I was laughing as I walked out of the house early that morning, with my suitcase in one hand and violin case in another, cloak over my head. I was laughing as I heard her crying, and as I heard her stand up and shout. "Erik, if you leave, I'll hate you!" I laughed; I laughed and said, "Good then. It will be a lot less painful then enduring your love, I daresay."

I was laughing when Raoul came down stairs, having heard the noise. "What's the matter? Where are you going monsieur?"

I laughed when I threw off the cloak. I was still bleeding from where I had viciously torn off the fake skin with my knife. The effect was twice as worse as it had been in the past, as the blood flowed steadily.

"Its me, monsieur, don't you recognize the angel of death?"

Raoul gasped and Christine covered her eyes. I laughed once more. "I don't have time for you children."

Raoul had grabbed a shotgun. Christine screamed.

"Raoul, NO!"

The fire went off, missing me at first.

"Do it, monsieur, please, I implore you…put me out of misery."

I smirked a horrible mangled smirk when the second bullet hit my hand. Christine dove at him and wrestled the pistol away, screaming. I felt myself swaying dizzily. I gained composure enough to feel the horrible stinging ache, and stumble out of the house, cradling my sickeningly limp hand.

I made my way to a cluster of hedges not far away, and collapsed underneath them. My arrogant sarcasm died instantly and I sobbed, pressing firmly against my hand to stop the bleeding. I lied there crying for several hours, not caring if I was found. I had reverted back to a state of mind I had thought forever abandoned. A part of me wanted to die, right there. The other part wanted revenge.

"Poor Erik," I whispered stupidly, "your poor, poor Erik…"

"Luckily for you, my friend, Monsieur de Chagny felt I was the only officer who was clever enough to find you." Nadir was leaning over me as the sun was beginning to rise, his head peering through the shrubbery.

"Argh, Nadir, leave me…"

The Daroga sighed and helped me to my feet.

"Come Erik, I'm taking you home."

My money had indeed bought Nadir and Madame Giry a very nice home. Unlike the de Chagny residence, it had a very welcoming feel to it, a very warm radiance. It was two stories, with a large yard that backed up to a lake. Nadir joked that now I had a 'proper' house on a 'proper' lake, above ground. We were far away from the bustle of the city, which was a comfort now that I just wanted to rest.

When Madame Giry opened the door, I felt more ashamed then I thought possible. I remembered how she told me not to go looking for them, and also how proud she had been on my new face. I bowed my head in shame.

"Oh, my boy…" She took me in her arms and kissed my hair. "You poor dear. Monsieur Khan, can you find us some soap and some bandages?"

Madame Giry, the old ballet teacher, my pseudo mother in essence, was the only woman who had ever treated me with consistent kindness. And now, when I was a wreck once more due to my own undoing, she was once again by my side. She helped me into the bathroom, and when I saw my reflection, I began to cry silent tears once more. The phantom had returned, hideous and pathetic. "Almost laughable…" the Vicompt's words echoed in my head. I closed my eyes in grief.

Madame Giry gently began to clean the bullet wound on my hand. I knew what she was thinking., so I said it, my eyes still closed tightly.

"If I can't play my instruments anymore, I don't have anything, Madame."

She told me to hush and bandaged my hand with the supplies the Daroga had brought us. I cursed the Vicpmt in my head; he had quite possibly taken away the only two things I adored.

Madame Giry began to lightly try to wash my face.

"I'll do it myself." I mumbled, turning away. "Meanwhile, could you find me my mask? The white one, preferably, if you kept it."

She smiled reassuringly. "I always did think you looked best in that one."

While she was gone, I rubbed soap over the grotesque mess that was my face, feeling the sting intensely. However, the physical pain kept my mind off Christine, and I welcomed it. I put bandages over many of the open cuts. Nadir poked his head in the door.

"You look like the worst shaving accident of all time."

Despite myself, I laughed.

When I lied down to sleep that night, I left my mask on. The old weight against my face was comforting. I felt I could hide again. I wondered what Christine was doing right now…what she told her precious boy…I imagined their conversations, torturing myself.

"Oh Raoul can you believe it was him? I was so frightened…"

"You don't have to worry my love, I'm here…he wont sneak back into our lives again, I promise."

"I've missed you, Raoul. You're gone so much more than I imagined. I miss your pretty eyes…I miss your talk of summertime. "

"But just wait until then, Little Lotte. We'll spend the whole summer alone together in our beautiful house, and we'll go on holidays, and see the ocean once more, like we did as children."

"I forgot how much you loved me."

"You know I do..."

I feel asleep to the imagined sound of their joyful young laughter, tears wetting my pillow.