The next morning Annabelle woke up on a bench, with a note saying:

I'm sorry

- Opera Ghost

She should have known better then to trust him, the guy who only wanted her there to cook him dinner. Ever since she was a child she would here stories of him, how he murdered anybody who dare follow him. Why hadn't he killed her, goodness knows she gave him enough chances. Instead, they talked the night away. Laughing and playing all night long. Yet maybe it was for the best, maybe this was his way of protecting her, nothing gold can stay. Annabelle got up slowly, still stiff from sleeping on a bench. As she got up a small package fell from the blanket. It held a loaf a bread, some water, and money. Why was he so nice to her? Not only did he not kill her but also he gave her stuff to survive.

She began to eat the loaf of bread when she heard footsteps behind her. Who could be out this early, it was still the early morning hours around 5 A.M. She turned around to find Erik standing there staring at her. His light blue eyes glistened in the early sunlight. He came over and sat on the bench next to her, making her wonder why he would ever come to her after he left her on a bench. They stared at each other for a long time until Erik finally asked, "Why weren't you afraid of me last night?" Annabelle thought a long time before she answered "You gave me know reason to be afraid of you" He gave a long sigh obviously not liking the answer, feeling that his very existence was to scare people out of their wits, yet this girl says that he did not scare her.. "You should be afraid of me. I can hurt you more then you know" Erik said still not making eye contact. Annabelle kept wondering what he was afraid of. She didn't know what to say. They stared at each other for a long time until Annabelle finally said, "I don't believe that. You wouldn't hurt me. I trust you." "No," he practically shouted, "never trust me. I'm a monster. Haven't you heard the stories about me?" Erik got up, walking over to water. "Look I tried to help you but I realized it's not worth. Now go before you get hurt." For once in his life, he wasn't thinking of only his safety but hers to. He knew if she stayed

Eventually he would get mad and take it out on her.

Annabelle got up leaving the blanket on the bench. She walked away not wanting to look back afraid that the wall she build around herself would finally fall. Her whole life had been a lie and she thought that maybe he was her saving grace, but she was wrong. She started to turn around hearing footsteps behind her but then thought it was just him trying to get back inside before anybody saw his face, as he was wearing no mask.

That morning, after he had placed Annabelle on the bench, he kept wondering why she had not been frightened by him. Had he not given her any reason to be afraid? Had his horrendous face had no effect on her? By the time he had thought about all the questions he wanted to ask her the curiosity got the best of him. The next thing he knew, he was flying out of his home, on to the street without his mask, to ask her the question that head haunted him.

Were was she going to go. She had no friends, no one who cared about her. Annabelle started crying, sinking to the ground. How can somebody you known for just a couple weeks make you feel this way? It was like a thousand knives stabbing her in the heart, yet there was no way to make it stop. She finally decided she had to get somewhere out of the open, the confining walls of the alley were doing nothing got help her. She got up and started running away, away from this, away from him, away from this life. Why did he have to come into her life and mess up everything? Given she did walk in on him, but why couldn't he tell her to leave or kill her when he had the chance.

The sun started coming out and so had the people. Annabelle knew she had to hide somewhere for the day, but where could she go. She kept walking far into the night, having to get out. Get away. She started crying again, sinking behind a bush. In her life, she hadn't been one to cry very much, learning that crying didn't help anything, yet she couldn't help it, knowing that was her last chance at finding solace. It wasn't as if there were no other people she could fall in love with or no other chance at happiness. It was that, when he betrayed her, that last ounce of hope that she could trust someone died away with him. Not even her grandparents had her trust anymore, not after completely shunning there family after her mother died, the only time she saw them was when they had the courtesy to show up at a few parties now and again.

Her eyes flooded with tears making it hard to see. By the time she finally stopped crying it had become dark. The moon's bright grow illuminated the night sky, showing the millions of white specks in the otherwise dark realm. Annabelle slowly got up, trying to find her barring. After a couple of minutes she finally decided she was in a small town about an hour or so east of Paris. She kept walking still thinking of him.

The next morning Annabelle sat by the fence of an old broken down warehouse staring off into space, thinking of nothing more then the whereabouts of lost relatives. She heard footsteps behind her. Turning around she saw whom she was most afraid of. Annabelle's father stood there staring at her, laughing his malevolent laugh and smirking like his life depended on it. She started to scream as he grabbed her by the arm. "You honestly thought you could out smart me." He laughed coldly and started dragging her to the horse drawn carriage. She tried to scream again but Andre covered her mouth, as if that would stop her from trying. She knew someone was out there, there was footsteps coming from the east. If she could just hold him off long enough for whoever was out there to help her, maybe she would survive. The footsteps grew louder thumping along the gravel road, to the steady beat of a drum. He started to scream out for her knowing that she wasn't strong enough to hold Andre off. Erik came into the clearing and Annabelle's heart jumped. Why had he came back to save her? Andre kept pulling her towards the carriage. She still resisted him until he punched her arouse the face. She fell to the ground unconscious. "Anna" Erik yelled lurching towards Andre. Andre flung him through the air towards a near by tree. Erik hit it with such a force that mad even him cry out. Andre just laughed saying" You thought you could protect her from me. The almighty Phantom of the Opera. Isn't that sweet." He walked over to Erik punched him on the left side of his face. Annabelle screamed and tried to run over to him, after she regained her conscience. Andre just kept pulling her towards the carriage. Erik then got up and started limping in Andre's direction. Erik punched him with enough force to knock him out cold for a few minutes at most. Walking away from the relative area of Andre and towards Annabelle, to walk collapsed on the ground, to weak from the blow. Annabelle ran to him helping him sit up. His face was bruised all over, yet there was no mistaking the spark they had felt when they looked at each other again once more. They just stared at each other neither of them wanting to ruin the moment. Erik inched himself towards his mask which lay untouched several feet away. Annabelle reached slowly and picked up the mask, handing it back to him. She touched his face gently not wanting to hurt him anymore. Erik tried to stand up but couldn't until Annabelle supported the right side of his body. Together they walked back to the phantom's layer. Both leaning on each other, more for comfort then physical support.

A/N: Thank you, everyone for sticking with me throughout the beginning of the story, and I want to especially thank the ones who voted and commented, it means a lot that you found time to do those things. I also want to apoligize for the lateness of the update, and will try and get it up faster next time. As always please vote, comment, share, and most importantly jsut enjoy the story.

~Casey Spencer