Chapter 16 - Monsieur Vera's Secret Past

In the previous chapter, the new managers and the performers were discussing on how to performed the new opera that it was created by Erika, Dona Juana Triumphant. However, a conflict between Carlito and Christian, whom the lead singer accused him as an secret accomplice of the Phantom Girl (Erika) but he angrily defended himself. After the meeting, Monsieur Vera approached to Raina, to tell to her that he had already met Erika a long time ago. And so, he leads her to a mysterious room in downstairs.

What will be Raina's secret idea plan in catching Erika?

Find Out

When she entered in the mysterious room in which Monsieur Vera was staying at, she was surprised by the view. His room was full of old items and antics even including some old pictures that it was hanged on the red wall.

" Your room was so classy. But why in here, Monsieur? "

And he closed the door. He turned his back, said to her, in a low tone voice " Remember, this is our private conversation just between us. No one can able to know about this. "

" Okay then. Tell me about your story anyway. "

" I will, Madame. "

The two sit down in the chairs that it was made of wood. Before they could start their conversation, they having a few minutes of silence, so that it will make sure that no other sounds was heard from the outside of the room except for them.

After that, the old man put down his cane on the table and then he deep breath, slowly. Then, he turned his head, facing at the colored black and white picture that it was hanged on the red wall. The picture was all about in his life when he was in younger teenage days.

" It was a long time ago. There were some group of circus performers, gypsies... "

(Flashback)

(A long time ago)

(Dormitories of the Opera House)

Then he went on " When I was very young lad, to study to become a dancer. One of the many... living in the dormitories of the opera house. That's the place where I met Erika, who was held as a circus freak. "

(Return back from the flashback)

In inside of an another circus site, Young Madon Vera along with some fellow classmates, were walking around to find a show that they wanted to watch. As they still walking around, some of the gypsies, fortune tellers and clowns were performed on some different streets. But when they stopped by in a huge tent, there was a name on the top, named " Faceless Child ", the circus master urged him and the others to come inside.

" Come... Come inside... "

The other male students are frighten to entered in. But still, the circus master said to them, with a little amusement on his face " Come inside... Come and see the terrifying creature of all, the Faceless Child. "

The male students had no other choice but to followed of what he had said. They went inside together despite there are so many people gathered around in different corners and to watch the show. The Young Madon, was standing at the right center position of the audience stage, in order to see it clearly of the view. A huge cage was been placed at the center position but much to his surprise, there was a young girl, wearing a sack lap on, covered her entire face, holding an old stuff toy on her hand. When the young girl saw him watching at her, she began to startled in fear. The young girl was wearing old girl clothes, without wearing slippers on both of her feet. She was sat on a floor, covered with black mat.

That very moment, the flames of the torches in every parts of the stage were turned on and the show was begun.

And so, the ringmaster entered in the cage while Young Madon was watching from behind, his facial expression become pale and trembled in fear.

That very moment, the ringmaster went to the young girl, smacked her by a wood bar on the back, making her to fall down on the floor, while the audience was just laughing at the young girl except for Young Madon, who was started to get pitted on her.

After smacking her, the ringmaster revealed her face deformity in front of the audience, in which everyone was just mocking and teasing her of her ugliness appearance. After that, the show was over. The people were started to left out the tent while the others are giving some coins to the ringmaster. Young Madon, can't able to get his eyes off at the young girl, covered her face again with a sack lap. Everyone were already left out, and Young Madon had decided to leave the circus tent but suddenly, he stopped walking out when he saw the young girl had strangled the ringmaster by a loose rope called " Punjab Lasso " on the neck and after a seconds, the ringmaster was choked to his death. The young girl, was not startled this time, looking at him.

But in a sudden, a group of police forces were been arrived, to arrest the young girl.Before they could arrived inside, Young Madon helped the young girl escaped from the cage and after that, the two ran quickly out of the circus tent. When the police forces arrived in, they were started to find them in every parts of the circus site.

Back when, the two were finally went out of the circus site. But luckily, Young Madon found a small door in which it was the beneath room of the Opera House and he placed her in inside, and then he quickly closed the door so that no one can able to see.

The young girl, was been surprised by the view of the place in which she had never seen from before. Young Madon went in, by entering in the back door of the opera house.

But then, the young girl removed the sack lap, revealed her full face to him, and then she asked " What is this place? "

" An opera house, of course. "

" an opera house? " with a curiosity on her face

" Yes, it is. This is the safest place where no one can able to catch you. Oh, by the way, my name is Madon Vera and yours, little girl? "

This is the first time when someone asked her name despite that no other people had called or mentioned her name in every performances.

