Healing a Broken Soul

Chapter 1

Discord came from the organ as the infamous Phantom pounded aggressively on the keys. No one dared approach the lair where he kept hidden. They all knew exactly where he was, but after the Opera Populaire disaster, no one was quite brave enough to test him. He was violent and brutal in every aspect of his life. Despite his love for Christine, his lack of human contact made even something as simple as love very complicated. Now, he was in despair... Christine had left him heartbroken over a year ago and Madame Giry had gently informed him, she was the only one he would see, that Christine had given birth to a baby boy. Christine and her husband Raoul had been married just a month after the disaster and now they had a family of their own. Meanwhile, the Phantom was still mourning the loss of his Christine. He was sinking deeper and deeper into depression, deep enough that Madame Giry began to worry. "What did they call the child?" he asked stopping the pounding for a moment.

"Gustave Erik de Chagny," she nearly whispered.

"She does still love me," he said hopefully. His beautiful blue eyes twinkled like they hadn't in a very long time.

"Erik," Madame Giry stepped closer to him and touched his shoulder. He was startled by her touch and shuddered, "Erik, Christine has moved on and you need to as well."

"I can't... I'm a monster," he shakily touched the mask on his face.

"We're in a new place. Yes, these people are afraid of you, but if you talked to them and showed them how wonderful you are... They would love you. I love you, Erik. You're like a son to me. Meg loves you. If you just start by getting to know Meg, maybe it would be easier for you to get to know other people."

"I've shut her out so many times."

"We'll have dinner tonight. I'll cook something and you'll eat with us."

"I don't eat much."

Madame Giry patted his shoulder and then said, "You have to eat something." She left the room and he turned away from the organ. He burst into tears, "God, is there a reason for me to continue living? I've been tortured all of my life and I've lost the person I loved most. Does it ever get better?" he sobbed for hours. Finally, he dressed in his finest tuxedo and began to climb out of the lair. Meg was standing at the top of the steps. As Erik approached the top, he squinted. He hadn't seen daylight in so long.

"Hello, there," she squirmed nervously, "Mother sent me to fetch you for dinner."

"Hello, Meg," he took a deep breath. Madame Giry was right, he needed to move on. He needed to make a new impression on people. He offered his arm to escort Meg to dinner and after she removed the expression of surprise from her face, she accepted his arm. Then the two of them walked to the Girys for dinner.

"So, Mr. Y," Meg began attempting to make light conversation, "How are you?"

"Please call me, Erik," he said hesitantly.

"Alright then, Erik," the pair then arrived at the front door of Girys and went inside.

Madame Giry greeted Erik with a slight curtsey, "Please have a seat. I made plenty of food so please enjoy yourself," he sat awkwardly and rigidly. The meal was mostly silent and Madame Giry finally broke the silence, "So, Erik, Phantasma is thriving. Wouldn't you like to see it in the daylight?"

"I suppose at some point."

"Well, we could all-"

"Madame Giry, I appreciate your offer, but I would rather see it on my own time. Thank you for dinner, but I must be going."

"Erik, don't leave. There's still dessert. Stay a bit longer," Meg pleaded as she noticed the tears brimming in his eyes.

"Non, Madame et Mademoiselle, merci pour le dîner. Au revoir," he shakily stood up.

As he left, he began to cry and realized that he had spoken in French. He mostly spoke in English except when he was thinking too deeply about something else to translate his thoughts. He found a bench and sat down hanging his head. The whole park was practically empty at this time in the evening besides a few couples walking.

"Excuse me, could you-" Erik turned quickly and then felt his elbow make contact with a part of another's body. His eyes then saw a woman fall to the ground as blood rushed from her nose.

"Oh my God!" he exclaimed, "I didn't mean to..." Panic swept through Erik's body as he stood and lifted the unconscious woman off of the ground. Then in the dark, he quickly took the woman to his lair to tend to her bloody nose. Gently placing her on his bed, he went to fetch a rag and some water. He returned and cleaned the blood away from her nose. Then he placed a cool compress on her forehead and went to his music room to pace.

"Did I kill her?" he thought to himself as he anxiously paced back and forth in the music room. He had killed before, but after they had left Paris, he had given up his life of damage and harm. "What if I did?" The last person he killed was Piangi and the image of Carlotta mourning his death hadn't left him since that night. "What if I killed that beautiful girl?" He couldn't stand pacing in the music room anymore so he went back to the bedroom and gazed upon her. She was young, much we younger than him at least. Her hair was long and curly reminding him of Christine except her curls were wilder and less tamed than those of the beautiful soprano. Her hair was also a shade darker. The skin on her body was whiter than snow yet her nose was now bright red and swollen. Erik sighed as he attempted to see her take a breath. "How could I kill such a beautiful creature?"

Suddenly, the corpse like woman woke with a gasp. She immediately spotted Erik, "Who are you? I demand to know this instant!"

"My name is Erik Y. There was a slight accident and so I brought you back to my home so you could recover."

He was clearly nervous. Through his tenseness his body managed to quiver. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Now, am I hallucinating or are you wearing a white mask?"