Erik's POV

I had a horrible night's sleep. Nightmares plagued my mind and there wasn't anything that would let me rest easy. When I woke, there was a sliver of sunlight peaking in through my drapes, making it obvious that it was morning. I was about to close my eyes again when I heard some rattling coming from the kitchen. At first, I ignored the aggravating sound, but when it continued, I sat up and saw Christine rummaging around the cabinets.

"Go back to your room!" I snapped. "I'm still trying to sleep!"

The girl seemed surprised and continued doing whatever she was doing. Oh, she was going to disobey me? After all that we had been through last night? I plopped back against my bed and removed my mask to give my face some air. I rubbed my malformed cheek and pressed it into my pillow.

"If I have to come out into that kitchen," I growled. "You're going to be sorry."

I thought it got silent, but I was wrong, for now she was washing dishes. I groaned and slipped my mask back over my face before marching into the kitchen and grabbing her hand. She gasped and took a step back.

"What is wrong with you? Are you deaf? I told you to stop and go to your room! I have to sleep, do you understand that? I have a fair that needs to be run and I have to be rested!"

"I…I…I was…"

"Out with it!"

The girl pointed to the counter where a steaming cup of liquid was sat. As soon as I saw it, horrible memories of the night before came rushing back to me and I backed away from it. All I needed was for her to toss the tea in my face again. My face was still in agony from the night before.

"No, I'm not going to toss it at you," Christine said, placing up her hands. "I…I thought you would be thirsty."

"No thank you… After last night's episode I don't think I will ever drink tea again."

There was an awkward silence, and then, I pointed towards the steaming cup.

"I want you to dump that and then go back to your room and be quiet."

When the girl opened her mouth to try an argue, I stepped forward and grabbed the collar of her shirt.

"One thing you will not do is fight with me. When I tell you something, you best do it without opening that trap of yours. Now dump that disgusting drink and go to your room."

The girl stood there looking up at me with a confused expression.

"Did I stutter? Oh, let me guess, you thought you were going to make me a cup of tea and I was going to take the chain off your leg…I don't think so. Nice try, Christine. Go back to your room and be quiet."

With that being said, I strutted back to my bed and closed my eyes. Oh, it was silent at last… For two seconds until I heard a knock at my door. I groaned into my pillow and approached the door to pull it open.

"What!" I angrily snapped. "Can't a man get some sleep around here?!"

It was Nadir… There he was, standing at my door already dressed and ready to perform in the show today.

"Usually you're up by now," he began. "I'm terribly sorry to disturb you. We've arrived at our destination and the other performers were wondering when they could have breakfast."

Knowing that I wouldn't get any sleep from now until tonight, I told Nadir to let everyone get on with breakfast.

"Can I have breakfast?" Christine questioned from her room. "I am a little hungry."

"You can make it yourself outside," I said, taking the slack of her chain and locking it to one of the wheels on my caravan. "You have enough slack now to go outside and back to the kitchen. When breakfast is over I will show you what your daily chore shall be. You will be pulling your weight around here just like everyone else."

When Christine was outside, I was finally able to lay back and relax. I never thought that taking the girl in like my prisoner would be so stressful. At least for the next hour I could get most of my work done and have some time to myself.

Christine's POV

My plan of gaining Erik's trust had not worked. There had to be something I could do to speed it up. The shackle around my leg was beginning to irritate my flesh and to make matters worse, I was like a chained animal. I was outside cooking over the fire with every one of the performers gawking at me as if I were nothing more than another attraction. I had never been more embarrassed in all my life. How dare he chain me up like a dog and call me his prisoner!

"Hi, Christine…"

When I heard my name being called, I looked over and spotted Gustave walking towards me. He took a seat on one of the logs that were set up around the fire and watched me cook.

"The master shackled your leg?"

I nodded. "He said that I can't go anywhere. I'm his prisoner."

Gustave looked around to make sure that my angel was listening. When he realized that we were alone, he hopped off the log and took a look at my shackle.

"I know the key he uses for this," he began. "It's a skeleton shaped one. He keeps it inside of his coat pocket."

"Do you think you could get me loose?"

Gustave shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… I have to be smooth about it, otherwise, he'll know that I set you free and get real mad at me."

"He's going to be giving me a job. Do you think you could get the key from him and set me free tonight?"

"Where would you go?"

"I don't know… But if you did set me free, I would have to run really fast before he notices that I am gone."

"Nadir told me that the master will probably have you continuing to be his ticket boy."

"Then tonight…" I said. "Tonight, get the key and set me free."

Gustave seemed frightened, but after thinking for a few minutes, he nodded.

