Hey everyone, thanks for the reviews. Today was a pretty dull day at the library….sometimes work just plane sucks. I am looking forward to seeing Phantom of the Opera in NY city soon. I do get to go to the Valley of Fear on Thursday night so I'm pretty stoked. Anyway enjoy the chapter and keep reading.

To Clorinda, it seemed like days since she first stepped foot on the old ship. They had been at sea for what seemed like years and it felt longer especially with nothing to do. Her mother had become very ill and mostly slept all hours of the day in Erik's arms. Clorinda leaned up against the wall of the ship, and looked over at Erik who was writing his music as he sat beside Christine's sleeping body that was covered up in his cloak.

"Monsieur Kire?"

Erik placed the end of the ink pen into his mouth and stacked his music pieces into one organized pile. He then removed the pen from his mouth and placed it on top of the it before glancing over at Clorinda.

"Yes Clorinda?"

"When are we going to be there?"

"It's hard to say Mon Ange."

"I feel like we've been on this ship for a hundred years."

Erik took out his golden pocket watch and held it up to the pale moon light that was shining into the cluttered cargo area of the ship.

"Nonsense, we've been on this ship three days,14 hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds."

"You've been counting?"

"Of course."

Without another word, Erik placed the pen back into his mouth and began to look through his music again.

"Is my mother going to be ok?"

Erik glanced over at Christine's body and then pulled the cloak closer to her neck with the pen still in his mouth.

"She needs her sleep Clorinda."

Clorinda crept closer to her, and reached out her hand to touch her face when Erik stopped her.

"No Clorinda! Leave her be."

"Hey you promised to control your temper Monsieur Kire."

Erik took in a deep breath to calm himself down and removed the pen from his mouth.

"Yes, let me apologize to you. I don't want you coming anywhere near your mother while she's this dreadfully ill."

"Why?"

"You'll catch what ever she has."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, just do as I ask of you."

The loud whistle of the ship blew, signaling everyone that resided on the ship that they had reached their destination. Erik quickly packed his pen and papers into his tote bag and closed it tightly before swinging it over his back.

"I'm tired Monsieur Kire, do I have to walk?"

Erik sighed, and lifted Clorinda up and placed her legs over his shoulder.

"Now hold on."

Clorinda did as she was told and placed her hands at the top of Erik's black wigged scalp and held on. He then leaned down and scooped Christine's sleeping body up into his arms and held her tightly against him as he began to walk off the ship.

"Where are we going Monsieur Kire?"

"We have to go see Madam Giry's friend. He's going to give us a place to stay."

After getting off the ship, Erik breathed in the fresh night air of Dresden Germany.

"It's cold out here Monsieur Kire."

"We'll be some where soon Clorinda."

Erik brought Christine's body closer to his warm coat and began to walk through the quiet somber city. At the other end of town, lied an old rusty broken gate that at the top spelled out Zirkusboden.

"What does that mean Monsieur Kire?"

"Circus Grounds."

"Looks too old to be a circus."

"It's abandoned, now be quiet."

"We're not going in there are we?"

"Of course, now hush."

Once Clorinda stopped talking, Erik slipped through the broken gates and began to walk along the path of torn up tents and rotting stands. On the ground lied broken lanterns and old streamers from so long ago. At the end of the path sat an old fun house covered in fading green paint along with broken shutters and a huge skull atop of it.

"Monsieur Kire, I think we have the wrong place."

Erik sighed and took out the note that Madam Giry had given him and looked at the address.

"No this is the place."

"Well it's deserted and scary I say we leave."

Just then Erik heard the click of a gun and footsteps coming closer. As he turned around, an old man with a German Luger pointed in Erik's face stood in front of him.

"was wünschen Sie?"

"I'm Madam Giry's Friend."

"French?"

Erik nodded and watched the man put his luger into the lapel of his jacket.

"Why didn't you just say so I'm Herr Bertram Ebersbach."

Erik held out his hand and shook Bertram's.

"Monsieur Erik Kire."

"Who is the beautiful Frau you are holding in your arms Monsieur?"

"That would be Christine Daae and the girl is her daughter Clorinda."

"And her Vater?"

"Her what?"

"Sorry Monsieur I don't usually speak to anyone besides Germans. Vater is Father. Where is her Father?"

"I don't know."

"Well Madam Giry told me all about you and I have already prepared a place for you to stay."

