IF LOVE WERE A FLOWER
Over the Ocean
"Now, let's see what we have," Erik demanded as they sat huddled together in the tiny shack. One wall was already collapsed, the other three were more or less standing, but at least they had some sort of shelter from the rain. Not much, for the roof was leaking, but the man who had lived there before them had put up a sailcloth over the roof so the water would run down the wall - even on the inside - but left a dry spot in the middle to sit. They had build a fire on the ground close to the open side of the shack, trying to keep at least a bit warm.
Antoinette pulled out a little bag and let its contents fall at the floor. It was some money, two pearl necklaces and a plain golden bracelet.
"That is all?" Erik asked resentful, "Where is the rest?"
"I'm sorry," Antoinette replied, "The magistrate confiscated our bank account files and the bank blocked the accounts."
"Bank accounts?" Erik yelled at her, grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, "Bank accounts? Are you mad? You put the money in bank accounts?"
"You're hurting me!" Antoinette protested and Meg took cover in a corner despite the puddle of rainwater there.
Erik took a deep breath and released her, struggling for composure.
Antoinette recovered rather quickly. "And where is your contribution to our means to leave this country?" she asked.
Erik looked aside and shrugged, clearly ashamed. "I have none," he confessed.
"None?" Now it looked like Antoinette was ready to kick him where it hurt most, "None at all? Monsieur 20.000 Franc cash a months can't add anything?"
"Ha! 20.000 Franc - that's a good joke!" Erik defended himself furiously, "You know perfectly well how much was in for me and how many people were on my payroll!"
Meg edged closer to where Erik and Antoinette stood, glaring at each other. "I'm sorry, but... what are you two talking about?" she asked.
"Shut up, brat!" Erik spat.
"No, she's right. If she is to share our fate she has a right to know why - we owe her that much," Antoinette replied sadly and Meg wondered how and why her mother had the courage to stand up to the dreaded Phantom.
Erik sighed. "I guess you are right. Meg - you know about magicians, don't you? Secret assistants and so? Well, let's put it this way: To keep up the illusion of an Opera Ghost I had some people on my payroll, like your mother, who was my right hand woman, the chief of security, the firemen, some of the scene-shifters..."
"Scene-shifters? Buquet - was he one of them?" Meg asked.
Erik made an angry gesture. "He became greedy. Threatened to reveal my secrets - at least what little he knew - I needed to crack the whip for I couldn't allow any of my assistants turning against me." More like cracking his neck, Antoinette thought, but kept silent. Erik was upset enough, she wouldn't risk angering him further.
Meg's eyes became wide. "So there were many people in league with you?" she asked, not daring to believe what he had just told her.
"Of course! How else could I keep up the illusion?"
"Erik? What is it you wear on that cord?" Antoinette inquired.
"Nothing!" Erik snapped, "Stay away from me!"
"It is your ring! This ring is worth more than..."
"No! It is all I have now! Over my cold dead body!" Erik was adamant and the two women knew better than to press him. They knew that he was capable of and wouldn't risk their health or their lives.
"So, what are we doing now? Booking a passage to where?" Meg asked.
Erik and Antoinette stared at the blonde girl as if she had just gone mad. Then they both roared in laughter. "That one was good, child, we really needed a good laugh!" her mother chuckled.
Erik noticed that Meg stared at them not understanding anything. "Antoinette, you did something horribly wrong in educating her. She's so terribly naive!"
"I'd say I did something right and she's innocent!" Antoinette replied, then turned to her daughter: "Meg, we can't officially book a passage. We do not have papers and even if we had - we are wanted by the police. They would arrest us as soon as we showed up in the port."
Erik shook his head. "I guess we don't have enough to pay smugglers, not even for a passage to Dover. I do not care where we are going - but we have to get away somehow!" He put his hand under the scarf he used to cover his head and pushed it aside so he could see with both eyes now, not caring that he revealed his deformity. His eye was red and swollen from constantly being covered with the woolen headscarf, he just had to rest it a bit. "I'd say we try to get on some of the run-down freighters at night as stowaway."
"How long do you think we will be trapped in that ship?" Meg asked.
"I have no idea. Depends on where the ship is going, which is not really important as long as it heads away from France," Erik answered, "A French colony is no problem, bureaucracy isn't as strict there as it is here."
