THE MASK AND THE ROSE

A/N: Hey guys, I am so sorry for not updating when I said I would (Saturday night.) You all must be pretty angry with me. But, unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained and I was not able to post this chapter, like I wanted to do. Anyways, I hope all of you will like this chapter. It's not the greatest introduction to Erik, but I did stay up all night and all day so I could provide you with a decent chapter three. Instead of promising on the exact date for when I'm going to post another chapter, I'll just tell you now that I usually post a chapter within 2-3 days. I always want to impress my readers and my best writing usually comes when I have done, at least, two or three drafts. Sometimes I update every day, but I can't really say. Now I'll stop rambling so you can read chapter three. Enjoy!

THE MASK AND THE ROSE:

Chapter Three: The Living Corpse

Erik

"The Living Corpse! Buy a Ticket and come see the most hideous boy in the world," I heard the ticket man call to all the passerby's, luring them in with his deep, menacing voice.

I clung to the iron bars of my cage, staring past the curtain at all the adults and children rapidly spilling into the stuffy tent. Every face in the crowd was alight with interest, their merry tones filling the air.

'Wait till they see me,' I thought bitterly. 'They won't be so happy once they leave my tent.'

Although, I couldn't blame anyone who was repulsed by the appearance of my face.

I was ugly; in fact, more than ugly. With my death's head and frail shoulders and body, I could easily be mistaken for a cadaver, or something like it.

I released the bars and crept further into the darkness of my cage.

"It's a big crowd tonight," my cage master, Adolphe, acknowledged from behind.

I turned enough to see him through the bars, counting the silver coins in his palm. When I didn't reply, he grasped the bars and stared at me with his black, beady eyes.

"You better not ruin this show, boy," he hissed. "Mark my words, if you do, your head will be on a platter. Do you understand me?"

I gulped and replied squeakily, "Yes, sir; I understand."

Adolphe flashed me a grim, toothy grin. "Good."

I sighed in relief when Adolphe wobbled away to welcome the new crowd. Through the small slit of the curtains, I could see him waving his chunky little hands through the air to command their attention. The crowd grew mute and gave Adolphe their undivided attention. Even though the show hadn't started yet, I could already feel the suffocating shame permeate through my limbs.

"Ladies and gentleman!" he boomed. "Children of all ages, behind this curtain lies the most despicable, horrifying, and hideous little boy that will ever walk upon the earth. Feast your eyes upon the figure of your worst nightmares; I present to you, the Living Corpse!"

With that, he tore the curtain back roughly, revealing my hunched form cowering away from the audience's eyes. My comforting darkness evaporated into thin air as the garishly bright lights shone on me. Many gasps resounded throughout the audience, but then faded into a hearty applause. The slamming of their hands echoed in my weary head.

Adolphe staggered to the small entrance and unlocked it. He swung open the door and squeezed inside, making his way towards me. I didn't move or utter a single sound as he stood by my side and stared down at me expectantly.

"Get up," he demanded.

My heart's pace quickened at the frightfulness of his tone. I lifted myself to my feet, but I suppose not fast enough.

"I said get up!" Adolphe roared as he grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and jerked me up violently.

I gave a cry of pain and swished my arms about to free myself from his tight clutch. Adolphe released my neck and, instead, twined his sausage like fingers through my greasy, raven black hair.

"Be still you little monster!" he spat sharply, and then thrusted my head upwards, so the audience could clearly see me.

Tears stung my eyes from the piercing sensations gnawing all around my scalp. Adolphe pulled me closer to his chest; his fingers remaining locked in my hair, and placed his other hand on the hem of the filthy rag tied around my head.

"May I present to you, the Living-Dead Boy!" Adolphe bellowed as he whipped the rag away from my face and tossed it carelessly to the side. "Feast your eyes upon his dead flesh!"

Women shrieked and children cried when they got an eye full of the sallow skin stretched tightly over protruding bones, my sunken eyes and cheeks, and then the black hole substituting as my nose.

I didn't fight to conceal my face within my hands. There was no point. In that moment, like all the previous, I allowed myself to spiral down into a swirling black pool of self shame and hatred; hatred for myself and for all the cruel people who paid to watch me drown.

Adolphe tossed me across the cage with a strength I never guessed he could possess by first glances. I tumbled across the dirty floor like a limp rag doll and lay there helplessly and gasping for breath as I awaited the next tortures I would inevitably suffer.

