I woke up to the ringing of my cell phone. The blackout curtains had been keeping the harsh sunlight at bay. I rolled my eyes and groaned. I grabbed the stupid device and glared at the screen. It was the asylum. I selected the answer button and put it to my ear.
"Hello?" I managed to grumble into the phone.
"Hey Leamera." Nautia told me. I huffed at her overly chirpy voice.
"I keep telling you not to call me before six." I told her. She giggled on the other end of the phone.
"Lee! Come on, the managers cut your time in half." She said. I growled at her.
"Be quiet. Then wait until three. You should be freaking working!" I hissed. She laughed again. I fought another growl.
"I'm on my break." Nautia said. I slumped back down in bed.
"Then why are you using the asylum phone?" I asked her. She groaned.
"Fine. But what are you doing this weekend?" Nautia asked.
"Sleeping. I'm working on Friday night, all night. Peyton is going to go see his sister Friday so I have to cover for him." I told her.
"You work too much. Take a day off every now and again." Nautia told me.
"Do you want to work days and nights then? Because we're the only ones with clearance to take care of our Phantom friend." I told her.
"Seriously! They have to have someone else to take care of that emo guy." Nautia hissed. I rolled my eyes.
"Seriously? Can you be any shallower?" I hissed at her. I hung up the phone and turned it off then went back to sleep.
My alarm clock went off at six. I woke up this time a little less grumpy and stretched. I turned my phone on and saw it had been blown up, text message after text message. I rolled my eyes. Nautia really needed to learn when she was being ignored. I threw my phone down on the bedside table and went to get ready for work.
I put my hair up in my usual messy bun and pulled on my over-sized blue work jacket that I always wore and went out to my car and drove through the country side to the secluded asylum.
It was nestled on a wooded hill, not really looking that much like an asylum. It was actually a beautiful building. It had been built by an architect who had absolutely loved the Gothic era and the building reflected it amazingly. I pulled into my parking place and got out of the car. Nautia was just coming out of the asylum. I groaned as she approached me.
"What's your problem, Lee? I mean seriously? I suggest you take one day off every once in a while and you flip out on me?" She barked.
"Um, no, I flipped out on you because your snooty ass attitude turned you into a nominee for world's biggest bitch. That 'emo guy' down there is completely alone other than us. Evidently you have a problem with having a legit responsibility." I spat in return.
"He can come up to the day room during the day and receive his lunch with everyone else at the same time. We aren't the only people who can take care of him! I don't even know why he's in here! And neither do you. So stop acting like he's helpless and loosen up!" Nautia replied, flipping her black curls out of her out of her blue eyes. I felt like slapping her.
"Go home! Before I kick your ass there myself! And don't bother calling me until that nasty little attitude of yours is gone!" I hissed, angrily walking into the building. I took in a heavy growl like breath and threw my stuff in my work area and cooled down before I joined the patients. Honey came running up to me joyfully and leapt I smiled and caught her, laughing.
"Hey Honey! How's your day been?" I asked. She hugged me tightly.
"Today is great! Mommy loved my picture and she told me that Mr. Wellhem said that she can take me home in two months! Mommy is getting better!" Honey told me. I smiled brightly and kissed her forehead.
"That's fantastic Honey!" I told her excitedly. Honey got down and ran off.
"Bye Leema!" She called over her shoulder. I smiled and went around, speaking with the patients and playing in a short round of go-fish and then went to the cafeteria and got the Phantom's dinner and made my way to his room. I got out my keys as I stopped by his room. I unlocked his door and opened it.
Entering his room I smiled at him. He sat in his usual corner; his usual presentation was what greeted me. He was chest up in the shadow of his corner but his ice blue eyes completely visible through the darkness. I tilted my head at him.
"I thought we were friends?" I asked him. He leaned forward, his face now visible. There was a curious look on his face.
"And what made you doubt it?" He asked his voice was fantastic. I wondered why I hadn't acknowledged it before. But then I realized that this was the first time he spoke at a normal vocal level.
"Oh, you just did the whole melodramatic and shady half hidden in the shadow thing that you do." The Phantom gave me a small smile.
"I heard what you said to your cousin outside. She's right, I'm not helpless." He told me as I sat the tray down on the table next to him.
"Well you don't always have to be down here. If you go up in the day room we don't have to treat you like you are helpless." I told him.
"The patients here have never seen me. Accept little Honey. But she isn't a patient. I don't wish to cause frenzy." He told me.
"Well the medical society has made extreme advances since the 19th century. The patients are on medication that helps them not frenzy at unusual things." I told him. The Phantom was quiet in response. His eyes were very contemplative.
"You're very intriguing." I told him.
"I'll come up tonight." He said, sitting back in his chair. I smiled at him.
"Do you have the clearance?" I asked. I received a hum of a reply.
"I would never threaten your job by leaving my room without permission. Just come to get me about forty-five minutes after patients have been put to their rooms. How does that sound?" He asked.
"I leave at four-forty and then Peyton comes in and finishes the night shift." I told him.
"Peyton?" He asked.
"The guy who also works night shift, sometimes we tag team and stay all night." I told Phantom. He didn't reply for a moment.
"May I have my silverware?" His voice was suddenly cold. I pulled the plastic pouch out of my pocket and gave it to him. He took it from me in a quick sort of fashion.
"Isn't it time to give the patients their nighttime medication, Leamera?" He asked stiffly. I checked my watch.
