This is a long part. I cried at the end of it. I hope you all do too. sniffles
I'm sure you all know the spiel by now, I don't own Phantom, fic takes place in present day, blah blah blah, REVIEW…
Cahal O'Malley sat on the sofa as the dark-haired Asian had asked him to. "I don't mean any disrespect, Monsieur, but I'm afraid I have no idea what you want with me," Cahal said. Might as well cut right to the chase.
"Well, Cahal – may I call you Cahal? Good. Hm, interesting name. It means 'great warrior', am I correct? I thought so. Well, Cahal, my name is Jack Wolfe. You may know my daughter, Lenore. She's the current diva at your mother's little opera house," Mr. Wolfe said while pouring Cahal a drink. "Here you go, hope it's not too heavy on the liquor for you. To come right to the point, I'm interested in finding a suitable husband for my daughter. You're family is very wealthy and highly thought of. I think it would make an excellent match. You seem to lack a female companion right now, and if it's not too much trouble, I thought you might see if my daughter was to your liking."
"I don't know, Monsieur. I don't normally entertain girls of your daughter's caliber," Cahal stated. He didn't like the rich snotty girls. He preferred sensible, down to earth, middle class girls.
"I'm willing to make it worth your time," Mr. Wolfe replied. "Would fifty thousand Euros a night be acceptable?"
It was an extremely generous offer. Far more than Cahal would ever have expected. "I suppose we could give it a go," Cahal mused. "If things don't go too well after the first night, we can just call it quits."
"Splendid!" Mr. Wolfe declared, an ironically wolfish grin on his face. "I'll give you your first payment now, to show my appreciation."
"Thank you, Monsieur Wolfe," Cahal said politely.
"Oh, call me Jack, everyone knows me by that name," the man stated. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Cahal."
Lenore quickly shed her costume in her dressing room. The excitement of her first night on the stage still coursed through her veins; the audience had received her very well. And to top it all off, Cahal O'Malley had invited her out to dinner. Father had graciously accepted Cahal's suggestion, saying that he had a friend here in Paris he'd been meaning to catch up with and that Lenore would not be missed at dinner.
She supposed she should have felt bad about breaking her father's plans; she hadn't seen him for almost a month. What with her private lessons from the Voice and rehearsals, she just didn't have the time. And then she broke their dinner date to go out with Cahal.
But it was not breaking her date with her father that bothered her. Her eyes kept sliding to the mirror the Voice seemed to originate from. Stop it, Lenore! There's no reason to feel disloyal. He never said you couldn't have a boyfriend. And it's not like the two of you have a romantic relationship; he's an angel. Angels don't fall in love with humans.
Dressed and ready to go, she hurried out of her room, pausing long enough to lock it behind her.
"You look lovely," Cahal complimented her when she located him.
"Thank you," she said appreciatively. "So where are we going?"
"Les Grandes Marches," Cahal answered brightly.
Lenore couldn't help but gasp. It was incredibly expensive to eat there, and it was very common to find the place teeming with actors, designers, and well-known opera singers. Granted, she was an opera singer herself now… "You don't think that will seem too presumptuous, do you?" she asked worriedly.
"Not a bit. Anyone who heard you sing tonight will tell you that you'll be the most successful diva of all time," Cahal responded.
Erik stood behind the mirror, wondering where Lenore was. The performance had ended half an hour ago, and he'd given her that time to get back to her room and change. His critique for her performance was all prepared. Yes, she had done well. But there were a few things that could be improved. Erik began running through her performance again in his mind, trying to think of anything he might have missed while he waited. Perhaps Hiroshi was holding her up a bit.
"She won't be coming in for quite some time, Erik," Hiroshi said behind him in the tunnel.
How did he manage to get in here without my noticing? Oh well, nothing to do about it now. "Don't be ridiculous, there's nothing out there to keep her very long at all," Erik argued. Not even adoring fans would keep her from Erik for too long. She was far too devoted to Erik for that.
"Lenore is out to dinner with Cahal O'Malley. I'm sure you know Ember's eldest son," Hiroshi said. Of course Erik knew Cahal; through a rather bizarre twist of events, Erik had ended up delivering the child. As a result, he had been named the godfather. He never saw the boy except through the walls, though.
