A/N: No one has been reviewing:( This makes me think that no one likes the story so far. Well, I'm going to keep posting it in hope that SOMEONE might enjoy reading it.


Erik watched Kendra leave. 'Why does she seem so... nervous?' Puzzled, but unwilling to pry, he went and ate breakfast with Sorelli.

Kendra decided to just sit there and try not to think of anything. She dried her eyes and looked at her hands. "Oh, I still have this on," she said as she noticed the ring, "no use taking it off now." She sighed and suddenly felt like singing. She sang quietly, but not to quiet that Erik couldn't hear.

"We are the lucky ones, We shine like a thousand suns

When all of the colour runs together."

Erik chewed his food and contemplated Kendra's actions. Could she think she's not good enough? He could hear Kendra's voice echoing from her room. I wonder why she was out of bed last night... sleepwalking, possibly? Erik finished eating and cleared his and Sorelli's plates. "Kendra!" he called, "Are you ready? Or do you want Sorelli to go first?"

Kendra stopped singing and noticed he might have heard her. "I will do as you please," she said, eyes on the floor. She held her face in her hand. 'I wish you were here, Mother,' she thought to herself, remembering Christine's beautiful face. She sighed and waited for Erik to chose who he wanted to teach first. Erik stood for a moment in thought. "I want you to go first." he said gently, not trying to make her upset. He folded his arms across his chest.

"Now... sing me more of what you were singing before I came in- and don't be afraid." Kendra looked at him then turned her gaze towards the wall. She seemed to stare into nothing as she began again.

"We are the lucky ones,

We shine like a thousand suns

When all of the colour runs together

I'll keep you company

In one glorious harmony

Waltzing with destiny forever...".

She looked up at Erik to see if she should go on. Erik nodded and held up a hand. "That's enough for now. You have an outstanding voice- it's much like your mother's" Erik smiled. "But you also have the same flaws. Don't worry- they're not terrible- at least nothing a few lessons can't fix." Erik waited for Kendra to respond. Kendra nodded and closed her eyes. She did not return the smile, and she did not speak. She felt like sitting alone and singing everything that was on her mind.

She didn't, of course, but she did get up and go back to the tunnel. For some reason it calmed her. Erik was disturbed by Kendra's indifferent attitude. "Do you wish to be alone?" he asked, puzzlement in his voice. Kendra was equally puzzled. She didn't know if she wanted to be alone or not. "I-I'm not sure...," she said, staring into Erik's eyes. "Maybe you should teach Sorelli now, I'm feeling a little ill," she said, putting her hand on her head.

She dashed back to her room and closed the door behind her. Her head felt like it was going to explode. She dropped onto the bed and passed out. Erik's brow furrowed and he resolved to check on Kendra soon. He was worried about her physical state, with her face so pale... "Sorelli, are you ready for a voice lesson?" the little girl nodded and they went off to the kitchen to begin. Kendra stirred in her sleep. Her mind was racing back to a time when the second worse thing happened in her life. She awoke by her mother's scream.

"M-m-mother?" she whispered to the dark room. No response. 'Of course she wouldn't be here. It was myself I heard, not Mother,' she thought to herself. Kendra's panicked screaming echoed throughout the chamber. Erik rushed to her room and burst into it, seeing her thrashing on the bed. Running to her side, he held her close and tried to calm her. "Kendra! Wake up! It's only a nightmare..." Kendra's eyes were filled with tears as she gazed up at Erik. She was shaking uncontrollably and had images of her mother screaming in her head. She tried to say something but couldn't find the words.

Her heart was beating fast, very fast. Erik saw the strange fear in Kendra's eyes, like an animal fleeing from a predator. He stroked her forehead, which was cold as ice. "You are not well." he knew this wasn't normal... "Should I find you a doctor?" Erik asked, extremely worried. Although he was talented when it came to music architecture and trickery, medicine was something he only knew a small amount... "No, I'm fine," she said in a small voice. She was breathing in short breaths. Why had this dream frightened her?

"Oh, Erik," she said, collapsing in his arms. Erik held Kendra, feeling her muscles shaking and straining in fear. "What did you dream?" he asked gently. The world was gaining a faint buzzing quality... as if everything was from the far end of a tunnel. Kendra broke down in tears. "I-it was-about when my mother got hurt.." she said shaking. It was freezing in the room and Erik's strong arms were inviting. She hugged him tighter and let tears flow from her eyes willingly.

