What if Erik's past was all known to be a lie. The traveling fair, disfiguration at birth, his parents abandoning him the whole lot. What if Erik had a secret life before the opera, one that even he can't even remember? (Based on the P!ATD Music Video "But it better when you do")
I suggest that you take a look at the P!ATD Music Video before you read this. Just go to and type in But It's Better When You Do and watch the movie first. I do not own anything in this story except for the story line. Well some of it. Even though I wish I owned Erik. Don't Sue Me! ENJOY! If you like this then check out my website, if I ever update anything on it. The link is in my info. Another thing I must state. If you hate this story then please don't comment me saying "Your story sucks!" If you like it then good comment me but I'm not looking for haters.
THE BEGINNINGErik Joseph Mulihem the 3rd was born like any normal child was born. His parents where a middleclass French family living in the center of Paris.
His father Erik Mulihem the second owned a cafe right in the middle of the city and owned the apartment above it where his family lived. Erik (the 3rd) loved working in his fathers shop as he helped his mother make all of the goodies that where served.
At an early age Erik parents discovered that he had an amazing singing voice and had a knack for the piano. For Erik's 10th birthday his parents bought him his own brand new piano and he would never stop playing it.
After he learned to play well his parents moved the piano from their apartment, down into the cafe where people could be entertained. Erik was no longer making pastries with his mother, now he was a music man. He played from Opening time to closing and took brakes in-between. Everyone that entered the shop would ask "Whom is the boy playing on the piano, now that's a kid with some real talent." People even started to leave tips, sometimes-big tips. His father's cafe came to be the most popular cafe in all of Paris and people flocked from all around France to enjoy his beautiful playing.
A couple years went by and Erik's father had an idea of opening a nightclub, after cafe hours where over. The chairs and tables would be pushed to the back of the room and people of the night would come and dance till dawn. Sometimes even Erik sang the songs he played and his voice had become even more beautiful than when his parents first discovered him.
Erik was not ugly like in his later years, he was very very handsome for a boy of 15 and girls loved him. Some girls would even stalked him. They would sit in the cafe for hours and listen to him sing and play and then ask for him to sign something of theirs.
Life was good for Erik until he turned 17. His mother and father both caught colora and the cafe was done for good. Erik tried his hardest to care for the cafe and play at the same time, being the reason why people came, but couldn't anymore and when his parents finally died he closed down the cafe/club for good.
By that time Erik was dead broke and sold the cafe/club to a local businessman his father knew. Erik knew that he would do well with the space. Erik bought himself a cheap apartment a couple blocks down from the shop and married the love of his life, Mary Ann Dessler.
She was beautiful, young, good looking, and blonde, more than Erik could ever wish for.
Four years went by and Erik went from job to job just making enough for the rent and to eat. But Erik had a secret that he kept from her. You see Erik never did loose his talent or love for music and so he started a band. He took vocals and occasional piano, Jesse Smith was the Guitarist, Michael Roberts the bassist, and Jimmy Johnson the drummer. They went from cafe to club to even sometimes at night illegal nighttime strip clubs. It was money and Erik could not turn down what he could get for doing what he loved to do best. And now here is the truth about Erik Mullihem "The Phantom of the Opera"
THE MIDDLE"You don't love me anymore" wined Mary Ann from the living room as Erik pulled a shirt over his bear chest and walked in.
"Stop with that babe your paranoid." Erik stepped away from her as he fixed his bow tie for the gig that Mary Ann didn't know about.
"Well what am suppose to think?" Erik gave an annoyed sigh. Oh how he wished he could tell her and then she would be off his back every time he went out to play a gig.
"Every night you go out with your friends to those illegal strip clubs…"
Oh God did she find out… Just play it cool.
"I told you before babe I ain't going to no illegal clubs"
good save he thought to himself and continued.
"I got to go to work to pay for this dumpy apartment now stop your complaining cause I gotta go." Erik used an attitude, which he wouldn't normally use on her.
"No don't go," she begged as she wrapped her arms around him. Erik gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"I gotta go" and before he walked out the door so she wouldn't worry.
"And don't wait up for me."
As he walked the stairs of the apartment he thought of how mean he just was to her. But soon that feeling disappeared as he began to sing the song that his band was playing tonight. He wrote it especially for these nights when they played at the strip clubs, because it told of men doing just that.
Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret
Erik pulled off his bow tie and threw it into the road.
Somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name
As she sheds her skin on stageErik reached the club. A peek hole opened and a masked man looked out to see if he was the police. As Erik entered the club he grabbed a mask from the basket filled with masks of all kinds.
This was a Masquerade club and "all of the persons must be masked at all times" unless they are in the locked booths or you were apart of the band, then you could choose. Erik didn't mind the mask he thought it made him feel like he was back in his father café, sitting at the piano.
He looked to the mask he chose this time. It was a dashing mask with gold trimming and music notes all around with black ribbon to tie up the back.
"At least I didn't get the deer mask like last time." His song continued,
I'm seated and sweating to a dance song on the club's P.A.
The strip joint veteran sweeps you away
Smirking between dignified sips of his dignified peach and lime daiquiri
"Where ya been Erik we've been waiting for ya." Jesse said
Erik had nothing to say except
"Start off at the first chorus and then go through the rest of the song."
The band did as they were told and the show went on.
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Erik sang as the strippers danced beside him in their lace red lingerie, black heels and red masks. These women never tempted Erik, already having a beautiful wife. None of these women could add up to her.
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
But Erik saw a woman dressed in a black dress with feathers coming out of the already red mask as she took a seat right in front of the stage.
Oh, but I'm afraid that IErik tried to look away from her, but her beauty glowed throughout the room, and Erik's conscience gave way and looked at her anyway.
