Erik's POV

"There is no need for you to enter my private quarters," I cried. "You can't just come into a someone's camp and invade a man's privacy!"

Raoul's brother turned to face me, a sly smile spreading across his face. "If you say the girl isn't here, then there is no need for you to feel threatened. Just let my two men search your home and when we don't find anything, we will leave. It's as simple as that. Now, you can kindly show us into your home…"

I didn't want these people rummaging through my home, but I knew if I put up a fight they would most likely arrest me. Therefore, I opened the door to my caravan and let the three of them pass me.

"It's like a dungeon in here," Raoul's brother snapped. "Couldn't you give us some light?"

"I am sensitive to the light," I began. "The darkness is much kinder to me."

I approached the only window in my caravan and pulled back the drapes to let some light in.

"Typical freak," I heard Raoul's brother mumble beneath his breath.

I watched as the two officers combed every inch of my bedroom while the other despicable man stood by my desk. I was more concerned about watching him than the two officers, for this man was just as sneaky as his brother was.

"You compose music do you?"

The moment I heard the man say those exact words my eyes darted back to my desk to see him lifting some papers up off my desk. I immediately darted towards the man and pulled the scores from his fingers.

"Don't touch my work!" I growled. "You can come in here and look but I refuse to let you touch my things."

The evil man folded his hands behind his back and looked at the wall above my desk. I didn't think anything of it until I remembered that I had a few newspaper articles about the Pairs Opera House hanging there.

"You are familiar with the Opera Populair…"

"Who isn't? It's famous for its world class performers and spectacular shows."

"You know my brother spoke about a freak who lived beneath the opera house once… He brought it up during a family gathering. He said that this deformed monster walked the rafters during performances and raised hell. When I asked my brother to describe him, he told me that he didn't know what he looked like… No one did, actually. He said that this freak was always dressed in black and that his shadow was all anyone ever saw of him."

My heart began to race within my chest, and this wasn't good, for my heart was weak enough without having to be over worked. Usually when my heart rate sped up, it would be followed by shortness of breath and then eventually blacking out. I tried to calm myself down without being noticed, but this man was beginning to make me utterly uncomfortable.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." I said. "I never heard of any deformed monster running around the Opera House. I…I've never been to the opera house."

The officers left my bedroom and were now headed towards the back area of my caravan. I needed some air quickly to calm my heart down, but I knew if I stepped outside, I would give myself away. Therefore, I continued to stand there with this horrible man, attempting to take a few deep breaths to stop my heart from racing. Though, a few moments later, one of the officers came storming back into the room carrying a dress….Oh, but it wasn't just any dress, it was the dress Christine had been wearing just a few nights ago. He held it up and the eyes of Raoul's brother widened in satisfaction.

"Ah, so you're going to tell me that you're married? Where is the girl that this dress belongs to?"

My heart sped up even faster and I stumbled backwards, landing on my bed. I could no longer breathe and I was on the verge of blacking out. It was over… I knew that they were going to find Christine and arrest us both.

A few seconds later, the door to my caravan opened and Reha walked in. As soon as she seen the officers, she hurried to my side and helped me to my feet. I wasn't sure why she had come in, but she was smart, for she started talking to me in her foreign tongue.

"What is she saying?" one of the officers questioned.

I knew this language, for I had lived in Persia for a long time. Though, I knew she was only talking to me this way in order to throw off the officers.

"S…She is asking if I'm all right," I said. "She wants to know why you're holding up her dress."

"Who is this woman?" Raoul's brother questioned.

"This is Reha, my wife… She doesn't speak English."

Knowing that they had no proof, the officers left my caravan. Raoul's brother seemed angriest of all, for before leaving, he grabbed my shirt and pulled me towards him.

"I don't believe a word you say, freak. We'll be keeping an eye on you… You best watch your back."

When they were gone, Reha ran to my window and looked out into the camp.

"I think they're gone…"

"G…Go get Nadir," I gasped. "An…And Dr. Gangle."

"Right away, sir…"

I thought I was alone in my caravan but as soon as Reha left, the cabinet in the kitchen opened and Christine came crawling out of it. I was glad that the girl had enough sense to hide.

"Erik, are they gone?"

"Close the drape…"

Christine immediately flew to the window and flung the drape over it.

"Thank you….Thank you for not turning me in."

When the door to the caravan opened again, Nadir and Dr. Gangle came walking in. Christine backed away and watched as the tall doctor opened my shirt and placed the end of his stethoscope in the center of my chest.

