The Man Behind the Mask: The Sequel to Gaston Leroux's the Phantom of the Opera

Chapter Five: A Room of Her Own

Celi roused herself from her sleepy daze when the carriage turned onto a bumpy road. Her friend had been watching her, wondering what exactly he'd gotten himself into, and whether or not he could do it. He had the resources of course, and the more material things she'd need, but raising a child took patience, and - in some situations - patience had never come easily to him.

Little Celine reminded him so much of her... and of himself. However, Celi had a purity and natural sweetness to her that was all her own. An innocence and a kindness to be desired, envied, and found generally lacking among most individuals.

"What's your name?" Celi interupted his silent thoughts.

Names... what would he tell her? Christina didn't even know his name. "My name is Erik."

"Erin?"

"Yes." Now, Erik knew this was wrong. But he didn't bother to correct her. If this didn't work out between them, she would never know his identity.

"Just Erin?"

"Yes." 'Erin' smiled then. "You've lost all sense of direction, you have no idea where you are, yet the first thing you ask is my name?"

"Yes. And you can call me Celi. Instead of Celine, because I never really liked Celine. I didn't like how Red or Hen said it: they spit it out. Say-li-enne. Celi was shorter."

"Mais Céline est très belle."

"Oui, Monsieur. When you say it. You say it correctly, while others do not. And it is long. As a name, it's nice, but it doesn't fit me. I don't fit it. It's too pretty for me. You have a very nice name though, and it suits you."

"Thank you Celi." To be honest, Erik had no idea how to respond. He was appalled. "Did someone tell you it was too long for you, and that you were not pretty enough? Yes? I see you're nodding. Were these the same people who called you Celi? Who were they?"

"The ladies my mother worked with... Red and Hen."

"Ladies?" He snorted, but his smile fell as Celi grew somber. "What did they do for work, Celi?" Erin asked, pointedly. The fact he was having this conversation with a child... he never would have believed it.

"They were... I prefer not to say."

"Hmm. Exactly. They were not ladies."

Celi instantly became impassioned. "Yes they were!" She shouted. Under her new friend's intense glare she withdrew her eyes from his. "Excuse me, but they were." She practically whispered the next part. "Their hearts were kind."

Erin had softened, she found when she looked back at the man across from her. His gloved hands were folded over his cane.

"I understand and apologize. But do you still not trust me enough to tell me of your past? I did save you from a very bad future. What must I do next? Build you your own house?"

Celi's smile came back. "I was brought up to be distrustful. And I don't need a house. I shall be quite happy to live with you so long as you do not hit me or make any unwanted advances of displays of affection."

Erik was dragged back to his childhood. He never had the choice.

He had been wiser than his years too, though, he was a genius. But there was something about Celi that truly disturbed him, and that was her knowledge of the beastly side of men. She shouldn't know those kinds of things. Her kind, those whose gentle souls reflected in their large, curious eyes, should never know, even when they were grown.

"For a girl, and a girl of your age, you have quite an extensive vocabulary, and knowledge about things you shouldn't know. How did you learn them?"

"My mother did her best to speak appropriately around me, and to teach me proper grammar. She wanted me to be educated. As for the rest... there is a lot you can learn from the place I came from." The carriage stopped. Celi waited for Erin to move, but he did not, so she stayed in her seat.