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Later on that night as Erik lied there tossing and turning in between the sheets, he began to sweat. He was having a hard time sleeping once more because of the horrible dreams that haunted his mind. When he heard a loud blast, Erik immediately sat up in fright and so did Christine.
"What was that Erik?"
"I don't know."
Once again the loud blast occurred, this time causing Clorinda to run into their chambers crying. She jumped up into Christine's arms and continued to cry.
"Mother what's that noise?"
"I don't know sweetheart."
Erik rose from his bedside and threw on his cloak before walking outside. The rain had stopped, and left the fairgrounds in a thick fog. The blasting sound kept occurring, and soon Kasdon was at his side.
"Your son talked of a war that was getting closer to us."
"Yes it started over in Belgium, the French are fighting over German land."
"So it's the French?"
"Yes, they have crossed and began to fight for the land. If I were you I'd stay out of the way and keep a close eye on your family. If the Belgians find out that you're French they might not be so kind to you."
Erik stood there with Kasdon for a few more minutes listening to the loud blasts before turning in for the night. Once he walked back into his chambers, he saw Clorinda still in Christine's arms.
"What was that noise Erik?"
Erik picked Clorinda up out of Christine's arms, and placed her in his arms.
"I'm going to take her to bed. I'll be back in a second to talk to you."
Erik carried Clorinda back to her bed, and lied her down beneath the covers.
"I'm scared Monsieur Kire."
"It's ok sweetheart, everything is going to be ok."
"Can't I sleep with you tonight? Please?"
"Will that make you feel better?"
"Yes Monsieur."
Erik sighed, and carried Clorinda back to his chambers and had her lie beside him. She snuggled up against his chest, and closed her eyes. Erik looked over at Christine and ran his fingers through her hair and began to whisper so he wouldn't wake his daughter.
"I went outside and baba was there. He told me that the French have crossed into Belgian territory and forced the Belgian's else where. There's a war going on and that we need to be careful."
"Will we be safe here?"
"Yes I promise, let's just try to get some sleep."
Christine smiled, and closed her eyes as Erik did the same, holding his daughter in his arms. Early the next morning, Erik opened his eyes to a German lugar pointed in his face. Holding it was a tall Belgian man with a dark mustache and was wearing an army helmet. Erik heard the safety being pulled back, and didn't make any sudden movements.
"Get up." Replied the man with a deep German accent.
Erik did as he was told, trying not to wake Clorinda or Christine who were sound asleep beside him. As he got to his feet, the man kicked the bed with his steel tip boot causing Clorinda and Christine to awake and yell in fear. Once again the man pulled the safety back on his Lugar and pointed it at them. Clorinda jumped into Christine's arms, and turned away as the Lugar was pointed right at her. Erik moved in front of the Lugar to shield his family from any danger and looked at the man.
"What is it that you want?"
Erik knew that he shouldn't have spoken to the man, in fear of being discovered that he was from Paris. When Erik thought about it, he realized that Christine and Clorinda were the ones with the French accents. He on the other hand was born in Persia and didn't sound or look like he was from Paris at all.
"What kind of camp is this? French camp?"
"No, I run my own freak show. I am a born and bred Persian, and this is my family."
"Freak en se Show? I am Capitan of the Belgian army, the French have crossed over our territory and I'm out to kill any that I may find. But if you are Persian then I am no harm to you."
The captain put away the Lugar, and walked out of Erik's home. Erik followed after him, to see that his fairgrounds were now housing to more tents occupied to the Belgian army. He quickly ran back inside of his chambers, and sat with Christine and Clorinda.
"Erik, what are we going to do?"
"You mustn't speak in the presence of them Christine. If they find out that you are French, they will kill you. Not one of you will leave my sight and you will not speak unless told to do so, do you understand?"
The both of them nodded, and Erik paced the bed, thinking of a plan.
"What are we going to do Erik? What if one of them recognizes you from Paris?"
