Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or August Rush. They belong to their respective owners. I am borrowing some of the ideas for entertainment purposes.
A/N: Sorry for such a long wait! I finally got inspiration to write a chapter for this story after watching August Rush. This moving thing is a pain in my ass. Luckily I thought to keep a few of my favorite movies out along with my DVD player so I can watch them in the hotel. August Rush, Phantom of the Opera and Titanic included.
I also have an idea for the next story I want to upload. Phantom of the Opera/Hunger Games mix! What do you think? PM or leave a question or comment in the review if you are curious about it.
Music Within
Chapter 10: Moving Forward and Backwards
xXx
New York City
Lyla watched as all the children, robbed of their earnings, dispersed and went back to what they were doing. Genius had disappeared behind a curtain and shut everyone out for the night. The last thing he had said was directed at Ryan.
"Get her out of here before tomorrow."
Lyla knew that she was going to be homeless again and she looked at Ryan sadly.
"I'm sorry Lyla. I will let you stay the night, but in the early morning I have to get you out of here." He said sadly before walking away.
She knew that it wouldn't be so easy to have a roof over her head so she resigned to staying the night and leaving in the morning before Genius woke up.
The sun that peeked through the broken windows and pieces of wood covering them was slowly dimming. Not long after all the children found their beds and curled up for the night Lyla walked off the stage and wandered around curiously.
Not long after she started wandering she found where Ryan sleeps and watched silently as his eyes relaxed and he slept like a baby. She kneeled down to his face and admired his blonde hair and unshaven chin for a minute and realized he was sleeping in the clothes he was wearing when she first saw him. He had no pajamas and the weather became chilly at night so he couldn't sleep in just his underwear. The dirt and germs of the day followed him into his sleep and made him look very unhealthy. All he had was a ragged old fleece blanket that barely covered his long body.
She stood straight and started walking around the large space and halls where more children were sleeping on chairs and couches and even on the hardwood floors. They slept with only a thin small rag for a blanket and some didn't even get something to wrap around themselves. She started to wonder how all these children got to this place. 'Are they orphans just like me? Were they kidnapped by Genius?' She couldn't help but think of that man as being so horrible. These children were not being taken care of and she didn't understand why any of them would stay with someone like Genius.
She kept walking until she reached a closed door. It was the first door that she had seen that wasn't made from a sheet or beads hanging from the ceiling. The door seemed to be one of the only original architectural designs from when it was a running opera house. The designs in the wood were roses on vines and little birds flying through the nature. It was very beautiful. She went to reach for the knob and turned it slowly fearing that it would make a screeching noise and wake everyone up.
When she got the door open enough for her to poke her head through she found Genius sleeping on a large bed covered with a large quilt and pillows surrounding him. He was sleeping soundly and comfortably while all the children were sleeping on hard ground and rotted old couches. She became angry that he would be so selfish when he could probably fit ten of the little kids on the bed with him and still have room. She didn't want to stand there and watch him any longer so she backed out of the room and closed the door.
She kept wandering until she reached the stage again. She stood in the middle of the stage and stared out at all the empty seats, some still in place and other scattered and broken off. The red velvet of the seats were covered in dust and smelled rotted like old fruit and cheese. She dreamed of being on this stage with a guitar or piano and playing the melody in her head for her parents and having them find her. She had to learn how to play first or she would never be able to do it.
She looked over and saw Ryan's guitar case sitting on the ground where he had been standing earlier. He must have forgotten he left it there. She walked over to it and unhinged the case to let the guitar free. She lifted it by the neck and placed it on the ground in front of her. She caressed the strings and got the feel of them. She touched the hollow wood and felt its smoothness. It was a beautiful instrument and she wanted nothing more than to be able to play it. From the corner of her eye she saw a small inscription in the edge of the neck. She peered at it closer and noticed it was initials. C.D. The owner of the guitar must have put his or her initials on it as a possession. She knew it wasn't Genius's because his name started with an R. 'Whose is it?' She started to caress the letters as if they were a symbol for something.
She lifted the guitar off the ground and put the strap around her shoulders like she saw Ryan wearing it earlier. She had the guitar propped in front of her like a musician and felt the strings again. She softly ran her fingers down the keys to make the noise and marveled in the music.
She found a wire over to the left and it was attached to a large box speaker. She picked up the end of the wire and noticed it must go into something and she found an identical hole in the end of the guitar. She placed it inside the hole and turned to the speaker. There was a power button on the back and she pressed it making the guitar have an electric sound.
She looked around making sure no one woke from that screeching sound it made. When she was satisfied that she hadn't disturbed anyone's sleep she placed her fingers over some of the keys on the neck and brought her thumb down on the strings making a noise similar to what Ryan was doing with it. It didn't sound as good as how Ryan played and she almost put the guitar away, thinking she couldn't do it.