"Oh, you're right. I'll come back for the tray in half an hour." I told him. The Phantom didn't say anything in reply. He merely stabbed at the ham harmlessly with his spoon. I frowned, he was angry.
"Whatever I said, I'm sorry." I told him as I left. I saw him sit frozen and rigid in his chair through the small window. I furrowed my brow and returned to the upstairs.
I sat in silence for the next half hour to go down and get the tray from Phantom. I sighed and doodled. I wasn't too good at drawing but I liked to doodle. I watched the clock occasionally. Fifteen more minutes- wait why was I so eager to go back? I barely knew him.
But he was intriguing. He had a very nice charm to him. He seemed warm. But he seemed not to know how to express it properly. I huffed and put my head down with a groan. I just liked talking to him that's all. Why was I acting like it was something big. He's one of the only people here that I feel cares what I think.
I looked up and saw that it was six thirty. I stood up and grabbed my keys and went down stairs. I stopped by his room. I opened the door and he stood, he handed me the tray without a word.
"What do you think about Peyton?" He asked. Oh, that must be what he was mad about; my talking about Peyton. He must be paranoid about things like that. Especially after what Aunt Margie did. I frowned.
"I'm not interested in him romantically if that's what you're all up in arms about." I told him, taking the tray. A light pink spread across his cheeks. I smiled at him and closed the door and took the tray back to the kitchen to get washed. I then returned to my cubicle until bedtime and helped the others put the patients to bed.
I had my head laid back down on the desk and huffed again. I looked up again and watched the clock intently. This was the first time the Phantom had come out of his room. I then remembered something. Mom had called him Erik. He had a name. He must have told her. I remained deep in my thoughts until nine forty-five. I stood up and went to Erik's room.
He was waiting for me to at the door, watching me pull my keys out and unlock the door. He opened the door and stepped out.
"I was talking to my mother last night. She referred to you as Erik." I told him. He nodded.
"That is my name, you may call me Erik." He told me. I smiled.
"Cool. Come on. Everyone is in bed." I told him, Erik nodded and went down the hallway. I watched him; he seemed to be very different from our earlier encounters. Prouder, stronger. I left the room, with Erik following behind me. We came up into the day room. Erik took a look around. He was quiet as those ice blue eyes took in his surroundings. He headed over for a couch and sat down. I joined him, sitting down on the opposite side of the couch. He looked at me.
"So, Leamera; when do you work days shifts? I wouldn't mind coming up during the day." He told me. I pulled out my smart-phone and went to my calendar. I searched for the days labeled day shift.
"Okay, I have it next week on Thursday; then the last week of the month I have it Monday and Friday." I told him. He nodded. We sat and quietly talked. He was intelligent and kind. This was the first time that we had actually conversed. I dampened a little as I heard the beep of the door being unlocked as a worker scanned their card. Peyton came in. Then stopped as he saw us.
"Leamera! What are you doing! You can't be alone with patients!" He said, dropping his stuff and going for an alarm.
"No! He's not necessarily a patient. He just…lives here." I said. Erik stood. Peyton looked at him for a moment.
"The Mystery Patient." He said. I nodded.
"I'll be going to my room; Leamera, do you mind?" He asked me.
"Oh, yeah. I'll take you back." I told him, standing. Erik watched me as I did. We locked eyes for a moment. I was nearly frozen; like the ice of his eyes plummeted into my very soul and froze my entire body. I shook myself free of the trance and led Erik away from the day room. I fiddled with my keys to avoid meeting eyes with him again. It shook me soundly. But I did give him a nervous look out of the corner of my eye. He was walking with grace and power. I couldn't resist looking at him full on. He turned his head to look at me as I did.
"He's romantically interested in you, Lee." Erik told me. I stopped short; he paused as well, just not as curtly. I gave a hard swallow.
"What makes you think that?" I asked, tucking my mahogany hair behind my ear sheepishly.
"I'm familiar with the look. Raoul looked at Christine that way plenty of times." Erik told me coolly, he continued down the hall and I stared at him in wonder. He was sly like a cat. I scurried after him and slowed down once I was at his side.
"And you say you don't feel for him in any sort of romantic sense?" Erik asked.
"Uh… no; he's more like my brother." I told him. He nodded.
"Good; because I don't want to bother pursuing you if you were to requite his feelings." Erik said nonchalantly. If I had been drinking anything I would've choked. He really thought I was the one to break his curse? How could he think I was the one? I was so normal. Erik gave me a look. We were in front of his door. I went by him nervously and unlocked his door. It swung open and I hurried out of his way. He entered the room, then turned and took my hand, kissing my knuckles like he did the other day. A chill went up my spine.
"Until tomorrow night, Lee?" He asked. I nodded nervously and smiled shakily.
"Good night, Erik." I told him, closing the door.
After that I hurried out of the asylum, not even saying goodnight to Peyton. Now I felt like everything I did was going to cause trouble, like the events of Phantom of the Opera might repeat themselves. I got into my car and called my mother.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Mom, Erik practically told me he thinks I'm the one to break his curse. He said he wasn't going to pursue any relationship with me if I had romantic feelings for Peyton. I don't but; Mama this all got too real way too fast!" I said, tears coming to my eyes. I called her 'Mama' when I was in a moment of high stress.
"Lee. Calm down. It's no big problem. He isn't going to move too fast for you if that's what you're thinking." Mom told me.
"That's not it; he also told me that Peyton has feelings for me! What if it's the Opera Populaire all over again?" I asked her in distress, my tears falling.
"It won't be because you're better than her, Leamera."
