Chapter Eleven

Erik felt so good inside. God existed, and loved him. It was an amazing feeling. He knew it would be a hard and difficult journey as a Christian, but he knew he had God on his' side, and Diana.

He was looking forward to the next service.

One day Diana came by, and told him she wanted to here him play the organ, so he went with her to the church.

"I must warn you, I haven't played in quite some time"

"I will take my chances" she replied, with a smile.

"Ok, let me see what music they have"

"Play this one, called Amazing Grace, it is one of my favorites."

He began to play. He had never told her he could sing, it was something he didn't know if he wanted to share. But, he felt like he really needed to let her know, so, he began to sing the lyrics:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace that fear relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away his fear.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free
No, there's a cross for everyone
And there's a cross for me.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.

Diana had tears in her eyes, along with Erik.

"That song, seems to be exactly what I would say", he said.

Diana was amazed at his' voice. She had heard that song sung by

Many people, but not like she had just heard.

"Erik, that, was beautiful", she said, in almost a whisper. "You never

told me you could sing."

"It was a personal thing at the time. It was involved with Christine.

But, now that I am completely passed that, I thought I would let you

know."

"You have an amazing gift from God. Erik, you truly need to sing

that in church this Sunday. It could touch people's lives. It just touched

mine."

"Ok, I will."

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When Diana lay in bed that night, his' voice was ringing through her

head. She had never heard such a clear, accented voice before.

She knew he could change lives with that voice.

She felt different about him. She found she always wanted to be around

him. She felt safe when he was with her.

"Thank you God, for bringing him into my life"

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Sunday came quickly. It seemed that the days flew by now that her and

Erik was always around eachother.

When Erik sang "Amazing Grace", he left the audience speechless and

in tears.

"Sir, you have an amazing voice, a true gift from God, use that gift for

Him." was what everyone was telling him after the service.

Erik felt such peace. People liked his' voice. That meant so much to

him.

That day after church, Diana took him over to her house for lunch,

Since Madame Clark was not present, but visiting a friend.

"Anna will be attending as well"

"Do you have a pianoforte?"

"Yes, we do. I never play it unless I am alone in the house."

"Will you play it for me?"

"We shall see, I don't know"

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Anna seemed to be uncomfortable. She noticed how Erik and Diana

Were looking at eachother.

"There is absolutely no way that I am going to allow them to have a

deep connection, I must do something abut this man.",was all Anna

could think about.

After they had finished their meal, Erik persuaded Diana to play her

Pianoforte for him.

Unwillingly, she sat down at the piano.

Erik looked through the music they owned, and pulled out a piece

called " Humoresque".

As she played it, Erik was astounded by how her fingers seemed to

Glide over the keys.

When she finished the piece, she said, "Well, not that great, but that is

A favorite of mine, I do believe."

"Do not even dare say that you are not good. That was excellent. But,

I thought I recalled you saying something about your Uncle teaching

You to sing."

"I, umm, have…never sang in public, for I am not very good at it."

"I sang for you, you could at least sing for me."

" I guess I have no choice", she said with a laugh. "now, I guess I will

play this one, "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name"

Our Holy Father, righteousness surrounds Thee
Exalted King of all the earth
Who can approach Thy greatness?
Who can approach Thy holy light?
For Thou art God and God alone

O blessed Master, author of salvation
I lift my hands, and bless Your name
Eternal if Thy glory
Eternal is Thy power and might
You are the source of life

Alleluia, alleluia
The majesty and glory of Your name
Alleluia, alleluia
The majesty and glory of Your name
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia The way she sang the "alleluia", was so accented, and smooth, that it

seemed to melt Erik's heart away.

Diana said nothing after she finished. Erik couldn't seem to speak, he

was so amazed.

"Diana,…please, never say you cannot sing again."

She looked at him for a moment, then smiled.

"My word, Diana, you have the voice of an angel! How come you never play or sing when I or Madam Clark are around?" asked Anna, ruining the moment.

"It was, something that my Uncle and I shared, and I didn't want others to know much about it."

"It sounds like you need to use your gift from God, Diana, as you told me", said Erik.

Diana just smiled at him.

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It was something about that smile, that just seemed to melt his' heart away.

He smiled as he remembered her voice, and playing of the pianoforte.

He felt, different around her now. He loved having her by his' side.

He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't had these feelings for

Christine.

He didn't know if it was love he felt for her, but he knew it was something.

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Erik and Diana continued to visit eachother. They began writing songs with eachother. They began to have a connection with music with eachother.

One day, when Diana came home in the late afternoon, on a rainy day, from town, she came in to find Anna looking white as a ghost.

"Anna, what in the world is the matter?"

"I…O Diana, I don't know how to say this."

"Anna, what is going on?" Diana said in a worried tone.

" Recently…I was looking around on your desk, and I saw this." she handed her the newspaper with the article about the Opera Populiare, that she had read and found out abut Erik.

"What does this mean?"

