Phantalmina just walked out from the 24 hour local store. Her disguise works well on shopkeepers. Acting as a child who survived the fire-accident with large burns on one side of her face and her daddy is on a journey to find doctors to help her. It worked every time. Although, she has to change to another store every three or four years to keep her cover up. One good thing too is, Phantom left a good fortune to her, through the time he worked as headmaster on Coney Island. So the money was not a trouble to her.
Once walking back to the theater, Phantalmina couldn't help but notice a family walking by on other-side of the street. Seeing a couple holding their child by hand and smiling, it burned her chest to miss something like that. She maybe be able to holding her fathers hand after a next couple of weeks, but she will never hold her mothers hand or hear her beautiful voice ever again. Phantalmina tried not to cry about something like that. It's been so long, she should be over by all of that. She took a beep breath and continued walking.
'I wish I would have watch that play to the end.' she thought. But her friends needed her help right now. And since they have helped her get rid off her loneliness, she guess it's what she has to do to thank them, and maybe she owed them more.
Phantalmina returned to the theater and for her relieved things were well in there. She smiled happily to everyone, but she still felt little down for been separated from her parents. It didn't took long till Munkustrap noticed it.
"Everything okay, Mina?" he asked using the nickname they all gave to her. They just wanted to show they didn't think her as a monster as she said to be. She couldn't help but to laugh a little by that name, since it sounded like Dracula's beloved.
"I'm fine." she just said trying to hide her sad mood. But with no success. Soon Justin and others started to notice her hiding her sad mood.
"Are you mad at us, because you missed the play?" Justin asked feeling sorry for her.
"No. Well, maybe a little." she respond. She wasn't very good lying to them since they can sense it all for her. She surely would say she wasn't feeling well and that she missed her mother again, but she didn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah. You shouldn't. You have watch that thing many times already. Ouch!" Tugger said from the piano and soon received a slap to his back from Bombalurina, a beautiful female cat who some said to be his mate.
"You seem little sad. Are you sure you're alright?" Demeter, another female cat asked her while nuzzling her head on Phantalmina's leg.
"I'm fine. It's just... I miss my mother, that's all." She finally had to said it sadly. It actually felt relieving to let it all out and not hold it down all the time.
They looked at her understanding what she meant. One matter of the time, somethings aren't easy to put back. They wished they could somehow make the sadness go away and let her smile again.
"I know what can cheer you up." Munkustrap said smiling a little and gave wink to others.
"What?" Phantalmina asked while walking to the stage.
Soon she could hear cat's and others humming and making some sounds like a acapella melody. Soon she realized what they were doing.
"Oh no. Not now." Phantalmina said smiling and laughing a little. Taking a notice she was still caring groceries.
"Come on, Mina. Sing. It makes you feel better." Munkustrap said smiling and hopped on the stool close to the piano.
Phantalmina smiled as others still humming, pushed her close to the stage and ready to hear her sing. She could only laugh before Munkustrap started to sing.
Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Phantalmina forgot to look were they hold the newcomer. The she-bat sat on the pillow looking at Isabella like asking 'Is this her?' only having Isabella smiling back.
Phantalmina put the bag down and moved close to the piano and began to sing...
Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
Soon her friends joined little by little to sing with her. Starting with Tugger then Bombalurina and soon others.
A singer in a smoky room Strangers waiting
The smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Phantalmina started to take the Jacket off and then bandages off her face. Dusk and Luna brought quickly her mask, that no one would see her deformed face. Once it in place she kept on singing
Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Paying anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Phantalmina started to place milk and crackers to their plates still singing with her friends.
Some will win, some will lose Strangers waiting
Some are born to sing the blues
Oh, the life will never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Tugger started to play air guitar while others enjoyed the show and the food that Phantalmina gave them. Still having some cat's, rat's and bats still sing and moving around her.
Don't stop believing Don't stop believing Don't stop
Hold on to that feeling
Streetlight people
Hold on
Streetlight people
Soon she turned a little and noticed their guest has been awake already. So, she got up and moved closer to them.
