Chapter 13: Rooftop Escape

Evangeline's POV

I am in the ICU ward of a hospital. As I wander around this place, I noticed that all of the doors to the rooms were closed.

All, except for one.

I walked into the room, where I saw a doctor and what seemed to be a swarm of nurses silently crowding around the hospital bed. The only sound that was heard in the room was the occasional beeps of a heart monitor and the doctor's sudden order to let the patient's family in.

Just then, I suddenly heard two very familiar voices call out my name.

"Evangeline!"

"Mama! Daddy!" I cried, running towards them. But as I did so, something strange happened.

I opened my arms to give them a hug, but when I rushed towards them, I seemed to go right THROUGH them!

Not only that, but the two of them didn't seem to take notice. In fact, it was as if they couldn't see or hear me.

I watched as my parents made their way to the bed, my mom beginning to wail as my dad tried to comfort her.

"Dad?" I said, touching his shoulder to show that I was there. But just like before, my hand went through and he didn't notice.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I forced myself to look at who they were crying about and what I saw rocked me to the core.

On that bed, lied the comatose body of a young girl with lacerations and bloodied bandages all over her body, along with numerous broken bones, I.Vs in her hand, and a breathing tube down her throat.

And that girl was me.

"My baby! My poor,sweet baby!" I heard my mom cry before the world faded into black.

I now find myself walking through an unfamiliar, empty hallway that was lined with green lockers and brown classroom doors that seemed to stretch for miles on end in both directions. I was all alone, dressed in a white T-shirt, bright blue jeans, and white tennis shoes, carrying a heavy multicolored bookbag.

Suddenly, all of the doors seemed to seep out grayish-black wisps of smoke that soon began to take shape.

I soon began to see the faces of Kelly, Alexis, and...

No.

Not him.

Anyone but my ex!

Suddenly, the wisps turned into a crowd of people, sneering and laughing at me.

"It's the fat turd!"

"Look at all that blubber!"

"It's Fat Albert's half-sister!"

I couldn't stop the tears from falling from my face. No matter how hard I tried to stop them, more just kept on coming.

"Look everyone, the fat Hershey's Kiss is gonna cry!" Kelly cooed mockingly as she and my ex gave each other a disgusting, slobbery kiss.

At that moment, I did the only thing that I could do.

I ran.

I rushed down the hall at almost the speed of sound, but no matter how far I went, the exit was nowhere in sight and the clouds of smoke and jeering just got closer and closer. And then, I could have sworn that I could hear their voices singing.

Aww look, Angie's going to

Whine

Whine

Whine all night

You don't deserve to live

Why not kill yourself

Here, have a sedative

Whine

Whine

Whine

Like there's no Santa Claus

You're pathetic because

You whine

You whine all night

I finally was able to get out of the building into a parking lot. I found my car and rushed inside, putting my key in the ignition and revved the engine awake. I then bolted from the parking lot and onto the road. But even outside, the voices and smokey figures surrounded me, blocking my vision of the road, causing me to swerve in and out of my lane.

(Whine)Your ass is off the team

(Whine)Go on and bitch and moan

(Whine)You don't deserve to dream

(Whine)You're gonna die alone!

I hear a horn honking in the distance, but I can't see it.

Die alone!

The smoke clears and I see that a semi-truck is headed towards me.

Die alone!

I can't turn around! We're both going too fast!

Die alone!

We're gonna crash!

DIE ALONE!

I woke up with a start and almost toppled off of my bed. I was shaking from head to toe as I slowly got out of bed, the clock chiming five in the morning. That dream-no, that nightmare- had me shook.

My mind was reeling with all kinds of questions that I want to ask, but am too afraid to know the answers to.

Was the first dream real?

Am I really in a coma?

Is what happening now all a dream?

Am I dying?

Am I already dead?!

There's no way that I'm going back to sleep now. I won't be able to handle having another dream like that.

I decided to head for the library to catch up on some reading since I was determined that I would get no sleep just in case the dreams happen again.

As I passed Erik's room, I couldn't help but wonder if his dreams would be good ones tonight.

Erik's POV

To my unrelenting horror, I find myself back in an iron cage filled with foul-smelling hay, garbage, and rags.

A rough, burlap sack with two tiny slits for me to see out of covers my face as I hear a crowd murmur in excitement and anticipation.

"Come and see the Devil's Child!" I hear a familiar voice laugh in a gruff, scraggly voice.

No.

It can't be.

He's dead!

"It's showtime, my little corpse." Javert snickered roughly, pulling my arms to make me stand.

My tormentor shoved a violin in my hands and commanded me to sing and play. The crowd was getting noticeably entranced by the song I sang as I played.

As I finished performing, the crowd was silent and nothing happened.

But then, without warning, Javert threw the sack off of me, exposing my deformity.

Men cursed, women fainted, and little children began to scream in terror at the sight of the monstrosity that is my face.

As the crowd of onlookers were recovering from their shock, he ripped the violin out of my hands and kicked me in the ribs, making me fall. Then, he punched, slapped, and stomped on me, making sure that I wouldn't get up.

The crowd began to roar in laughter as they watched me suffer, throwing rotten and half eaten food, garbage, and stones at me, encouraging him to torment me further.