I tried to move my arms, but they stayed limp and still by my sides. I closed my eyes and could almost imagine Adolphe's fist raised high above his head, ready to slam down on my fragile little body. Instead, I felt his shoe slightly nudge into my ribcage. I barely moved a muscle. A little harder, he nudged me once more.

"Get up," he commanded between gritted teeth.

I pathetically attempted to lift myself, but my arms gave way underneath and I again toppled to the ground.

All of a sudden, Adolphe kicked me so hard in the ribs that I rolled across the floor and struck my head against the iron bars. Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes and I struggled to catch my breath because of the splintering pain that came from my ribs. The crowd burst out in laughter, yet there were a few children in the audience who were clinging to their mother's skirts while sobbing.

Adolphe knocked me all about the cage, making the members of the crowd snicker and taunt me as I writhed like a snake on the ground and twisted all around. My knees were scuffed up from the hard ground rubbing up against my skin, and several new bruises covered my arms and legs. A large bump had formed on my head from when I slammed into the iron bars and the unbearable pain emitting from my ribcage convinced me I'd broken something.

I crawled to a corner and curled into a small ball when the show was finally finished. As the people passed by, they threw little scraps of stale bread between the bars, which was meant to hit me, not to feed me, or a small pebble. My heart sunk in the hearth of my stomach when I noticed how little money was dropped into the cage.

When all had exited from the tent, Adolphe searched the ground for all the money. His eager face fell drastically when he collected only three silver coins. He balled his hands into tight fists, his knuckles turning white.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered as tears leaked from my eyes and into my hair. "I tried my best tonight, but-"

"Shut up!" he snapped.

Adolphe climbed to his feet and stalked from the cage. Before he left, he picked up the rag I used to cover my face and threw it at me.

"Put that on, boy," he seethed. "No one wants to look at your sorry excuse for a face."

I obeyed his command quickly and tied the rag around my head tightly. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and silently wept. I knew he would be back that night. And I carried a strange sense of dread that this was the last night I would ever see again.

I stared up at the cage's ceiling, my eyes roving over ever aspect and line. I'd waited there for what seemed forever for Adolphe to come back, but he never did.

'Maybe he isn't going to come at all,' I thought.

My mood lightened at the idea, but soon faded when I remembered the way he'd reacted after the final show.

'No,' I thought again. 'He's probably just gone for the night to drink away his frustrations. He'll be back sooner or later. Either way, he'll come.'

I pulled the thin blanket to my chin and closed my tired eyes. A few moments passed before I heard heavy breathing and the dragging of someone's feet. I opened my eyes once more and used my arms to raise me to a sitting position.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Adolphe heave himself over to the cage door with an object in his hand. I heard the jiggling of the lock and then the door swing open.

"Sir," I greeted hoarsely.

"Stand up," he slurred as he snatched my arm and wrenched me to my feet.

I gave a loud cry when a pinching sensation ached around my ribcage. Adolphe grabbed me by the back of my neck and guided me over to the iron bars, pressing me against them roughly. I turned my head and caught a glimpse of the object in his hand: a leather belt.

"Sir, please, no," I beseeched. "Please, no."

He shoved me harder into the bars. "Be quiet, you little demon!"

Adolphe raised his arm high and then brought the thick leather down on my back. I gripped the bars tighter and squeezed my eyes shut from the sharp sting of the freshly lacerated skin. Before he could strike me again, I shifted out of the way so the belt hit the bars instead, and I crumpled to the floor.

"Get back here!" he bellowed as I dragged my body away from him.

It was useless, though, because he caught up to me quickly and seized me by the hair. I clawed at his hands viciously as Adolphe brought the belt down on any part of me he could. Crimson blood leaked from all the wounds covering my stomach, legs, chest, and arms. The piercing sting brought many tears that sluiced down my cheeks in torrents.

After a while, Adolphe slowed a bit, his breath coming in quick spurts, until he collapsed to his knees. I glared at him with ardent hatred blazing in my eyes as he let the belt slip from his hands. He leaned over and set his hands on the ground, letting his head hang as if he were going to be nauseous.

I lay sprawled across the floor thinking there was nothing I could do; that I was helpless and done for, until my eyes fell upon the wooden water bowl sitting upside down beside my head. I glanced from the water bowl to Adolphe slumped onto the ground. An idea gnawed around the corners of my mind, until it became all consuming.

