Gaining passage onto the ship that was to take us to the new world was easy. Erik had two tickets, and other than a few strange stares, we were able to board. Our room was below the ship, and it was far from lavish. It was merely four walls with a bed and no window. I took a seat on the lumpy mattress and Erik placed our belongings down before disappearing into the hall. He returned a few moments later with a tray and placed it down on the bed.

"I know most weddings end with a delicious meal, and I promise that I will make it up to you once we are settled in the new world."

Erik lifted the lid to reveal two bowls of potato stew.

"This is fine, really." I assured.

"It's hardly that." he argued. "I will take you to the nicest restaurant in the city and give you the dinner that a new bride deserves."

Erik took a seat across from me on the bed and fumbled with his mask, removing the garment so he could eat. My eyes averted to his sore face, noticing the raw wounds and dried blood that had formed from wearing the uncomfortable garment.

"Is something wrong?"

When Erik's eyes noticed me staring at his face, he questioned me in a worried tone of voice.

"You should try to let your face breathe while we are on the ship." I suggested. "It looks so painful."

Erik didn't respond to my statement, for he changed the subject by reaching into his bag of belongings and pulled out the ring he had proposed to me with at Christmas. He stared down at the tiny diamond and reached out to give it to me.

"I believe this now belongs to you, mon ange."

"I don't deserve this." I replied.

"Nonsense, you are my wife and that is who deserves to wear this ring."

Taking the beautiful trinket from his hand, I looked down at the gold band,knowing that I was not worthy of such a ring.

"That ring is a symbol of our..." Erik stopped himself. "That is a symbol of our union, Christine."

I placed the ring onto my left ring finger and Erik seemed overly happy that it was a perfect fit.

"And what about you?" I asked.

"What about me?"

"You should have a ring for yourself."

Erik's eyes averted to his boney ring finger and tried to hide it from my eyes.

"It's quite all right." he said. "It's more important that you have a ring."

Once again, Erik changed the subject and reached into his bag of belongings, pulling out a small box that had a pretty bow wrapped around it.

"No wedding is complete without gifts."

This caught me off guard, for I was not expecting this. Not only had I not been expecting anything so nice from him, but I also didn't deserve his kindness.

"Erik, I don't have anything for you."

"There is no greater gift than you, Christine." he said, placing the box into my lap.

My fingers played with the bow, and I found that I couldn't find the strength to open it.

"Would you be mad if I decided to open it another day?"

Erik's happy face changed to one that was filled with disappointment.

"Have I done something wrong?"

"No, it's not you, it's me."

I moved off the bed and sat the gift aside. Erik picked it up and turned away from me.

"I know you didn't want this marriage, Christine." he coldly replied. "I know this isn't the dream you thought of every night when you went to sleep. But, be as it may, I am trying my hardest to make this night special."

"I'd rather not continue to celebrate and act as though this is something that we both truly wanted."

Erik placed the gift down on the bedside table and turned to face me.

"I don't know how you are feeling, Christine, but for the record, tonight was the best night of my entire life. I married the woman of my dreams, and you looked so beautiful. For a second, I even prayed that you would somehow feel a bit of happiness, if only the tiniest. Good night, mon ange."

Once again, I was left feeling horrible over my actions. Dinner was over and the ship had set sail. The room had a privacy wall for changing clothes, and we each took turns, disrobing into our night attire. We lay there in silence, and I was too afraid to sleep, worried that he would try to overpower me in order to consummate our marriage. By law, he had the right, and if he attempted to do so, there wasn't anything I would be able to do to stop him. I lodged a pillow between us and stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the ship and Erik's deep breaths as he slept. When I could no longer lay there, I sat up and reached over for the gift Erik had given me earlier. Looking over my shoulder to make sure he was still asleep, I pulled the bow off the package and opened it.I didn't know what could have been inside, but after pulling open the lid, I spotted a beautiful seashell. It ached my heart, for it reminded me of my father, and the home we used to have by the sea.

"Christine?"

Erik's groggy voice caused me to gasp in fear, only to turn and find him sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. When he saw me sitting there with his opened gift, his eyes met with my own.

"I'm sorry," I quickly said. "I was curious."

"The gift was yours to do with as you pleased."

"A seashell?" I questioned.

Erik nodded. "There is meaning behind it, Christine. I was hoping that you were going to open it earlier this evening so I could have explained myself. I was going to surprise you with our new home. I secured us a place by the ocean. You used to tell me all the time that you missed living beside it. I thought it would have made you happy to know that you will see the ocean again."

I smiled. "Thank you, Erik. It does make me very happy."

