Chapter 7

When Christine woke up the next morning, she thought, "God, what a horrid dream!"

Then the events of the previous night came back to her, she began to sob as she realized she was an orphan.

But I am not totally alone, Christine thought. I still have Erik.

As if in agreement, Sasha, their old spaniel, barked happily.

Christine wiped a few tears away as she hugged Sasha, who would be going to live with Nadir and his aunt.

Not wanting to be alone, she walked up to Erik's room to see how he was handling her papa's death.

The room was empty. "Erik?" Christine called. "Are you in here?"

No answer, so she looked all over the house, searching for him but to no avail.

Finally, Christine went into the Kitchen and found a note addressed to her on the table.

It said, not at all in Erik's handwriting:

Dear Christine,

I know you are probably worried sick about me, but don't worry I have run away to the circus to start my own life, and I am sorry to tell you this but I don't need a woman such as yourself tying me down from life's possibilities, so goodbye, my dear

Erik.

Christine cried even harder after she read the note. Erik loved her. He would never have left her her to join a circus!

But as Madam Giry arrived to take her to her new home, Christine began to believe she would never see Erik again.

Erik, two weeks later

It had been several weeks since Erik had been dubbed "The Devil's Child" at the freak show and he was miserable!

Erik was forced to sleep in a germ-infested cage where people would come just to see him whipped by his master and also to see his deformed face!

Erik grunted in pain as his bleeding whip marks made contact with his filthy straw bed.

Erik was forced to wear a sack on his head when performances were not on, because his master said no one would get to see his face unless they paid for it.

Erik felt miserable at the thought of Christine being all alone in that huge opera house with no source of comfort. He buried his face in his hands and thought, Oh, God, Christine, I love you so much but how will I ever get out and back to you?

One day, after a grueling performance and with Erik's back bleeding like hell he spotted a figure in the crowds. He snarled as he realized the figure was Dr. Ricardo, coming to spot his handiwork.

"Well, well, well," Ricardo said, leering. "If it isn't The Devil's Child."

"What do you want, you bastard?" Erik cried, holding the bars of the cage to stand.

"Oh, Erik," the Doctor said. "Can't I just check and see how my favorite patient is doing?"

"Go to hell!" Erik spat.

"Come now, Erik," Dr. Ricardo taunted. "You should at least let me treat your back!"

When Erik didn't respond Dr. Ricardo found another way to push his buttons. "You know, I should be heading back to the opera house anyway. I have a certain chorus girl on my plate who is just delectable!"

Erik paled visibly and he said, "If you are talking about Christine, you keep your filthy self away from her!"

"Don't worry Erik. She came on to me."

Erik screamed in rage, "YOU'RE LYING!"

"No, my boy. She needed comfort when she found out you abandoned her and she came to me telling me that she desired me." Dr. Ricardo smiled as Erik backed away from the cage in shock and sat down with tears in his eyes.

As the Doctor left, smirking at Erik, a young girl walked up to the cage. She had overheard the entire conversation.

She began to sing quietly to Erik, to ease his tears"

"Hush now, my baby

Be still love, don't cry

Sleep as you're rocked by the stream

Sleep and remember

My last lullaby

And I'll be with you when you dream

Drift on a river

That flows through my arms

Drift as I'm singing to you

I see you smiling

So peaceful and calm

And holding you, I'm smiling, too

Here in my arms

Safe from all harm

Holding you, I'm smiling, too

Hush now, my baby

Be still, love, don't cry

Sleep as you're rocked by the stream

Sleep and remember this river lullaby

And I'll be with you when you dream

I'll be with you when you dream."

Erik looked up at the smiling eleven year old as she said, "My name is Diana Toulouse. You don't seem like a child of the devil at all!"

Erik looked up at her and said, "Do you perform here?" He noticed for the first time that she wore gloves.

Diana smiled and said, "My attraction doesn't make as much money as yours, so they let me around free range. I am also the ticket-taker. You see, I was born with lion paws instead of hands." She removed her glove to show a hairless lion paw with claws.

Erik held the bars of the cage with pleading eyes and said, "Diana, please, you have to go to the Paris Opera House and find my friend, Christine. Her father died and she doesn't know that I was kidnapped. For all I know, Dr. Ricardo could be right and she does think I left her!"

"I am very sorry, Erik, but I can't help you. Papa would whip me to death if I left. Even talking to you is jeopardizing my safety, and yours!"

"Then help me escape when we reach Paris. Please, she needs me!"

"I am sorry, Erik, but like I said, Ricardo would kill us both." She suddenly put a paw to her mouth at the mention of her papa's surname.

Eriks eyes widened and he said, "You're an oddity in your father's circus?"

She looked into his eyes and said, "Please, don't tell anyone. He'd kill me if he found that I'd told someone!"

Erik smirked at her. "I won't tell, but only if you find a way to free me once we reach Paris."

Diana hesitated and finally agreed. "Deal."

Since they couldn't reach each other to shake hands, they poked a stick through the bars of the cage and shook both ends of it.

Sorry this chapter took so long. I had severe writer's block and just could not piece this chapter together. So what will happen? Will Diana keep her promise or will she back out when the time comes? Just wait and see. R&R