I used a small portion of my remaining strength to quietly grab the piece of wood and slowly crawl behind Adolphe. When I was close enough, I lifted my arm and aimed it for his temple, where the blow would undoubtedly knock him unconscious. Adolphe saw me from the corners of his eye and turned his head to face me.

"What are you—"he rasped before I struck his temple as I hard as I could manage.

His body went limp and slumped to the ground. I dropped the bowl and set my fingers to the side of his neck to check his pulse. It was weak, but he was still alive. I fished through his pocket for the ring of keys he always carried around. When I found it, I pulled the ring from his pocket and dragged myself to the small door. I used the bars to lift myself to a standing position and leaned my shoulder against it when I was up. I fumbled through ever single key and stuck them into the lock until I finally found the right one. Opening the door, I gingerly stepped from the cage and quietly closed the door, tossing the ring of keys to the side.

I smiled to myself as I staggered from the tent and lived those first few blissful moments as a free boy.

Wiry branches and bristly shrubs scraped against my bruised skin as I staggered through the thick woods I'd escaped to after leaving my past at the carnival. My long fingers wrapped around my side to ease the throbbing ache pulsing from my broken rib. Everything was dark and my senses were so disoriented, but I never stopped or looked back once.

I finally collapsed to the ground when I lost all my breath and leaned my good shoulder against the trunk of a tall tree and closed my eyes as I regained my breath. All was silent around me, except for the slight rustling of the branches and leaves. I must have fallen asleep there for I awoke the next morning with the sun's rays peeking between the boughs and into my eyes.

I set off that day slowly and deliberately through what seemed a never-ending nightmare of trees and bushes. I would have enjoyed the natural beauty of the lush, green trees and wildflowers usually, yet I found that rather hard when my health was diminishing before my very eyes.

Through the night, I'd regained a small portion of my strength and it lasted during the morning, until the late afternoon arrived. The exhaustion and pain in my arms and legs was excruciating while hunger clawed ravenously at my empty stomach. My throat yearned for the cool, flowing liquids of water and I could almost taste the sweetness of it as I imagined a lazy river streaming somewhere throughout the woods; although my wishes weren't granted until the following day.

It was early in the morning as the sun was ascending into the sky. For the past few hours, my face and hands had risen in temperature, despite the coolness of the late-Spring morning. I stumbled my way past many pine trees with my head hanging and my arms dangling limply at my sides. When I looked up, in the distance I spotted a wide river. I pathetically jogged to the river and fell to my knees at the edge in complete rapture.

I bent over and lapped up the water like a thirsty animal, bending down lower until my head dipped beneath the water's surface. I sat back on my heels once more and threw the rag to the side and cupped my hands into the water and spilled it over my upturned face. I shut my eyes as the cool liquid trickled between my eyes and down my neck, making a tremor race down my spine.

I wetted my hair and scrubbed off the dirt caked onto my feet and around my ankles. I tried to clean the cuts around my body to my best ability, and I discovered several cuts infected. It didn't surprise me, though, for living with the gypsy's meant that taking a bath was not an important priority.

After playing in the water for awhile, I decided to make my way across to the other side.

'Why not try?' I thought. 'The water doesn't look too deep and it's not swift enough to be considered dangerous, which is good.'

And even if I didn't want to cross the river, it would be my only option to stay away from the carnival. If I followed along the side, it would most likely lead me right back to where I started, from the looks of what direction it turned at the end.

I gingerly stuck my foot in the water and felt how deep it was, which it only came to the middle of my shins. I climbed the rest of the way into the water and tried to balance on the large rocks covering the bottom of the river. Carefully, I made my way across. I smiled pridefully at my graceful agility in the water, and for the first time since I could remember, I felt the swells of mild ecstasy blossom in my chest. It didn't last long for me, though, for nothing did concerning joy.

Over halfway in the river, I stepped on a sharp rock that punctured through the bottom of my foot. At first, I didn't know what happened. All of the sudden, there was this piercing pain that shot all throughout my leg. I released a cry and toppled into the mild river. I was pushed beneath the surface, and the water rushed over me swiftly. I couldn't breathe and all the water kept shoving itself down my throat. The rocks grated over my back and legs as the water pushed me farther down stream and, thankfully, I slammed into a large rock I helped raise myself above the surface with.

