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Vicky woke up. Something was strange and not the way it was supposed to be. When she looked next to her, she saw what was different. Erik was moving his head back and forth and his whole face looked tense. She gently put her hand on his shoulder.
"Erik," she whispered softly, "wake up."
But he didn't wake up. She took her hand from his shoulder and placed it on his right cheek. He whimpered and curled up.
"No, please don't. No more hitting. Please stop. Please."
Vicky's tears came as she heard this. How much had her poor angel suffered? She continued to stroke his cheek and finally he woke up. His eyes shot open and his chest rose and fell rapidly.
"Vicky!" he cried.
"I'm here, love. I'm here."
"Why am I having these nightmares again now? I haven't had them in so long."
"I don't know. Maybe something triggered a memory and you have to think about it again?"
He nodded.
"I'm going to the bathroom for a minute to freshen up," he told her.
She nodded and he got out of bed and quickly walked out of the room. He quickly went to his music room. He saw a small figure standing on his organ. She was made of glass and represented a little girl. But the strange thing about her was that there was a pair of wings on her back and a pair of horns on her head. Her hair was blowing and despite her young age, she already looked stately. He took the figure tenderly in his hand and looked at her. He stroked the girl's head almost lovingly. It was a beautiful figure. Only he did not know where he got it. How had she come to him? He put the figure back down and went into the bathroom. There he stood in front of the sink and splashed cold water on his face.
He raised his head and looked in the mirror. He raised his hand and put it on his right cheek. He always thought that his ugliness would disappear if someone really loved him. Vicky loved him. With all her being and soul. But his face was still there. And it would never be any different. He felt the tears start to flow again. He sank to the floor, leaned against the bathtub, drew his knees to his chin and rested his head on them. Then he wrapped his wings around his body and wept bitterly. His whole body was trembling. Vicky, meanwhile, wondered why her husband didn't come back. She got up to look for him. But it didn't take her long at all.
Already she heard the heart-wrenching sobs coming from the bathroom. Quickly she ran there and opened the door. What she saw there made her heart break. Her Erik, her wonderful husband, was sitting in front of the bathtub, his wings wrapped around him and crying. She quickly ran to him and took him in her arms. He wrapped his around her body, put his right cheek against hers and continued to cry. Gently, Vicky stroked his hair and tried to soothe him. They sat on the floor for fifteen minutes before his sobs subsided.
"Erik, my beautiful angel," Vicky breathed in his ear, "what's wrong? Can I help you?"
He shook his head and clung to her more.
"No. The monster doesn't deserve help. Erik never deserved anything. Only death. That's the only thing he deserves. Nothing else."
Vicky gasped. He had never spoken of himself in the third person before. And he deserved so much. He deserved the whole world.
"Erik, my angel. Please look at me. I would like to tell you something."
He shook his head vehemently.
"No. Erik doesn't want to see the fear in your eyes when you have to look into his hideous face."
"Erik, you're not hideous. You are my husband and I love you. And I would like to look at you. Please, Erik."
He lifted his face from her neck. She gently cupped his cheeks. He shuddered and leaned his right cheek into her hand.
"Please, my angel. Tell me what happened. I don't want to see you so sad. I would like to have back the sweet, loving and playful husband you always are. Please tell me what happened."
"The...the gypsies. Erik thought the nightmares were over but they're not. For the past few nights, he's been dreaming about them again. Of the beatings and the looks of the people. How they laughed at him, threw things at him and he tried to hide his face. But he always saw someone who wasn't laughing at him or throwing things at him. It was a little girl. And she looked so different. And she was there every time people came again to laugh at Erik or throw things at him. Almost as if she wanted him to share his misery with her. One day, after everyone had left and Erik's master was asleep, she sidled up to him at his cage. Erik had forgotten to pull the sack back on his head, so she saw his face. And she wasn't afraid."
Vicky looked at him.
"What did the girl do?"
