It had been a normal day. Torture, on the brink of insanity, waiting until I actually die from the several hundred wounds in my back. I have lived 29 years on this earth. At least I think I have, I am not really sure. I'm not sure of a lot of things like my age, where I come from and my name. I may not know where I came from but I do know where I'm going. I will be in this caravan until I die. No escape. No hope. Just a normal day.

I was laying down on the straw that was my bed when suddenly the door opened and a rush of cold wind entered. The cold didn't bother me, I was used to it now. The door soon closed. I looked up and something surprised me, it was not my abusive ringleader entering my cage. A little girl had entered my cage.

I glared at her with no remorse. She quickly turned around and desperately tried to open the door.

"That's not going to work, girl." I said cruelly, "those doors can only be opened from the outside. You're trapped in here with the devil himself."

My speech clearly did not go through to her head because she continued to try and open the cage door. It was quite annoying.

"Quiet, you pathetic infuriating creature. I have been trying to open that door for the past 20 odd years. Just quiet down before I make you quiet."

I did my job of scaring her too well: she began to sob even louder than the clanging metal. She crawled as far away from me as possible and curled herself into a ball.

My stone heart melted at her little sobs. I wondered how many times I was left alone in this cage: sobbing from pain and loneliness. How could I let this little girl feel that same pain as a demon.

"Stop crying...I'm sorry for being cruel..." I said as calm and kind as possible.

"I want my papa..." The girl sobbed. "I'm scared...everything is frightening here..."

"On that we are both agreed. This place holds horrors you can't even begin to comprehend."

She continued to sob but softer and continued to beg for her father.

"Why do you wear a bag on your head?" She asked looking up at me.

"Because I am a monster" I said as if I was commenting on the weather.

"You don't look like a monster..." She sniffed back tears, "you look like a man...those creatures out there are monsters."

"All the freaks like myself?"

"No, the others...the ones with the whips...and the evil laughter"

"You mean the gypsies?"

"I... I guess so. I asked if they knew where my papa was and they led me towards this cage. They told me he was here…"

"Yes, they are cruel aren't they?"

"I don't know about cruel, but they are scary."

"Little girl, when you get out of here, stay as far away from those men as possible. They are demons. This is a place full of demons it seems."

A gust of wind swept through the caravan. The girl shivered violently.

"It's almost sunset, girl." I said, "it will get colder very soon."

"I have to find my dad...do you know where he is?"

"I haven't left this cage for over 25 years. I have no idea, little girl."

"So what am I to do?"

I thought for a moment. It was a difficult situation.

"Well, you are stuck here until morning at least. That's when the gypsies will be back. With luck and if they're in a generous mood they will let you free. Pray your father notices you are missing, little creature."

…

Night fell quicker than normal due to winter. I don't know why I cared for the little creature, but I did. She was the first person to not be repulsed by the very sight of me. I felt obligated to shelter and protect the little mademoiselle.

The child sat in the corner closest to me but still away from me, as if she wanted me to comfort her but was still deathly afraid of me. I couldn't blame her. But as the night grew the bitter cold came and she began to look freezing.

"Not to pry, but little mademoiselle, why aren't you wearing a coat?" I asked. "Surely you must have one."

"Well..." The child's teeth chattered, "I dddont havvve a real one. I have this."

She pointed to what she was wearing over a large frock: it was clearly a man's well-worn waist coat. The vest couldn't possibly keep her warm through the night.

"Child...you'll freeze."

"I'll bbbbe ffffine."

I wasn't going to let the child meet her doom by freezing: not on my watch. I walked over to the child and sat down next to her. Carefully, I took off my tattered button-up shirt. She gasped at the sight of my scar covered torso. I gingerly wrapped the tattered scrap of clothing around the girl. I hope that that would bring some type of warmth to her.

"I can't take this, monsieur. It's all that keeps you warm." The little girl trembled, starting to take off the rag.

"I will be fine. You need to keep warm. Don't worry about me, I've survived worse."

Then she did something surprising and shocking. The little creature hugged me around the middle. All of the cold feeling left my body at the child's embrace. It took a while for my body to react, but I decided to embrace the child back. She was such a tiny, frail little thing, even for a child. She was thinner than me and I was practically a skeleton.

"What is your name, little ange?" I asked, still with the girl cuddled into my chest and wrapped in my arms.

"My name is Christine. Christine Daae."

"Christine." I muttered the name. It sounded beautiful.

"And what's yours?"

"I don't have a name."

"You must have a name."

"I don't. They call me things, none of them I wish to repeat in front of you, little ange."

"But what am I to call you?"

"Well...I guess you can call me...Erik. It's a name I picked up in Persia."

"Erik." The child tested the name out. "Erik. Thank you Erik, for your shirt. You're so warm."

The girl snuggled deeper into my chest and I felt as if my heart was about to explode. No one had held me like this before. No one was able to stay in the same room as me for more than a few minute. But here was this little child, cradled in my arms, warming herself on my skeleton frame.