"That's ridiculous; the boy's five years younger than Lenore. I highly doubt any sixteen year old boy is going to take a twenty one year old woman out to dine. He wouldn't have the resources for it," Erik countered.
"His parents are rather wealthy…and don't you think Ember wants to get Lenore back into the family? What better way than through a marriage?" Hiroshi replied. "I must say, it's about time Lenore had a suitor. I can picture it all now. Cahal will nervously put his hand on Lenore's, and she'll blush innocently. Then he'll lean in, and Lenore's eyes will flutter closed as she waits to experience her first kiss. Then a devastating flood of hormones will drown them and Cahal will bed her before the night is done."
"No! She wouldn't! He won't touch her, or I'll kill him!" Erik snarled. "What's wrong with you, Hiroshi? You've raised her as your own and you let her go gallivanting around Paris with a sixteen year old boy that I know for a fact has seduced more middle class maidens into his bed than Don Juan could have managed!"
"Sex is fun," Hiroshi responded with a shrug. "Speaking of which, I've got a ballet girl waiting in my suite back at the hotel. I'll be sure not to kill her; I wouldn't want you to have to go to the trouble of replacing her. I may think of Lenore as my daughter, Erik, but you can't hold onto your children forever."
That being said, Hiroshi turned and disappeared into the darkness, taking his own way out. Erik realized his fists were clenched tightly and he was shaking with rage. She couldn't go out to dinner with another man, she would never think of it. The boy must have tricked her into it. And if that boy touched her…godson or no, he'd kill the fool who had the audacity to touch his Lenore.
Lenore giggled as she unlocked her door, Cahal standing beside her and giggling as well. So maybe they'd had a bit too much wine with dinner. It wasn't a crime, was it?
"You can't come in," Lenore giggled when Cahal tried to follow her into the diva's suite. "What would people say?"
"Who cares what they'd say?" Cahal chuckled back. "We're young, they expect us to do these kinds of things."
"You'd better go; if Father finds out, he'd rip you to shreds," Lenore said, trying to be more serious. "Besides, it's not proper for a lady to have a gentleman in her room. Now if we'd gone to your room first…"
"Well now I know for future reference that it pays to bring the lady to your room before you drop her off at hers," Cahal said good-naturedly. "Let's go out again tomorrow night."
"I don't think I have any pressing social engagements, tomorrow should be just fine," she decided. Cahal pulled her in for a kiss and it was a good ten minutes later before she shut the door, finally done with saying good night.
"Are you incapable of reading a watch?" the Voice inquired, ominously soft.
"Of course I can tell time," she mumbled, looking at her watch. Oh dear, it's almost two o'clock… "I'm sorry, I was asked out to dinner and I was detained."
"Yes, I could see that. It seems you find entertaining young boys more important than your career."
"I only missed one lesson," Lenore pointed out. "It's not as if I've made of habit of abandoning lessons to be with boys."
"Missing one lesson leads to missing another, and another, and another. I will not teach someone who has no dedication! You must discard all earthly desires if you wish to achieve your full potential."
"Well then maybe I don't want to reach my full potential," Lenore said angrily. "You're not human, you don't understand what it's like to crave a lover."
"Temptation is placed in your path to determine whether or not you are strong enough to overcome it! You are weak, girl! If you continue giving into temptations, you'll end up in Hell. Is that what you want?"
"If that's the price of love, then so be it," she snapped. "I'm tired of dreaming about a great love every night and knowing that when I wake up, it won't be real. A boy asked me out, and it's just possible he's the one God intended me to live my life with. But I'll never know if I don't get to know him."
"You can take my word for it that he is not the one you were meant for," the Voice said somewhat sadly. "Do not let Satan tempt you into straying from the path God has planned for you."
"Well then what is my path?" she cried in frustration. "What I am supposed to do with my life?"
"You are meant to lift the souls of mortals with your voice. To make them hear as they'd never heard before."
"That's it? I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I was hoping for something a bit more meaningful," Lenore admitted.
"It is a great responsibility, ma petite. Never think that it's not important. It's everything. After all, if it weren't meaningful, you wouldn't have an angel teaching you to develop your gift, now would you?"
