A New Beginning

Chapter 27

(Erik's POV)

As I entered the tent, I saw the people's faces. They were hungry for freaks and they looked like they wouldn't leave until they had feasted their eyes with the oddities that Mr. Y could offer. Unfortunately, Mr. Y had not been able to get any freaks in the last month, and he would not be able to get any in a while as all the small circuses around the area had them and would not give them up. Then I remembered something; I myself was a freak.

I changed into a pair of shorts, very much like those Javert had made me wear, and I stepped into the small cage, which was covered by a curtain. I then slipped my skull-like hands into the chains I had prepared. I cleared my throat as people were entering and started talking, using my ventriloquist skills, "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to announce Phantasma's most recent attraction. Be ready to feast your eyes with the hideousness Mr. Y hides behind this curtain. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, look if you dare at 'The Living Corpse,'" as I finished, the curtain rose and I was exposed.

The people immediately started yelling all kinds of things. They then proceeded to throw things. I tried to close my eyes once, but they responded by yelling things like, "Look at us freak! You have no right to do as you please when you look like that!" So I kept my eyes open.

A few hours later, I closed the curtain. After the people left, I easily freed myself from the chains and stepped out of the cage. I put my suit back on, throwing the pair of dirty shorts back in the cage. I left the tent through a hidden exit and headed home.

When I entered, Raoul was kneeling next to Christine, holding her hand protectively. She stood up and ran to me, embracing me. "Darling, where have you been?" she asked worriedly. I scooped her up in my arms and carried her back to the divan. "I'm sorry, love, I just lost track of time," I explained. She nodded. "What is this?" she stroked my left cheekbone with her fingertips. "What is what, love?" I asked and went to get a mirror. There was indeed an ugly bruise and a small cut. "Nothing, love, I slipped as I was going through my office door and hit my face,"I lied.

I took her upstairs and tucked her in. "Erik?" she called. "Are you okay?" I smiled and nodded, placing a kiss on her cheek. I laid beside her and held her close to me. "How is our little one?" I asked after a while, but when I turned to look at her, I found she was already sleeping. "Goodnight, mon amour," I whispered and kissed her forehead, but I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. However, after a while, my eyes closed by themselves, and despite that, I started seeing all the events that had happened earlier that night.

I was awoken by a shaking in my shoulder, and I opened my eyes to see my angel's, full of worry. I was breathing heavily, and I suddenly realized I was covered in cold sweat. We stared at each other for a few minutes before I shook my head and averted my gaze from hers, hoping that that would calm her down a little bit. She went to the bathroom and came soon after with a small towel in her hand. She started wiping my forehead as I continued breathing heavily. I opened my mouth more than once in attempts to speak, but no words came out.

Suddenly, she spoke up, "Love, what happened today?"

I shook my head and quickly came up with something, "My mask fell of my face today. No one saw me, but I was very shaken. It was just a nightmare, love." I suddenly realized that what I had just told her was not completely a lie; it had been a nightmare.

"Try to sleep," she told me and kissed my forehead. I nodded and closed my eyes.

The next morning, when I woke up, I found she was already in the kitchen making breakfast. I approached her and kissed her cheek. "Good morning," I smiled.

She giggled and hugged me tightly. Then her smile slowly faded away. "Erik, I want you to stay here today, you need to rest."

I nodded at her request, which I was expecting. "Okay, mon ange," I replied. "But you don't mind me walking around the park for an hour or two, do you? Just to make sure everything is fine. I will not even go near my office if you don't want me to," I said.

"I guess that is alright," she said to me, "but no work, okay?"

I nodded before pecking her lips.