I haven't abandoned anyone! I've just been busy being murdered by life. College, I swear, is trying to kill me slowly. But, also, my grandfather recently passed away. So, this chapter is kind of dedicated to him. I'll catch up on the shoutouts next time. Enjoy.

Chapter 41

Beep...beep...beep...

Darkness was all I saw after the body hit the stage. Then, the slight sound of beeping, almost like...no...

I can't be back!

My eyes slowly opened to find a tiled ceiling - definitely not 19th century - and a blinding light in the room. The beeping I heard started to go a little faster once I realized that I was in a hospital bed.

I heard a gasp from the other side of the room. "Mandy?" the voice called. It sounded like Jackson, the guy who played Erik in our production. Why would he be here? Well, actually, it would make sense. I did sort of black out in his arms...I think...

I didn't really have much time to ponder on the thought before darkness overpowered me again.

I woke up again, this time back in the Opera Populaire, in the same place I had been when Buquet's...oh God...

I gasped as I shot up. A hand landed on my shoulder as someone kneeled beside me. My mind was so frazzled that I couldn't even tell who it was beside me. Finally, Erik's voice began to break through my daze. "Mandy, are you alright?"

I blinked a few times and shook my head to try and shake the cobwebs out of my mind. "Yeah, I think so. What just happened?" I asked.

Erik sighed. "Well, it looks as if we have a murder on our hands..."

As Erik helped me up and took me to my room, I felt something in the pocket of my jeans that I wore under my dress as I sat on my bed. I sat and raised my skirt to reach my pocket when I was sure Erik had turned his back. What I found instantly brought tears to my eyes.

My grandpa's knife.

Erik instantly turned around to face me when he heard me gasp. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's just...well, do you remember how my modern clothes and stuff just showed up on my bed that one day?"

"Yes."

"Well, that sort of happened again, only this time, it was in my pocket."

It was then that he seen the little object in my hand. "What is that?"

I sighed. "It's my grandfather's pocketknife. My grandmother gave it to me when he...she knew that he would have wanted me to have it."

He seemed to understand what I was trying to say. "Mandy, I am so sorry."

"It's fine. It happened a while back. We knew it was coming, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow." He sat beside me on the bed and put his arm around me, laying the both of us down while he was holding me. I continued. "When I was little, he would always sit me on his lap and help me whittle little pieces of wood with this knife. We made so many things: ballerinas, toy soldiers, flowers, and other little trinkets. Those were the best times of my life, really, if I'm honest with myself. It wasn't making the things, but it was the time spent with him. I could always go to him with my problems and he would always bring out this knife to carve something while he gave me the best advice." Tears began to stream down my face as I looked up from the knife to Erik. "I miss them so much, Erik..."

He held me even tighter as I wept against his shoulder, my tears surely soaking through his shirt. But he didn't really seem to care.

He held me for as long as I cried, rocking me back and forth slowly and whispering kind words in my ear as I held tight to both him and the knife. I could tell that it hurt him to see me this way, and I hated crying in front of people, but I couldn't help it. It all came crashing down on me as if it had just happened. I hoped I would see my family again one day, not just in the flash that happened earlier, but I especially missed his wisdom and how I could always count on him to help me through anything. I missed how he would hold me as if he was trying to protect me from the world and its cruelties. How ironic...

I figured I had to tell Erik about what happened while I blacked out earlier. I also figured it would be better to just rip the band-aid off (figuratively, of course). As my crying let up, I muttered, "I went back."

I could feel Erik move his head so his gaze would land on the top of my head. "What?"

"When I passed out earlier, when Buquet…you know…I woke up in a hospital room from my time. I even seen Ja-"

I paused. Why did I pause? It's not like I there was anything between us…because there wasn't. Only the chemistry between our characters in stage. But Erik didn't know that. How would he react if I said I seen another man? Mandy, you're over-reacting…and it's not needed at all! He would only think of you two as co-stars, friends at the very most-

"Mandy, are you alright?" Erik asked, interrupting my inner musings.

I shook my head. Get it together, Mandy! "Yeah, I'm fine. I was only saying that I had seen a friend of mine in the room with me. He played your character in our production of your story."

I felt him stiffen. "Oh? He did?"

I rolled my eyes. "Erik, we are…were…no, are only friends, almost only acquaintances. Nothing ever happened between us that was not on stage."

He nodded, but he was still stiff. "Oh."

I sat up and looked at him. "Has the mention of a male co-star of mine really reduced to one-word responses? I thought you were brighter than that…"

He could hear the teasing in my voice, but didn't play along. "I apologize, love. I think tonight has been a bit of a trying night for the both of us. I think I will leave you now so you can rest."

I started to nod, then remembered what had happened earlier. Buquet hanging above the stage…that shout we had heard. All the sudden, I didn't feel quite so good. "Um, Erik? Do you think you could stay with me tonight? Or I go back down with you? I…I just don't wanna be alone tonight. Not after…"

Erik waved his hand to show that he understood what I was trying to say. "You don't have to say anything. I will stay up here with you. To be frank, I am too tired to traverse all the way back down there."

Once we got comfortable in each other's arms, I couldn't help but wonder why he acted so weirdly when I brought up Jackson…

Rest in peace, Grandpa! I love you!