"You are awake." She said kindly and yet excited.
"Mina, This is Ashley. She is a foxwing. Ashley, this is Phantalmina." Isabella introduced her.
"Um.. Hi." Ashley said smiling unable to tell how to react with all that. She was surprised to meet a human girl who could understand other creatures. Well, she looked like human, but they said she is somethings else.
"Hello Ashley. How are you feeling?" Phantalmina asked kindly.
"Little better actually. I heard you brought me here."
"Yeah. You looked like you were having cold and the weather will only go even colder in a few weeks, I don't like the thought some creatures die because what humans did." Phantalmina said.
Her eyes revealed that she was honest about all that, so it kind helped Ashley to trust her.
"Will it be alright if I ask, how did you get lost in the city? " Phantalmina asked.
Ashley looked down before she answered.
"I ran away from humans." Ashley told. "I was born in their captivity. My parents and my family have live like that most of their lives. At first I didn't mind any of that. All what I cared for was my family. No matter where or how, as long we stood together. But then they took them away from me. First the elders, then my parents. I felt horrible knowing the humans that use to look after us took my family and were taking somewhere unknown. They placed me in a new cage, all alone. I could hear other animals around me but not my family. I didn't want to live rest of my life like that. So, I escaped from there. I flew away from them, hoping I could find my family. But soon I couldn't tell where I was or where my family was taken. I didn't know where to go or what to do. Soon I started to have cold and tired. So I land down to sleep."
Once Ashley finished her story, she noticed Phantalmina was somehow sad. It seemed like she listened it all and her eyes were classy from tears. Well, it was easy to tell from her dark eye middle of her mask. It looked like a big shiny black pearl. Phantalmina tried to calm down and not to cry. It was true, Ashley's story had somethings similarities to hers. She knew how painful it was to lose a family and get lost in a strange world away from the life you knew.
"Phantalmina?" Isabella's voice brought her back from those painful memories. It didn't took long till she got herself back together.
"I'm sorry to hear that. This must be very hard to you." she finally said.
"Yes." Ashley nodded. "But I don't wish to die either. It's clear that I won't survive out there. Will it be alright that I could stay here till the winter time has past?"
"Sure." Phantalmina answered. "You may roost with the other bats. It would keep you warm through the cold. I promise, I feed you while they hibernate. You can stay here all the time you need. My only rule in this theater is not hurt or kill others who stay here."
"Thank you." Ashley said smiling.
Phantalmina smiled and had to go back to the others and distribute the food to the rest of them.
"Well? Are you okay?" Isabella asked kindly.
"Oh. I... I don't know what to say. She is nice. You didn't tell me she can speak and understand us."Ashley said.
"And a beautiful singing voice." Isabella added. "She got it from her mother. They say she was the most beautiful opera-singer in Paris. Phantalmina still misses her even though she has been dead 83 years now." Isabella told. Ashley lit her eyes up hearing that.
"What? 83 years? How..? She looks like a young girl. Is it..?"
"Yes. Been Phantom like her father, she somehow can't aged or die just like any other human. Now you know why humans call her a monster."
"That's so sad." Ashley looked at Phantalmina who was giving cheese to the mice and rats, little pieces of meat to the cats and had a jar full of bugs to the bats.
"She doesn't seem to be like a monster. Only if you call all the humans as monsters. But someone so young..."
"I know. I'm having a hard time to believe it either." Isabella said while watching her too.
Phantalmina returned to leave some food for Isabella and Ashley too. She gave Ashley pieces of fruit she brought form the store. And to Isabella little piece of cheese and few crackers.
"I hope these will do for now. I'll go get something more suitable fruits for you later tomorrow." she said to Ashley
"It's okay. These are good too. Thank you."
She smiled and had to return back to help feed the small and old ones.
"I know this may be a lot to handle in one night, but you don't have to worry anything in here and I hope you like it here." Isabella said before starting to eat her cheese.
"I guess I'm going to like it." Ashley smiled.