"I suppose you're right. I'm sorry. Sometimes, I just don't understand why I'm here. I feel like I'm supposed to be going somewhere or doing something, and instead I'm just drifting aimlessly through darkness, trying to find the light," she confessed. Her angel probably already knew all this, but it felt good to just say it.
"I'm afraid you won't ever find that light, Lenore."
"Oh, have I done something wrong?" she asked, afraid she had committed a sin that wouldn't be forgiven. She couldn't think of any…but…
"You are the light, child. You guide others through the darkness."
"Really?" she said breathlessly. To think that she was that important…
"Yes, that's why you must rid yourself of all mortal weakness. Otherwise, poor souls will be left stumbling about the dark, searching for you yet unable to find you."
"It's my turn to listen," Ember hissed at Hiroshi, who had his ear on the glass pressed to the door.
"Quiet muffin, I can't hear when you're complaining," Hiroshi replied.
"Don't call me muffin!"
"Didn't I just tell you to shush?"
"It's my opera house, don't tell me to be quiet."
"It's my daughter he's talking to, so don't think you have any right to hear the conversation," Hiroshi snapped back.
"She's my sister, you know."
"How many times do I have to tell you that Lenore isn't your sister?"
"As many times as I claim her as my sister for the rest of eternity, asshole," Ember snarled. She didn't care what he said; as far as she was concerned, that was her sister in there.
Hiroshi moved without thinking. In a flash, Ember was out cold on the floor. "That's for annoying me," Hiroshi muttered. "Oh, damn you!" He had used the glass to knock her unconscious, and it was now shattered pieces on the floor.
"I know it's late, but I can still have a lesson?" Lenore asked.
Erik held back a sigh. This wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to just slide back the mirror and steal her away. But if I do that, I'll ruin her life all over again. It's bad enough I'm lying to her. Pretending to be an angel and telling her what God has in store for her. It's really quite hilarious. But if that was the case, why wasn't he laughing?
"No, there will be no lesson tonight," he finally said. "Perhaps it will serve to remind you that worldly desires exact a cost. Besides, you should get your rest; you've had a late night."
Lenore wasted no time in retiring, and when the light when out, Erik began to sing to her, the usual Ave Maria that was used to wrap up the lesson and put her to sleep. When he was sure she was asleep, he slid back the mirror and entered the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gently stroked her hair.
One thing that he knew had not changed about her was her masks. She hid herself, though with much more efficiency than before. Not even Hiroshi knew her half as well as he thought he did. Lenore played the part of a proper, high class daughter for Hiroshi, the perfect devoted little Christian for Erik, a lady of the highest caliber for the rest of the world.
"This is the closest we'll ever come," Erik whispered. "I can't ask you to give up a chance for a normal life and live with me below the surface. I'm so sorry to hurt you like this, Lenore. But it's better this way…for both of us."
Hiroshi slipped into the room as quiet as a cat stalking a mouse. In a sense, it was quite the opposite; a mouse stalking a cat. A very dangerous and risky business this was. Erik was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to Hiroshi, gently caressing Lenore.
Oh, you couldn't have arranged yourself more perfectly if you tried, Erik.
With all the strength he could muster, Hiroshi grabbed Erik by the back of his head and pushed him down so that his lips crashed into Lenore's. "Oops, how terribly clumsy of me," Hiroshi chuckled, already retreating.
Lenore was startled awake by something crashing into her face. In the darkness, she could make out the face of a man, his lips pressed to hers. She screamed into his mouth, afraid she was going to be raped.
The man pulled back quickly, and when she prepared to let out another scream, his hand closed upon her throat, constricting her airway to the point that she could barely breathe. She was dragged out of bed and she became convince she was being kidnapped for ransom. Father was an extremely wealthy man, it was quite conceivable that she'd be ransomed for an extortionate sum.
She was pulled across her room to the mirror, which was curiously missing, exposing a dark tunnel. Once they entered the menacing corridor, the man slid her mirror back into place with ease. The Voice…it was a man, tricking me into trusting him! Oh holy crap, what if he saw me changing at some point?
An iron grip was placed upon her right forearm and her throat was finally released. She gulped in air, making a few weak attempts at an audible scream that all ended in failure. The man hauled her through the darkness, taking her down into the earth. Oh God, he's gonna kill me and leave my body down here.
