I was pushed in to what used to be my cage. It was small, when I was younger it was a lot bigger, but now being a full grown man, its not really that easy, I have leg room thank god, but I'm use to standing this god forbidden cage won't let me do that! I leaned on the bars and tried to get some rest, tomorrow was going to be the opening of the fairground again. This was going to be my life, scaring others with this haunted face.
Just when my eyes began to close, I heard something, it was music, but this music was different, it was an instrument playing some foreign sound. I looked around the tent yet saw nothing, then I glanced through the bars outside the tent and there I see a boy playing some instrument I have not seen before. The boy was playing fairly well, the tune and melody he was creating was, shall I say fascinating. The boy suddenly stopped when he realized I was staring at him, I quickly turned away. But it was to late, he was already walking this way.
I quickly hid my face with my hand, but then I figured, what's the point? He's going to figure it out anyway. I stood still and got ready to take in the scream.
"Now that's a nasty mark their sir." The boy was clearly Irish, slowly making his way for an English accent. I turned to him and was surprised by the fact that he wasn't running out of the tent screaming.
"Mind if I ask where you got it?" he asked with curiosity.
"As a matter of fact I do." I said in tone where you can tell I was not in the mood for conversation, especially about my face.
"Ah, you're a grumpy one I see." He said sitting next to me on the other side of the bars. I glanced over at him; I moved away for I was a bit uncomfortable sitting this close to him like we were brothers. He was what looked like adjusting the string attached to the piece of wood. Tell you the truth, I was keeping myself busy watching him.
"You know what this is?" He asked lifting up the piece. I just stayed silent. "Well I'll tell you, see it's called a Banjos, a real magnificent sound really see listen, the boy who looked to be 18 or 19 began but I quickly stopped him.
"What are you doing?" I asked frowning.
"Playing the Banjos." He said simply.
"No, I mean what are you doing?" I asked slower this time.
"Well you looked like someone who appreciates music, plus you looked completely jaded." He said looking at me square in the eyes.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked with an unpleasant tone.
"Well nothing I hope."
"Do you not see?" I said firmly pointing to my distortion. He came closer to the bars and stared at me looking at my face up and down.
"What exactly am I suppose to be looking at?" he said still looking at me. I then grabbed his collar and pulled him to me.
"My Devil face! My haunted face! My deformity! What ever you want to call it!" I said throwing him backwards.
"Yea I saw so?" His Irish accent went smoothly with his sarcastic tone. I was taken back. How could he not fear my face?
"Your not frightened?" I asked frowning even more.
"Why should I be? Yea sure it's a nasty defect, from the looks of it probably from birth, but why should I be frightened? It happens to almost everybody. It's life, we can't ignore It." he said smoothly rubbing his black hair as he settled himself back on the bars next to me.
I didn't know what to think, this boy didn't even know me, he guessed correctly about me being born with it but he knows NOTHING of me and…wait
"Why did you think I appreciated music?"
"Oh well, um…I guess the way you dressed, its like you just came from an opera or something."
The boy was lying, he knew who I was, he recognized me from the start, but why didn't he say anything?
I turned my head away from him as I told him.
"Your not a good liar, you know that right?" The boy looked at me with confusion and fear of getting in trouble.
"Well in that case, yes…I do know who you are, it's a big surprise yes, but at the same time I'm honored."
"You're honored? A man who has killed three men, frightened innocent workers, seduced a innocent young girl, burnt down an opera house! You're honored!" I shouted looking at him dead in the eyes.
"I'm not looking at that side sir." He said. I knew what he was talking about; he was talking about The Angel of Music. My fury descended.
"The Names John William, but friends and family call me Jonnie." He said lifting his hand toward me. I stared at his hand uneasily, and then I raised my hand through the bars and reached for his.
"Erik." I said after fully shaking his firm grip.
"Just Erik?" He asked without a problem. I nodded. Oh well, just like me mother said, any name is a…ok well tell you the truth, never new my mother, but she said something like that." I couldn't help but give a small chuckle.
Jonnie continued working on his so called Banjos and finally had it at the right tune. He began to play. The tune was rather good, nothing compared to what I heard in the Opera House. I heard country only once, but enough to confirm that this song he was playing is nothing like it.
