Ten Long Years Of Yearning

Ten Long Weeks Later

In America at last. In New York at last. In Manhattan at last!

Ten long weeks on the Atlantic Queen.
My god. It felt like forever!

I force myself to admit, I had ups and downs on the Atlantic Queen. From crying over Christine because she didn't choose me, to laughing with Meg and Madame Giry. And that is something I never dreamt of!

Somebody knocked on the door to our room, so Madame Giry went to answer it. Turns out it was one of the staff who said that we needed to come to the main deck as we were just minutes away from the docks. We all got ourselves ready, making sure we were in a reasonable state then headed out to main deck. There was so many people up here and I felt slightly claustrophobic...

Meg kept me calm however until we eventually got off. I breathed a sigh of relief as I then awaited for what was to come next.

Madame Giry lead me and Meg over to a coach.  Meg got in first, stealing the window spot and I got in afterwards, sitting opposite her. I was angry on the inside because I liked sitting by the window, but I wasn't about to make a huge fuss of it all!

Eventually Madame Giry got in. She sat beside Meg before the coach began to move. I hadn't a clue on where we were going. I just hoped that I wasn't going to land up somewhere where I would be killed. I kept positive and stared down at my shoes. Meanwhile, Meg and Giry were mumbling small things to one another. I was wondering if they were talking about me but again I kept quiet and didn't say a word.

About an hour past, and the coach finally stopped. The coach door opened and the Giry's got out first. I came out last of course. Madame Giry paid the coach driver. We then walked a few metres forward in which we ended up at the front of a hotel. Once inside of it, we were led to a room. It consisted of two single beds and a king size bed, which was covered in a silk-black duvet.
That king size bed was MINE. The Giry's can have the singles.

To claim the king size bed, I immediately ran towards it and threw myself onto it.
"This bed is mine!" I said aloud with chuckle as I spread out on it.
I heard giggles coming from the two.
"Of course the biggest bed is yours, my dear  Erik!" Madame Giry said with a soft giggle before making her way over to the single bed that was closest to the balcony.
Meg continued to giggle before she made her way over to the other single bed beside her mother's.

"On another note Erik...I hope you sleep well tonight!" Giry said from out of the blue.
I glanced over to her. "What do you mean?" I questioned confused.
"You have a very big day ahead of you tomorrow, and therefore need as much sleep as you can get" she answered with a soft smile.
I nodded, still confused but nonetheless hoped that tomorrow was going to be a good day for me. "Oh okay Giry..."

I sat up from my pillow, and took off my jacket and bow tie, then placing them down onto the floor beside the bed. I didn't know where else to put them. I undone a few buttons on my shirt, in which part of my chest hair was revealed...but the moment after I did so, I quickly went under the covers. I didn't want Meg or Giry to see my precious chest fluff—

It was getting late in general, so going straight under the covers was normal...the Giry's didn't question it. However I did hear Meg say: "Somebody's tired..." along with a soft laugh.
Then hearing another laugh from Madame Giry.

I eventually drifted off to sleep...I was dead tired and needed my sleep. That ten week journey from France to America was tiring. Most of the time I stood out on the balcony late at night on the Atlantic, but now it's all caught up with me. Hence why I fell asleep so quickly.

I fell into a dream. Or it seemed like a dream at first...because eventually it turned into a nightmare!

I dreamt that I was back in my lair in Paris! It was just after Christine had left me with Raoul...I was sitting by the lake, swishing my hand across it. Until out of no where Christine came back! She came back on the boat...alone. She told me that she loved me and that she wanted to be by my side. We kissed once more. But then...the Vicomte came along. Grabbing ahold of Christine and pulling her behind him. I couldn't do anything. I wasn't in control of this dream. Yet I knew in reality, I would've wrestled Raoul into the lake and drown him! But no. I stood there startled. Then Raoul suddenly pulled out a gun. He aimed it at me. At my chest. My breathing became heavy. Outside of the dream I could feel my heart racing! I heard Christine screaming for Raoul to put the gun down. I came closer...begging for mercy. Suddenly Raoul fired the gun. At that moment, everything seemed to be in slow motion...the moment the bullet touched my clothing I awoke.

No it wasn't even morning yet! The Giry's were also sleeping still. I was sat up in the bed, breathing fast and heavily.
Once I realised it was all a dream, I slowly laid back down and drifted off to sleep once more. Hoping and praying that I wouldn't have another nightmare...