Erik reached into the depths of his cape and pulled out a black handkerchief, offering it to Kendra. "Your mother... hurt?... when was this?" Kendra took the handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked down at the ground, trying so hard not to remember the horrible details of a night long ago. "Raoul came home drunk and..." she took a big breath and whispered the last word, "beat her." Her arms were wrapped very tightly around Erik, as if she was trying to be protected. She had always hated it when her father came home drunk.

Erik was shocked. He had hated Raul, but had acknowledged that he was a handsome and suitable husband... and he had loved Christine... but would he have suspected him to have done such a barbaric thing? Erik said nothing, just hugged Kendra and tried to ignore the buzzing in his ears, growing louder every moment...

Kendra closed her eyes, as if to try and shut out the past. She felt warm and protected in Erik's arms, but knew that would soon end.

Tears were freely escaping from her eyes to flow down her pale cheeks. She sighed and pulled Erik closer as she felt the icyness of her own hands. Erik took Kendra's hands in his own and rubbed circulation back into them. The buzzing was overwhelming... what was going on? Erik shook his head as if to rattle bees out of this brain.

Erik let Kendra rest her head on his chest. She seemed so broken... what kind of family had she been born into? Suddenly the buzzing stopped and Erik realized he could hear nothing... yet Kendra's body still racked with sobs... he put a finger into his ear, trying in vain to clear it Kendra shivered again. Why was it so blasted cold in here?She felt as if she were incased in ice. Her bones shook, and her hands felt numb. Erik forgot Kendra for a moment. He tried to say something, and although he could feel his lips move, feel his vocal cords vibrate, nothing escaped...

"Kendra, what's happening?" Kendra looked up at Erik with big deep brown eyes. "What?" she asked, not knowing what was going on. She had been solely focused on trying to erase past memories. Erik was suddenly hit with the truth... he couldn't hear. At least, partly... some sounds were audible but others weren't. Had he gone deaf? Would he never hear music again! Erik struggled to stay upright. He knew he was old, but why did it have to hit now? "Erik, what's wrong?" Kendra asked in a worried tone. Was he going mad? Had she made him angry?

Kendra stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in a comferting way. "Erik?" she asked, wanting a answer. Erik could read the concern on Kendra's lips, but couldn't hear anything except a low mumbling. The edges of his vision began to blur, and Erik felt himself slipping away... the last thing he saw was Kendra's face... then everything was dark. Erik lay in a heap. He had passed out. "Erik? Erik!" Kendra screamed.

She turned him over and saw that he had passed out. What am I going to do? she asked herself. She knew how to take care of people, but she wasn't herself right then. She did the only thing she could; she picked him up and managed to throw him on the bed. Her hands were shaking as she yanked off Erik's cape and pulled the covers over him. Putting her hand to his head she felt that he was getting a slight fever. She dashed out of the room to get some water.

000-Flashback-000

Erik stood there, the familiar musty cloth covering his face, the mask he had worn since birth. "Erik, come here!" Erik heard his mother's sharp voice and ran to meet her. She was a bitter woman, full of hatred for her disformed son, refusing to accept him. But today was Erik's birthday, or as he liked to call it, the Day of Kindness. Last year his mother had set him up with private lessons from a famous architect, his sole gift, but a wonderful one. This year he hoped for something even better. But seeing his mother's scowling face made Erik's heart plummet. Maybe she had forgotten...

Erik's mother began to yell and scream, somthing about him not being like the other children. Erik absorbed the unkind words, his anger mounting. Suddenly Erik exploded. "WHY DO YOU TREAT ME SO DIFFRENTLY?" he screamed childishly, almost as if this were a temper tantrum. "I CAN'T PLAY WITH ANYONE! AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! WHAT MAKES ME SO EVIL? THIS!" Erik yanked off the cloth mask- a grave mistake. His mother screamed and recoiled. Erik didn't understand... it was just an old cloth. But then his mother held up the mirror. And Erik saw his reflection. "Oh mum, that's just a monster trapped in there!" he still didn't understand. But he would. In time.

000-End Flashback-000