"This is where he lived?" I asked walking in.
"For most of his life yes," Christian replied. He walked around and lit the candles. Even in the dim, flickering light, I could tell the furnishings were very expensive. Everything was covered in a layer of dust. Near where I stood was an organ. As I looked at it, something else caught my eye. A dark red spot was on the floor next to the organ. It looked like blood.
"Christian what is this?" I asked pointing to the spot. He shifted uncomfortably.
"That's where he died," he stated finally.
"You never told me how he died," I pointed out.
"You've heard mother talk about Raoul before right?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Why?"
"He shot our father," he stated.
"What?!" I cried. "Is he still alive?"
"No," Christian said and cracked his neck. I could tell he was uncomfortable. "I killed him. I shot him in the head from behind at the same moment he shot Erik. I was trying to save him, but I was too late." He dropped his head and stared at the floor.
"It's not your fault Christian," I said comfortingly.
"In a way it is. I told Raoul that mother was here," he told me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Raoul and mother were married," he stated.
"There's a lot you and mother never told me," I said coolly. I started walking around looking at everything. I walked over to a door and tried to open it. The handle moved but the door was stuck. I slammed into it and it flew open. I fell to the ground and hit my elbow.
The pain was brief but sharp. I stood up and surveyed the room. "Good Lord," I breathed. I looked around the room again. Every wall was covered with sheets of music. The room was huge. It had about 11 foot ceilings and was at least 950 square feet in area.
There were several tables in the room that were also covered with music. At the opposite side of the room was another door. I walked to it and it opened far more easily than the fist one. Through the door I found a room with a far different feel than the previous.
Everything in it was broken including the walls which were actually mirrors. In one corner stood an iron tree with a noose dangling from on branch. Had the mirrors been intact, they would have created the illusion of being in a forest. I walked around the room and looked at all the things that were lying around. The various pieces of broken furniture looked like they had just been thrown in the room to get them out of the way.
"Danielle?!" Christian called from the other room.
"In here Christian!" I yelled back. He walked in and looked around in astonishment.
"What do you suppose this room was for?" he asked.
"Nothing good," I answered and pointed to the noose on the iron tree.
"I'll have to agree with you on that," he stated. "I think most of this furniture came from his room. I recognize some of it. I don't know when he destroyed it. It might have been after I- never mind." I decided to ignore the fact that he had stopped himself.
"Where is his room?" I asked.
"Follow me," Christian instructed. I went with him back into the main room and then through another door. The room it led to was much smaller than any of the other ones I had been in so far. It contained only a cherry wood dresser, a few standing and wall mounted candelabras, and a king size bed with black linens. Standing out very distinctively against the linens however was a white, half mask resting on a pillow.
"Christian look," I said pointing to the mask. I sat on the bed and picked it up.
"Mother must have brought it here shortly after the funeral. I guess she took it off him before he was buried," Christian told me.
"Why didn't she leave it on him?" I asked.
"I remember her saying something about him not needing to hide in death when he had been forced to hide his whole life," he replied.
"Will mother mind if I bring it home?" I questioned.
"I don't think so," he answered. I stood up and walked out of the room. A door across from me stood slightly ajar.
"What's in there Christian?" I asked, indicating the door.
"That was the room I stayed in when I was here. It was actually mother's room," he informed me. I strode over to it and walked in. There were two dressers, one with a vanity connected to it, a few candelabras, and a queen size bed. The linens on the bed were deep red and gold and looked very expensive. There was another door on the opposite wall. I opened it and found a bathroom.
Walking back into the bedroom, I went to the larger of the two dressers. I opened it and found a beautiful wedding dress hanging inside. I touched it gently and my eyes filled with tears as I remembered how mother had described her wedding to Erik. She had made him so happy. For the first time in his life, someone had loved him. I shut the door and traced the initials carved on the outside of it. I walked back into the main room and found Christian sitting on the divan.
"Ready to go?" he asked. I looked around one last time and nodded.
I'm going to be here a lot, I thought to myself.
