I ran and ran and ran. I could feel my lungs that were about to burst and hear my heat beat in my ears.

As I saw the familiar building, I could feel my body weakening and I was about to give up when I head the familiar voice of Raoul nearing me and I pushed myself forward toward the Opera Populaire.

When I reached father's secret entrance, entered and avoided the booby traps father set out, I stopped and caught my breath.

I could hear Raoul's voice in the background calling for me and ushering the other men.

I headed down the familiar stairs and headed down to see father and mother.

When I reached the lair in which I grew up in, I saw father sitting in his usual seat at his organ.

Music sheets where in large piles on the floor and on the organ. I also saw discarded empty bottles of whisky in huge clusters on the floor.

Father was slumped on the organ. His wig was next to him on the table and his mask was sliding off of his face.

He must have just fallen asleep or he just passed out from being drunk.

I walked over to his side, roughly pulled him up off of the organ and found him drooling on himself.

I harshly shook him, trying to wake him up, but unfortunately the only response I got from him was a deep, heavy snore.

I groaned loudly. I can't believe him. He is worse than before I left.

I walked around the lair, wondering where mother was. I didn't find her anywhere.

I wonder where she could be. I thought to myself. Probably shopping for food. And father's liquor.

I was scared out of my wits when I heard a loud snore. Like the ones you hear when I person who does snore wakes up.

I turned around and I saw father rising from his organ. I saw him grab his wig, fix it upon his head and fix his mask in the deformed side of his face.

I was standing behind him, in the doorway of his and mother's room.

He still hadn't noticed me, maybe I still had a chance to leave before he noticed me. I was about to tip-toe out of the room when his voice caught my attention.

"Rosie? What are you doing here?" I didn't know what to say. I knew that he got angry easily.

I didn't want to tell him that Raoul was chasing me because I knew that he still was protective of me.

"I was just in the neighborhood and I wanted to stop by. Where's mom," I questioned him. Father looked at me, clearly not bying my story.

Then I saw him tense up. Why would he tense up? Then I saw tears well up in his eyes.

He tried to hold them back but let out a quivering breath in the process, telling me that he was indeed crying.

Why was he crying? He never cried before. What is going on here?

"Father, what's going on here? Where is mom," I asked slowly. He gulped loudly then he took a big sigh. "Rosie," he said slowly. "Your mother is.....,"