" My name is Erika. Thanks for letting me out of the circus. I was been a circus freak for a few months when my father selled me because of my deformities. All the people in this world, were no compassion for those who were suffering and they don't really care of what they are doing with. Actually, I was born from Normandy, and I was the only child of a construction manager. I was been despised by everyone, because of my ugliness and so, my father was decided to sell me as a circus freak. "

" I see about it. I was getting pitied on you when you have been getting hurt or beaten up so badly. I don't want to see other children just like you getting tortured by someone. "

" You are been so kind to me, Madon. I'll appreciate it. "

" It was nothing at all, Erika. By the way, do you have any talents that you have with? "

" my talent? "

" Yes, my talent was dancing. I will become a great dancer someday. Currently, I was studying at a dancing school that it was very near at the city. And yours? "

" Well... composing music of course. "

" composing music? Is that was your talent? "

" Well, precisely. But I need to studied myself, in order to achieve my intelligence and my talent. Do you have any room that I needed to stayed with? "

" Of course, Erika. Follow me. "

And so, Young Madon lead Erika to the secret room at the underneath base.

(Flashback Ends)

(Back to the present time)

Then, Monsieur Vera went on " I had hidden her from the world and its cruelties. She doesn't know all else in her life, except this opera house. It was her personal playground and her new home and now it was her artistic domain. She is a genius. A designer, music composer, an architect and a well skilled magician. She's a genius, Madame. "

" Clearly, Monsieur Vera. Genius has turned to great madness. "

" But, I cannot blamed this to everyone else because they knew that I was working for her. Every time she gave orders to me, I obeyed it without second hesitation. I don't want to let myself to put in this difficult situation just like this. I knew it was hard that she was been never been cared or been loved by anyone, because due to her ugly deformities, and her emotions were driven by hatred and anger and she killed anyone without hesitation. If you are willing to catch her, I will gonna assist you in a secret manner. "

" If you say so, then it was fine with me. And besides, I don't want her to continued her evil terror, for the sake of everyone else including Christian as well. "

" You are really a fine woman, Madame De Chagny. You have truly care for the sake of every people including to Christian as well. When he started to trained here as a dancer, I considered him as my own son as well, despite his parents were passed away when he was very young. I was been close friends with his relative, Maver Venedictus, the widowed husband of Professor Rebecca Venedictus, a well known doctor in Paris. Just like me, he treated Christian as his own son despite that the couple didn't have a child of their own. "

" Thanks for saying those things, Monsieur. But for now, I need to make sure that Christian was safe, so that Erika will never catch him. "

Meanwhile, at the underground room, in which Christian was always set candles for his deceased mother after his performances, he sat on the floor, near by the candle stand, kneel down, looking at the picture of his mother and then, he began to cried lamently " Mother... I know that it was very hard... but how I can fight my sadness despite of all those hardships and trials in my life. Please, I don't want to do this alone... I don't want to stayed in this kind of life, a dark life that I don't want to be... Right now, I don't know on what should I choose with, my love for my only childhood friend or my fear to the one who had inspired my voice and my talent. My heart was completely torn into two and my mind was getting confused in cloudy. Please, Mother... please, guide me... please... I cannot do this alone, please... guide me...please.. "

After that, he went out of the room. He saw his relative, Maver, came in, carried a basket of foods for him, went approached to him. When he saw his facial expression was in pale, he asked him " Is something wrong, my dear? You looked so pale. I brought some foods for you just in case when you getting hungry in your rehearsals. "

" Thanks, Uncle Maver. I was remembering my mom's death. "

" I see about it. But why you don't visit her grave in the cemetery? You haven't been visited your parents graves since you were working in the Opera House for a long time. You will get some flowers at my garden at the house just in case and of course, tomorrow was snowy weather. So, are you gonna go in there by tomorrow? You should go there early so that you will never catch a severe cold. "

" I will, Maver. Thanks. "

" I'll be going back home. See you, my dear, at your performance in the next two days... on Friday. "

" I will, Maver. Be careful. "

" You too "

And Maver leaved the room. When he finally left, Christian, was walking alone, going back to his dressing room, still crying lamently of his mother's death. But unbeknownst to him, Erika, was at the top of the raptors, watching from behind, thought on her mind, when she was still looking at him " I will followed you anywhere, my dear Christian. I will make sure that you should visit to your mother's grave tomorrow, and you will belonged to me once again, as your tutor and your Angel of Music. No one can able to stop me, as long as I have you in my possession.. is because that I had truly fall in love from the first moment I saw you and hear your melodic voice... "

And she disappeared from the shadows while Christian didn't recognize her presence, went to his dressing room all by himself.

The secret past of Monsieur Vera was revealed to Raina, on how he met Erika. After their conversation, Monsieur Vera had decided to helped in capturing Erika in a secret, despite his objections because he had served her for long years. On the other hand, Christian, was now lamenting of his mother's death, was been encouraged by his foster relative, Maver, to visit his mother's grave at the cemetery tomorrow morning. But unbeknownst to him, Erika, was secretly followed him, has a plan in mind on how to make him belongs to hers once again, and she disappeared from the shadows, without being recognized.

Will Raina knows about Erika's secret plan in luring Christian out? What will be the next move for the staffs of the Opera House?

Find Out

In the Next Chapter

Chapter 17 - Visit At the Cemetery

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" Don't mocked people who were in the lower class society, on those who were having body disabilities and their poor physical appearances. Just treat them with care and love. "