"She was looking at him. She looked at Erik's face without fear. Slowly she stretched out her arm and in her eyes was a plea for him not to be afraid of her. He sat quietly waiting for her to hit him, as his master always did. But she didn't. Gently she touched his cheek. She explored it closely and Erik saw no disgust or revulsion in her eyes. Only interest, concern and kindness. He started to cry and turned his face away. Then the girl did the unbelievable. She walked through the bars. Almost as if they weren't even there. She came to Erik, hugged him and stroked his head. It was so beautiful. Erik had never been touched so lovingly."
Vicky's eyes watered. She felt so sorry for him. He had had such a bad childhood. She wanted to hold him in her arms all the time and never let him go. He sniffled.
"She hugged Erik. She touched his repulsive body of her own free will. Then she looked at him. "Erik," she breathed lifting his head, "I'm sorry to have to leave you. I'm sorry we met so late but I'm happy we have."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know but I promise you something."
"Yes?"
"We will meet again. I don't know when yet but we will."
"How can I recognize you?"
The girl pondered. Then suddenly she did something. Something suddenly rose from her hand. She formed it precisely and accurately. When it was finished, she handed it to Erik.
"This is me. Whenever you look at it, I hope you'll remember me."
"I will. But where can I put it? That my master won't hit me."
The girl considered and tilted her head.
"It won't be with you. If you get out of here and find a safe home, it will appear. And I promise you, you will get out of here."
"I hope so."
"You will."
She gave Erik one last hug. And then she did the unbelievable. She kissed his right cheek. Erik was so taken aback by it. She smiled at him again, stroked his hideousness, and then walked out of the cage.
"Wait!" he called to her.
She turned around.
"What's your name?"
"My name? My name is..."
"But before she could answer me, a figure that looked just like her appeared and took her with it. A feather flew down and directly into my cage. I picked it up, stroked it and then hid it with my monkey. To this day, I've kept it."
Vicky looked at her husband.
"Can I see the feather?"
He nodded, got up, left the bathroom, and returned a short time later. He handed her the feather with trembling hands. It was obvious that he was very attached to it. Vicky took it and examined it. Tears gathered in her eyes. She gave him back the feather, quickly got up and left the bathroom. She ran into the bedroom, fell on the mattress and burst into loud sobs. Erik sat in the bathroom, surprised. He never expected this reaction. He got up and went into the bedroom as well. His wife was lying on the bed and sobbing into the mattress. He sat down with her and stroked her back.
"Vicky? What's wrong with you?"
"The...the feather."
"What about her?"
"You kept it after all this time?"
"Of course I did. Why do you ask?"
"You... you don't remember? What did the girl look like then?"
"Well... she had long black hair and actually looked almost exactly like you."
Vicky lifted her head and looked at him. A smile spread across her face. Erik looked at her confused at first and then his eyes widened to saucer size.
"What? You? It was you back then? You comforted me and gave me the figurine?"
"I did. I just wanted to ease your suffering and give you a little joy that you so deserved. I was so sorry that I couldn't free you but then that happened that night, didn't it?"
Erik nodded. On the night he had received the figure, Antoinette Giry, who was still young at the time, appeared. She relieved him of his suffering then and took him under the opera. But he never forgot the girl who had so lovingly embraced him then and caressed his cheek. And when he had spent some time under the opera and already had some furniture, suddenly the little figure that the girl had made for him appeared. He looked at it and took it in his hands. It was so filigree and delicate. Just as it was her hand on his face. He raised his hand and slowly guided his fingers to his disfigurement. He felt the grooves and crevices of his cheek, the drooping eyelid, and his sparse hairs, which were missing on the right side of his head. Only at the back of his head and the left side were they there. This abomination had touched the girl without screaming. Right now the girl was doing it again. But now the girl was an adult and his wife.
"I never thought it was you. I always thought I would never see that girl again. But I also think you weren't afraid of me when you saw me again. Because you knew what I looked like."
"That may be quite true," Vicky replied.
He came to her and leaned against her.
"I'm so glad we saw each other then and that you're with me now. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you."
"I love you, too. And I'll never leave you again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
He turned his head to her, lifting his hand to her cheek as she lifted hers to his, and the two kissed. It would take some time before they could truly let go of the scars of the past but together they would get there. Just as they would manage everything else together. Because with love, understanding and trust, you are able to do anything.