I began to take a closer look at the girl. She was tinier than the average child, no doubt about that. She was covered in dirt but her face and hands were as clean as they possibly could be. Her large brown eyes and long eyelashes made her look like a fawn, in a way. Her hair was incredibly curly and the color of bronze. She was rather beautiful. No you can't call a young child that word. It's indecent. How could I describe it? Attractive? That seems almost worse.

"Christine," I said, repositioning my back to lean against the pile of straw and rags, "you are rather pretty. Do you know that?"

"Thank you Monsieur." She called me Monsieur. "That's very kind of you to say. I wish I could say the same for you but I can't see what is beneath your bag. And since its dark now, I can't really see anything at all."

She was blind in the dark. It occurred to me that she, like most of society, could not find their way in the dark. As for myself, I could see everything from the light of the moon caught on the bars of my cage to the tiny cockroaches gnawing away at the wood of the caravan car. My eyes were better in the dark than in the light. The light just hurts my eyes and makes me feel as if they are on fire. The darkness is soothing to me.

"With any luck, mademoiselle, you will never see my face." I said, repositioning the child to lay beside me, her head resting on my arm.

"Why?" The inquisitive creature asked.

"I have the face of the devil, little darling. No more talk of this subject."

She was laying on her side now, while I was on my back. Her little face buried itself into my side. Her little fingers curled by her face, touching my bare skin.

"There are so many think scars." Christine said, her little fingers exploring my skin, trailing each mark she found. "Where did you get them?"

"I would rather not talk about it."

"Was it an accident?"

I scoffed. "No...it was for entertainment."

"I don't understand, Monsieur."

"You see, little darling, people despise me for my face." I put it bluntly. "I am the devil, they believe. They like to put me in my place. Make sure I'm not on my feet for too long."

"I still don't understand."

"They beat me daily here."

I heard her gasp and look up at me.

"They do that to you?" Christine whimpered. "That's awful."

"You never do get accustomed to the pain." I signed, trying to distract myself from the stinging in my back with the warm feeling of her little hands against my side. Oh her touch was so gentle and warm! "But I deserve it. I am a monster after all."

"You don't look like a monster." The girl yawned. "And you definitely don't act like one too. You're such a gentlemen. Really you are monsieur."

The girl was sleepy. She could barely keep her eyes open.

"Rest, little darling." I said, ignoring her comment but treasuring every word she had said, "You must be exhausted. Sleep. I will keep you warm and safe. Sleep."

My voice became strange. Hypnotic. Deep. Alluring. It had a serious effect on the girl and she closed her eyes.

"Good night, Erik." Christine mumbled.

"Good night, my little Angel Christine."

The girl fell asleep before I could finish my sentence. Oh she was so cute. Her chest would rise and fall with every breathe and every content sigh. I didn't risk falling asleep in fear that the gypsy would come and take my little angel away from me.

I hated to admit this, but I was in love with this little girl. I began hoping that her father would never come for her so that she can stay with me. I never truly understood what it was like to have physical contact with another human being until now. Now that I knew what it felt like to have a beautiful little girl by my side, I never wanted her to leave.

She gave me something that I had never had before: desire to live. All of the sudden, with this little girl nestled into my arms, I had a reason to live. A reason to press forward. A reason to journey on through the night. A reason to escape this cage.

Her father would never come, I decided. I will protect the little angel Christine. Together we will escape the gypsies and start a life together. I would buy a little flat for the two of us to share. With my extensive knowledge, I will teach her how to read, do mathematics, paint, study history and architecture. She will be smarter than any man alive by the time she is 10 under my guidance. And music. Yes. I would teach this little mademoiselle how to sing and she will be the most superb singer of any age.

I would dote upon her. Dress her in lavish and fashionable dresses. Little blue and white dresses with a bow on the back with lace ruffles. Her little feet and legs covered with pure white stocking and white Sunday shoes. Her little hands covered with blue silken gloves with white lace on their rims. Her hair would be tucked under a large blue bonnet smothered in flowers, lace and ribbons. Oh she would look so lovely in an outfit like that and not in her disgusting rags that she wore now. I wished to give her everything her heart desired and I attended to do so. As soon as I got out of this cage with the little mademoiselle in my arms, I would get a job and the first thing i will buy is a doll for her. Not just any toy either, a porcelain china doll. Every girl in Paris will be jealous of his little angel. She will have everything: dolls, silks, intelligence, and beauty.

She was already so beautiful. What would come of her when she grew older? She would be the most beautiful creature in all of Paris, perhaps the world. Men would want her for themselves and I could never willingly give her away to some man. No I will keep her with me forever.

I made the plan of our future right then and there, with my little angel tucked beside me. I would use my abilities to become wealthy and lavish Christine in riches that would make a princess jealous. She would go to a private school during the day, mostly just to show off her beauty and intelligence to all of the other girls. Our house would have a lovely garden filled to the brim with roses. We would have a music room. I had a special gift for music, something I picked up in Persia, but I had been unable to play in some time. I hoped she loved singing as much as I do. And on the weekends, as soon as she got a bit older, we would see plays, ballets and operas. And she would be the most beautiful lady out of all of the aristocratic woman there and they would have no idea that she had once been a little street urchin,

For the first time in years, I fell asleep happily my mind swimming with wonderful dreams of the life that was to come with me and my Christine.