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead de de dead de de dead in this place
Erik couldn't take his eyes off her after that moment and he started to dance as he felt the rhythm of the music. He held on to the microphone up to his mouth and 'showed off.'
Well I'm afraid that I
well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
And after that verse, Erik fled the stage and called for a break with the band and flew to the bar. But only to his horror or to his joy this mystery woman sat only 2 seats away from him. She rose from her seat and brushed her hand against his back, which made chills go up and down his spine. Mary Ann was vanished from his mind as he took the woman's hand and followed her into a private booth across the room. The song still played in his mind.
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
She pushed him back into a chair in the corner and slowly approached him.
Outside the police stood waiting for the right moment to bust. 3, 2, 1, both of the cops busted down the front door of the club and everyone ran screaming
Erik and the woman's lips touched. It's was magical; it felt like the kiss he gave his wife right before he left.
He decided to take off his mask and reveal to her that he was even more handsome, without the mask. But only to his surprise, he got a smack in the face.
Erik sat there dumbfounded to see her reveal herself to.
Well I'm afraid that I
Well, I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
No wonder it felt like his wife's kiss IT WAS HIS WIFE!
As she bolted out of the room she ripped the brunette wig from her head and threw it to the ground as two cops grabbed her from behind.
Well I'm afraid that I
well that's right
That I may have faked it and
I wouldn't be caught dead in this place
Erik flew out after her only to see a club coming right for his face. He ducked it and tried to grab his wife from the cop but only to have himself captured also. The song stilled played in his head, as they made their way out to the police cab."
And isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
Oh, and isn't this exactly where you'd like me
I'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety
As they threw Erik into the cab the rest of the song streamed through his head.
Praying for love and paying in naivety
Erik smiled at his wife who smiled back.
Praying for love and paying in naivetyAnd the police car drove towards the jail.
THE END?The jail had let Mary Ann go that night, being a woman, and she spent the night in their nice warm bed without Erik. He spent the night at the jail, on the cold, wet, cobble stone floor with an inmate twice his size, that was a bodyguard at the club.
"Now officers I didn't do anything wrong, I just played a gig my band told me we had that night, I didn't think it was a strip club until I got there and well a man's gotta eat."
One of the cops surprisingly believed his story and he went free the next night.
As he walked down the street 3 people walked up to him. It was Jesse, Michael and Jimmy.
"Hey fellas, exciting night last night eh?"
Erik said trying to make a joke but none of their faces even budged.
"You know what them cops did after they put everyone in those cabs?"
Erik shrugged his shoulders; he was one of the first ones to be pulled out.
"They wrecked the instruments." Jimmy said
"They bashed my guitar over the stage, and same with the base, and they jabbed holes through all the drum heads."
Erik gulped "Well that's to bad don't you guys have any extras?"
"No we don't those where our only ones Erik, we're dead broke, and now we just lost our jobs."
"But you wanna know the one thing they didn't destroy…" Jesse added circling him.
"Your precious piano, the one your parents gave to you…" A revengeful look gleamed in all their eyes.
"You know Erik it's just not fair, you've got excellent talent, a gorgeous wife, and you're the most handsome man in all of France."
Erik knew something bad was going to happen. But soon he turned his attention to a middle age woman standing on the curb watering plants.
"You hear me Erik!" Jesse rambled on.
"We were all born dirt poor and now we're living dirt poor. I think its about time you get something taken from you that you hold dear, see what your wife with do when you come home looking not so handsome."
"What do you mean?" Erik asked as they formed a circle so he couldn't escape.
Jesse punched Erik in the Jaw and he flew around. Erik's head was the first part of his body to land as it smashed onto the cobblestone walkway.
"What's happening," Erik thought
A liquid poured onto the right side of his face. Erik gave a howling scream as the acid burned his skin and Jesse Michael and Jimmy left him to shrivel up on the walk.
What's happening, what's this feeling!
Erik thought. And as soon as the pain came, it went as more liquid was poured onto him.
Water flowed down his chest soaking him as his face started to smoke. The first person he saw when he looked up was the woman across the street watering the plants.
"Are you ok? Can you see fine?" the woman asked anxiously.
"Yes, I can see, who are you." Erik asked.
"The question is who are you so I can get you to an infirmary." She pulled on his hand.
"I… I can't remember…" Erik said
"Well they were screaming it while I was watering the plants, Oh no…"
"What?" Erik asked
"Nothing, nothing, you need to come right now with me Erik."
"What's your name though."
"Madame Giry, now please we need to hurry."
The rest of this night ended with blurs and a lot of pain.
Mary Ann waited up for hours for him but, Erik never came back. She walked to the jail the next day and they told her he had already left the night before. Mary Ann wondered all of her life where he might have run off to, or could have been taken to. But most of all she wished he could have seen his son.
Erik did remember the place Madame Giry took him to. It was big and golden with angels coming out of the walls and diamonds hanging from the ceiling.
Madame Giry tried to treat his face the best she could, but not even the emergency doctor could cure it.
After she knew his fate she couldn't let him back into the real world, France looked down on the ugly and poor, and she couldn't let him live his life in misery. So she took him to the lowest room of the lowest cellar and that was where he remained most of his time.
Madame Giry told him that his parents where in a circus and sold him for wine, because of his disfigurement. Erik then lived his life wondering about his life before as Madame Giry taught him the simple's points in life again. She also showed him the secret passageways through the building and he came to learn that it was called an Opera, a place for theater and music.
That was one thing Erik Never forgot was music, how to sing and play. But as he crept up to the library every night he learned more and more about the Opera and came to love it with all his heart. And after watching some Operas that were preformed there, he decided to start writing his own. And one day while he was visiting Madame Giry, a girl that glowed with beauty passed by her office and the story to which you know continues.
THE END