Love Never Dies

Chapter VIII

As soon as we got back to our room, I turn to my father. "Why did you tell her about...?" I point to my head. "How else was I supposed to convince her to stay?"

"I don't know. Just ask?" I surprise myself. This is the most I have ever talked back to my father. But I'm not backing down now, Papa crossed a line.

"Young lady, you do not understand. This is something that will remain between Christine and I."

"Yet I get to be used as blackmail? There's obviously something you're not telling me. Don't you think I should know about my mother-!"

"She left you!" My father yells, throwing his mask on the floor. He turns to me and I flinch backward. He starts crying. "She left you with this! This- this- this hideous face!" He slumps to the ground and sobs even harder. I run to his side and hug him. I gently hold out his mask, and he takes it.

"My darling daughter." He says, wiping some tears away. "Forever comforting. But never do you let someone comfort you. Why?"

"I don't need comfort for myself," I reply, touching his scarred face. "If you are happy, so am I."

"But you never seem happy. What if I started using your name more often? I only ever call you something else, like darling or sweetheart. Would it make you feel better?"

"No." I shake my head roughly. "Not anymore. It would feel..." I search for the word, "Unnatural. Wrong." He nods slowly. We sit in silence a few moments. "Why don't you tell me about Christine? What really happened?"

We stayed up all night as my father told me the story of his forbidden love. I am astounded at my father's nature when he was just a few years younger.

"So..." I start. "We really are alike. She hears voices too." My father nods. "Not anymore. I've stopped calling to her, but yes. She used to. I didn't know she would do something like that from the way she left you."

"How?" I ask. "Why?"

"One night, it just happened. Christine came to me with a bundle and told me to take care of you. She never gave me a name, so I decided to give you one. I took one look at your little face and saw the most beautiful child I'd ever seen. The only people who knew were Meg and Aunt Giry, so we left, and I raised you here. I thought if you never knew, I could forget it had ever happened. What I did. But you kept growing and you stood there every day looking like the one love I had ever had. Then you came to me one day telling me you heard voices calling you the Angel of Music and I knew it would never end. She needed to meet you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I hurt you so much." I tell him. "But you didn't. Never, you didn't. You reminded me that there was a chance that you could be just as wonderful as your mother. And I could do a better job this time." He strokes my hair. "I hoped you could have the life she had. Maybe you still can." I whimper. He strokes my hair, "What is it?"

"She's sad." Papa looks at me strangely. "She's so sad. Papa, it hurts." I grab my hair, pulling on it slightly, hoping to get rid of some of the pain. The music- it was almost too much. It was like Christine felt like her world was collapsing.

"Tell me." Papa pulls my chin so I'm looking at him. "It's like her world- she feels like it's collapsing. There's so much pain..." He picks me up and carries me to my room. "Get some sleep. I'll make sure you see her tomorrow. I have to set this right."

I tried. I really tried, but Christine's melody didn't leave for the whole night.   

AN: Awww poor Erik... Comment and vote, love you guys!