I sucked in great gulps of air as I tried to regain the senses that had begun to fade from lack of oxygen. I used almost all my strength and dragged myself the rest of the way across the river and pulled myself onto the ground. I trembled violently and my teeth chattered from the rush of chills and numbness invading my body.

I rubbed my chest to spread warmth throughout my limbs, and when I'd recovered somewhat, I hoisted my upper body up and supported my shoulder on a weak little tree. I gently tugged my foot into my lap and cradled it in my hands. I gave a low groan when I beheld the round, bleeding gash right at the heel of my foot. I crept to the side of the river and stuck my foot in to wash the blood away.

Slow tears ran down my cheeks as the icy water roved over the fresh wound. I tossed the sodden rag in my hand to the side and tore along the hem of my pant leg until I had a long, thick strip of cloth. I pulled my foot into my lap again and cautiously wrapped the material around the heel of my foot and ankle to keep it secure, and then I pressed on the wound to soak up some of the blood still oozing between the sliced skin.

I spotted a very long, thickstick lying close to me, and I picked it up to help me walk through the rest of the forest.

Once I set off after that, I limped with the stick to support my unstable side and didn't stop to rest for the remaining of the day until the late afternoon. I nestled into a small dent in the ground and curled into a small ball.

I awoke before the crack of dawn trembling and sweaty. I brushed my fingertips across the exposed flesh of my forehead and neck, and then pulled back in alarm. My skin was blazing hot! I lifted my head and it lolled from side to side from the heaviness of it. A massive headache penetrated any thought that ran through my head, and at my sudden condition that morning, I began to silently weep.

I was so weak and helpless, it was pathetic. But I wouldn't give up. The hope that had built in my chest days ago still surged in my heart. And even if I didn't survive through this, at least I would die knowing I put every remaining effort escaping from that prison I thought I was condemned to forever.

I snatched the stick lying next to me and hoisted myself to my feet. The pain from the gash burned through my foot and leg, but I pushed it aside and began my journey for the day.

Everything seemed different that morning. My side ached and I could barely take a breath without doubling over in pain. The bleeding from the gash continued until the piece of cloth was completely sodden and my feet were brown with dried blood. My throat was so dry, I could barely swallow without gagging and any thought running through my head barely functioned right.

The longer I traveled, the more the sky began to lighten somewhat. And if my eyes weren't deceiving me, I could swear in the distance I spotted something….

I weakly hauled my legs to move at a quicker pace. I brushed all the thin twigs and hanging branches out of the way and focused my eyes ahead. When I reached my destination, I found myself at the end of the thick woods and standing on an immense clearing of evenly trimmed grass. Even though it was still dark, I could see in front of me the faint outline of a lovely chateau on the outskirts of the forest. Many trees surrounded the chateau and a small white path weaved a trail through the blades of grass, leading to a rich garden.

As I walked closer, I tried to peer into the windows, but they were too heavily curtained to see anything. I circled around the house, my eyes taking in every intricate detail I could catch.

I started and hid behind a row of bushes when I heard the squeaking of a door swing open and heavy footsteps. An older woman with a white apron and a white cap came bustling out of the house while humming a lullaby. I couldn't understand why anyone would be up this early, but I suppose she had her reasons. I saw that she left the door swinging open as she opened another door and entered the room, shutting the door behind her.

The dim, welcoming light glowing from indoors lured me through the open door. I shifted my gaze curiously around the room. It was a small, but comfortable kitchen that was dimly lit by the gas lanterns hanging on the wall. Flour was splattered all over the wooden counter and in the corner sat a large bowl filled with rising dough. Many different sharp knifes were placed in small racks to the side. I wandered farther into the room and traced objects with the tips of my fingers. A wry smile played across my lips as a sense of ease and comfort washedover the suffering and hopelessness.

I started violently when the sound of a slamming door and the familiar, soft lullaby made its way to my ears, and I quickly retrieved my hand as I spotted the door leading out of the kitchen. I emerged from the room quietly and into a vast corridor leading in all different directions.

I chose a wooden door near the one I just came from and quickly entered it and closed the door behind me. My eyes were so well adjusted to the blackness, I could tell I was standing in a storage room.

I wasn't completely ignorant of the normal ways of living to not know anything about a chateau. Father had been a very distinguished architect and provided mother and I with a chateau similar to this one. In the previous one, there had been only one storage room even though there were usually two, depending on one's wealth.