Lenore stumbled through the darkness, tripping occasionally because he was going at a rather fast pace. The overwhelming blackness seemed to swallow everything, and Lenore was terrified. "You are the light, child." But she couldn't trust that, now that she knew the Voice wasn't angelic.
Well, I'm a complete idiot! I should've seen this one coming. I'm the diva of the Paris Opera House, hearing a voice that is teaching me to sing…how did it not occur to me before that this screams "Phantom of the Opera"?
"Listen, you psycho copycat kidnapper! If you don't slow down right now, I'm going to beat the crap out of you," Lenore threatened.
"Try it and you'll find out how pathetically weak you are," the man replied.
Lenore began her assault on the man, kicking and hitting whatever she could find in the darkness. More than half her blows missed completely, and only about a third of the blows that didn't find air barely grazed him.
"Damnit, let me go!" she yelled, trying to wrench her arm out of his grip.
"Why must you always be so damn difficult?" the man snarled.
"Like you even know anything about me."
Suddenly, Lenore was yanked in front of the man and a finger forced her chin up as he captured her lips with his own. Heat and passion flooded her body. There was some strange familiarity in this kiss, though she'd never been kissed before tonight with Cahal.
When he broke the kiss, Lenore was paralyzed. She couldn't move, couldn't seem to think. It was as if her mind had been switched off. She gasped for air, breathless from the fiery passion that had threatened to consume her. Her knees felt weak, and she didn't know if she'd be able to stand much longer.
Her legs were swept out from under her and the man carried her in his arms as he continued to make his way through the dark labyrinth. It felt so familiar…and…right. Those terrifyingly strong arms that somehow made her feel safe. The scent of his aftershave…it was all there in her memory. But she'd never met this man before, not that she was aware of. And no man had ever carried her like this except her father, on occasions when she'd been too tired to even make it up the stairs to bed.
"I can walk," Lenore claimed. "You don't have to carry me."
"You're extremely light; it's not a problem, ma chérie," the man responded.
"Don't call me that; I don't know you, you don't know me, and I'm far too proper to allow that kind of familiarity with a stranger who's kidnapping me," Lenore informed him coldly. She had actually liked him showing familiarity; after all, she hadn't had a boyfriend yet, unless you counted Cahal, and they'd only gone on one date.
"Don't make me laugh; you're far from proper. You just play that little role for the world, it's not who you are," the man replied. "You cannot hide yourself from me, Lenore. I know you better than anyone else."
Every word he said made the man seem more recognizable. She knew that voice, he was someone important to her…"Have we met before?" Lenore asked. She couldn't remember, but she felt like she should. I didn't ever hit my head and get amnesia as a child…
"Once upon a dream, darling," he said softly.
"Why the hell did I go and wake up?" she muttered to herself, making sure to speak very softly so he wouldn't hear.
"Because every dream must come to an end."
How the hell did he hear me?
"I heard you because you're quite incapable of being quiet."
"Holy"-
"Be careful with your language," he interrupted. "Profanity is a sin."
"How are you doing that? Tell me how," she demanded. After all, it wasn't inconceivable that some people were telepathic.
"People aren't telepathic," he said simply. "I just happen to be able to read your mind; does it matter how I do it?"
"If you know how, you should be able to teach me," Lenore argued. "And you will teach me, or else I'll beat you to death."
"It's not something that can just simply be taught," he sighed. "It's far more complicated than that. And I will not teach you, seeing as how you're incapable of learning."
"I graduated from Harvard; I'm capable of learning anything."
"Learn to fly without the aid of an airplane, and I'll teach you how to read minds," the man retorted.
"Smartass," she grumbled. "You're annoying."
"I suppose some things never change," he chuckled.
Moments later, the man placed her in a boat. Oh, you're an idiot. I can swim, I'm not going to sit in this boat while you row us to wherever the hell you're taking me. He began poling out over the dark water. Perfect. She slipped over the side quickly, plunging into the freezing lake.
Despite the fact that they were still close to the shore, the water was far deeper than she had anticipated. She kicked her way to the surface, trying to block out the cold. Lenore spluttered when she broke the surface; the cold made it harder to breathe, or so it seemed. Before she had a chance to start moving in any direction, she was roughly yanked out of the water and unceremoniously dropped on the bottom of the boat.