Lyla felt a presence behind her and before she could turn to see who she had disturbed she saw arms wrap around her and cover her hands where they were frozen in place over the strings. The hands were over hers, but she couldn't feel them. The arms should have been brushing over hers, but she didn't feel those either. As she looked at the pale arms and gentle, long fingers she noticed that they were faded, like a spirits, like someone who isn't actually there.
She turned to see who the spirit was, but its face was smothered in light and all she could see was the arms and long cascading brown curls falling around where the face should be. Lyla was frightened, but also intrigued. 'Who is this figure supposed to be? My mother?' Suddenly she could feel the spirit's hands on hers and she looked back down to where they were showing her how to play the guitar.
After only a few minutes Lyla had the beginning chords of a song played and she knew how to make the music come alive in the strings. She was so wrapped up in her playing that she didn't even realize her mother's spirit was gone and left her alone. Lyla turned to look over her shoulder and saw nothing, only darkness.
When she turned back to the guitar she had tears in her eyes. That wasn't the first thing she noticed though. She looked up and saw Ryan and Genius standing in front of her looking down at the guitar in her hands. A few other children stood behind them all looking amazed. Ryan's face showed astonishment and his eyes were wide open and his mouth hung open as if he was trying to say something.
Genius' face was different. His lips were lifted at the ends in a smile and his eyes twinkled with some unknown revelation. 'Oh, she'll do.'
xXx
Boston, Massachusetts
Christine's eyes slowly opened and she felt a feeling she had been trying to hold down. Loneliness. She knew she wasn't alone, but the feeling still lingered. She felt even more alone because of the dream she had just woken from. It felt so real, and she could feel the other person's skin near the end.
She dreamt she was playing her guitar. The guitar she had when she was in her band a decade ago. Her fingers remembered the strings and her mind remembered the feeling of playing. The only difference with her playing was she was teaching someone how. She was teaching an anonymous young girl how to play. She couldn't see the girls face because it had a glowing light around it shielding her sight. All she could see was the small frame and old clothes that hung off of her body. She couldn't tell what color her hair was or any features of her face. It was all hidden with light.
Christine climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. She had packed everything, but every morning she still went in search of her coffee maker. She stood in front of the empty cabinet willing her mind to conjure up a steaming cup of coffee. Her mind didn't do it, but Danny knocked on the door and let himself in with a hot cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.
"Thought you might like something to wake you up?" he said handing it to her. "Hazelnut, just the way you like it."
"You are a life saver." She said taking the Styrofoam cup and taking a sip. She physically relaxed and smiled.
"How are you this morning?" he asked looking at her raggedy night clothes and her hair in a messy ponytail.
After taking another long sip she nodded and looked up at him saying, "Really good thank you."
"Are you ready to go? The movers will be here in ten minutes." He said looking around the room at everything packed.
"Yeah. Let me just go and change, I will be right out." She said taking her coffee with her into the bedroom.
She went over to her empty dresser and grabbed her folded outfit that sat on top. She changed into her pale blue kami and jeans and put her dirty night clothes into her carry-on bag. She grabbed her sneakers and put them on. After fixing her hair and washing her teeth and face she stuck her toothbrush into the carry-on bag as well and headed into the living room.
Danny had let the movers in and they were already grabbing boxes and taking them down the hall. Christine started taking boxes from her bedroom and putting them into the living room for easier access. By the time the movers came back she had all her boxes from her bathroom and her bedroom into the living room. She started grabbing all the boxes from the kitchen and piling them up in the doorway.
She had three hulking movers back and forth with her boxes and she started cleaning up the empty walls and space so that her landlord wouldn't get mad with the mess. After only an hour the movers had gotten all the boxes and almost half of the furniture.
Christine was still going around and wiping down counters and cleaning the windows. She even went through every room and vacuumed the floor.
Faster than she thought the whole apartment was empty and all her belongings and Danny's were in the giant U-Haul truck downstairs waiting. Danny fished through his jeans pocket and found his key to the apartment and placed it on the kitchen counter. She found her purse and grabbed her keys. She took the key to this apartment off and placed it next to his. She looked around at the empty apartment and for the first time she dreaded leaving it.
She moved here to escape her life in New York and the memories that haunted her. She succeeded after starting her life and moving on with a new job and new apartment and new friends. Now she was leaving the home she had made for the past decade and going to a new place.
"Christine, you ready?" Danny said breaking through her thoughts.
She turned to look at him in the doorway and smiled. At least she wasn't leaving everything behind. She walked forward and took his hand before walking out in the hall and looking back at her apartment for the last time.
