Hey everyone, here's the next chapter…enjoy and don't forget to R&R!
After hiding around the big oak tree, Erik and Christine's journey had only begun. As the sound of the soldier's voices got closer and closer, Erik grabbed Christine's hand and forced her to run deeper and deeper into the woods once more. Christine stopped and gasped for air once more, causing Erik to worry. He would have carried her in his arms, but he couldn't, not with his right arm in a sling. She finally pulled away from his grasp, and dropped to her knees.
"Christine, what's wrong?"
He stared down at Christine who was grasping her stomach and gasping for air.
"The baby…."
Erik immediately pulled Christine to a safe spot that was behind a bunch of tall bushes and through his cloak down on the ground before lying Christine on it. As he held her hand, she kept moaning in pain and grasped her stomach.
"Christine, what's wrong?"
"The baby…..I think my water broke Erik."
How? How could her water have broken? She was only three going on four months pregnant.
"Christine, that's impossible."
"I felt it break…..when we were running……I'm having contractions."
Erik gripped Christine's hand, and squeezed it as she kept moaning in pain.
"Are they close together?"
"Yes, very close together Erik…..oh god what have I done Erik? What have I done?"
Christine was in complete tears and in so much pain. The running, it must have been the running and the stress that had caused this to happen.
"Christine, please calm down, you don't want to stress yourself out. Now I'm going to get you through these contractions. I want you to squeeze my hand every time one occurs so I can get an idea on how far apart they are occurring."
Erik wished that what was happening wasn't. Christine, his angel was experiencing contractions at only being pregnant three months. He didn't know what to do and only seen Clorinda being born from the rafters of her room. The squeezing of his hand occurred five minutes apart and then became closer within seconds. It was then that he realized that Christine was in labor and was going to give birth.
"Oh Erik, please make it stop."
"I can't Christine, now just do as I say. I'm going to tell you to push and when I do you need to do it."
"No Erik….please I can't….not now…not this early….please."
His angel was crying, she was torn to pieces over the whole situation. He couldn't blame her for doing such a thing. He was born early as well four months early to be exact and look at what his mother conceived….. a monster. As Erik prepared for the birth of his child, he noticed that it's head was already crowning.
"Ok Christine, I need you to push."
Christine did as she was told and pushed at Erik's command.
"Push Christine, harder."
Once again Christine pushed and the baby emerged even more from her body.
"We're almost there Christine, push!"
Christine gave one last push, and Erik got hold of it and immediately cut the cord. The child was a bloody mesh and no larger than a quill. Erik wiped the blood from off the lifeless bundle's flesh, and held him in the moonlight to notice that it wasn't just his child, but his son. As Erik looked at his son's face, he was horrified to see that his son was him in everyway. His son had blonde hair and a deformed side of the face…..just like his. His son was lifeless…..premature and lifeless. With the way his face was, maybe it was for the better to send him straight back to the Lord.
"Why isn't he crying Erik? Why isn't my baby crying?"
Tears formed in Erik's eyes. He couldn't bare to look at his dead son any longer and took the cloak from beneath Christine and wrapped his small body in it. His son was gone and there wasn't anything he could do about it……
It seemed as though the hours passed on by. Erik buried his dead son under an oak tree and found himself sobbing through the whole thing. After he was finished, he walked back over to Christine who was greatly ill from giving birth and despite the pain that his arm was in, he picked her up and carried her towards their final destination. The coast was finally clear, and Erik couldn't help but be angry, angry at himself and everyone around him. If not for making her run, maybe he would still have a son. If not for Christine speaking to the soldiers, he would probably still have a healthy woman in his arms. When he finally made it to the stream, he spotted the caravan waiting for him with some of the performers who had made it. He watched as Clorinda stared in horror as he carried her lifeless mother into the caravan, and motioned Kasdon to keep her back. Once inside, he lied Christine down onto an empty bed that was in the back of the caravan and covered her up. Esmeralda was immediately at her side, as Erik put his arm back into the sling that Christine had made him.
"Make sure that she stays in bed Esmeralda, and watch over her health for me. If anything changes let me know."
"What happened out there Monsieur?"
Erik took a deep breath, and turned away to walk out of the caravan.
"She lost the baby."
Once Erik was outside, he ignored the performers who were watching him and jumped up onto his horse. In minutes, Kasdon was on his horse, and riding beside Erik as they continued their journey. It seemed silent for the longest of time until Kasdon who was riding beside Erik broke the silence.
"Monsieur, we lost eight of our people. The soldiers caught up with them and didn't hesitate on shooting."
"Who's left?"
"Well me and my family, along with Curtis and just your family."
Erik cringed at the words coming out of Kasdon's mouth. Everyone, everyone was gone except Curtis. How? How could the soldiers have done such a thing? Killing innocent people all because Christine spoke. Erik just put his head down and couldn't bare to even look at Kasdon.
