I'm sorry, I know this is late. It seems like these last few weeks have been out of wack for me. I just can't seem to get my rhythm back after the move. Hopefully things settle down soon. I hope you enjoy this we are starting to get to the really good stuff that I am so excited for. A special thank you to those who have reviewed you know who you are. You guys are freaking awesome.
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah…Phantom of the Opera…blah blah blah…not mine.
Chapter 11
Rumors of a ghost
Erik heard a gasp behind him and he muttered darkly under his breath. This was the third person who had run into him this month. He was getting sloppy. He had gone months without seeing a single person and now it seemed like he couldn't go anywhere without running into someone. He ran away quickly disappearing in the darkness of the room that he had been exploring in the basement.
He was surprised how quickly the rumors flew through the opera. It seemed like that was all everyone talked about. Everyone knew at least someone who had claimed to have had an encounter with the Opera Ghost. He knew most of the stories were false since only a handful of people had actually seen him.
It pained him to hear the things they told about him. He was more often than not painted as a malevolent spirit and there were some pretty horrific stories floating around about him. Why did he have to be a malevolent ghost? Why couldn't he be a friendly one? Erik sighed as he walked back home.
"Hey," Gerald called as Erik walked out of the wall. Erik grunted and walked to the sink to get a drink. "Someone saw you again?" Gerald questioned seeing Erik's current mood. Erik nodded and sighed rubbing a hand over his head.
"It doesn't matter what they think about you Erik. You and I know the truth."
"I know Gerald but it still hurts. It seems like my whole life has been like this. I'm a monster." He said the last under his breath but Gerald's head snapped up and there was anger on his face.
"You are the biggest idiot in the world if that's what you think. Just because you are different does not make you a monster. If you were a monster I definitely would not be letting you live here. Why would I want to live with a monster? I don't ever want to hear you say anything like that again. That statement is as true as the stories they tell about the opera ghost." Erik's stared into Gerald's eyes seeing how much he truly cared about him. His heart warmed but he could not help but thinking that if Gerald knew the truth of how he looked he would think he was a monster too.
"You don't understand." Erik started but Gerald cut him off.
"I don't care what you are hiding there is nothing that will change my opinion of you. I may not have known you very long but I like to think that I am a good judge of character. I knew that night I took you in that you were a wonderful person and every day since then you have proven my hunch correct. I understand that there have been people in your life who have put you down, but what gives them the right to judge you? You are not defined by the opinions of others you are defined by what you think of yourself and your actions." Erik knew that Gerald was right, but Gerald was only one of two people who actually cared for him. There must be something wrong with him if the majority of people ran away screaming.
"Ok Gerald." He managed to say. Erik could see Gerald was not convinced that Erik believed him, but he was willing to let it go for now. Gerald sat down roughly on the couch and after a few minutes Erik joined him. He put his arm around Gerald realizing that he had never initiated contact between them. Gerald was always the one hugging or patting him on the back. He gave Gerald a squeeze.
"Thanks." He said quietly and Gerald patted Erik's knee and they sat there in silence knowing that words were not needed as they enjoyed each other's company.
Ooooooooooo
Erik groaned as he walked in the passage backstage.
"I'm telling you if you want to stay alive you will stay out of the last basement. That's where the Opera Ghost stays and he hates when people go in there." A stage hand named Heath said to a new man that Erik did not know. Erik paused to look out a crack in the wall. The new guy's eyes were wide in fear. "Last year when a guy went down there he just disappeared. They looked everywhere for his body and could not find it until 4 months later when it turned up lying in the center of the stage." Erik could not believe it. He had not even been at the opera a year. Why did people have to be so superstitious?
"No way. That didn't happen." The new guy insisted, but Heath nodded emphatically.
"Yes it did. I heard it from one of the early morning cleaners who found the body." The new guy looked unsure. Not willing to believe but not willing to discount the story either. He had heard too many stories since he had come to work at the opera. Erik groaned again causing both men to jump in surprise.