It was as if he didn't believe me, for a few seconds later, I saw him staring down at the blankets that were covered over the lower half of his body.

"Christine, you do know that I would never force you to do anything that you were not comfortable with, right?"

I half nodded to satisfy him, but this only seemed to anger him.

"Then why is it that you have a pillow lodged between us, and that you've barely slept a wink all night?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but Erik interrupted me.

"I know you were awake, Christine. I also know the things married couples do on their wedding night." Erik chuckled. "Sleep is obviously not one of them. I would never force you to do anything of the sort, Christine. You are a sacred gift, and I would never desecrate you in any way."

This was a huge relief, and it was only then that I crawled back into bed and closed my eyes. Though, I did not dare remove the pillow from between us. Perhaps one day I would, but not tonight.The next few days were uneventful, except for when the motion of the ship began to cause Erik to become ill. The constant rocking never bothered me, but Erik couldn't handle it and spent the second half of our journey bent over a chamber pot. He told me that it was because of everything he went through as a child that caused him to feel this way. He had been a prisoner in a freak show and was pulled around in a cage on wheels. The motion of the cage traveling around was similar to the swaying of the ship, which caused his stomach to become extremely upset. The remainder of the journey to the new world was so hellious for Erik, that by the time the ship docked on Ellis Island, he was utterly exhausted. The trip had weakened Erik so much, that I had to help him stand. As we walked with the crowds to check in, I heard the rumors of many being sent to quarantine for looking physically ill.

"Erik, you have to perk up and look your best." I said to him. "I don't want to become separated."

But it was no use, for we were. After approaching the main desk and handing over our marriage document, it had become apparent that Erik was not going to be able to leave with me. He could barely stand on his own, and when this was noticed, it was announced that he wasn't leaving. I was never more frightened in all my life than I was the moment I was told that I would have to leave without Erik. Erik tried to talk his way out of being quarantined, but it was no use, for their minds were made up. Not wanting to cause a scene, I told Erik I would be all right.

"You've never been on your own, Christine." Erik said. "If anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do."

I faked a smile. "I promise to be back to get you."

Erik still didn't like the idea of leaving me alone, but pulled a note out of his pocket and gave it to me.

"Christine, this is very important. You follow these directions and get to our new home. Stay inside as much as you can, and do not leave there unless you absolutely have to. Am I clear?"

I nodded, and Erik sighed. "Please promise me that you will be all right."

"I will."

Erik raised my hand and kissed it before I took my bag and left without him. I was alone in a new world; alone and petrified beyond belief. The new world was so much busier than Paris. The names of the streets and crowds of people frightened me half to death. The strange smells, the huge buildings, and the heat from the sun were all new to me. At first, I believed that perhaps I should have stayed in Paris, but after I was able to get away from the city, the sight that replaced it was absolutely breathtaking. There was a wooden boardwalk that seemed to stretch on for miles, and the ocean was right beside it. I stood there for the longest time gazing out at the waves crashing against the sandy shore, remembering the times I used to have with my father when I was a child. Like Erik promised, he had found us a home beside the ocean, a boarding house of sorts that was beside a strange park that housed attractions that I had never seen before. The boarding house seemed to have four units, each with their own entrance, and ours was the very top floor. Our front door faced the ocean and I smiled as I reached down beneath the door mat and found the key.

Home. This was our new home. From the moment I stepped foot into the two-room flat, I immediately fell in love with it. There was a piano for Erik to play on, and a kitchen for me to make us delicious meals. There was even a large window that faced the ocean, and oh, how beautiful it was. Though, the next few nights were very lonely, for I was all alone. I tried to keep myself occupied by unpacking our things and organizing, but nothing seemed to fill the void I so desperately desired. With some of the money I had found in Erik's bag, I was able to venture out to the nearby market and purchase some food and some other much needed items. I did as Erik asked and stayed inside as much as possible, but one could only look at four walls for so long before they would go mad. Whenever I needed some fresh air, I stopped out onto our small porch and gazed out at the ocean, taking in its wonderful breeze. The morning finally arrived when Erik was able to come home, and I made sure to leave early so that I wouldn't be late. I stood at the beginning of the boardwalk, watching anxiously for any sight of him, while other people reunited with their loved ones. Finally, I saw it; a flash of his white mask. He was here! I smiled and ran to him, noticing how exhausted he seemed.

When I made it to him, I immediately composed myself, for I wasn't sure how he would have reacted if I wrapped my arms around him.

"Erik, how wonderful it is to see you again." I said with a smile.

"You as well, Christine." he replied.