The shelves were lined with brown sacks filled with mixing substances like flour and powdered sugar. My stomach twisted ravenously when my gaze fell upon the decorative white boxes which contained delicious chocolate truffles. When I lived with mother and father, I snuck into the storage room at night and greedily devoured every delicate morsel until queasy. At that time, it was all I had to eat since mother failed to feed me like a good parent wouldn't have done. No; I'd rather not think of those years…

I lifted my hand to reach for the box on the uppermost shelf, but I heard the pitter-patter of someone's footsteps and nearly flew to the end of the room where I'd spotted another splintered, wooden door. I turned the knob and creaked the door open and slipped inside, closing the door behind me. This room was much darker than the other, and I had to strain my eyes to see anything. I held my side and limped around the room, using my other hand as a guide to make sure I didn't knock into anything I didn't happen to see. The only thing on my mind at the moment was the food surrounding me. It was like utopia, this storage room. I grabbed a random tin container and popped open the top. The smooth, yet tangy aroma wafted into the air, and I gladly inhaled the sweet smell. My hand plunged into the container and snatched several perfectly cut cheese cubes and stuffed them into my mouth. The small bits of cheese tasted sharp, nipping at the tip of my tongue. Little bits of cheese were falling here and there, but I was too hungry to care.

I placed the tin container back onto the shelf and grabbed a long and thinner container. I chewed on the stale crackers inside, but quickly gave those up for dried pasta noodles. My mouth was too dry and I winced at the sharp tips that grazed my throat.

I replaced that tin container, also, and stumbled across the room. I almost reached the other side of the storage room, until my foot suddenly tripped over a large object lying limply on the ground. I staggered forward and caught myself on one of the long glass wine bottles jutting from the wall (for there was an entire wall lined with wine bottles).

There was the shattering of glass as a wine bottle slipped from its slot; I stepped forward to prevent myself from falling and stepped on a piece of broken glass. A great lightening bolt of pain shot up my foot and into my leg. I started and abruptly pushed away from the wall and fell backwards. I was aware of tin objects and heavy sacks falling down around me. Hundreds of thoughts surged through my mind, but before anything could register, my senses faded to black and I knew nothing more.

My senses slowly drifted back to me through the heavy drug of sleep. As my awareness eventually made its way back to me, I felt as if someone had been hammering on the inside of my forehead. I tried to lift my arm to bring it to my head, but it weakly fell back onto something soft. I opened my eyes in surprise for I remembered the hardness of the ground, not the softness I felt now. Instead of the swallowing darkness that had surrounded me for what seemed an eternity, I was lying in a warm room full of comforting sunshine pouring in from the heavily curtained windows, caressing my twisted face.

I glanced down and saw I was wearing a white tunic and noticed the cleanliness of the leggings wrapped around my lower body. A great weight pressed itself down on my ribcage. I couldn't even suck in a breath of air without wincing from the dull ache emitting there. For a moment, I tried to remember the morning I snuck into the food storage, but everything was in pieces.

I attempted to lift my upper body, but the heaviness weighed me down onto the fluffy pillows cradling my weak neck and head. Instead, my eyes wandered slowly around the bedroom. A tiny bureau was placed to the side of the massive bed with a red rose placed in the center of an exotic vase adorning the top. Frilly, ivory curtains hung froma single window.

Intricately formed rosebuds were carved into the edges of a mahogany wardrobe leaning against the opposite wall. When my curious gaze wandered to the slinky canopy above, a quiet intake of breath reached my ears. My attentions sharply turned from the canopy, unexplored, and immediately turned in the direction the noise came from.

There on a burgundy divan sat a delicate girl around my age, gawking at me with fascinated deep blue eyes. A lace ribbon held back a fair portion of curly light brown hair, the loose strands tumbling freely over her shoulders. She wore a white dress with little embroidered flowers framing the edge. If I were to be so bold, I would have to admit she was quite a lovely little creature. My stomach flipped and flopped about as I gazed into those blue eyes that mirrored a childlike innocence that accompanied her youth.

We stared at each other for the longest time. My mind scrambled frantically for something to say, but my throat was too dry to speak. I was convinced if I even opened my mouth, I would croak like a toad. I suddenly felt so dumb and weak as I just lay motionlessly on the four poster bed. A rush of heat crept up my neck and into my cheeks. I couldn't stand laying there feeling stupid, like I was, so I broke the moment and turned my eyes away from her and closed them, pretending to be asleep or even remotely tired.