"Did you hear that?" New guy said to Heath. Heath just looked at new guy in terror and ran out of the room. Erik quickly left before he got even more upset. He had heard so many stories about the opera ghost that he had had enough. The stories mostly centered on him killing people who wander alone in the opera, but occasionally there is one about his music. Even though it galled him that they referred to him as the opera ghost he enjoyed hearing about his music. They told how beautiful the music was and how they could not help but stop to listen.
Even though people knew there was someone making music in the auditorium people just never seemed inclined to search for the musician for fear of finding the ghost. Erik sighed and walked behind the walls of the dressing rooms. He could not see into them but he could hear all the people getting ready for the night's performance of The Magic Flute. It was one of Erik's favorite otherwise he would not have ventured out of the apartment. He was in a foul mood and hoped that watching the opera would make him feel better.
"I'm telling you Jared who works backstage told me that Steve told him that the ghost killed a guy in the deepest level of the opera. He said it was horrible blood everywhere. He says the ghost looks like a man but so hideous that you can hardly look at him." One of the women said to another.
"Really?" The other asked skeptically.
"Really. Steve has been around forever he knows everything about the opera." Erik knew who Steve and Jared were and he knew that Jared was just trying to impress the pretty girls rather than tell the truth but her words made his bad mood even worse. Anger burned through him and he could not help from letting out a scream and banging on the walls. Why couldn't he just live in peace? He heard screams on the other side of the wall and realized what he had done. He ran down the passage his anger building. He knew one place where he could go that no one would bother him. He travelled to the bowels of the opera and sat on the cement at the edge of the water. He took off his shoes and rolled his pants up. He gasped when his toes touched the ice cold water.
He stared down at his hands. They were long and thin and his fingers looked skeletal. He knew that to others his skin felt strange cold and thin. He looked down at his legs and saw the skin stretched tight over lean muscles. His had an olive complexion and figured he took after his dad since his mother was so fair. He knew that his hands and feet looked almost normal; he looked thin but strong and graceful. He knew that if he had a normal face people would just think that he needed to eat more. But he knew what his head looked like.
He knew that the hair on his head was patchy and pure white. His eyes were completely black and unnatural. He knew his gaze could make people uncomfortable. His face was completely hairless and gave him the appearance of a skull. His nose was missing the cartilage and was barely there adding to his skeletal appearance. His lips were thin and when he smiled his mouth stretched into a hideous grin. He didn't know how Gerald could even stand to look at him even with the mask on. He couldn't stand to look at himself with the mask on.
He moved his feet gently back and forth in the frigid waters making small ripples that cascaded out into the darkness. Erik stared into the dark wondering why he was even alive. Why didn't his mother just kill him when he was young? She hated him so much why keep him alive when his very existence is hell. Taking a deep breath he thought hard about the good things in his life. Gerald, the music, he lived in an opera with lots of musical things at his fingertips.
He realized that he had never taken advantage of the opportunities that living in the opera presented. He had only ever played on the piano in the auditorium but he knew that there were lots of instruments stored at the opera and tons of sheet music and books in the library. He would have to start using those resources to learn more and more about music. John had taught him a lot but here was a chance to learn more.
He got up and put his shoes on his wet feet, his bad mood forgotten. He ran back through the passages passing behind the dressing rooms again. He stopped when he heard the women talking again. He sighed when he remembered about them hearing him scream. He knew that right now they were telling anyone that would listen about how the opera ghost screamed and made the walls shake. He shook his head and continued home.
Ooooooooooo
He walked out of his room the next morning pulling on his hoodie. He stopped when he saw something glint in the living room. He walked in and saw Gerald putting ornaments on a fake Christmas tree.
"Merry early Christmas." Gerald said when he saw Erik standing in the doorway. Erik stared at the tree. He had heard about Christmas from John but he had never experienced it himself. His mother hated holidays.