"You only succeeded in getting yourself drenched, and you'll most likely catch cold now," the man said tiredly. "Let's not waste time with that pointless exercise again."
"Fuck off, you can't tell me not to try to escape," Lenore stammered, shivering uncontrollably. A heavy cloak was dropped on her and she quickly (and rather furiously) pushed the fabric down off her face.
"I believe I already informed you that profanity is not acceptable. This is the last warning I will give you," the man said sternly.
"You suck," she mumbled.
"I rather can't help it; your breasts are quite delicious."
The nerve of this man! How dare he insinuate something like that? I've never- Quickly scrambling out from beneath the cloak, she gave him a good hard shove. The resulting splash was quite appreciated.
"Damn wench!" he yelled when he surfaced.
"Maybe that will wash your naughty thoughts away," Lenore replied smugly. The man climbed back into the boat without upsetting it the slightest bit. As soon as he was back in the boat, he slapped her across the face. "How dare you! When I get away, I'm filing charges," Lenore claimed, a hand gently holding her stinging cheek.
"If you continue to be difficult, I'll throw you out and leave you for the Siren," the man threatened.
"Am I'm supposed to believe that some horrible man-eating creature lives in this lake? Please, I'm far too old for stories like that," she returned.
"Why would I bother to lie about this?"
"Because you're trying to scare me."
"If you don't believe me, then feel free to leap out to your death," the man snarled. "You might have to wait a few minutes for her to get here though; she has a rather large territory and can't be everywhere at once."
"Oh yeah, I'm just gonna wait a few minutes in freezing cold water so I can contract hypothermia and then hallucinate your little siren," Lenore retorted. "You're not going to trick me that easily."
Erik took her arm and dunked her over the side of the gondola. He kept a tight hold on her, and she squirmed in his grip, making quite a disturbance in the lake's waters. That was sure to get the siren's attention, if they hadn't managed it already.
"Let go of me!" Lenore demanded, splashing around wildly beside the boat in his grip. She gave a sudden scream as she was tugged downward.
Erik jerked her back into the boat, pulling the siren up out of the water. The bitch was hanging on to Lenore's foot as though she were starving for flesh. Well, truthfully the siren was. It'd been twenty one years since anyone had wandered down here.
The siren opened her mouth to claim Lenore, but Erik cut her off. "Do not cross me, bitch, I'm in a foul mood as it is," he hissed. The siren quickly released Lenore, plunging back down into darkness as fast as her fins could take her.
"That was…amazing," Lenore finally said, staring at the water where the siren had disappeared. "I need to write this down. Do you have any idea how scientifically valuable that creature is?"
"Considerably less valuable than myself," Erik muttered. What scientists would give to have Erik open on their examination table, trying to figure out how he was immortal. "Put that cloak on or you'll catch your death down here."
"Yeah, right," she said distractedly, putting the cloak around her shoulders as she continued to stare out into the waters. "Can you call her back? I've got some questions for her…"
"He should have known better than to send you to Harvard," Erik said under his breath.
"Does she know how to talk? Is it a different language? What does she eat? How long is the average siren's lifespan? Are sirens aggressive by nature or did something cause her violent nature tonight?"
"She knows how to talk, it's the same language we're speaking right now, she eats humans, her average lifespan is somewhere between forever and eternity, and she's the most violent bitch you'll meet," Erik answered, resuming his position and poling further across the lake.
"Well, I'd still like to study her," Lenore muttered, staring wistfully behind them where the siren had been last seen.
"If you're quiet for the rest of the night, I'll let you study me," Erik proposed. Not that she knew the value of what he was suggesting. Not that she would remain silent anyway.
"Pervert."
"Something I share with your father."
"You're extremely rude, you know that? My father is not a pervert."
"With all due respect, you've never seen him with a woman."
"There's his secretary," Lenore argued.
"Oh? Is that wrinkly old prune who goes by the name of Kimberly Irving still trailing after him like a lost little puppy?" Erik inquired. 'Kimberly' was a half-demon who been foolish enough to develop a crush on Hiroshi.