My master then procured a bullwhip from his side and began to beat me without mercy.

My body started to grow numb from the agonizing pain, but my mind was in panic as Javert raised his foot to stomp on my face.

I jolted awake, my head banging on the lid of my coffin. It was very rare that I would go sleep, and now I remember why.

On the nights that I do go to sleep, it's all the same. None of my dreams were ever pleasant ones. Instead, my memories manifested themselves in the night when I try so desperately to keep them away by any means necessary.

My body began to crave for some opium or a shot of morphine to keep my nerves at bay and help me forget, but instead, I decided to head for the roof so that I could clear my head.

Although the fire destroyed almost everything inside the opera house, the roof was surprisingly still intact and stable, making it safe for me to go up there.

I head towards the roof, bumping into Evangeline in the hallway.

"Oops! Sorry, Erik. I didn't see ya there."

I studied her features. Her black, curly hair was loose as it was when we first met, the skirt of her white, cotton nightgown that I had given her (dress is above) going down to her ankles and her feet bare as she stood, her brown skin making the fabric seem to shimmer.

"What are you doing out of bed at five in the morning?" I asked her.

"You know, I could ask you the same question." She replied in a saucy tone.

"Touche."

The two of us then began to chuckle, remedying my otherwise sullen mood.

It's kind of strange, really. Me being able to laugh. All I have known was suffering and pain my entire life. My happy memories were few, if any! But ever since she intruded on my life, I found myself smiling and having a bit of a chuckle here and there more than I thought would be possible. It was almost as if I was an ordinary man.

But you will never be one. I thought to myself as images from my dream buzzed around my head, making my sullen mood return.

She noticed my change in mood quickly.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Oh, um, I'm fine." I said, clearing my throat.

She didn't seem so convinced, but didn't say anything.

"So, why are you up so early?"She asked me the silence becoming deafening.

I sighed.

"I have had a nightmare and I thought that a few minutes outside will help clear my head."

Evangeline studied me for a minute or more, then replied,

"Well, it seems we're on the same boat, then. I've had a couple of nightmares tonight myself. Can I join you?"

Evangeline's POV

Erik seemed shocked about what I asked.

"You want to come with me?"

"I mean, unless you don't want me to tag along. I know that you like your personal space." I began to ramble before Erik stopped me.

"It's alright. I don't mind. Although, you might want to put a robe and some slippers on. It gets rather cold up there, especially this early into spring."

With that, we made our way through deactivated traps, weak wooden floors, and slippery stairwells until we were outside and on the roof.

"Whoa. This view is amazing!" I breathed in awe.

"Yes. It is breathtaking, isn't it?" He answered with a small smile.

The early morning air was chilly and refreshing as we stood in comfortable silence for a minute or so.

As we stood on the roof, I suddenly began to give a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. I'm just thinking about what my parents would say if they knew that I was on the roof of a tall building. Mama would say, 'Angie, get yo' behind down off that roof before you fall and bust yo' head open!' And Daddy would try to calm her down and tell me 'Now Angie, you listen to yo' mama now.'"

As my laughter began to fade, I couldn't help but worry over what I saw in my dream.

What if this IS all a dream? I began to wonder sadly.

Erik's POV

I noticed the sudden change to her jovial mood.

"What's wrong, ma aimé?"

"Just missing my parents. That's all."

I knew that that was not the real reason of her now solemn mood, or at least, that was not the only reason.

I didn't want to pry, but I also didn't want to see her so melancholy. Instead, I looked over the sleepy city of Paris. The sun will rise soon, meaning that they would have to leave.

Wait a second, Erik. You two don't have to leave right this second. The Voice pointed out, Besides, the sunrise looks pretty up here.

Sunrise? I hate the daytime! Why would I-

I suddenly realized what He meant. I might not like the sun, but she might.

"Evangeline, have you ever seen the sunrise before?"

"No, not really." She answered with a confused look on her face.

"Well, you're just in luck. It is almost dawn and this place has the perfect view of the rising sun."

With that, I offered her my hand as I led her to the top of Apollo's Lyre.

We climbed to the top of the statue as the sky was starting to get lighter. Soon, the sky turned from black to purple to orange to pink and then to blue as the yellow orb climbed it's way over the horizon.

I turned my gaze from the sunrise to Evangeline. Her full, plump lips were slightly parted in awe and her doe-like brown eyes were wide with wonder.

As much as I liked seeing her enjoy the view, if we stayed up here any longer, the gendarmes would know that I still live. So, as gently and as quietly as possible, I hesitantly placed my hands on her elbows as I led her away.

"That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen." She whispered as I led her down to the lair.

Evangeline's POV

After he had rowed us to shore, I turned around and gave Erik a hug.

"Thanks for letting me come with you." I said, smiling.

"'Tis nothing, ma amié. The sunrise was beautiful, I'll admit, but you should really go to the roof at sunset. It is truly exquisite to see the sun fall ever so slowly as the moon rises to take it's place in the sky." Erik replied, making his words sound like beautiful poetry.

"I'll take you up on that offer." I laughed as he went to the kitchen to fix us some breakfast.

This guy's something else. I thought to myself as I headed for my room to get ready for the day.

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