Chapter 9: NADIR!
Erik had held Clara in his arms for so long that he wasn't sure just how long they had been standing in the entrance hall of his rundown childhood home... He finally pulled back and ran his shaking fingertips against her tear damp cheeks as if trying to repeatedly assure himself that she was indeed standing their before him and was truly alive and he smiled when she turned her cheek into his touch,
"I think some explanations are in order" Antoinette suggested before making her way into the living room area with Meg and Clara moved to follow but Erik found himself unable to release his hold on her hand prompting Clara to look down at their joined hands before smiling at him softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze that encouraged him to feel at ease with the idea of finally releasing her hand so that she could follow her aunt and cousin... Erik was not far behind.
Clara needed a moment to come to terms that she was finally reunited with Antoinette, Meg... And Erik but she finally took a deep breath to calm herself down after sitting on the couch,
"It's... It's all still a bit of a blur but I'll try to explain as best as I can" she assured... Smiling softly when Erik moved and sat beside her, placing his hand over her own...
~ A few weeks ago ~
Clara faced towards the wall of fallen debris as she closed her eyes hopelessly as she felt Erik's hand leave her own after ordering him to run... She refused to turn around when she heard the mob approaching her,
"Where is your master, Devil's concubine?!" One mob member demanded with an anger filled tone laced with warning causing Clara's closed eyes to tighten,
"... Let me be brave... Be brave..." she whispered to herself but her refusal to cooperate soon had the mob's patience extinguish,
"OPEN FIRE!" the leader yelled as they aimed their pistols in her direction but suddenly the ground began to shake below Clara's feet and just as the shots fired, the ground below Clara fell apart, swallowing her up and removing her from the swarm of bullets that had been released in her direction.
~ Present ~
Clara shuddered at the memory after finishing explaining what she remembered,
"... I don't remember much after that" she admitted,
"... The next thing I knew was waking to find Mr Khan standing over me" she explained and the Persian smiled smugly,
"Quite heroic of me if I do say so myself" he boasted,
"I arrived at the opera house to find the authorities speaking of their failed mission to arrest the infamous phantom... They told this young vicomte that they had witnessed the phantom's mistress be swallowed up by the earth, concluding that... and I quote 'Her master must have summoned her back to hell' complete nonsense I told myself and so I traveled down to the catacombs myself to investigate further" Nadir explained,
"Sure enough I found the sink hole that Miss Clara had fallen into. Poor girl was knocked out and half buried by debris and rubble... Got to say Erik I never considered the idea that you would have a mistress but it also didn't surprise me that she was a red head." Nadir commented causing Erik to glare in his direction as Clara blushed,
"She's not my concubine you basta..." he tried but Antoinette smacked him on the back of the head,
"Language" she warned causing Nadir to chuckle but it was short lived when she smacked him on the back of the head,
"My niece is not a concubine" she scolded and Erik smirked in amusement when Nadir rubbed the back of his head with a grumble of apology,
"... After that Nadir and I had to stay hidden for a while until the authorities finally abandoned their search of the opera house. We made our way to Calais but with the ports closed we had no idea where we could search next... But then I remembered that you had mentioned being born here in Borscherville" Clara explained gently, prompting Erik to look at her gently as she looked down at their joined hands,
"... I... I was so scared that we wouldn't find you..." she whispered shakily as Antoinette placed a comforting hand over her shoulder whilst Erik gently rested his forehead against her own,
"No doubt you're exhausted after everything you've been through... You should get some sleep." Erik told her gently, standing from the couch and assisted her to stand before leading her upstairs to the fire floor landing,
"I'll be right downstairs if you need anything" he told her,
"... Goodnight, Erik..." Clara whispered gently before hugging him softly and Erik was stunned when he felt her turn her head so she could place a gentle kiss to his stubble cheek... He felt frozen as he watched her enter one of the rooms and closed the door behind her...,
"I COULD USE SOME FOOD!" Nadir yelled from downstairs causing Erik to instantly develop a scowl on his masked face,
"SHUT UP DAROGA!" he yelled back before finally making his way downstairs once again.