"Who are you? How do you know so much about my father?" Lenore asked suspiciously.
"I've been acquainted with your father for more years than you can imagine." Erik knew she was about to ask how long that was. "Hold your tongue, girl, your inquiries tire me," he said truthfully.
"Will you throw me in the lake again if I'm not quiet?"
"No, I'll chain you to my bed and fuck you senseless," Erik responded; the idea of being thrown in the lake was far too appealing to her. Lenore fell silent. Silence truly is golden. I thought she'd never shut up.
The man reached his destination and took her up in his arms again. With a few steps, they went from total darkness to a room lit by candles and a dying fire in the hearth. Lenore finally got a look at her captor. A white mask covered the right half of his face, and his ice blue eyes pierced her mind straight to her soul. Then she noticed his slicked back, dark brown hair and the old-fashioned evening attire…
"Erik? Erik Dessler? What do you think you're doing? My father does not associate with scoundrels, so I demand that you apologize for you dreadful actions immediately, as a proper gentleman!" Lenore said.
"It would be a high compliment to call your father a scoundrel; he's much worse than that, I assure you. I apologize for nothing, as your 'father' is responsible for it all," Erik informed her. "And what I am doing, ma chouchoute, is giving in to your father's mad idea so that we can both be utterly destroyed by the time all is said and done."
"You're insane! My father"-
A hidden door suddenly swung open off the side of the room the fireplace was on, and shockingly enough, her father stepped out looking as if he belonged there. "It's very nice, Erik. Very nice indeed. Absolutely beautiful," her father commented. "Oh, what a surprise to see you here, kitten."
"Father, this man has kidnapped me from my bed! He's been making a multitude of indecent remarks that compromise my honor, and"-
"I know, pussy. It took him forever to decide to take you," her father said sympathetically, closing the door to the room he had come from before she could see anything. "I really hoped he'd work up the courage to whisk you away himself. But it seemed he needed a bit of help. I hope you don't mind. And as to him making indecent remarks…well, what man can help himself, you're just so beautiful."
"You're both positively mad!" Lenore declared. "Let me go, right now, or I'll call the police!"
"Go right ahead; I'd rather like to see how you manage it without a phone," Erik said carelessly.
"Kindly point me in the direction of a private room, sir," Lenore demanded. Erik raised an eyebrow curiously and remained silent. "I am about to have a tantrum, and I'd rather do that where no one has to witness it."
"You're too old for that, kitten," Hiroshi said. "If you have a problem, it won't solve anything to go off and scream your lungs out. Be a woman and discuss the whole thing calmly."
"Calmly," Lenore repeated, taking a deep breath. "I can do that." She took another deep breath. "A PSYCHOTIC PHANTOM OF THE OPERA COPYCAT HAS KIDNAPPED ME AND IS HOLDING ME UNDERGROUND, AND MY OWN FATHER ENCOURAGED AND ASSISTED IN MY ABDUCTION! I WANT ERIK IN A PROPER MENTAL INSTITUTION AND I DEMAND THAT YOU SEE A PSYCHIATRIST, FATHER! IS THAT CALM ENOUGH FOR YOU?"
"Oh, Erik, you weren't too beastly, were you?" her father said worriedly.
"No more than I had to be," Erik replied.
Lenore just gaped. They were discussing this as calmly as if she'd just said she'd like a cup of tea at their earliest convenience, thank you very much. Sighting a small dagger tucked into the edge of Erik's boot, she quickly snatched it out and backed away from the two men. "Don't move, either of you," she commanded.
"Erik, you have to pay close attention when Lenore's around sharp objects," her father stated. "She hasn't been allowed to touch anything sharper than a table knife since that time she shaved the cat. Poor thing…"
"Shut up!" Lenore barked.
"What happened to the cat?" Erik inquired, completely ignoring her.
"Oh, Hades hid under the couch for two weeks. He finally came out because he was starving. I don't think the poor animal ever really got over it; Hades spent the rest of his life under that couch, except when he came out to eat," her father explained.
"So I cut him a few times while I was shaving him! It's not a crime!" Lenore snapped. "And it's your fault anyway. If you hadn't insisted the tutor teach me about animal sacrifices, I wouldn't have shaved Hades."