I silently berated myself when I heard the soft click of the door. I was very much alone. Again.

I awoke with an acrid, sour taste coating my throat. It was a horrible taste; it gave me the strong desire to gag. I don't recall how long I slept, but when that girl left, sleep once again regained hold of me. Instead of awaking to the warm sunshine seeping through the windows, I was greeted by the blackness of night.

The heavy curtains were pulled back so I could peek outside to catch a glimpse of the blazing stars splashed across the ebony sky.

The bed room was dark as well. I tried many a time to catch up on more sleep, but I was in a restless state. The heaviness on my ribcage hadn't slightened and my breath was even shallower.

'I suppose I should try to sit up,' I thought. 'Breathing could possibly come easier.'

I used a portion of the strength I'd regained throughout my time of resting and attempted to lift myself with my arms supporting my upper body.

Out of no where, a small figure darted from the shadows and pushed me back onto the bed. My heart throbbed wildly in my chest for I hadn't seen anyone sitting in the room. I thought I'd been completely alone.

"No!" the figure hissed. "Lay back down; you've broken your rib."

My heartbeat softened to the regular, steady rhythm as I realized it was the little girl. This time, her hair spilled in luscious ringlets down the front of her white cotton nightgown, and her brows were furrowed into a thin, straight line.

"Who are you?" I suddenly spat. "Where am I?"

Her round eyes were riveted to my face, and as if a wake up call, I remembered the rag. I cautiously reached my hand to my face and discovered the cold, bare flesh. Horror welled in my chest and every muscle in my body went taut and rigid.

"Please do not be frightened," the girl pleaded as she took my hand and enfolded it in hers. "My name is Christine Daae; I will not harm you. None of my family will."

I stared at our clasped hands resting on the bed. For as long as I've remembered, no one had ever dared touch me. My mother wouldn't even allow me to touch my lips to her cheek! Her hand was like a warm velvet blanket wrapped around my hand. A lump began to form in my throat.

I timidly slipped my hand from Christine's and swallowed hard. "Where am I?"

My voice was tight and cautious; the complete opposite of what I wished it to sound.

"You are in Rouen, France," she answered. "At the Daae chateau."

My eyes widened and I furrowed my brow. Rouen, France? I couldn't have traveled that far….But I suppose it's possible from the long journeys I faced each day. Part of it must have been traveling with the gypsy's… Yes, that's it; the gypsy's. Adolphe never told me where we traveled to, or anything...

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice Christine had leaned in a little closer and cocked her head to the side.

"What is your name?" she asked quietly, making me jerk back a little.

I turned my gaze on her once more. She waited, unblinking, and looking me straight in the face.

'How can she look at me the way she is now?' I thought in my head. 'No one has ever had the ability to stare me straight in the face without flinching back in terror…..but, maybe she's different."

I loosened the chords of distrust strung around my heart and replied, "My name is Erik."

A/N: Poor, poor Erik! It was so hard for me to write this chapter. I always get so sad when I'm forced to recall memories in the gypsy carnival. Okay, I know this wasn't the best introduction to Erik, and I really wished I could have spent more time on it to conceive a better escape plan than hitting Adolphe over the head with a wooden bowl and the part where Erik sneaks into the Daae chateau and knocks himself out. I really, really wish I could have done better on those parts… But, anyhow, I am content with what I have written for an online thing. Once again, I am so sorry for the really long period of time of not updating. And to top it all off, I practically lied to you all and said I would update on a certain day. I feel so unreliable and horrible. I'm just not going to promise things like that anymore. Usually, I have a really easy time with writing a chapter, and I do know I usually update more than once a week or just once. But I am very good at updating and sticking to a story, so you can expect the next update soon. I just hope this chapter was worth the wait. I still wish I could have done better. By the way, there are a few things I need to explain about the chapters I have published, but I'm not really going to explain anything unless you ask in a review. Well, that's enough of what I have to say, and don't forget to leave a review. No reviews, no updates.

-phantomangel132

P.S. I know this chapter didn't really help the story progress much since it ended it the exact same place the previous chapter did, but that does mean more chapters (yay!) and EC goodness ( another yay!)

P.P.S. If you want to know, Erik is not in love with Christine right now. I'm not having the 'love at first sight' thing since I believe when you truly, purely love someone, you know the person inside and out. Erik's affection is more admiration right now.