"Um…John…." He then interrupted
"Jonnie" I looked at him a bit blank, which John noticed. "Well incase you were wondering yes I do consider you as a friend." Again I was surprised.
"Jonnie…What is that your playing?" I couldn't believe I was already having a normal conversation with someone who did not shun me.
"Oh its just something I thought of… It's for my sweet Jennie, see her whole family sings except one, but oh boy can they sing. I'm pretty sure Jennie won't want to sing this, but I'll get one of her family members to sing it. But who's going to play is the real question."
"What do you mean?" I asked a bit off.
"Well see, Jennie's second oldest sister can play excellent with the piano and violin, I'm going to ask her and hopefully she'll say yes." He asked daydreaming.
"How long have you been here?" I asked changing subjects.
"Oh about a good…about a good four mouths." He answered scratching the back of his neck. "And you? How long have you been here?" he suddenly gave a short laugh,
"Sorry, I usually ask stupid questions, you only arrived yesterday."
"True, but when I was younger I used to live here." I said with a shaken voice. This caused Jonnie to stop what he was doing and pay attention.
"You lived here when you were younger?" he asked skeptically. I nodded my head.
"I came here when I was five, when this place was being run by the new owner's father, they uh…beat…they did things to me, he would tare my mask off in front of many people, some screamed and ran away, others fainted, and some just stood there and laughed, he would hit…he would abuse me in front of everyone. And they just stood their laughing. When I was ten, I finally got the courage to fight back, after a show, I…I killed him. Unfortunately a ballerina saw my actions; she felt pity and helped me escape this retched place, she took me to The Opera Populair where I learned to become…the now legendary Opera Ghost, where I learned to sing and become The Angel of Music for my precious Christine, where I learned to become the bloody damned Phantom of the Opera.
I believe you know the rest." I said looking back at him with streight eyes.
"Oy, sorry mate. That's got to be one tough memory to forget." He said shaking his head.
"Indeed." I responded.
"Say, how did you first come here?" he asked trying not to sound to depressed from my childhood story.
"Oh, well uh…I believe it was…my mother, she uh…she sold me." I said staring somewhere else for I could not look into his eyes. Jonnie understood this, I can see from the corner of my eye. Then suddenly, I looked at Jonnie, and I really looked at him, nothing was wrong with him, he was just, normal, he had no defect, no sort of scar, he was like an ordinary person.
"Jonnie…Why are you here." Jonnie looked up.
"Oh well, nothing tragic or anything. You know over where I live, I would ask Jennie to come with me and sometimes sing while I play the Banjos, we kept getting money when people heard me play. Then these people came up to us and asked if I liked to get paid for real, of course I said yes, but I didn't know exactly what I would have to do. They told me I would have to travel, that's when I backed out, but it was to late. I told Jennie to go home and she did after awhile, I told her I would come back, I know till this day she is waiting for me." He said daydreaming again. Then he suddenly shook his head.
"But back to the question. So they took me to the fair and I have been traveling with them, playing a Guitar or a Banjo. I played it so well they swore I sold my soul to the devil himself. So that was what I was known for, selling my soul to the devil to play better." He said concluding his story. I just nodded my head; he did have good talent, great talent.
"You like to compose?" I asked suddenly.
"Oh, uh…well not really, I mean I've written a few songs but nothing will be compared to the one I have now." He said with triumph.
"I'm sure you'll succeed." I said taking in the cold air. I turned to look at him, he was looking at me funny, like something was going to burst out, like he wanted to say something but felt like he shouldn't, he then leaned in.
"Erik, my…" The new owner of this hellhole interrupted Jonnie.
He looked at Jonnie with disgust. He seems to look at every freak here that way. Pitiful.
He then kicked Jonnie, which caused him to fall backwards.
"Go back to your tent soulless creature!" Jonnie did as he was told after taking on more glance at me, he looked at me as if to say goodbye. I greatly returned the look, and then Jonnie was gone.
"You ready for your first appearance Son of the Devil?" I hadn't noticed that Jonnie and I have been talking so long it was the day of the fairground. It was time. Time to repeat my first haunting memory.