The Demon's Child and the Phantom

Chapter 21

Narrator's POV:

As Erik watched his beloved hold the glass shard to her neck, even drawing a bit of blood, he felt true and utter fear rush through him for the first time in his life. He had thought he knew fear well, as it seemed to be a friend of the Phantom, but he was wrong. His heart seemed to stop each time he saw her hand tense around the glass shard. He tried only once more to calm her down after Daroga had left the room, but she had only called him a liar again.

It was as he feared, her insanity it seemed was much like his own. Once it had set in and taken hold it would run it's course. He had tried humming to see if that would calm her and though it kept her hand from forcing the glass shard further into her neck it did little else to calm her. Erik was now only clinging to the hope that her arm would begin to tire before she could cause herself serious harm, or that Daroga's plan would work.

Rosella meanwhile, while physically present in the room was years behind in her own past. Something, a nightmare perhaps or maybe the physical stress she was placing on her own body, had set off the insanity in her sleep and caused it to blaze wildly until she awoke. She saw not the room that she claimed as her own at Daroga's. She saw an unfamiliar wagon in the gypsy camp. She did not see Erik or Daroga, but two unfamiliar gypsy men no doubt working with Malik and Salin.

In her mind she was 13 or perhaps it was 14, and she trusted only one person in the world and that was Florica. Florica was the closest thing she had to a mother, and she would often refer to her as such if only in her mind for fear of another beating from Malik should he hear her use such terms for his own kin. The unknown gypsy man that was still with her in the wagon kept his distance as she waited for Florica to come, but she still kept the glass shard close to her neck. She was ready to end it tonight should a new form of hell be planned for her among the gypsy camp.

As Erik tried to continue a soft humming of songs, and Rosella waited for Florica to come, Daroga was racing wildly back with Madame Giry riding behind him on Erik's black horse Lyric. It had taken only a moment's explanation to the older woman what was going on before she raced out of the opera house with him. It was perhaps lucky she was a night owl, not having dressed for bed yet when Daroga came.

She felt fear for the girl that she was beginning to see was just as mistreated and abused as Erik ever had been in his life. She clutched Daroga's shoulders tightly as they rode, the fear beginning to eat away at her, even as they saw his house come into view. Daroga was filled with just as much fear as thoughts of what could have happened to Rosella during his absence rushed through his mind.

Daroga feared that Erik wouldn't have been able to keep her as calm as they needed her to be. Even though he knew in his heart that come heaven or hell, Erik would do anything to make sure that Rosella survived. A moment after Lyric stopped in front of the steps of the house they were both rushing up towards Rosella's room. Madame Giry following as close as possible to Daroga, neither stopping until they were inside the room with Erik and Rosella.

Her red and blue eyes that seemed to glow even brighter in the dark snapped to them as soon as they entered the room. Rosella saw the other unknown gypsy man walk back into the room, followed by Florica. Her eyes widened in absolute surprise for a moment that they actually brought her what she asked for, before she slowly lowered the glass shard from her neck. Florica seemed to have tears growing in her eyes as she approached Rosella and it confused Rosella for a moment. Florica rarely cried in front of her.

She kept the glass shard grasped tightly in her hand, blood seeming to drip from her hand at a faster pace than before causing everyone else's fear in the room to grow. Madame Giry took a few more steps towards Rosella, everyone seeming to hold their breath as she did. Rosella didn't snarl or growl as she had at Erik and Daroga when they approached her earlier though. Instead she began to sob. It was a sight that Erik couldn't remember seeing from her since he had known her, though he had heard her through the wall of Daroga's office that day. The sight of her actually sobbing though broke his heart into a million pieces.

"Florica? Mutter?" (Mother?)

"Ja Rosella." (Yes)

Madame Giry was thankful she knew enough German to try and comfort her, as she replied and smiled. She opened her arms for a hug as she took a few more steps towards Rosella. They heard the soft pling as the glass shard hit the floor as Rosella dropped it and walked closer to Madame Giry. Tears falling from her eyes as she was wrapped in a hug by Madame Giry, though she saw her as Florica. They heard her continue to sob as her apologies started in both German and English as she clung to Madame Giry.

"Es tut mir leid mutter. Sag es nicht Malik bitte" (I'm sorry mother.---Don't tell Malik please)

A surge of anger washed through Erik at that vile creature's name, but he stayed silent as he watched Madame Giry shush her and gently guide her to the bed. They sat down on the bed together, Madame Giry cradling Rosella's head and gently running her hand through her hair. She had started whispering things in what sounded like German and both Erik and Daroga felt themselves relax as they saw Rosella finally relax against her, her sobs dying out after a few minutes. A few moments later and Madame Giry laid her back on the bed, looking to Erik and Daroga as she started to speak in a hushed tone.

"If she is anything like Erik she will be a heavy sleeper for the rest of the night. I suggest we doctor her hand now. Erik?"

They agreed and Erik sprung to work almost instantly, attending first to the small shallow cut on his Rose's neck. While Daroga and Madame Giry prepared bandages for Rosella's hand. As they continued with their own work, he began to pull the tiny shards of glass out of his poor flowers hand. A sense of sorrow washing through him as he grew to realize that Rosella had been through more than she let on, just as he had.

A half hour later and her hand was doctored as excellently as if they had called for a doctor, giving them each some comfort. Madame Giry had elected to stay the night should she wake and have another incidence, while Erik knew that he would have to leave before dawn to avoid being seen. It was a trying night for them all, each in their own way, and each only hoped that the trials were over and that peace would follow.