CHAPTER 2! Yay! I am very sorry for the long wait, I have recently been having a lot of relationship problems which have interfered with my writing. I am ever so sorry. Hope you enjoy.

I have thought of moving back to France. Valerie is nine now and I think that she needs to go back to see her homeland. I need to pay Madam Giry a visit as well.

The pain is already starting to wear off, not much; just ever so slowly it is going away. I still cannot seem to forgive myself for being partially responsible for her death. How could I be so stupid? She was already under enough stress and I had to go and cut my face even more? What was I bloody thinking? What good does cutting solve? I had always known that Christine was fragile; I knew it right from the very beginning. I knew that she was prone to heart disease; I suppose I just refused to believe it. I cannot deny it anymore, she is gone.

"Papa? Are we going out? You said we were." Valerie asked me.

"Yes dear, we are going out soon. We are going out to get you fitted for new clothes. Your old ones are getting a little too tight."

I saw her face light up in happiness. Her smile is the only thing that keeps me going.

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"Papa! I want this one! Oh pretty please!" Valerie begged, hanging onto a purple dress with white lace trim.

I smiled to her. "Of course Valerie. Let us see if it fits you."

I called the manager. "Excuse me, my daughter would like this dress, may she try it on?"

The manager looked at my mask and then to Valerie's face. I had gotten used to this, my dear Christine had helped me. The lady nodded.

"Thank you Madam."

Little Valerie trotted away, following the woman to the back where she could try on her dress. A few minutes later she came back with a smile on her face.

"It fits perfectly Papa!"

I smiled, "Of course, I knew it would. Now let's go pay for it."

I paid for the dress and we left the shop. As we walked down the street Valerie spotted another family walking happily together and she looked up to the sky. I knew exactly why also, she was thinking about her mother. I quickly tried to take her mind off it by changing the subject.

"Would you like some lunch Valerie?"

"Oh yes Papa I would love it!"

I led her to a small café a little ways down the road, a café that Christine and me had come to many times…

We sat at a booth and ordered sandwiches and tea for lunch. When we finished we began on our way home, Valerie humming a happy little song all the way. I'm glad at least she is happy.

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I walked up the stairs later on in the evening to say goodnight to Valerie. I was about to open her door when I heard her singing. The song sounded so familiar, but I couldn't quite tell where I heard it before. Then suddenly it came to me:

"Damn it Christine! Just do it!" I yelled at her during one of the fights we had had. Over what? I could not recall. But we had been screaming at each other for awhile, and Christine was close to tears.

"What has happened, Erik? You are not being the kind sweet man that I remember! You're turning back into a, a corpse! A cold heartless corpse!"

I stopped yelling as her words processed in my mind. "Yes," I began, "I am a corpse! A dead corpse! Just keep reminding me why don't you! You didn't seem to have a problem with me being one when you married me!"

Tears ran down Christine's face as she mouthed "I'm sorry."

I began to sing to her "If I touch a burning candle I can feel the pain…If you cut me with a knife it's still the same. Yes I know that you are breathing and I know that I am dead…but it seems that I still have a tear to shed…"

This was precisely the song that Valerie was now singing. How she heard it I have no idea, for I thought her to be asleep during that time. But that is not the point I am trying to make, I am trying to say that her voice was so supremely beautiful, more beautiful than I had ever remembered it being.

I then realized something, after her mother's death, she had been singing more, and every time she did it was lovelier than the first. Maybe it is now the time, to pass on my musical knowledge to her. I have no doubt that she will one day conquer all she meets with her voice…just as Christine did.