"Don't ever tell Christine that we lost everyone because she spoke. If anyone asks we lost everyone because I charged into the soldiers with my horse, resulting in everyone's execution."
"But Monsieur……"
"No! just do as I say Kasdon. Christine…..she's been…….she's been through enough. Just please do this for me."
"Yes Monsieur."
Erik glanced behind him, and noticed Curtis and his daughter walking with their heads lowered along side the caravan. He could no longer take the sight of his daughter's sad face and immediately brought his temper out.
"Lift those heads up at once or you'll both pay for it later! I will not have such sorrow trailing behind me!"
Erik hated being cruel, but he couldn't help but hate God and the world for what events had taken place in the last few hours. About an hour later, daylight was approaching over the horizon letting Erik know that it was soon time to stop and rest.
"We need to find a wooded area to hide ourselves from any danger."
Kasdon spotted a patch of woods from up ahead and rode ahead of Erik to see if it was a good spot to stop at. Erik on the other hand looked behind him and noticed that Curtis and Clorinda were trailing behind the caravan.
"Keep up Curtis, we're going to stop soon."
Soon Kasdon rode back and nodded for Erik to lead the caravan over to the woods. Once they were safely hidden, Erik tied his horse to a tree and had a seat on a nice sized boulder and watched as Kasdon prepared a small fire. He saw Clorinda standing over by the caravan as if waiting for his permission to approach him. Soon Kasdon noticed the same thing, and then glanced over at Erik.
"Why give her the cold shoulder Monsieur? It wasn't her fault."
"I can't look at her Monsieur Kasdon, when I look at her I see Christine."
"Yes and when I look at my daughter I see my wife but I cannot be mad at her just because I'm mad at my wife."
"Clorinda isn't my daughter Kasdon."
"Yes but that doesn't change the situation. Her mother is ill and you're the only other person she looks up to for kindness."
Once the fire was started, Kasdon stretched and yawned before turning to Erik to say goodnight.
"I know this seems silly to say but I'm turning in for the day and I suggest you do the same. I shall see you tonight Monsieur."
"Good night Monsieur Kasdon, I shall stay out here and watch over the caravan until I become sleepy."
When Kasdon walked over to the caravan, he saw Curtis standing there trying to keep warm.
"Come on inside Monsieur Curtis, there is a nice bed for you to sleep on."
Once the voices had faded away, Erik moved himself closer to the fire to keep himself warm. As he glanced over at the caravan, he still noticed Clorinda standing there watching him. He couldn't bare to look at his daughter, but then again if he didn't do something, she was bound to freeze.
"What is it that you want Clorinda? You should be inside the caravan with everyone else."
"Could I come and sit beside you Monsieur Kire?"
"If you must."
He watched as the small girl came and had a seat on the boulder beside his and placed her hands under her arms to keep warm.
"You look like you're freezing Clorinda."
"I am Monsieur Kire."
Erik sighed, and took off his jacket and placed it around the girl's body.
"Then what on earth are you doing out here? Like I said before you shouldn't be out here! You should be in the caravan with everyone else."
"Why do you have to shout at me Monsieur? You promised my mother that you would control your temper."
Erik was so angry with the world and at Christine that he didn't even care who he was yelling at. He remembered what Kasdon had told him about being angry at his daughter just because she looks like his wife and immediately took a breath to calm himself down.
"I'm sorry Clorinda, I'm just a little upset right now."
"I'm actually mad at you Monsieur Kire."
"Mad at me? Why? What have I done to you?"
"You left me with Kasdon and ran off. I was so worried that I would have never seen you again."
"It was for your own protection Clorinda. What was I to do? Risk having you killed just to stay with me?"
"We're a family Monsieur Kire, and families stay together no matter what."
"We are not a family Clorinda! You and your mother are a family! I'm not your father and you need to stop thinking that I am!"
At that point, Clorinda was in tears. Once again Erik damned himself for yelling at someone as innocent as his daughter. The only thing she ever did was love him and Erik hated the thought of that.
"The only thing I do Monsieur Kire is care about you. You're the only person that's been there for me my whole life besides my mother. Why? Why Monsieur Kire?"
"Because I felt sorry that you didn't have a father that's why!"
"You mean you don't love me?"
Erik was never the one for showing love and he surly couldn't tell her that he loved her. That would just ruin his whole reputation of being Monsieur Kire and bring out the "Father" in him. Before he could even answer her, Clorinda shook her head and got to her feet.
"You told me yourself that you loved me Monsieur Kire, please tell me the truth! Please tell me that you love me!"
"Clorinda, you know that I do I just can't be your father."
"But you're going to be one. My mother said it herself that you're the father of her baby."
Erik looked away and tried not to start crying again.
"No Clorinda, that's in the past. Your mother….she lost the baby."
Hearing this made Clorinda upset, she just didn't understand what he was saying to her. She had a seat beside him once more and begged for him to hold her in his arms. When Erik did, Clorinda buried her face into his good shoulder.