"What is with the luger?"

"Ah don't worry about that, schmutzig little Children love to come in here at night and trash what ever is left of my property. This used to be the best Damn Zirkus in town until the fire twenty five years ago."

"Why keep the property?"

"Lets just say that I'm an old man with a lot of time on his hands. Now come along, I'll show you to your housing."

Erik then followed Bertram towards the old fun house when Clorinda pulled on Erik's scalp.

"That hurts Clorinda, cut it out."

"Monsieur Kire, please don't go in there."

"And why on earth not?"

"It looks scary."

Bertram shun the lantern towards the entrance of the old fun house and motioned them to enter. Erik entered first, and noticed that it had a long path down a hallway that was sided in mirrors. Clorinda jumped down from off of Erik's shoulders, and looked at herself in one of the mirrors. She looked very skinny as she stood up straight but as soon as she slouched down a bit her image became very fat. She then began to move up and down in front of the mirror.

"Monsieur Kire?"

Erik who still had Christine in his arms looked over at Clorinda who was standing in front of the mirrors.

"What?"

Clorinda laughed as she moved up and down in front of the mirror.

"Skinny, fat, skinny, fat, skinny, fat."

"Clorinda Alexis Daae! Get over here right now and stop fooling around."

Clorinda slouched down and walked alongside of Erik as she was told to do.

"You're never any fun."

Clorinda and Erik followed Bertram to the end of the hallway where a huge mirror stood in front of them giving off the illusion of being the end of the fun house. Bertram then touched the glass and the mirror slid away leading them into another room. Once Erik entered with Bertram and Clorinda he was far beyond impressed. The room was lit by dim candle light and had a spot with a plat formed area that was padded with pillows and a few blankets.

"That is where you and Christine can sleep."

Across the other side of the room, held a smaller plat formed area that was also padded down by pillows and had a few blankets covered on top of it.

"That is where her daughter can sleep."

The final side of the room, held a small fire place for kindling and cooking along with a table perfect for Erik to sit at to work on what ever pleased him.

"It's not much but it's safe. No one will ever know that you are here. I'm not around much but when I am I'll stop by from time to time to see how you are doing."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem at all."

Once Bertram had left, Erik lied Christine down on the soft pillows of the bed and covered her up in the warm blankets. He then picked Clorinda up and placed her into her new bed as well.

"Monsieur Kire, will everything be ok now?"

"Yes Clorinda we're safe now."

"I mean between you and my mother? I mean does she know that I ruined the dinner?"

"Clorinda, let us not talk about such things now. Your mother is very ill and needs all the rest she can get. Until she's better I'll look after you and watch over you like she would. Now do as I say and close your eyes, it's very late."

"Can't I sleep with you tonight?"

"Clorinda, now you know that it wouldn't be appropriate to keep doing such a thing."

"But my mother is sick."

"And so?"

"And so you shouldn't sleep beside her because you could get sick and then who would look after me?"

Erik sighed at such a statement., he knew that Clorinda was right. If he got sick then who was going to look after her? Usually he could get Madam Giry to look after her but now that it was just the three of them such things were no longer possible.

"Right, you have a point."

Erik then rose from her side and walked back to where Christine was sleeping and changed into his night clothes before going into his tote bag to take out the bottle of medicine that Christine once fed him. He then lifted up Christine's lifeless neck and placed the nozzle of the bottle up to her lips.

"Come now Christine, drink some of this. It will bring your fever down."

When a sigh escaped her lips and none of the thick yellow liquid disappeared, Erik became angry with her.

"Christine do as I say and open your mouth."

Once again, Christine didn't listen to him and so very gently Erik tilted her head back and tilted the liquid into her mouth.

"I hate doing this Christine, but it is for your own good Mon Ange."

After hearing her cough from the medicine entering her throat, Erik lied her head back down onto the pillows and blew out the candles before walking back over to Clorinda's bed and lying down.

"You're still wearing your wig and mask Monsieur Kire."

"Yes I know Clorinda."

"Doesn't that bother you at all?"

"No, why would it bother me? At least I look like a man when I'm like this."

"It's ok Monsieur Kire, I'm stupid and far from smart."

"Clorinda, how could you say such a thing? You are the smartest child I know, what would make you think otherwise?"

"Because I believed that Colum was my father, because I believed that maybe my mother could be with him again, and because I ruined the only love you ever had."