It was the next morning when Clara emerged from the room Erik had given her... It had hardly any furniture but thankfully there was a bed that provided her with a much needed and well earned rest... She made her way downstairs and found Nadir examining some old dusty antiques,
"Good Morning, Nadir" she greeted, prompting the Persian to smile at her,
"Good morning, Miss Clara" he returned,
"Is Erik still asleep?" she asked but Nadir simply chuckled,
"Never known the grumpy old mule to sleep in all the years I've known him" he joked,
"He went down to the basement... Something about a reunion with the past" Nadir told her and Clara soon looked towards the door that stood below the staircase and she made her way over to it before heading down to the basement to find Erik.
Erik stood within the small basement that was littered with boxes but he was more focused on a large item that was covered with an old sheet... He glared at it with hatred in his eyes,
"...Erik?..." Clara called to him gently causing him to turn to her as she stepped off the last basement staircase step,
"Clara, You shouldn't be down here. It's not safe" he told her,
"Then you shouldn't be down here either" she replied simply and Erik couldn't help but smile in amusement, shaking his head at her stubborn nature... Clara looked towards the sheet covered item with curiosity,
"What's that?" she asked, coming to stand by his side as Erik turned back to look at it and sighed,
"... The only mirror my mother allowed within the house... She kept it down here for when she would need to admire herself in the mirror whenever she went out with Mr Jenkins... A neighbor from down the road back when I was a child..." he explained but frowned,
"... I never could understand why they only saw each other when Mrs Jenkins traveled to England to see her sister every couple of months" he recalled with a grumble but simply shrugged his shoulders in an uncaring manner,
"... I only ever looked upon this mirror once... I had just turned 10 years old and I had grown tired of the cloth mask that my mother always insisted I wear... I grew frustrated and refused to wear it ever again... She dragged me down here to the basement and ripped away this very sheet to reveal the horror that was hidden..." he murmured,
"I screamed... The monster that stared back at me was horrifying... I clasped at the skirts of my mother's dress, burying my face in the material begging her to protect me from the monster... but she forced me to look... I swore that the creature I saw would climb out of the glass and gobble me up... I ran straight to my attic without even stopping for breath... All the while I could hear my mother screaming after me that the monster would never be able to get me so long as I never removed my mask again..." Erik whispered before removing the sheet, allowing it to drop from the floor so that he could look upon the reflective glass surrounded by an antique golden frame and he saw how Clara was looking at him with tears in her eyes but he looked at his own reflection,
"... One day I thought that perhaps If I slayed the monster within the mirror then my mother would finally love me... Perhaps even finally grant me a kiss she had always refused me... I came down here one night and removed my mask to summon the beast but... I soon realized... The monster chorused and mimicked my every move and it was in that same moment that I came to realize... The monster... The beast I feared so much was my own reflection" Erik growled in a whisper as he glared at his masked reflection but looked at Clara when she wrapped her hand around his own,
"Erik... I am so sorry" she whispered as tears escaped down her cheeks and Erik couldn't help but smile gently as he reached up and brushed them away with his thumb gently before encouraging her to stand in front of him and look at her reflection,
"I haven't looked at this mirror since now... I half expected to find that monstrous creature still hiding within the glass and yet... It seems he has a stunning companion with him... Lucky Bastard" he said with a teasing tone and smile and watched as Clara smiled softly despite her tears but then she stepped towards the mirror and brushed her finger tips against Erik's reflection causing him to look stunned,
"... You're not a monster. Nor a creature of any kind" she whispered before reaching up and pressed a kiss to the part of the glass that reflected Erik's lips and Erik instantly looked shocked as a tear fell down his own cheek as he watched her turn back to him, smiling up at him softly... She slowly cupped his cheek gently when he leaned down towards her hesitantly,
"Erik! Do you think any of these old antiques are worth anything?!" Nadir called from upstairs and Clara couldn't help but smile as Erik rested his forehead against hers with a grumble of frustration,
"... Please excuse me my dear... I need to go and show someone a bridge... So I can throw him off it" he grumbled, before making his way up the staircase,
"NADIR!" he yelled causing Clara to giggle, shaking her head in amusement before making her way back up the staircase too, leaving the uncovered mirror behind her.
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QueenOfDisney96