I managed to hide under a rich man's carriage that was headed to the city, the freshly fallen snow melting as the carriage passed over and splashing up into my hiding spot. I left them and started walking the streets. The lamps were burning bright so for once I could see my way as the snow continued to softly fall. I passed the home we lived in until Mother and Father died, and the market where we shopped. On the next right was Grandmother's cottage, the one she rented after Grandfather died and where we could come visit her for Christmas. Further into the city was Monsieur Foss's saloon and gambling hall were Father lost all of his money and were Mother and Father were killed. From here, I knew every twist and turn like the back of my hand. I could see the occasional man looking for a good time, but after a quick flash of the knife, they looked elsewhere. This part of the city had changed since my brothers and I lived here. There was a new dance hall with ladies of the night called the Moulin Rouge. And even it was being renovated into an opera house. Shutters on apartments and houses were falling off. The paint was beginning to curl, the cross from the church that Father worked at and where we stayed at occasionally was missing, probably burned as fire wood. I shivered hard in the cold. This thin costume was doing nothing to keep me warm. What I wouldn't give for a cloak… or better yet Erik's warm arms… As I neared the opera house, I could see the different places that my brothers and I camped. The different alleyways and old run-down buildings were pieces of our messed up lives. I walked up to the doors of the opera house to find them locked. I tried to climb the wall, but the snow had made things way to slippery. I wondered around only to find loose rocks on the side of the opera house. After a little jarring, a door opened letting me in. The door closed on my dress, tearing off the under layer of my costume. Well, if I ever get back, Madame Giry is NOT going to be happy about me ruining one of her costumes, even if I can fix it. There was a hallway like the one behind my mirror, I follow it in hopes that Erik was at the end of this winding forever hall, I missed him so. The hallway was dimly lit with torches; I kept tripping over the frayed laces of my slippers so I took them off and threw them behind me. That was a mistake; the rocks were jagged and cut my feet like a piece of ribbon. Somehow after one wrong turn after another, the light began to grow brighter and brighter. Erik my love...I'm coming my sweet… I tried to run but my legs were sore from the dancing and walking and my body was weak from the lack of food. I could hear water dripping and the soft sound of a wave. I could see the gate and followed the land bridge to another entrance to his hideaway. I peeked around the corner to see Erik leaned over his piano in a heap. He sat up and I could see the picture of me he had framed. The wood was wet in random spots. He didn't have his mask on, which I preferred. His eyes were red and the light was reflecting off of the tears in his eyes.
"Oh Erik…my love…" I whispered. He turned around and nearly fainted. He scrambled around to find a mask. "I don't care… you look fine to me." He dropped it and ran to my side, taking me in his strong arms. He gathered my hair in his fist and buried his face in my neck.
"Oh god I thought I lost you… my sweet Belle…" I squeezed him with what might I had left, my arms shaking like leaves. He pulled back to see my face, brushing away dirty strands of hair. "Mon ange, you are so pale, and so thin…what happened to you…?"
"Erik…my darling…I…" then all went black.
