Erik's POV

My dreams always started out the same way… They always started out with me locked up in a feces covered cage, my body naked and chained to the bars. I screamed and pleaded for everyone to leave me alone, but the spectators wouldn't listen…no, they would poke me with sharp objects and throw food at me. Soon, everyone would disappear and I would be left facing my master. The man unchained me, and wrapped his thick hands around my neck. I would be on the brink of passing out when I would hear the buttons of his trousers coming undone. Usually, he would push my face down in the cold snow and take me from behind, but tonight, I didn't get to that point in my dream, for I jolted awake, my heart racing from within my chest. I was screaming and wondering where I was…

"No! No….no…" I took a deep breath and realized that I was still in my caravan. I wasn't naked, nor was I chained up. No, I was still seated in the chair beside Christine's bedside. I removed my wig and ran my fingers through my wisps of graying hair. Oh, it was only a dream, a dream and nothing more. Knowing that I needed to slow my heart rate down, I stood and reached for my lantern. Some fresh air would do me well… Before leaving, I fixed the blankets on Christine's bed and headed out the door for some fresh air. It was extremely late, but the night had always been kind to me. My lantern lit my way all the way back to the small church I had been to earlier in the evening. Though, instead of going to the church, I headed to the back where there was a small cemetery. I passed each stone, holding my lantern up to reveal the name that was carved on it. Halfway through the cemetery, I reached a tombstone that read "Charles Mulheim. Loving Husband… Born Dec 5th 1803- Died April 23rd 1833."

I had been born in August of that same year. My father had been so young, so young and so lucky to have died before my birth. My mother never spoke of him often, but she didn't leave out that he had perished in a work accident. My mother told me time and time again that he fell from the top portion of a shop he was building on the other end of town. After he fell, they let him lie there in the hot sun all afternoon, loading him into a wheel barrel and rolling him to my mother's doorstep at sundown. He had already been dead five hours, and they dumped him off as if he were nothing but a load of garbage. The world was a cruel and terrible place. I don't think he would have been able to love me anymore than my mother did. I took my lantern and held it towards the tombstone that was beside my father's… "Madeleine Mulheim, Loving Wife and devoted Mother… Born March 4th 1808- Died December 20th 1873."

"Devoted mother indeed," I snapped. "Did you ask to have that carved on your tombstone?"

I tried to look away from this woman's grave but found that I couldn't. Below my feet were two graves holding my mother and father, the two beings who had created me out of love. But if their love had resulted in a child, why couldn't that love have continued after I was born? Yes, my mother was raising me alone, but she wasn't alone, she had me…And yet, she didn't want me.

"You said I was never going to find love…" I mewed. "That I would never find pleasure in women and they would never find it in me. There is but one person on this earth that has made me feel whole, and that person is Christine Daae. I know that she will never love me, but perhaps you could put a good word in for her. If not for me, do it for her…For the only woman who has ever smiled at your son. I've never had much happiness in my life, but Christine is just that. She is my light in darkness and my salvation. Please don't let your God take her from me… I… I know I've been cruel to her, but only because she's been cruel to me. If your God gives her back, I swear to you that I will go on loving her as I once did."

Knowing that I wasn't going to get an answer, I wallowed back to my caravan and started a fire in the small pit I had. It was late, so late that in a few hours the sun would be coming up once again. I sat there staring into the flames, not knowing what I would do if Christine died.

"You haven't been yourself in days, Erik." Came Nadir's voice. The man was walking towards me in his robe.

"I don't need someone to talk to right now," I began. "Go get your sleep. We're going to be leaving in a few hours."

"I heard you screaming an hour ago from your caravan. You fell asleep?"

"I'm not immortal, Persian, everyone needs sleep, including me. I can try to fight it, but fighting only goes so far. I don't get much sleep before he appears and puts me through hell. After I wake, it's impossible to go back to sleep."

"It's only a dream, Erik. Dreams can't hurt you…"

"And have you ever been raped?" I cried. "Have you ever been taken advantage of by another man? One that was bigger than you? One that put you through pain every day of your life?"

"No, Erik, I have not."

"Then consider yourself lucky and stop trying to make it seem as though you know what I'm going through. You don't have a clue how it felt, or how that abuse has damaged me. Every time I see a gypsy man my heart races and I fear for my life."

"You're not a child anymore, Erik… No one is going to hurt you now."