"I have never seen a Christmas tree." He said looking at the boxes of ornaments waiting to be hung on the tree. Gerald shook his head.
"Come on and help me." He said not wanting to bring up Erik's past. He knew that if he did Erik would be in a bad mood the rest of the day. Erik walked forward and picked up a blue glass ball that looked like it had snowflakes all over it. Carefully he hung it on the tree. He grinned. He was hanging ornaments on his first Christmas tree. He looked over at Gerald and frowned. How was he going to get Gerald a Christmas present? He didn't have any money. In fact he had never asked Gerald about money since he never needed money inside the opera house.
"What's the matter?" Gerald asked when he saw Erik's frown.
"I don't have any way to get you a present." Erik said disappointed to not be able to get Gerald anything. Gerald grinned.
"I have an idea on what you can do." He said as they hung the last of the ornaments on the tree. "Come with me." They left the apartment through the passage in the kitchen and came to the manager's office. He knew that the manager would not be in until much later. He was more interested in partying with the young chorus girls than managing the business.
"Have a seat." He told Erik motioning for the chair behind the desk. He stood behind him and pointed to the computer. "This is how you are going to get me a present if you want to." Erik looked at the computer confused. John had told him about computers but he had never really seen one. His mother had banned all electronic equipment from the house. He believed it was because she was afraid someone would find out about him.
"How is this going to help me?" Gerald was once again surprise by how little Erik knew about things when he knew about so much.
"Online shopping." Gerald said putting his hand on the mouse. He spent the next ten minutes explaining to Erik about how computers work and the basics of using the internet. He was amazed by how quickly Erik understood. It had taken him a long time to understand how to use a computer. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a card. "Here you can use this. Don't worry about cost this has a ten thousand dollar limit on it. Don't be spending the whole ten thousand though. If you want to get me something it can be something reasonable." Erik nodded.
"Got it now go away so I can find a gift for you." He searched the internet trying to find the right gift. What do you get someone who doesn't need a whole lot? Finally he stumbled across a site that had different electronic massagers. He knew how much Gerald's body hurt after a long day working around the opera. He chose several so that Gerald could get a head to toe massage and went through the process of checking out.
He was amazed at the wonders of modern technology. You order something with a click and it shows up a week or two later. This must have been how his mother ordered things for him. She must have the computer locked in another room of the house. He was so excited by his newly learned knowledge. He knew he would be spending more time on the computer in the future.
Finished with his shopping he knew that he would have to talk to Gerald about using his card more often. There were lots of things that he saw that intrigued him and wanted to get. He would have to talk about it after Christmas.
The weeks before Christmas passed excruciating slowly for Erik. He was so excited to have Christmas with Gerald and he couldn't wait for Gerald to open his presents. Two weeks after he ordered they came in the mail. Grabbing the box from Gerald his rushed into his room to wrap them and put them under the tree. Gerald had already done his shopping and had bought all the necessities for wrapping presents.
Erik struggled to get the presents wrapped. He figured it would be easy and he tried to fold them neatly but they just would not cooperate. When he finished he knew they were not the most beautifully wrapped presents but they were wrapped. He took them out to the tree and put them underneath next to the presents Gerald bought. Gerald's were wrapped much neater than his but Gerald had much more practice with wrapping presents than he did.
Finally the day had come it was Christmas Eve and Erik was so excited. He and Gerald were sitting on the couch eating rice crispy treats and drinking egg nog. Somehow they had managed to make delicious rice crispy treats which gave Erik hope that he would learn to cook eventually. Erik watch the movie and thought about how much his life had changed almost seven months ago he had been living on the street and now he had a home and a friend. He had never been so happy.
Gerald looked over at Erik and thought about how happy he looked. There was a big change in the way Erik behaved now and how he behaved when he first came here. He stopped wearing the hood on his jacket around Gerald. He was more relaxed than he was before. He knew that deep down Erik was still an angry boy and he wondered if that anger would ever go away. He knew that Erik had days where he just hated himself but those days were getting fewer.
