Erik's POV
I carefully make my way to the trap which was sprung and find that it was simply a false alarm. One of the rats that live in the cellars stumbled on the wrong tile and was filled with poison darts. I sigh in relief and take out the pocket watch, checking the time and going back to my lair so I can compose music to woo Christine with. I sit down on the bench in front of my organ and place the pocket watch on the console with the lid open. My hands pose above the glistening white ivories and begin to play, the sweet sound filling the cold, wet, and cramped space of the cave with warm, rich, and large sound. I let the music flow out of me and into the organ, all the while pausing to write it down so I would not forget a moment of it. For a moment, as I was writing, I swear I could hear the sultry sound of a violin playing along with my music in perfect harmony. I pause and gaze at the pocket watch slowly getting closer to it to see if the music would still play, however the music abruptly stops. I furrow my brows in confusion and lift up the watch.
"Hello?" I quietly say to the crystal, feeling quite silly about talking to an inanimate object, but i have to solve this mystery before it drives me crazy.
"...hello….." Is the soft squeak from inside the crystal, I jump up from the bench and take the watch towards a better lit section of the room. My eyes are wide with awe and fascination at the small, almost nonexistent voice, that sounded from the watch. I think to myself for a moment about what could be inside. A ghost perhaps? A fairy? An Angel? A goddess?
"Who are you?" I quietly ask, not wanting to scare off the small voice, hoping to coax it out of hiding.
"Who are you Signore?" The small squeak answers my question with a question. I quietly chuckle and let a rare smirk cross my face.
"I am a friend. The better question is who you are." I retort, my ears delighted with a soft, girlish, giggle.
"I am…" The voice is cut off by a series of my alarms going off again. This is no warning, or false alarm. I have to protect me home.
"I am sorry, but we shall have to continue this delightful conversation later." I inform the small voice before closing the lid and dashing off towards the alarms, using many secret passageways. I slow down as I see one of the people I can actually trust. Madame Giry. The silly woman has known me most of my life and still manages to trip every single trap I have set up.
"What do you require Madame?" I ask, throwing my voice to the wall beside her. She turns around and simply replies,
"To bring your thoughts on the rehearsals to the managers." I smile and reach my hand inside my pocket, bringing out a heavy creme envelope with a red skull seal on the back. I drop it and watch it flutter to the ground in front of the bold woman.
"Give him my greetings." I turn foot before I can hear her reply, seriously irked that she would not only disturb me for something I could very well have done myself, but also because she may have scared off the voice inside my watch. Maybe the voice would agree to be my friend, to keep me company in these lonely caverns. Maybe Voice could also help me compose beautiful music for my equally beautiful muse.
My heart soars at the thought of delightful conversations, beautiful music, friendship, and trust. I rush over to the well lit area and pull the watch out once again and take a calming breath before speaking.
"I am sorry about that. We had an unexpected visitor." I once again spoke gently into the crystal, watching my breath fog up the glass, but there is no reply, only the faint sound of a sad piano fills the air. "I hope I did not scare you off for long. It gets awful lonely in these caverns and I would sure love to have someone to keep me company." I gaze at the dial and see a flash of red. Maybe the voice is scared of me. Or maybe the sound scared it. I believe I should leave the voice to itself. I only hope and pray that it will come back and talk to me again.
I leave the lid open and place it on the music stand of my piano, hoping that by me playing the piano it will draw the voice out again. I begin to play Fur Elise by the great composer Ludwig Beethoven, my fingers glide over the ivory keys, playing each note as it has been written. I had gotten through the song when I hear soft clapping. I look around before my eyes fall on the pocket watch.
"Bravo Signore. Bravo" The voice complimented me in the same sweet and pleasantly high tone as before.
"Thank you, my mysterious guest." I reply a smile threatening to tug on my cheeks. The voice laughs once again, and my eyes go to the precious pocket watch.
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Thank you everyone who has read my story and reviewed on it. You all give me so much encouragement! Please let me know what you think of the story and any ideas on where to take it.
