Chapter 5
The little boy ran in the rain trying to catch up with his father who had just walked out the door.
"Daddy! Daddy!" He shouted.
The man turned to the child he was wearing a dark suit and dark sunglasses.
"Connor, go home!" He shouted.
"Please Daddy, don't go!" The little boy begged.
There was a look of sadness on the man's face. It was obvious he didn't want to leave his son, but there was a greater purpose he had to serve.
"Why do you have to go, Daddy?" The little boy asked with tears in his eyes.
The man knelt down and took of his sunglasses revealing his blue eyes, the same color eyes as the little boy.
"I have a purpose son." He explained.
"Are you coming back?"
"I don't know son. I hope so."
The man held the child tightly in his arms. And then he spoke again.
"Just remember that Daddy loves you very much." He said as he started to cry.
"I love you too, Daddy."
The man wiped his eyes as his copies were nearby to take his son back into the house. He hugged his child one last time and regained his composure as he put his dark glasses back on.
"Take him back inside. This is no place for a child." He ordered.
A single copy that looked like his father picked him up and carried him inside the house and up to his bedroom. Once inside, he took the little boy to the bedroom and tucked him into bed. The copy waited until the boy was asleep and shut the door behind him. Little did the copy know the boy was faking. Connor waited until the coast was clear and snuck out once again. He put on a raincoat and snuck out the house as his father's copy sat sleeping in an upright position in the living room. It would not be long until he saw his father and the man in the long black coat squaring off face to face against each other. The little boy watched as his father's copies were all standing in several lines, not a single expression on their faces as his father stepped out of the crowd of clones.
"Mr. Anderson. Welcome back. We've missed you. You like what I've done with the place?"
"It ends tonight." The man said.
"I know it does, I've seen it. That's why the rest of me is just going to enjoy the show - we already know that I'm the one who beats you."
Connor watched as his father and the man charged at each other in the rain. They flew through the air as they crashed through buildings. He watched as both men plummeted to the ground making huge crater on impact. He watched as his father fought the man as he slammed him into the wall of the crater. He watched as their fists were flying until finally his father looked as if he were to give up. Finally the man and his father stood in the rain and then out of the blue when he least expected it, he plunged his hand into the man's chest making him a copy along with the others.
"Is it over?" He asked.
His copy nodded. Not soon after that, streaks of light leaked through the eyes of every copy making them explode. Connor screamed as he watched his father die, there were no copies left, it was just him alone in the rain and the man in long, black coat. The man turned to the child and faced him. Instead of looking into normal eyes, he looked into the red eyes of a demon. The man who killed his father walked slowly towards him with a menacing grin. The child was frozen with fear as he walked towards him, he tried to run but he couldn't. The man reached out to grab him ...
Connor awoke in his bed screaming as he did almost every other night since his father's death. He cradled his head in his hands as the rain fell outside. He looked out the window and dreaded it. Since that night all those many years ago Connor had despised the rain. He crawled out of bed and went to the study where the piano was. He sat down and started to play Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. A few moments later The Architect walked in.
"Couldn't sleep?" The old man asked.
"No not really." He answered.
"You had the dream again didn't you."
"Grampa how did you ..."
"I've raised you since you were seven, I know you quite well."
"It's been so long ago, but yet that damned nightmare still plays in my head over and over again."
"Somehow, it has become a part of you Connor."
"Well I don't want for it to be a part of me. If Mr. Anderson were not already dead, I would have killed him myself." Connor told him.
"I know son. Good night."
The old man excused himself as Connor continued to play Beethoven.
The next day arrived and Lexi arrived on schedule.
"Hello." She said.
"Hello Miss Morgan." He answered.
"So what do you have planned today?" She asked.
"Well I thought that maybe we could do some photographs on black and white film." Connor answered.
"Sounds like a plan."
They went through the maze and went to the outdoor studio once again.
"I was thinking maybe we could do some nudes this time, Would you be okay with that?" He asked.
"Sure." Lexi answered.
"There's a robe over there." He said pointing to a corner.
Lexi walked over to where the robe was and undressed. Connor turned as she did so. A few moments later she was ready.
"Please have a seat over on that couch." He said.
She took off her robe as she walked over to the couch. Connor took off his jacket and tie and positioned himself behind the lens and started to click away. A few moments later he changed backdrops and Lexi changed positions. He got behind the camera once more as he reloaded the film and clicked away some more. They shot over ten rolls of black and white film in four hours but the time just seemed to fly. Finally it was getting late. She got dressed and they headed back to the house. When they reached the piano room and out the corner of her eye she saw a picture of a man who looked identical to Connor with a little boy who was about six or seven at the time.
"I didn't know you had kids." Lexi said.
"Actually I don't, this of my father and I. He died when I was seven."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Connor gave her a slight smile.
"No it's alright."
Lexi stared at the picture, she couldn't believe as to how much Connor looked like this man, especially in the eyes.
"So do you like opera at all Miss Morgan?" He asked.
"It depends on the opera. I'm kind of a big fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber." Lexi admitted.
"I was hoping you would say that. I have an extra ticket to The Phantom of the Opera on Friday evening. My grandfather bought an extra one and I was wondering if you could join us."
"I would love too." Lexi said.
"Good."
Lexi looked over to the piano and sat down in front of it.
"So do you play?" Connor asked her.
"A little but I'm not that good." She admitted.
"How about playing something right now?"
Lexi felt flushed.
"I can't."
"Of course you can." He said as he sat next to her.
He positioned himself behind her on the bench.
"Close your eyes." He said softly.
Lexi did so as his hands slid over hers and they touched the keys that slowly put out a melody.
"Very good Miss Morgan."
"Thank you."
They continued to play together until The Architect came in.
"Hello Connor. Is this the young lady you've been working with?" The old man asked.
He quickly got up from the piano an introduced her to him.
"Oh grandpa, this is Miss Morgan"
"A pleasure to meet you." The Architect said with a warm smile.
"Hello." Lexi answered.
"I asked her to join us for Phantom on Friday, if that is alright."
"It's perfectly fine." The old man said. "I look forward to you joining us."
Lexi looked at her watch and realized it was getting late.
"Well I have to go, it's getting late and I have a class in the morning. I will see you on Friday evening."
"Good. We will see you then." The old man said.
"Have a good night. It was nice meeting you." She said.
"Let me walk you to your car." Connor offered.
"Alright."
They both walked out the door to her car which was waiting in the drive. Connor handed her an envelope and he waited as she pulled out to make sure she got out safely. Once she was out of sight, he went back inside the house.
"It looks as if the young lady has made a very good impression on you son." The Architect said.
"Yes, I can honestly say that I like her." Connor admitted.