"I'll help you on one condition."

"Anything."

"Take me with you…."

I was taken back by his request.

"Gustave, I couldn't possibly take you. I don't know where I would end up. A life on the road is no life for a child."

"It's better than being here. I don't have a mother…I don't have anyone. If you want me to set you free tonight then agree to take me with you. Promise me that you will…"

Knowing that the boy was my only way of escaping, I agreed. When breakfast was ready, I sat down on a log with Gustave and indulged into the bland tasting oatmeal. After cleaning the dishes, Erik came walking out and stood there before me as if I had been up to no good. I was ready for his argument, but he never said a word. Instead, he told me that I would be working the ticket booth each night along with cleaning the caravan each day.

"You are not to move from this box until I come for you…" Erik replied after walking me to the ticket booth that evening and chaining me to it. "I don't think you'll be getting very far anyway."

"I refuse to take money from patrons and sell tickets," I growled. "I'll just stand here and do nothing."

This angered the man, for he grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me close to him. "Refuse to do your job and I won't think twice about making you walk the entire journey to the next town tomorrow. That journey is a treacherous one… All up hill in the snow. I don't think you would want to walk that, now would you?"

I didn't say a word and Erik nodded. "I thought so. Now do your job and sell those tickets. I'll be back in a few hours to collect my earnings for the night."

I watched Erik closely, for right after he turned to leave, Gustave came running by and bumped into the man, making it look like an accident. Gustave backed away and looked up at him, apologizing like a frightened child.

"Sorry, sir…"

Erik just rolled his eyes and pushed the child aside to continue his journey back to his caravan. I prayed to the lord above that Gustave got the key, and a few moments later, the child came walking by and dropped the skeleton shaped key into the ticket booth. I quickly placed it into my pocket and waited, knowing that I would make my escape as soon as I was finished selling tickets. I waited until the crowds died down, and once the coast was clear, I bent down and placed the key into the shackle. The sound of the lock releasing was like music to my ears. I quickly rubbed my sore ankle and hurried out of the booth, finding Gustave standing there waiting for me. I grabbed his tiny hand and hurried towards the woods, the whimsical sounds of the fair getting farther and farther away.

"Where are we going?" the child asked. "I can't see a thing."

I didn't know what to say to the child, for I wasn't sure where we were headed. I just kept running, hoping that we would get away before Erik could find us. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and was grabbed. I gasped and thought I would come face to face with Erik, but instead, I came face to face with a large bearded man. It was a gypsy! I screamed and attempted to kick my way from his grasp, but it was no use. His giant hand was working its way up my skirt, causing my screams to become louder.

"Let me go! Please!"

The child tried to help, but one slap of the man's hand and the boy fell to the snowy ground.

"Put her down…" When I heard a familiar voice, everything fell quiet, and the man spun around with me in his grasp to find Erik standing there with his sword drawn. The large gypsy chuckled and tossed me aside and drew his knife, circling my angel. Erik's horse galloped over to me and I lay there with Gustave watching as Erik circled the man.

"I found her first," the gypsy sneered. "She's mine to do with as I please…"

"You're wrong…She belongs to me."

At first I didn't think Erik wanted to fight the man, but when the gypsy swung his knife at him, the fight broke out. The gypsy seemed to have the upper hand at first, slashing the sharp blade across Erik's neck and chest. I covered my eyes, frightened to see how this was going to play out. Erik swung his sword at the man and slashed the gypsy's leg, causing him to fall to the ground. Erik was about to finish him off, when the gypsy jumped on top of my angel and stabbed him in the side. I thought it was over… There was so much blood in the snow from both men that it seemed like none of them were coming out alive. But when I heard a loud grunt, I saw Erik standing over the gypsy with his sword pierced through him…. When the man was on the ground, Erik turned to Gustave and I. He was breathing heavily and attempted to take a few steps toward us, collapsing after the second step. He was lying face down in the snow and wasn't making a single move. Oh, this was our chance! I grabbed the boy's tiny hand and took the reins of Erik's horse.

"Come on," I said, pulling the boy closer to me. "Let's get out of here while we have the chance."

I was just about to get on the horse's back, when Gustave tugged my arm.

"Christine…"

I stopped and looked at the child, his face filled with sorrow.

"What?"

Gustave didn't make a sound, he simply turned his head to face Erik's lifeless body that was lying in the snow. No…I didn't have time for this. This was my chance to flee…And yet, there was a man who had just saved my life lying lifelessly on the cold ground.

"He's hurt real bad, Christine…"

Knowing that I couldn't leave him like this, especially after what he had just done for us, I sighed and knew when I had to do…