"Were you going to sacrifice the cat?" her father suddenly addressed her. She'd told him when it happened that she wanted to know what color the cat's skin was.
"So what if I was?"
"Who were you going to sacrifice him to?"
"I hadn't decided yet. I was thinking about God or else the Egyptian Divinities," Lenore admitted.
"You stole my incense! I wondered where it had disappeared to," her father griped.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, I took it for educational purposes," Lenore snapped.
"What kind of education did you give her, Hiroshi?" Erik inquired. It took Lenore a moment to realize he had addressed her father.
"Only the best," Hiroshi replied before turning back to Lenore. "And how is stealing my incense educational? Trying to learn the art of larceny?"
"People make sacrifices when they pray so they stand a better chance of getting what they want," Lenore said. "I wanted to see if it really worked that way."
"You weren't going to waste a divinity's time begging for that doll house you wanted, were you?" Hiroshi accused.
"No. I was going to ask for a mother," Lenore replied. Then she realized they were getting horribly off topic. Brandishing the knife furiously, she glared at both men. "Now, you're going to take me back up, this minute. Then Erik, you'll commit yourself to an institution where they can help you, and Father, you'll see that psychiatrist."
"Quite demanding, isn't she?" Erik commented.
"I suppose I shouldn't have spoiled her half as much as I did. But she was my little princess, I wanted her to be happy…" Hiroshi added.
"And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep me happy," Lenore snapped. "Now get moving or I start stabbing."
"Well, Erik, I think you ought to do it," Hiroshi said firmly. "It's your knife, and your fault she has it in the first place."
Lenore suddenly felt…well, the only way to describe it was a presence…in her mind. She couldn't move at all and Erik leisurely strolled over and took the knife from her. "Give it back," she hissed, though she knew that she wasn't going to be able to intimidate him at all without a weapon.
"No. You might go out there and scale the siren to satisfy your scientific curiosity. I'd rather not have that bitch hiding under the sofa for the rest of eternity," Erik replied.
"Hades wasn't hiding, he just liked it under there," Lenore snarled in self-defense.
"Of course he liked it under there, it was safe," Hiroshi said with a chuckle. "Erik likes it down here, because it's safe. Now, if you aren't comfortable down here, hide under Erik's bed. It should make you feel safe."
"Heaven help me, lunacy is an epidemic in this Opera House!" she declared, feeling the presence recede from her mind when Erik slipped the knife back into his boot. She looked around wildly for an object to bludgeon the men with, should she need to.
"Oh dear, Erik, I'm afraid this little excursion isn't going well at all," Hiroshi sighed.
"What was your first clue, Sherlock?" Lenore shouted.
"I'm afraid there's nothing else to do," Hiroshi said sadly. "You'll have to fuck her right now."
Lenore snugged herself up against the wall in fear. "Father, what is wrong with you? You can't mean any of this. Just come back to me, be sane for a moment," she pleaded.
"I'm perfectly sane right now, kitten. Quite a surprise actually, after twenty two years of refraining from homicide," Hiroshi said. "I have missed it something awful, but there just wasn't time for it what with raising you. Perhaps I should see if I can't find myself a nice little prostitute to play with…" That said, he headed for the door.
"Father! Don't leave me here, you can't leave me here. He's mad!" Lenore exclaimed.
"To quote the cat in that cartoon movie you so adored when you were five, "Most everyone's mad here." Have fun, darling, and don't do anything I would expect a proper lady to," Hiroshi said, giving a bow and sweeping out the door with elegance.
"That line…was it a reference to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland?" Erik inquired, seemingly undisturbed that Lenore was trembling against the wall.
"Yes," she answered timidly.
"Quite a strange story, that was. I didn't particularly care for it; Alice was such an ignorant child," he remarked. "But then again, I've never really enjoyed children's literature. It's usually written quite poorly and everything is resolved so unbelievably easy."
"It's not children's literature. There're plenty of adults who love the story," Lenore argued. Maybe if she could keep him talking about trivial things like books, she could manage to find a way out of this situation.
"Then there are many adults who are exceptionally ignorant," Erik replied. "Or perhaps they just enjoy the idea of a fantasy world were nothing is what it seems. Some people just adore being deceived by illusions. Is that how you feel, Lenore? Do you wish you could go to Wonderland, where everything seems less problematic and easy to resolve?"