"What does that mean Monsieur Kire?"
"Your mother had the baby out in the woods."
"And did you see it?"
"Yes…..but only for a few minutes."
"And what was it?"
"A little boy."
"My brother? What did he look like?"
Erik just couldn't answer her. He couldn't bare to tell Clorinda that her brother looked exactly like him.
"What did it look like Monsieur Kire?"
"I don't know, I couldn't see his face. I buried him under a tree and left those horrible memories back in those woods."
"I bet he looked just like you Monsieur Kire. I bet he looked just like you with my mother's eyes."
"I don't know Clorinda, I just want to forget about it."
"Is Mother alright?"
"She's sick Clorinda."
"Monsieur Kire, could I ask you something?"
"Yes of course."
"If something ever happened to my mother, what would happen to me?"
Erik couldn't even think of something like that ever happening. He knew what would happen to Clorinda, he would wind up with her in his lap. Christine had stated that he would be her guardian in the event of her death, but he didn't even want to think of that happening.
"Don't worry about that Clorinda, your mother has you well taken care of."
"It's not about me Monsieur Kire, if something happened to my mother would I ever see you again?"
"Clorinda, nothing could ever keep me away from you. If something ever happened to your mother I would be right there by your side."
"You promise?"
"Yes Clorinda, I do."
Afterwards, Erik picked Clorinda up and carried her back to the caravan and lied her down in the bottom bunk of Petri's bunk beds. He then covered her up in the quilt and tucked her in.
"Now get some sleep Clorinda and I'll see you when you wake."
The caravan was quiet, and the only noise was of Erik walking to the back to see how Christine was doing. He opened the curtain and stepped inside the small bed chambers and saw that Esmeralda was at her bedside.
"How is she doing?"
"She's lost a lot of blood Monsieur, and she has a fever."
"I'll watch over her for a while, you are free to get some rest now."
"Thank you Monsieur."
"No, thank you."
Once Erik was alone with Christine, he sat beside her, and squeezed her hand as she lay there lifeless beneath the blankets.
"Oh Christine, what have I done to you."
He watched as Christine slowly opened her eyes and stare up at him.
"Erik?…..where's my….baby?"
Erik closed his eyes, he didn't have the heart to tell her what happened to him but couldn't go on living a lie.
"He didn't make it Christine."
He watched as Christine's eyes filled with tears and got her self all worked up. He had to calm her down, she was ill and couldn't take any more heart ache than what she was feeling right now.
"Please Christine, don't cry, please. This is hard on me too, I lost him to Christine."
"It was a boy?"
Erik sighed, and lied down beside her to keep his angel company and to give her a sense of compassion.
"Yes my angel, it was a boy."
Erik tried not to sound heart broken too, but he couldn't help but let his voice crack.
"Did you get a good look at him? What…..what did he look like Erik?"
Erik couldn't have possibly told her what his son looked like. His angel was heart broken enough as it was and didn't need to hear about her dead son's disfigurement. Instead, he wrapped his good arm around her feverish body and held her close.
"He had beautiful skin like you my angel. He had dark hair like you as well."
"Was he disfigured?"
"No my angel he wasn't. He was beautiful like you."
There was a dead silence and then Christine turned to face her angel of music and gently removed the mask from his face. She then ran her fingers over the distorted side of his face and began to cry.
"What's wrong Christine?"
"You're lying to me, you're lying to me Erik I can see it in your face. Tell me the truth Erik, tell me what he looked like? Tell me what my boy looked like?"
Erik closed his eyes and tried to hold back the tears that were rushing to his eyes.
"He…..he looked…..he looked like me"
"What do you mean?"
"Look at me Christine, look into my face. He looked like me……he looked like….like a monster."
Erik waited for Christine to continue crying but she didn't. The only one that continued crying was Erik.
"Why are you crying Erik?"
"Because I caused you so much pain and heart ach. I caused you to loose a monster all because of me."
"He would have been loved Erik. I love you so much and anything that looks like you would have been loved."
Christine leaned up against Erik and began to sob. She could no longer hold back her heart ach for her dead son…..
"Our son would have completed our family Erik."
"Family? Come now Christine don't do this to me…..please."
"He was your son Erik, someone to carry on your name. I wanted you to have a son Erik and the lord gave you one."
"And he took it right back Christine."
"I want to give you a son Erik."
Erik angrily got to his feet and placed the mask back over his face.
"No Christine, I will conceive no more. I have endured more pain in the last few hours than I have in a lifetime. You need to sleep and get well again so you can care for Clorinda. We have one child together and that's good enough. I could have lost you and then what? I wouldn't be able to go on living. Get well Christine, I shall come and check on you later."
Before Christine could even answer, Erik walked away and left her alone once more. She sometimes felt that the love in Erik's heart faded away only leaving the cruel and mean person that lied deep within him. When she was well again, Christine could only hope to see that love again and to bring her angel of music back into her arms………
More to come soon!