"Diana, I only want what is best for you. I noticed the way you and Erik looked at eachother, the way you smiled at him. I have never seen you smile that way at a man, or anyone before. Diana, He is not the right kind of man for you. He apparently has no fortune, and that is the major let down"

Diana looked at her with the most confused look, which turned to sudden fear.

"Please God, do not tell me she has turned him in, please God!"

" I…I did it for your own good. I turned him into the police a few minutes ago."

"Anna! How could you?!", she yelled, backing away from her.

"Diana, it was for your own good, he is too strange, and poor"

"You know nothing of him!…I can't believe you would do such a thing.", she said, with tears streaming down her face.

"I, I must go help him." Diana said, turning around and beginning to run out of the door.

Anna tried to stop her, but failed.

Diana didn't care that it was raining extremely cold rain. She didn't care if it made her catch a cold later on. Erik was more important.

As she ran, that was all she could think about, she thought of how Anna had noticed that she was always smiling at him, and assumed she loved him. She hadn't even noticed it herself, but…she did believe that she loved him.

At this realization, it made her even more determined to reach him.

When she finally reached his home, she came bursting in, out of breath, and soaked to the bone.

Erik, confused and concerned, jumped up, asking, "What is it? What is the matter?"

"O…Erik, Anna, she has done the most dreadful thing!" she shakily said, out of breath.

"She, noticed how I looked at you, smiled at you, and assumed I was….was in love with you. Apparently, …she doesn't want that whatsoever. She found the article describing the Opera Populiare event, and found out it was you. She…she called the police, and turned you in just a while ago. You…You must go now!"

Diana thought for a moment, then she thought, that they would want her as well, they would force it out of her where he lived. She knew Anna had not thought of how this would put her in danger as well.

"O no, I am in danger as well, I am a witness, they would force it out of me where you live, we have to go, now, before they find us."

This was overwhelming to Erik. Did this mean she loved him?

He realized that he had put her in danger, and that made him feel absolutely horrible.

He remained silent.

"Come, we must go, most likely the best place to go would be the woods."

Anna heard noise outside, then realized that Anna must have set it up where the police would follow her to where Erik was, for she knew Anna knew that she would run and try to help him.

"WE must go now! Come on!"

She grabbed Erik's hand, and went out of the house.

They heard police here and there, making Diana even more nervous.

"I am so sorry for all I have done.This is all my fault"

"No, don't ever be sorry. I am the one sorry."

They ran for quite some time, until they reached an area where there were woods. They quickly ran and hid in some bushes, knowing the police must have followed them at some point.

Being able to finally catch their breath, Erik looked hard at Diana. She had run through the rain for him. She did care for him, and it meant so much to him.

"Thank you"

Diana looked at him quizzically.

"For what?", she asked, confused.

"For changing my life. I am sorry I have gotten you into this awful predicament. I feel worse than ever knowing what I have done to you. Diana, I want you to know what you have done for me…. You have changed my life, in so many ways. I was in misery, and you brought me out of it. I was in darkness, and you brought me to light. I was alone, and you brought me to people."

They sat silent, looking into eachother's eyes.

After a while, Diana said, "Erik, no matter what happens, I want you, to know something."

She leaned over to the side of his' face, and almost whispered,

"I…love you"

Erik had never felt such a feeling when he heard her say that. He had never had someone say that to him, his whole life.

He wanted to grab her in his' arms and hold her tight. She loved him.

He would have done just that, but they both heard the sound they feared. The police.

This time, Erik was the first to jump up, he quickly extended his' hand and said, "We must go"

The smile in his' face made Diana feel safe.

The quickly began to run. It was still raining, and they could now see the police behind them. They ran, for what seemed to Diana, forever.

She kept on telling herself she could make it, but she began to feel so weak and fragile. She thought it was probably from running in the rain so much before.

Finally she reached the point where she had to say, "Erik, I can't, can't run anymore. Just keep on running, let them catch me, for all I care, but please, you must keep running!"

"I will not leave you!"

Diana began to cough, for her throat had been feeling very bad ever since she reached Erik's home.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air. The next thing she knew, Erik had picked her up in his' arms, and began running.

"Erik, please just put me down! I don't want you to do this!"

He ignored her, and seemed to feel the sudden urge to get away from them immediately.

He recalled one of his' "tricks" he used to escape, back at the Opera Populaire, and "vanished" out of their site.

He had gone into the woods again. He sat Diana, down, panting. He was deeply concerned for her health.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes,…thank you Erik."

He returned her smile.

After they had regained their breath, Diana began to cough again.

Erik prayed it would stop raining.

"This rain is killing me, along with all this running," Diana said, with a laugh.

He smiled.

"Diana, I never got to give you a response to what you told me earlier."

He came close to her, and laid his' forehead against hers.

"You have bewitched me."

He then placed a soft kiss against her lips.

"Diana, after this has settled down, you do know I will have to movie to another location. I want you to come with me there."

Diana smiled. It was a dream come true for him to say that.

"Erik, I never want to be parted from you from this day on."

He smiled, and gave her another kiss, which was deeper than the first one.