losing his mind. The Creek you see now is not the same Creek that he was when he was with us, and I'm afraid he is slowly becoming what the world feared him to be."

"Be careful Branch," Chenille said "With Creek's unstable mind he is becoming dangerous. He sees you as someone trying to take Christine away from him again, and he might try to attack you as a result. Don't let him get to you. We are going to try to get through to him somehow but in the mean time you have to be careful. Creek is becoming unpredictable and I don't know how far he will go to try to get back the love he feels he lost."

Down in Creek's lair, Creek was sharpening a sword, next to him on a table laid a picture of Christine and a picture of Poppy. He picked up the picture of Poppy, and studied it hard, but all he saw in her picture was Christine.

"Don't worry Christine," Creek replied, now calling Poppy Christine instead of her real name. "I will get you back." Creek through his sword at a photo of Branch he pinned on the wall. The sword struck Branch's photo right between the eyes, impaling the wall behind it. Creek removed the sword and glared at the hole he left in the photo. "Whatever it takes."

Why are all of you holding pitchforks? You all knew something tragic was going to happen.

Now with me updating this story twice this week I'm going to wait another week before updating again so I can work on my other stories next week. I have readers wanting me to update those as well and have put them off long enough.

Until then, see you all later.