They were driving across the country in the U-Haul and they had to start early to get to Los Angeles by Sunday morning, in time for her to start work on that Monday. She knew she would be exhausted, but by then end of it she would have an amazing job and an amazing apartment with her amazing boyfriend.
xXx
Los Angeles
Erik has his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on the top of his desk. He's rubbing his eyes to try and keep them open. He couldn't get a minute of sleep after his phone call to a man named Frank Nelson. The man had been curious about his call and set up a meeting for today at noon.
Frank works for another music company across town and he insisted that they meet at his office. It is now eleven in the morning and Erik still hadn't gotten any work done. All he could think about was finding out how Christine has been living. 'Is she still with that blonde guy? Does she still regret what we did? Does she have a family now?' His thought kept going through all the questions he wanted answers to and hoped that this man would know.
Without doing a scrap of paperwork or research on a beginning singer he could possibly take under his wing it was time to go visit Mr. Nelson. He grabbed his suit coat off the back of his chair and put it on before grabbing his keys and wallet and walking out of his office.
"Samantha I am going to my meeting. I will be back soon." He said to his assistant who just nodded and continued working on her computer.
When he got down to the lobby his car was already ready for him and he jumped in without hesitation. Without paying attention to the traffic he took his car down the street, faster than the speed limit and headed in the direction of his personal meeting.
When he arrived there he parked on one of the side streets and walked the rest of the way. When he got to the lobby the receptionist looked up at his mask and immediately recognized him.
"I am here to see Frank Nelson." He said with no emotion.
"Yes sir. He is on the thirteenth floor. The receptionist up there will be with you." She said with a bright professional smile.
"Thank you." He said, walking towards the elevators and catching one before the doors closed.
He hit the button for the thirteenth floor and waited for the elevator to slide up. He was sharing a ride with a couple men in business suits and a young woman who looked to be the next pop star. She had blonde hair falling down her back and she was wearing pink tight clothes and high heel sandals.
The elevator doors opened and Erik exited to be shown into another large sitting area and two desks with blonde woman sitting doing work.
"I am here to see Frank Nelson. My name is Erik Daines." He said as he approached the closest desk.
"Yes sir. He is in a meeting right now, but he should be out shortly. I will let him know you have arrived. Would you like water or coffee while you wait?" the polite assistant asked.
"No thank you." He said as he turned and sat in one of the black leather chairs.
He took out his blackberry and started making some notes for work to keep him occupied and from pacing across the room like a caged lion. Shortly after he sat down the blonde woman that helped him came over.
"Sir, Mr. Nelson is out of his meeting. Let me show you to his office." She said with that large smile.
He stood and placed his phone in his pocket as he followed. After walking down a hall and entering one of the doors they came into a large office that would put his to shame. There was a large desk in front of a wall of glass showing the LA skyline. You could see the Hollywood sign from here. There was an arrangement of plush chairs and a sectional. There was even a TV in the corner. The walls were plain white and there were a few large posters of some successful artists. 'Did this guy sign them?' Erik thought.
Before he could admire more the sound of a toilet flush came from an adjoined room and Frank walked out drying his hands with a hand towel.
"You must be Erik Daines. So good to finally meet you." He said coming forward to shake his hand.
"Thank you for inviting me." He said back, shaking on the inside.
"We are all set Kaitlin. Thank you." He said to the blonde girl that guided Erik to the room.
She walked out of the office silently and closed the door.
"So I was very surprised and curious about that call last night. You seemed shaken over the phone." He said sitting behind his desk and gesturing for Erik to take a seat.
"Yes well I have a somewhat backstory with Christine Darden who I found out you signed a contract with a little over ten years ago."
"Ah yes. Christine, the voice of an angel. Her emotions could be heard in her words more clearly than I could have ever heard in a woman. I have worked in this business for twenty years now and I still have not heard a voice as pure as hers."
Erik thought back to the one time he heard her sing and it was a beautiful song. She truly had the voice of an angel and he could hear the sadness in her voice as she sang. It was the most wonderful singing and the main reason he stuck with music for his career. Hoping one day she would return to his life.
"How do you know her?" Frank asked.
Erik didn't know how to answer that question so he tried to be as vague as possible. "We met only once and after that we never saw each other again. She has definitely changed my life in that one time we met. That's the reason I am here. I want to know if she is alright."
"Well I haven't talked to her since she walked out on her life in New York and started fresh. That had to have been thirteen years ago." He said back.
"She left New York? Why?" Something about that made Erik's blood boil and he didn't know why. Maybe because it would be harder to find her.