"You know Clorinda I may not look like any regular man walking the streets but I do know that humans make mistakes. You made a mistake Clorinda, love can be rekindled. What can't be rekindled is life. I wouldn't know what to do if I ever lost you or your mother. You're still too young to understand it but love is something that comes and goes every single day."

"Yes but I know that it's something that doesn't come easily to you. Taking my mother away from you is taking away what ever the word Love has to offer."

"Don't worry Clorinda, I have a feeling that your Mother still loves me."

"Really? How do you know that?"

"Why else would she have come along with me?"

Clorinda smiled, and hugged her doll that looked like Erik.

"Yes, you're right Monsieur Kire."

"Now go to sleep Clorinda."

Clorinda cuddled up next to Erik, and closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep. Erik then closed his eyes and immediately fell into a dreamless slumber.

The next morning, Erik awoke to an annoying bright light shining in his face. He opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them to notice that a small hole in the ceiling was allowing the sunlight to shine into his chambers. He immediately plopped back down onto the pillows to notice that Clorinda was no longer lying next to him.

"Clorinda? Clorinda?"

Erik got to his feet and looked around the room to see Christine still asleep and Clorinda to be no where in sight. Erik quickly dressed himself in a crisp white shirt and black trousers before throwing on his jacket and walking out of the room. Once he was outside, Erik walked along the path of torn streamers and broken lanterns to try and find Clorinda. As he got closer to the old torn up tents, he heard the familiar sound of Clorinda's laughing coming from inside one of them.

"Clorinda?"

Erik entered and saw her jumping up and down on an old mattress. He immediately grabbed her and brought out his temper.

"What on earth gives you the galls to run off like that? Do you understand how angry I am at you!"

Clorinda began to cry, and turned away from Erik.

"Monsieur……I only meant to have fun….please."

"Fun! Fun! You nearly scared me half to death! We are not in Paris any more Clorinda and running off like you just did was unacceptable!"

"I'm sorry Monsieur Kire, please forgive me."

"What if you were to hurt yourself? I wouldn't know what to do or who to contact!"

Clorinda sat down on the mattress and watched as Erik walked around the tent.

"What are you looking at Monsieur Kire?"

"Just looking around Clorinda."

"This tent is boring, let's go find another one."

"Only if you stay by my side."

Clorinda agreed, and walked beside Erik as they exited the tent and entered another. In that tent was a table with an old crystal ball sitting upon it.

"Wow that's pretty Monsieur, what is it?"

"A Crystal ball."

"What is it used for?"

"Gypsies used it to tell someone's future."

"How do you know that?"

"I know that I've never really mentioned it before Clorinda, but I didn't have such a pleasant childhood. I spent most of my childhood locked in a cage and tortured by the gypsies. My face made them filthy rich and my soul was destroyed with such heart ache."

"What about your mother and father?"

"My mother died giving birth to me and my father sold me to the gypsies for nothing more than ten franks because even he couldn't look me in the eyes."

"How did you get away from the gypsies?"

"Madam Giry saved me when we were both still children. She was around 16 and I was about ten. She stuck me in the opera house and that is where I grew up learning and looking after your mother until you were born."

"Was my father a nice man Monsieur Kire?"

"I didn't really know him well at all Clorinda."

"So if this crystal ball tells the future, what is it?"

Erik looked down into the dirty glass of the crystal ball and smiled.

"I see a great musician and lots of fame and success."

"for you?"

"No, I cannot see my own future Clorinda, I can only see the future of the person sitting in front of me."

Clorinda grabbed the crystal ball, and looked into it just as Erik had just done.

"Do you know what I see Monsieur Kire?"

"What?"

"I see success and lots of people cheering your name after one of your operas. I see you standing on stage without your mask on and bowing before the audience, no longer hiding from the world."

Erik snatched the crystal ball and turned away.

"That could never happen Clorinda, where ever I go unmasked people scream and shout but not for praise. They scream in my face because of my hideous features. Some things can never change and that is one of them."

"If that can never happen then what are you going to do?"

Erik walked with Clorinda outside of the tent and stood in front of a bunch of old posters of performers from long long ago and smiled devilishly.

"I have a few freakishly great tricks up my sleeve."

"You're going to reopen the Circus?"

"No, I'm going to do something ten times better……"

More to come soon! R&R