"I may look like a man on the outside, Persian, but deep inside, the frightened and hurt child I once was still lives within me. And each time I close my eyes, I see him and return to those nights of horror. I feel everything again… I know they say dreams can't hurt you, but they can. I feel pain and I feel what I did every night that I was in that camp. I…I just want it to go away… I just want to sleep peacefully like everyone else."

Nadir patted me on the back and stood to his feet. "It will be light in a few hours Erik, get some rest while you still can."

But in my heart I knew that I couldn't sleep…Not now, not ever.

Christine's POV

When I woke, I was in pain. When I opened my eyes for the first time, what I saw shocked me. I wasn't in a hospital or in Nadir's caravan…No, I was in Erik's! But I wasn't back in my room, I was in Erik's bed. I gasped and attempted to sit up, but felt a horrible pain in my side. Everything came rushing back to me…the chase through the woods, Erik grabbing hold of me and then, feeling the bullet entering me just before I could jump over the cliff. Erik had saved my life! A few moments later, the door to the caravan opened and Erik came walking in. He looked exhausted and he was rubbing his temple as if he had a headache. I wasn't sure why, but when I looked at the side of my bed, there was a blanket sitting on a chair that had been pulled pretty close to me. Had Erik actually stayed with me the entire time I had been out? I rested my body on my elbows and watched as the man headed into the kitchen and began preparing a kettle of water. He hadn't even noticed that I was awake.

"Erik?"

I softly called his name, causing him to freeze and turn to face me. He seemed surprised to see me awake and immediately headed to my bedside. We stared at one another for a long time, only breaking that stare when he spoke.

"H…How are you feeling?"

"I'm a bit uncomfortable, but other than that, I…I think I'm all right."

"Would you…Would you like something to eat? I was just about to make breakfast…"

I nodded. "Yes…That would be nice."

I was surprised at how kind Erik was being to me. He prepared some toast and tea for me, before heading out to fetch the camp's doctor. Dr. Gangle changed my bandages and told me that I would have to stay in bed for a few days, and reminded me that I shouldn't push myself to get up. I thought for sure Erik would hand me over to Nadir, but instead, he coaxed me to stay in the same bed I was in until I was feeling up to it to do the opposite. I wasn't sure why the man was being so kind, but I didn't question him. That same day we had moved to another city, one that was farther than the last. After arriving, Erik walked back into the caravan and headed to the back room to lie down. I had been tired myself and decided to sleep as well, but a few minutes into my slumber, I was awoken by the sound of muffled screams. I opened my eyes and looked around the dark caravan, finding Erik tossing and turning in the back room.

"No…Not there… Don't! Stop! Nooooo!"

Now I knew why the poor man looked exhausted all the time. He suffered from night terrors, ones that caused him to scream out in his sleep. I wasn't sure why he was suffering from them, but I knew asking Erik about it would only anger him. I used to get them when I was a child, but my father had helped me through them. He even went as far as to bring me a trinket to hang above my bed… He called it a dream catcher…He told me that its purpose was to catch the bad dreams and only let the good ones pass through it. It had helped me, and soon, the nightmares stopped. Erik had been kind to me, and therefore, I would return the kindness by helping him with his nightmares.

The following morning when I woke, Erik was already up and about. He seemed exhausted, for he was sitting at his desk and attempting to stay awake as he filled out paperwork. A few moments later, his eyes slowly began to close and he used his hand as a pillow to support his head. I was going to close my eyes and let the man sleep, but the caravan door opened and Gustave came running in. The man jolted awake and jumped to his feet.

"Christine, you're awake!"

The boy ran to me and wrapped his small arms around my neck.

"It worked! It really worked!" Gustave said, holding up a small gold coin. "I gave this to you in hopes that it would bring you luck and it did!"

I smiled. "It really is a good luck charm."

Though, Erik was standing right behind the boy and lifted him up by his shirt.

"And what are you doing in here? Don't you know that it's rude to walk in to someone's home without an invitation?"

"S…Sorry, Master… I…I just wanted to see Miss Christine."

I believed the angry monster had returned, but after looking at the child with an evil expression, he turned to me and held the boy up.

"Is this brat bothering you, Christine?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not…"

"Would you like him to stay or go?"

"Stay, if you don't mind… Just for a short while."

I was waiting for Erik to make an example of Gustave and toss him out the door, but instead, the man dropped the child on my bed and turned to head out the door.

"A short while it is then," he growled. "But when I return, he best be gone."

And when Erik was gone, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe he was a changed man after all.

please review! The Phantom novel is coming along great. Hoping to have it published in a few months!