"For most of his life yes," Christian replied. He walked around and lit the candles. Even in the dim, flickering light, I could tell the furnishings were very expensive. Everything was covered in a layer of dust. Near where I stood was an organ. As I looked at it, something else caught my eye. A dark red spot was on the floor next to the organ. It looked like blood.
"Christian what is this?" I asked pointing to the spot. He shifted uncomfortably.
"That's where he died," he stated finally.
"You never told me how he died," I pointed out.
"You've heard mother talk about Raoul before right?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Why?"
"He shot our father," he stated.
"What?!" I cried. "Is he still alive?"
"No," Christian said and cracked his neck. I could tell he was uncomfortable. "I killed him. I shot him in the head from behind at the same moment he shot Erik. I was trying to save him, but I was too late." He dropped his head and stared at the floor.
"It's not your fault Christian," I said comfortingly.
"In a way it is. I told Raoul that mother was here," he told me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Raoul and mother were married," he stated.
"There's a lot you and mother never told me," I said coolly. I started walking around looking at everything. I walked over to a door and tried to open it. The handle moved but the door was stuck. I slammed into it and it flew open. I fell to the ground and hit my elbow.
The pain was brief but sharp. I stood up and surveyed the room. "Good Lord," I breathed. I looked around the room again. Every wall was covered with sheets of music. The room was huge. It had about 11 foot ceilings and was at least 950 square feet in area.
There were several tables in the room that were also covered with music. At the opposite side of the room was another door. I walked to it and it opened far more easily than the fist one. Through the door I found a room with a far different feel than the previous.
Everything in it was broken including the walls which were actually mirrors. In one corner stood an iron tree with a noose dangling from on branch. Had the mirrors been intact, they would have created the illusion of being in a forest. I walked around the room and looked at all the things that were lying around. The various pieces of broken furniture looked like they had just been thrown in the room to get them out of the way.
"Danielle?!" Christian called from the other room.
"In here Christian!" I yelled back. He walked in and looked around in astonishment.
"What do you suppose this room was for?" he asked.
"Nothing good," I answered and pointed to the noose on the iron tree.
"I'll have to agree with you on that," he stated. "I think most of this furniture came from his room. I recognize some of it. I don't know when he destroyed it. It might have been after I- never mind." I decided to ignore the fact that he had stopped himself.
"Where is his room?" I asked.
"Follow me," Christian instructed. I went with him back into the main room and then through another door. The room it led to was much smaller than any of the other ones I had been in so far. It contained only a cherry wood dresser, a few standing and wall mounted candelabras, and a king size bed with black linens. Standing out very distinctively against the linens however was a white, half mask resting on a pillow.
"Christian look," I said pointing to the mask. I sat on the bed and picked it up.
"Mother must have brought it here shortly after the funeral. I guess she took it off him before he was buried," Christian told me.
"Why didn't she leave it on him?" I asked.
"I remember her saying something about him not needing to hide in death when he had been forced to hide his whole life," he replied.
"Will mother mind if I bring it home?" I questioned.
"I don't think so," he answered. I stood up and walked out of the room. A door across from me stood slightly ajar.
"What's in there Christian?" I asked, indicating the door.
"That was the room I stayed in when I was here. It was actually mother's room," he informed me. I strode over to it and walked in. There were two dressers, one with a vanity connected to it, a few candelabras, and a queen size bed. The linens on the bed were deep red and gold and looked very expensive. There was another door on the opposite wall. I opened it and found a bathroom.
Walking back into the bedroom, I went to the larger of the two dressers. I opened it and found a beautiful wedding dress hanging inside. I touched it gently and my eyes filled with tears as I remembered how mother had described her wedding to Erik. She had made him so happy. For the first time in his life, someone had loved him. I shut the door and traced the initials carved on the outside of it. I walked back into the main room and found Christian sitting on the divan.
"Ready to go?" he asked. I looked around one last time and nodded.
I'm going to be here a lot, I thought to myself.