My smile faded, for it seemed as though something had changed in him. I thought for sure that he would have been happy to see me, but he wasn't.

"Is everything all right?" I asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Erik replied. "I must apologize, for I haven't slept in days."

In my mind, I envisioned this wonderful reunion where Erik and I would have wandered the boardwalk and maybe even had lunch at one of the cafes, but it seemed as though we wouldn't be doing any of those things. Our walk was almost in complete silence, and it only became worse once we made it to the flat. He barely said a word about how I had decorated our home, or how beautiful the place was. No, he just set down his things and approached the bed to rest. I was a fool to believe that he and I could have lived a normal and happy life together. Perhaps I should have stayed in Paris with Raoul after all. For hours he slept as I prepared dinner and waited for him to wake. Hours seemed to pass as I stood there in the kitchen, preparing our first meal in our new home. With the table set and dinner just about ready, Erik awoke and proceeded to take a seat at the piano that was on the other side of the room. This angered me, for he had ignored me all afternoon, and now, he was making it seem as though dinner was not on the table. Was this how our life was going to play out? Did I not mean a thing to him and was just here to serve as a maid in the background, while he went about his days as though I didn't exist?

"Do I mean nothing to you?" I finally cried as his fingers glided across the ivory keys of the piano.

Erik's music came to an abrupt halt, and he turned to face me.

"Excuse me?" he angrily questioned.

"You have been gone for a week!" I cried. "And then you come home and sleep the afternoon away, only to wake and ignore the fact that I made us our first dinner. I am your wife!"

"You are but a mere signature on paper, my dear."

My heart sank, for the truth was out. I was nothing to him, nothing but a fictious dream. Angered, I dropped everything I was doing and hurried out the door. I ran to the beach, the sand covering my toes as soon as I reached it. I stood there at the edge of the water as the cool waves crashed against my ankles. I had been a fool to leave Paris, for the new world was not any better.

"Christine!"

I heard Erik's voice but didn't dare face him. From out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him approaching me with his staff, struggling to stay on his feet as the sand slowed him down. For a while, he and I stood there beside one another staring out at the ocean, neither of us knowing what to say.

"My manners could be better; I suppose." Erik said after a while.

"They could be much better." I snapped.

Erik took a deep breath and nodded. "Fair enough, Christine. Forgive me."

"When I agreed to become your wife, I did so, expecting you to not only respect me, but to treat me as such. I've felt more like a maid than your wife since you've come home."

"And if you feel that way, I apologize."

"Can we go home and have dinner now?" I questioned.

"Of course, Christine."

Dinner felt as though we had never had our earlier argument, for we ate together and carried on a small conversation about music. I knew that Erik still felt embarrassed to be eating in front of me without wearing his mask, but I assured him that it was all right. As soon as he was finished eating, Erik placed his mask back on and hurried to the sink to wash the dishes.

"You don't have to do that." I said.

"Of course, Christine, you made dinner. It's only right that I clean up."

I grabbed the towel that was hanging near the sink and stood beside Erik to dry the dishes that he was currently washing. His sleeves were rolled up, and his gloves were off, my eyes noticing the hundreds of scars that covered his limbs and hands. When Erik noticed that my eyes were staring at his arms, he pushed them beneath the water.

"Forgive me, Christine." his voice shuttered. "I was not thinking straight."

I had seen his arms a few times before, but never up close like this.

"I'm sorry." I replied. "I shouldn't have been so rude."

"You should not have to look at it."

With the last dish washed, Erik raised his arms from the sink and quickly turned away. Wanting to show him a bit of kindness, I took his soaking wet hands into the towel and gently dried them off, taking care to not cause his emaciated limbs any pain. As I was doing so, I could see this strange look in his mismatched eyes, one that reminded me of a wounded animal.

"Christine..."

A muffled sob erupted in his throat, one that caused me to look up from his arms.

Erik gently pulled away from my grasp and yanked his sleeves back down over his arms. It was apparent that I had made him uncomfortable with my actions.

"I need some air." he said, changing the subject. "How about an evening walk?"

I only nodded and followed Erik out the door. The boardwalk was bustling with families and crowds, and as our walk began, I could already see the numerous eyes staring at Erik's mask. The looks were starting to unnerve Erik, for I could see his hand trembling at his side as we walked.

"Must be another one of those freaks from the sideshow." I heard a woman say to her husband.

How cruel people could be. This place was supposed to be a safe haven for those who were different, and yet, it was just like Paris.

"Perhaps this was a mistake." Erik said as he stopped from walking. "We should return home."