So they began to sneak into the port each night and look at different ships. Erik decided that they needed a rather small, run-down vessel for it would be easier to hide there. His idea was that on a brand-new ship the shipowner would insist on a dutiful, loyal and diligent crew while some run-down vessel they wouldn't want to pay much for the crew and would rather get second-rate sailors who would most likely be alcoholics so it would be much easier to sneak on board and stay hidden despite having to steal food and water.
He was right - there was just one nightguard on board of the ship and he was sleeping off his drunken stupor. The freighter was not fully loaded but it would set off the next day - it was clearly one of those ships which delivered goods from somewhere else to France and had little to take back to the other countries. They could hide in the stowage between wooden containers and barrels. Erik told them that it was absolutely necessary to stay hidden and not move, no matter what - especially not going to the toilet. All of them had tried not to eat - which was easy, they didn't have anything anyways if Erik wasn't able to break into one of the cheap taverns - and drink so they would be able to avoid that as long as possible. "Better soil yourself than going out in the first 24 hours!" Erik instructed, "And if one of us is caught - never admit that the other two are there! Never! If one doesn't make it, he is on his own, the other two might make it to wherever this vessel is going."
The first one to risk giving away their presence on the ship was Erik himself. The moment the steam engine was fired and the two side-paddles of the steamship set in motion the terrible noise, the loud pounding of the steam engine roared through the hull of the vessel, shaking everything within, he screamed. He knew the noise of a steam engine, had endured it before, but inside the hull of the ship it was different altogether. He felt like the pounding of the engine was hitting his heart inwardly, directly stabbing it, squeezing it tight so he could barely breathe and felt like his heart would stop any moment now. His ears hurt and he felt as if his head would explode with pain, covering his ears with his hands didn't help much, the pounding of the engine caused the ship's hull to vibrate in a deep resonance that entered his very bones.
Antoinette heard him scream and hurried to him. "Erik!" she yelled, slapping him, "Stop screaming!"
"Make it stop!" he begged like a frightened child, unable to control himself in his pain.
"Get a hold of yourself!" she rebuked him, grabbing his wrists with all her strength, "If you scream like that you bring the whole crew down on us!"
He nodded, knowing she was right, but he didn't dare think they would be imprisoned in that horrible ship for god knows how long. He had clearly overestimated his own endurance and he was frightened by the knowledge that this noise would damage his sense of hearing - the only thing he had he could enjoy in this cruel world. He allowed Antoinette to pull him into her arms like a child, she sat there between barrels, allowing him to rest his head in her lap as he cried.
Whatever comfort Erik found, it didn't last long for Meg came looking for her mother instead of staying hidden. Erik jumped and moved away from both women, ashamed of himself. He hated to be weak, even more so crying like a baby in front of a young girl.
"Mother! Why do you allow him to be with you and I have to stay in my own place?" Meg complained, "I am your daughter!"
"Meg, please. He is through so much, he needed..."
"He is responsible for all our suffering! Why are you helping him anyways? All he did was causing even more suffering for everyone!" Meg yelled.
"Hush! Keep your voice down!" Antoinette warned her, "I told you he saved my life..."
"And who told you he didn't cause that terrible fire? He certainly is capable of something like that, we've seen what he does just for fun!" Meg went on as if Erik couldn't hear her over the noise of the engine.
"Stop that!" her mother ordered her sternly.
Suddenly Meg was grabbed from behind. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a sailor asked, "I thought we might have rats or even a stowaway, but I never thought to find such a lovely girl."
Meg kicked and screamed and tried to free herself, but the sailor was much stronger and soon other men arrived, alarmed by the uproar. It wasn't difficult to seize Antoinette and Meg Giry, they were no match for strong men.
"Erik! Erik, help us!" Meg yelled. Erik groaned silently. Now they had given him away. He might have made it, but not now that everyone knew he was there. Damn that girl! He should never have agreed to take both women with him! Erik silently cursed his decision not to abandon them and sneak on board alone, leaving them to their fate.
One of the sailors held a knife at Meg's neck. "Come out, or I'll cut that pretty little throat. But that would be a shame, wouldn't it? Such a pretty girl..."
Erik knew he had lost. Whatever he did now, there was no way he could hide for the weeks - or months - to come. He stood up and showed himself.
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to be continued
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review, I really love reviews (like every author does).
Next chapter will be up either on Friday or Monday.