Erik knew that there was only one thing he could do. He had to get Christine and Clorinda out of harms way and send them back to Paris where it would be safe until the war was over. He knelt down beside Christine and cupped her cheek with his cold pale hand.
"You have to do something for me Christine, and I want you to do it."
"What?"
"You need to leave Germany at once, take Clorinda and go."
Christine immediately put up a fight over what her angel was asking her to do.
"No Erik, I can't! I'm not going to leave you here all alone."
"I can't return to Paris Christine, you know that I'm safer her than back in the Opera House. I just want you to do as I say and leave with Clorinda. I'm walking you to the ship as soon as possible and you're going to do it one way or another."
"Erik, please don't make me do this. I lost you once and I never want it to happen again."
How badly he wanted to tell Christine that everything was going to be ok but he just couldn't. If he could go to Paris with her he wouldn't hesitate for one second, but God knows the trouble that would await him. No he just couldn't sooth her pain for one second, he just didn't know how.
"You're with Child my angel and the winter's ice has just begun.. If you wait to leave any longer you won't be able to get to safety if need be. I promise to bring you back once the war is over."
At that very second, Petri came running in and over to Erik's side.
"Monsieur, the Belgians have taken over the camp."
"Yes, I think I've already established that Petri. I'm going to take Christine and Clorinda down to the boating docks to get them to Paris as soon as possible. I suggest that your family comes along too."
"No Monsieur, the Belgians have closed off the boating docks so that the French can't get through German soil."
They were stuck, stuck in danger's way. Christine's safety was now on his mind like the lord himself. She would not get a doctors care if needed, nor would she be safe from the Belgians. They were on their own and in danger's way until the silly war was over. After making it over to the bathroom side of his chambers, Erik relieved himself of a nights worth of urine and stared at himself in the mirror. All of his spots were finally gone, and for once he looked like his old self again. After dressing himself in his suit, he examined his stab wound before pulling his shirt down and walking towards the kitchen. He had forced his family to stick by his side at all times so that he would be able to answer to the Belgian soldiers before they would find out that Christine or his daughter were French. Christine was only three months pregnant, but he was worried that something would happen to her. He knew how to care for the ill, but not for a pregnant woman. As Christine prepared lunch, Erik stood at the door way looking out onto his fairgrounds. It seemed that all of his performers stayed in their tents as the soldiers camped out and sat around their fires. The best thing to do was stay out of their ways so that they would keep out of theirs.
Mostly all day, Erik found himself sitting at the table staring down at his blank music pieces. With the thought of the soldiers on his mind, it was hard for him to think of anything to write. He glanced over at Clorinda who was sitting beside him with her head down on the table.
"You can't think of anything to write Monsieur Kire?"
"Sadly I cannot."
"You're worried aren't you?"
"Yes, how couldn't I be?"
"When do you think they'll leave Monsieur?"
"Hopefully soon enough."
"Does this mean I get to sleep with you again tonight?"
"Yes, it certainly does."
Erik refused to go to bed until the soldiers fell asleep. He had sent Christine and Clorinda to bed hours ago and spent the remainder of time standing at the door way waiting for the soldiers to go back into their tents. The last soldier had finally gone into his tent around midnight, giving Erik a sense of relief before walking over to his bed. As he crawled in beneath the covers, he stared at Christine in the dim candle light. She looked so beautiful and he swore to himself that nothing was ever going to happen to her. The rustling of the sheets had caused Christine to open her eyes and glance at her angel of music.
"It's only me Christine, go back to sleep."
"I feel it you know."
"Feel what?"
"The baby, I started to feel it kick today."
"That's a good sign, right?"
"Of course Erik, you're doing a great job at protecting us."
"It's my job as your lover Christine."