Erik looked at him and smiled. Gerald always wondered what he looked like under the mask but never asked. He knew that Erik hated the way he looked and knew his mother was a big part of the reason for the self-loathing. He hoped that one day Erik would trust him enough to take his mask off. Until then he would just keep doing what he was doing and try and make Erik's life a happy one. He loved Erik like a son and wanted him to be able to be happy.
"Gerald wake up." Erik barged into his room and Gerald could not hide a smile. Days like these he could see how young Erik really was. He always acted so mature but there were times when he let himself act like the child that he was, even though Erik would never admit that he ever acted immature. "Come on I want to open presents." Gerald got up and grabbed his robe. He was as excited as Erik was. He had been dying to know what Erik had bought him. He sat on the couch as Erik grabbed the three badly wrapped packages. He set them on the couch next to Gerald.
"Here open yours first." Gerald tore at the wrapping paper. In the first one there was a head massager, and in the second a back massager.
"I'm sensing a trend here." He said as he opened the third present. Inside was a foot massager.
"You are always complaining how sore you get. Now you can relax and get good massage." Gerald pulled Erik into an awkward hug. Erik bent over trying not to fall on top of Gerald.
"Thanks Erik. This is the best present I have ever had. Now you have to open yours." There were several presents under the tree for him and he grabbed a small one to open first. He laughed when he saw inside the small box were several whoopee cushions. He looked up at Gerald as the older man chuckled.
"I know how much you like them." Erik rolled his eyes as he grabbed at another gift. It was a little bit larger and he tore at the paper. It was a pair of new black leather boots.
"I know your shoes are getting worn out and these will last you a while. Erik ran a hand over the picture on the box. He had rarely received new shoes. His mother had only bought him new things when she absolutely had to. She usually bought them several sizes too big so that she would not have to buy new ones for a long time. Eagerly he opened the next box.
"What's this?" He asked holding up the leather bound book and the gold pen.
"It's a journal. I have always found that keeping a journal makes things in my life a little clearer. I can also get out any frustrations out on paper and I always feel better afterward." Erik nodded, he like the idea of writing down his thoughts. He had never thought to do that before. The next package was a tee shirt with the words opera ghost and an arrow pointing up. Erik couldn't help but laugh at that one. The last present held a heavy warm coat.
"I know you like going up on the roof and you don't have a jacket that is warm enough to go out there. Now you can keep warm and if you ever want to go outside there is a deep hood so no one will see your face." Erik nodded appreciating the thought that went into all the gifts Gerald bought him. He stood up to give Gerald a hug.
"Thanks Gerald." He said his voice catching. He stepped back and coughed not wanting to cry in front of Gerald. Even though the gifts were simple he had never received gifts before. Gerald clapped his hands together.
"Now I say we go up on the roof and have a good old fashioned snow ball fight and try out that jacket and boots." Erik could not believe that Gerald was suggesting they go out and play in the snow but it sounded so much fun that he could not resist.
"Ow, Gerald we said no face shots!" Erik shouted as he heard Gerald laughing somewhere in the darkness of the roof.
"Sorry," His voice echoed around the rooftop as Erik tried to pinpoint exactly where he was. So far he had been unable to land a single snowball on Gerald. For an old man he was very quick and good at dodging. Gerald on the other hand had covered Erik in snowballs. Erik quietly snuck around an air conditioner where he thought Gerald was hiding. He had an armload of snow to dump on him. He jumped out ready to pounce when he was knocked over by a load of snow from above. He lay in the snow half buried and looked up to see a laughing Gerald.
"Ok I'm done. I'm getting too old for this. You will have to try harder next time." Erik laughed and dug himself out of the snow. Standing he brushed himself off and laughed.
"I guess so." He put his arm around Gerald as they walked to the door to go home. Erik had never felt so happy before. He was so glad that he had come to stay at the opera. It was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