To calm his nerves, I placed my hand into his own, causing him to gasp at my kind gesture.

"Let us sit." I said, leading us over to a nearby bench that was beneath a streetlamp.

Erik took a ragged breath to calm himself down.

"I truly was a fool to believe that anywhere would be accepting of me."

Erik placed his hand over his mask, as if he were ashamed of his appearance.

"You know, there were times before I met you, Christine, that I contemplated about taking my life. Sometimes, I believe that death would have suited me better."

"Don't talk like that." I cried. "You are more than just a distorted face."

"I wish I could believe you, Christine."

"You play such beautiful music..."

I was attempting to show him all his qualities, but he never even let me finish, for he was not interested in what I had to say.

"You know nothing about life, Christine!" he angrily snapped. "You know nothing about how it feels to be trapped in this emaciated body, forced to live out my days as a slave to music and nothing more. There is nothing more to my life than what I have now! How lucky you are to be able to feel what I shall never feel, and always be wanted."

And just like that, our night was over. The once beautiful, illuminated boardwalk had become pitch black, and I trailed behind Erik as we headed home in silence. I was afraid to enter the doorway to our home, afraid to be left alone with Erik once more, but what choice did I have? Once the door was locked behind us, Erik turned to face me as his fingers tugged at the sleeves of his shirt, revealing his scarred arms once more.

"Every inch of me repulses you, Christine." his frightened voice stammered. "Every single inch of it!"

I backed myself against the wall, as Erik closed the space around us. He had never been this close to me before, and it was beginning to make me extremely uncomfortable.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to fight the constant burning desire I have for you?"

My back was now against the wall, his chest pressing against my own.

"The things I want to do to you, Christine."

I could feel his icy breath against my neck, and it caused me to gasp. I pressed my eyes closed and begged him to stop.

"Please, Erik."

Erik suddenly dropped to his knees and buried his face in the skirts of my dress.

"Forgive me, Christine. I do not deserve you."

I sighed in relief and did not say another word to Erik for the remainder of the night. The next few days Erik and I barely said a word to one another. Luckily, he was not home most days due to him getting a job inside the park. He barely spoke about it, but he did what any good husband was supposed to do, which was earn money to keep a roof over our heads and food upon the table. While Erik worked, I usually cleaned or did the laundry. I tried to be a good wife to him, but ever since our disastrous walk on the first night, we became more like roommates than a married couple.

Wanting to fix things between us, I prepared some sandwiches one afternoon and set out to the park to find Erik. The attractions amazed me, and there were tons of crowds surrounding performers who were scattered about juggling and doing acrobatic stunts to draw in more crowds. It seemed as though I had been walking around the park for hours, when I finally spotted Erik fixing one of the rides that were on the other side of the park. It was a track that had six square cars that were aligned in a circle. Erik was on the ground with some tools, adjusting the wheel on one of the cars. I smiled, for he was such a hard worker. Though, before I could approach the attraction, I spotted a man who was dressed in an expensive suit approaching him with a whip in hand.

"Have you finished with this attraction yet?" he scowled.

"Almost." Erik replied. "Though, I would advise replacing the gears completely."

Faster than lightning, the man brought his whip down upon Erik's back several times, causing my husband to cower in agony.

"Your job is to fix my attractions, demon, not tell me my business! Am I clear?"

When Erik didn't answer, I saw the whip lick Erik's back once more.

"Do you understand, demon?"

"Y...Yes, sir." came Erik's painful voice.

"Good. When you are done with this attraction, I have another that needs fixing."

Since Erik began working, he had not spoken a word about his job. He would leave early, and often return after I had already gone to bed. Though, I had caught him once or twice coming through the door seeming as though he were in pain, and now I knew why. I decided it was best not to show myself to him, and instead return home to await his arrival. That night, I stayed up, waiting for Erik to walk through the door. Around eleven, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and then, the key turning the lock to our home. I pretended to be reading a book in his armchair and looked up the moment the door opened.Erik was a complete mess, his white shirt was covered in dirt, and his body was soaked in sweat from the unbearable heat. He leaned against his wooden staff to stay on his feet, seeming surprised to see me sitting there.

"Christine, you should be in bed."

I closed the book and stood to my feet.

"We barely see one another, Erik." I began. "I thought I could at least spend a little time with you."

"That is kind of you, Christine, but all I want is a bath and some rest."

Erik walked past me, and that's when I saw that the back of his shirt was covered in blood.

"Erik, your back!"

"It's nothing, Christine."

"Erik!"

Faster than lightning, Erik grabbed my wrists and shouted at me.

"I said it's nothing!"

