After The Opera Burned || Phantom Of The Opera

Chapter 21 - The Great Escape

A/N: Hello, hello to all my wonderful readers! I know I have been so very slow with my updates and I sincerely apologize if this caused you to lose interest in my story. Fear not, for adventure and romance are just around the corner. I am officially back with once a week updates for After the Opera Burned and will return to normal writing schedule for my other story, Mon Espion, beginning next week.

I am so happy to be writing again, and within the next few weeks I do hope to make up for all of the weeks I lacked to do so. Thank you again for your patience and please, bring this story back to life! Not as many have commented sadly, but I do understand. Please feel free to let me know of what characters should or should not do too! It's always interesting to read opinions and who knows, you might influence me ;]

On with the story~

Nadir took the letter impatiently from Madame Giry's hands and read it carefully once more, taking in what he just listened to. It sounded just like Erik's nature but he wanted to be sure, knowing Erik did not indeed trust strangers so freely as he seemed to do with this strange man. Yet again, he had been missing for a week when they all had worried over whether he was captured or not. Perhaps he had made an acquaintance onboard. Perhaps there were others like him even. The thought disturbed Nadir, causing him to shake slightly as he gingerly handed the letter back to Madame.

She took the letter gently, eyeing Nadir's sudden shiver after he reread the letter, "is it authentic?"

"Oui, it is" he stated simply, looking around as if he suddenly realized what he was doing prior to the ladies' discovery, "we must go to Coney Island and I fear that requires a ferry ride."

Meg groaned at the thought of boarding another boat before Charles gently nudged her, giving her a 'really?' look with only his facial expression. Meg smirked slightly but hid it once she spotted her mother glaring in her direction.

"The ferry will not be long," Nadir continued as if to answer Meg's thoughts, "and apparently it is not very big. We should have no trouble finding our masked friend."

As if on cue, a carriage pulled up and over to where the four were standing, asking them in English if they needed a ride. Nadir spoke as best as he could to which the driver understood and they were off to a different port to be able to sail across to Coney Island.

Meg stared out the window of the carriage the entire ride, not bothering to listen to the conversation her mother and Mr. Kahn had conjured up about the travels to America in their native language, well her mother's native language at least. She let her thoughts drift back to the masked men, wondering exactly his motive was to send them along after him. Surely if he wanted to get rid of them so badly, he could have easily done so, could he not? Perhaps he wanted them to come with him; perhaps he even needed them. Maybe this was his way of getting back in their good graces, perhaps during their week apart he realized how much he valued her. She smirked at the idea, satisfied that Erik needed her just as much as she needed him.

Suddenly the carriage came to a stop, giving the group a view of a much smaller boat and a coastline of a distant land. The dock itself was not as lavish as the one they just got off of, consisting of only two boats that each said Coney Island Fair in bright red and bold lettering, making Meg curious as to what was so enticing about the island to begin with.

After Nadir paid the carriage, they each set off to inquire about how to travel across the water to the coastline. When they arrived close enough, they realized just how deserted this dock was and that there were no other passengers, let alone a captain.

"Surely this isn't the right dock?" Charles questioned, raising his eyebrow towards Nadir.

"No, it is," he stated simply, looking around, "there has to be someone here-"