He was born a monster. Not as some believed to have only half a disfigured face, but his whole face. He never knew pity, or compassion, only fear and hatred. From the day he was born into this world he had worn a mask. The first scrap of clothing he had come to known was his mask, and after he was old enough to understand what 'ugly' was he excepted it. Against his will, he lived day to day, as this..monster, finding the only refuge and exceptance in the circus, where he had been labled in the same category as others known as 'Freaks'. He hated the term and only stayed for the gypsies. The gypsies were also very cruel to him, but he stayed because of what they had taught him.
    Night after night they played such wonderful music to please the crowds but he instantly fell in love with the hypnotizing tunes. He thought every sng that had been played had its own very unique characteristics. Some caused him to laugh, and feel as happy as he could feel, being a man that sat in a small cage labeled as 'the Devils Child'. Some music made him angry and caused him to thrash about and act like the monster he had been labeled as. But his favorite music had been the music that the women made with their voices. This singing. He needed more of it, and he knew of the Opera house, and he knew the only occupents were singers. So naturally when the young dancers from the Opera came to visit he made his escape. He slipped in unnoticed with a burlap bag covering his curse.
     There in the opera house is where he decided to live. He found an underground river beneath the Opera, and beyond the river was a cave, and this would be his home. He had taken old discarded masks, and props from previous operas, and constructed a glorious home for him to reside in. And everynight he would sneak underneath the stage and listen to the rehersals, and performances. Sometimes the stage hands and performers would see him and shout out names to him. They called him 'Ghost,' or sometimes, 'Phantom' It was most pleasing to him. Still not his real name. How he longed to be called by his real name...Erik. That was his name. But 'Ghost', or 'Phantom' sounded better than 'Monster' or 'Freak'. He was no longer the Devils Child, but the Phantom of the Opera.