Silence filled the room as Erik tended to his bath and I stood there with my eyes filled with tears. I was completely lifeless as he undressed from his filthy clothes and sunk into the tub, his back torn open from the whipping he had received earlier in the day. Without a word, I slowly approached the tub and knelt behind him, gently pressing a damp washcloth against his open wounds.

"Oh, Christine..."

His voice was filled with all the pain in the world as I cleaned each wound.I could have told Erik that I knew the truth about what had happened, but I didn't want to upset him.

"Erik, I just wanted you to know that you deserve to be treated with respect."

With that being said, I stood and left him alone. In my heart I knew that things between us were never going to be any more than what they were now. That evening I went to bed alone, not knowing if Erik ever joined me or not. The following day was like any other. I woke alone and found that Erik must have left for work. What I wasn't expecting was to find a note in the kitchen that had been left for me.

"Meet me at the park gates at dusk."

I wasn't sure what Erik had planned but did as I was asked to do. I wasn't sure how I was to dress but decided to show up in one of my best dresses with my hair pinned up. Erik was already at the gates waiting for me. He was dressed in his black coat that stretched down to his knees, and he was holding a single red rose. I smiled as I approached him, and he did so back.

"I see you found the note that I left you." he said as he handed me the beautiful flower.

"And what is this all about?" I asked.

"I wanted to apologize for the way I have been acting lately." Erik began as we walked towards a row of restaurants that were on the boardwalk. "And then, what you said last night about being treated with respect. It opened my eyes a bit, Christine, and I thought about all the terrible things that I have said and done to you since moving here. I owe you the biggest apology."

"Erik, you really don't have to do this."

"You are my wife, Christine, and you deserve to be treated as such."

Erik stopped us from walking and placed his hands upon my shoulders in a loving gesture.

"Christine, can we just wipe the slate clean? I would love nothing more than to start over and try to have a normal marriage."

I smiled. "I would love that."

Erik seemed happy with my response, and he held the door of a restaurant open for me. The place was filled with oddities of all shapes and sizes, and for once, Erik did not seem as though he were out of place. We were seated in a booth that was located towards the back of the facility. It was a little dark, with a candle burning brightly on the table.

"I promised you that I would take you out to a nice meal once we arrived, and I wanted to keep that promise, Christine."

"That's very kind of you, Erik."

Once the waiter took our order, Erik and I sat there in silence. It was as though he had something on his mind, but was too afraid to tell me.

"Do you like your job, Erik?" I asked. "You've been there for a little while, and have barely spoken a word about it."

"It's keeping a roof over our heads, Christine." Erik replied. "I guess that is the positive part about it."

"And the negative?" I questioned, in hopes of having him tell me how horribly he was being treated.

"It's silly, really, but I have been feeling a little homesick."

I was taken back, for this was not what I had been expecting to hear. Homesick? He missed Paris? He missed living in a dismal cellar?

"You don't like living with me above ground?" I questioned.

"Oh, Christine, it has been a dream. I truly meant nothing by what I just said. I guess I just miss music. It used to be every minute of every day for me, and ever since moving here, things have been different. Instead of creating beautiful arias, I am tightening bolts and essentially talking to a wall when I suggest things to the owner of the park."

I reached across the table and placed my hand over his own gloved one.

"You're not happy?"

"When I'm with you, Christine, I couldn't be happier."

Before I could say another word, our dinner arrived. For a few minutes, I watched Erik struggle with his salad, watching as he placed each forkful to the back of his mouth so he could slowly chew it while wearing his mask. It looked so painful, for he cringed as he chewed each morsel. I wanted him to remove the garment so badly, but I knew suggesting such a thing would only end our evening in an argument.When our meal was over, Erik paid and we headed back outside. I thought we would be walking home, but when we arrived at the gates of the park Erik worked for, he stopped us.

"I'm afraid I will be working through the night, Christine."

This was new, for Erik never worked at night.

"I am putting together a new attraction for the owner."

"You've never worked at night."

Erik smiled and pressed a kiss to my hand.

"I am afraid duty calls, my dear. I shall be home in the morning."

"Breakfast?"

Once more Erik smiled. "I believe that sounds wonderful."

"Thank you for tonight, Erik."

We stood there beside one another, not knowing what to say. Once he and I parted ways, I continued my walk home and made it just as a loud rumble of thunder occurred, followed by a downpour of rain. I had enjoyed our evening together and could only hope that we would have more of them. For now, I crawled into bed with nothing more than thoughts of breakfast running through my mind.

Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! I hope everyone has been enjoying this story and the chapters. Happy Reading!