"Her boyfriend at the time was upset with her for something and she was on her last straw with him. From what I remember she cheated on him and he found out. He didn't want to lose her so he got rid of the competition." He said using air quotes for the word competition. "When she found out that he got rid of the other guy she got really angry and kicked him out. Apparently she loved the other guy or something." He said taking a sip of his Starbucks coffee not knowing that he changed Erik's life.
"She… she never hated the guy? She never regretted what she did?" he asked stuttering over his words. He had never had so much trouble talking before. He was always so in control and proper.
'She doesn't hate me? She never regretted our time together? She wanted to see me that night?'
"No she actually wanted to leave her boyfriend for this stranger. She told me that she felt happier with the other guy in that one night than she ever felt in the two years she had been with her boyfriend."
'Oh my God. Seriously? I made her happy. She wanted to be with me? I knew I should have tried to find Christine after that lunatic showed up and told me she didn't want to see me again.'
Anger was starting to build up inside of him and the thought that Christine wanted him all this time kept him under control.
"A couple months went by and she never broke up with her boyfriend. He didn't tell her that he chased away the other guy until she told him about it. They were planning on getting married so they were pretty serious. Then they had a blowout."
"What happened?" Erik's head shot up, curious as ever.
"Well she found out she was pregnant and they both knew it wasn't his. She got pregnant from the other guy, the guy she cheated on her boyfriend with."
Erik was breathless. His mind went blank and he could only hear one word running through his head. "Pregnant."
"After that they were truly over and Christine did everything she could to keep the baby and she even worked harder on finding the man that she had made a baby with. After a while she found out that he left and didn't tell anyone. She lost all hope. After a few more months I told her to take a break and go on an early maternity leave. She was more than eager to take a break and I believe it was because she wanted to start getting ready to raise the baby."
"She… she is… raising the baby… all by herself?" he asked stumbling over his words again.
"Actually the labor didn't go as planned and she had to go into an emergency C-Section. When she woke up her ex-boyfriend and father were there and they told her that the baby didn't make it."
Erik's heart broke into two pieces and if he wasn't sitting down he probably would have fallen over. He could feel tears building in his eyes and he didn't want this stranger to see him cry. The only person that ever saw him cry was his mother and that was when he was a young boy who would come home every day because the other children were making fun of him.
"Are you alright sir? Do you need something to drink?" Frank asked finally realizing the man before him was distraught.
"No. Actually my lunch break is over so I need to get back to my office. Thank you for talking with me and sharing all the information you have." Erik said quickly standing and shaking his hand before trying to make a quick exit.
"Mr. Daines that isn't the end of the story."
Erik turned around to face him and saw the man standing behind his desk waiting for him to return.
Erik came back and stood in front of Frank determined. "What is the ending to the story?"
"I was on a business trip in New York a couple years ago and it was a frustrating business to be done. After one of my meetings I hit the bar across from the hotel I was staying in and ran into Raoul Chaney. Raoul is Christine's ex-boyfriend, the one that lied to her. We had a couple drinks and he was already pretty hammered. We started reminiscing and the subject turned to Christine."
He stopped to stare at Erik who was growing livid with the suspense of the story.
"He told me that he didn't want the baby to ruin Christine's life. He was hoping to start a life with her again and possibly get her back into the music business. So he came to the hospital while she was in labor and while she was under he put the baby up for adoption and falsely stated that he was the father so he had say in it. He signed his own name and Christine's signature. When the paperwork was filed he told Christine the baby was dead instead of the truth."
"The bastard put her baby up for adoption without her permission. She believes her baby is dead?" Erik said seething and breathing through his teeth.
"To this day I believe she thinks her baby is dead. I can't be sure. After all this time I believe she has moved on and has forgotten. That is the only reason I haven't gone to Boston to tell her. It is none of my business and she probably doesn't want to dig up old memories."
"Boston?" Erik asked.
"Yes. After she lost the baby she left New York and moved to Boston. She has been living there ever since."
Erik was having information overload and everything was more than he could have hoped for in this meeting. Without another word he stomped out of the office and down to the lobby. Everything was a haze until he got into his car.
He started driving down the street. There was no way he was going back to work today; he would never get anything done. He took his phone out of his pocket and called his office.
"Erik Daines office." Samantha's voice rang out on the second ring.
"Samantha, it's Erik. I need you to cancel all my meetings for the next couple days. Clear my schedule." He said as he drove to his apartment.
"Alright sir. Anything else." She asked keeping all questions bottled up inside.
"Yes see if you can get me a ticket to Boston as soon as possible." He said firmly.
xXx
Sorry crappy chapter. The next chapter will be better I promise. The story is just getting started. Stick with me here! Please Review!