Christine gave Erik a quick kiss before closing her eyes and falling asleep. Erik scooped his sleeping daughter up into her arms, and closed his eyes as well. The soldiers were asleep and would no longer be bothering them tonight. The next morning, Erik awoke and lied Clorinda down next to Christine. He wanted to make her something to eat for breakfast so that she could keep her strength built up. As soon as Erik stepped into his kitchen, he knew that something wasn't right. For one it was way to quiet and some of the cabinets were wide open. It was then that he knew that someone had been in them while they were sleeping. He quickly began to open each cabinet to find that all the food had been taken. How could he have been stupid enough to fall asleep when the enemy was sitting right outside? Everything was gone, bread, milk, meat and tea. All taken in those few hours of sleep. In anger, he threw on his cloak and headed outside where the captain sat with his soldiers around the fire eating some of the food that was taken out of his kitchen. Seeing Erik angrily approach him, caused the captain to point his Lugar at him just for safety reasons.
"What's wrong little Persian?"
"My food is the problem! Everything is gone! I demand answers!"
"It's simple really, the stores and shops are closed down until the war is over so we the soldiers need food. Your home is the only place that has it so we took what we needed."
"You took everything!"
"Yes, only because that is what we needed. We're doing a great honor by protecting you and this is the thanks we get?"
"I don't think you understand Monsieur, I have a pregnant wife and little girl. What are we to do about food? We'll starve Monsieur!"
"Then if you're going to starve you might as well get to it then! There are plenty of berries in the woods if you need food."
"Berries? Most of them are poisoned. I will not feed my pregnant wife poisoned berries Monsieur."
The captain got to his feet, and pointed the Lugar in Erik's face.
"Look I don't care what you eat, just get out of my face before I decide to blow it off!"
Erik stomped his feet in anger, and re entered the fun house, leaving the Belgians alone. Once he sat down in the kitchen, he stared at the empty shelves and cabinets. What was he going to do? They now had no food or a way of leaving Germany. Christine would need plenty of nourishment to stay healthy in such times and now had nothing to eat. He learned long ago that a human could last one week without water and thirty days without food. Thirty days was not an option, especially with Christine being pregnant with his child. He had to figure out a way to get food and fast. The woods was his only chance of finding food or any kind of nourishment. Seconds later, Christine came walking out with Clorinda at his side.
"What's wrong Erik?"
"Our food is gone. The Belgians took it for themselves."
"What? What are we to do now?"
Erik quickly got to his feet in anger and banged onto the table with his hand.
"Don't you think that's why I'm sitting here? I'm trying to think of a way to get us something to eat!"
After yelling at Christine, he walked out of the fun house and began to walk through the fair grounds to get to the woods. As he began walking along the trail, Curtis was at his side.
"Monsieur, where are you going?"
"I have to find some food for my family."
"Curtis is doing the same. The soldiers took away our food too. Curtis came to tell you that we are leaving."
"You can't, the docks are closed down."
"Yes but we are still able to travel by foot Monsieur. The gypsies and the rest of us have gotten together and decided to go to Italy. It would be safer there for all of us."
"Italy? That's over two hundred miles Curtis."
"It is better than starving Monsieur. We will come back but not until the war is over. Monsieur and his family could come too."
Erik thought for a moment. Italy? Could he possibly move his angel and child and travel by foot all that distance? He knew that there would be check points and areas where the soldiers would check them. His love and child were French, surely they wouldn't make it across the border but that was a risk he had to take. He quickly turned around and walked back into the to the fun house and ran to his chambers. Christine appeared at the doorway and stared at him.
"Erik, what are you doing?"
"We're going to leave with the performers. They're going to Italy and I think it be best if we went with them."
"Italy? That's a far way Erik."
"It's better than starving to death Christine."
"I'm sure they'll be check points with soldiers who would kill me or Clorinda."
"Would you rather take that risk, or stick around and starve? I'll protect you Christine, don't worry about it. Pack a few of your things and let us be off."
Erik only took a small bag of his things with him. A few of his music pieces, some clothes and his quill. They would be leaving by night fall when the soldiers were all asleep. Erik just hoped that it would work and be out of their site within seconds……
More to come soon!
Authors note: This is a made up war! It never happened in real life and only exists in this story. Keep reading and enjoy!