"Erik, can you breathe all right?" Nadir asked.

I shook my head.

"He's having a severe panic attack…" Dr. Gangle replied, running towards the kitchen. He came back with a filled syringe and stuck it in my side. "Just keep taking deep breaths, it will be over in a few minutes."

And when it was, I never felt more drained. Nadir placed me beneath the blankets of my bed and patted my on the back.

"It's over now, Erik… Just rest. Christine will stay in here until we make sure that the coast is clear."

"After tonight's show," I began. "I want us to leave this place."

"I'll spread the word."

Christine's POV

I felt as though I were to blame for Erik's panic attack. But Nadir assured me that I wasn't… I was supposed to be the one working the ticket booth, but because of Phillip walking around, Nadir told me to stay inside. Once he and the doctor were gone, I found Erik fast asleep in his bed. Knowing that it was best to let him rest, I found my way back to my room and took a nap as well. When I woke again, the sun had gone away and the stars had returned. From where I was lying, I could hear the sounds of people and music coming from a short distance away. After standing to my feet, I walked down the short hallway and into the kitchen. Right outside the kitchen was Erik's area and even though the caravan was a little dark, I could see that his bed was empty. Curious, I came around the corner and saw him sitting at his desk, a few burning candles being his only means of light. He was scribbling away on a piece of parchment, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

I had never seen his bare arms before, and now that I was, I couldn't help but notice that not only were they boney and pale, but they were also covered in thousands of lumpy scars. I never thought his arms would have looked so damaged, but they were… It seemed that if I even placed my palm over his wrist it would cause him pain.

"I don't appreciate you standing over me like that." Came his stern voice.

"Sorry… I didn't want to disturb you."

"Doing what you're doing now is disturbing."

Knowing that it would be better to switch the subject, I took a step away from him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Why do you care how I'm feeling? This coming from the girl who tossed hot tea in my face."

"I…I was frightened. I know I can make up a million excuses why I did it, but I know now that it wasn't the right thing to do. I'm sorry."

"Well, let me toss a hot drink in your face and I'll tell you that I'm sorry. We will see if the feeling is still mutual."

"All right, I get it…. But I'm still sorry. You know that I'm sorry, otherwise, you wouldn't have protected me this afternoon. I'm thankful for that."

"Good, I'm glad," he sarcastically growled.

"Y…You look hungry," I began. "Let me repay you by making you dinner. It's cold outside. I'm sure soup would warm us both up."

The man stopped writing and turned to face me, his white mask glowing in the candle light.

"I look hungry? Tell me, Christine, what does hungry look like? I didn't know one could look hungry."

"I…I don't know. I just know that you haven't eaten in a while. I'm trying to do something nice for you. Can you just agree and tell me what you want?"

"Nothing… I don't want anything from you."

I placed my hand over his wrist, causing him to flinch and push me away from him.

"Don't put a single hand on me….I don't need your pity. What I did for you today was not a favor. I protect all of my employees in this camp, and you are just that. You will stay in here until we reach out next destination, after that you can frolic back to Nadir's caravan where you belong."

I didn't say another word to the man… No, I entered the kitchen and made dinner. When the tomato soup was finished, I filled a bowl and carried it to Erik's desk. I placed it down beside him, his icy blue eyes immediately left his work and landed on the bowl.

"I made myself dinner," I said. "There is enough out there for two people."

"Are you hard of hearing?" he began. "I thought I told you that I wanted to be left alone?"

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to, but it's there if you want it."

The man stood up from his seat, his height over powering my own. He took the bowl and held it out to me.

"Take this back to the kitchen."

"No," I murmured. "I…I made it for you."

Erik's squeezed his fist together and pushed it towards me, causing some of it to splash out and stain my white dress.

"You either take this back into the kitchen or you are going to wear it as a hat."

"I made it for…." I didn't even get the chance to finish what I had to say, for the man dumped the bowl of tomato soup over my head. When the bowl was empty, he tossed it aside and sat back down in his chair as if nothing had happened. There I stood, drenched in soup, my dress ruined, and he didn't even care.

"I hate you!" I cried. "I hate you more than anything in the world. I'm glad I didn't agree to spend my life with you, for how could anyone love such an evil monster!"

With that being said, I ran into my room and cried myself to sleep.

Hey everyone sorry that I haven't been writing my Author notes lately. I really haven't had anything to say. I will try to write one more often since it seems to mean so much to you all. Please review!