"It certainly seems appealing at the moment," Lenore mumbled.
"Well, I'd like to remind you that Alice found three inches tall to be a rather dreadful height and I'd advise you not to eat or drink anything," Erik chuckled. "Certainly don't go among mad people, and be careful when playing Croquet with the Queen. Assuming you know how to play at all, that is."
"Stop making fun of me," Lenore commanded.
"Alice had no sense whatsoever," Erik continued more seriously. "Her only concern when she was shrinking was that she should wink herself out of existence. Which would be much kinder than the alternative; imagine if she'd been stuck at three inches for the rest of her life."
Lord, he's really lost it. Who delves that deeply into a kid's story? Oh, there I go. I just told him it's not only for children and then I go and contradict myself.
"Just think about it for a moment. How much larger the world would be! For example, mademoiselle, if you were three inches tall, I would be roughly twenty seven times larger than you. I could easily hold you in the palm of my hand," Erik said casually. "And that silly little girl never thought of such things. It would make a normal life quite impossible."
Lenore thought about it as he had requested and realized he was quite right. She herself had never thought about it that way. She'd only ever thought how many places one could get into if one was only three inches tall. It would make it easier to see the veins running through leaves or to follow an earthworm (or any other insect) and learn about their behavioral patterns. But now, thinking of herself in the palm of Erik's hand, she knew she'd be frightened half to death if she were that small.
"Let's talk about something else…Do you have a favorite book?" Lenore asked.
"Beauty and the Beast," he replied without missing a beat. "It was the only one that ended well for the monster."
"But the Beast wasn't a monster, he was a man under a curse," Lenore pointed out.
"Did you even read the book? He begins as a monster, and ends as a man," Erik argued. "I especially like the villianization of the father. What man gives his daughter to a monster to save his own life?"
"That's a loaded question," Lenore grumbled, glaring at the door.
"Don't get such noble thoughts, dear. You haven't been sacrificed for a life, you've been given to me for my enjoyment," Erik said, a little smirk gracing his face. It was an effort to get her to argue with him when he wanted her to now. He remembered how a simple word used to set her off, but she seemed determined to try to be a proper lady who didn't argue at all. But surely that last comment would get her temper to flare.
Her silence was terribly irksome. Hiroshi, if you've turned her into an obedient girl who believes women are to be seen and not heard, I'll kill you. I don't want a slave.
"Traded, my sweet, as though you were a toy he grew tired of," Erik attempted.
"Oh? Then what's expected of me? Am I to lay on your bed and let you rape me as often as you please? Or am I to follow you around like a loyal puppy? Or perhaps you wish me to cook and clean for you," Lenore suggested. "I will not be used, you bastard, so don't even entertain those thoughts."
Erik supposed that would have to do. It wasn't quite the standard he was used to, but Lenore had hidden her fiery spirit all these years. He couldn't expect it to just come out in full force immediately. "Stop cowering over there and have a seat," he instructed, gesturing to the sofa. "I'm not going to hurt you."
She approached slowly, the very picture of an animal that was ready to bolt at the slightest hint of movement. When she finally managed to sit down on the sofa, staring at him warily, Erik walked over to the sofa and sat beside her. She began to jump up immediately, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. "Don't get up on my account," he said bitterly. Why couldn't the girl just trust him?
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. It's just that there's so little room on the couch, I thought I'd be more comfortable in the chair," she replied innocently.
"If that's the case…" Erik trailed off, standing up. He picked her up off the couch and carried her over to the chair, sitting down and planting her firmly on his lap. "There. Problem solved. I must agree, this is much better then the sofa."
"Oh, loads better. So glad I thought of it," she muttered.
"Now, in a few moments, we'll retire. But one thing I've noticed is that you seem to adore asking questions. So every night, before bed, you may ask me one question, and I will answer you to the best of my ability. Of course, you may choose not to ask anything, that's entirely up to you," Erik said. Hopefully, an evening ritual such as this would help her to trust him. "So, do you have a question for me?"
"How long are you going to keep me here?"
She would pick the one question he couldn't answer. He could say 'forever' and scare her half to death. He could say 'as long as it takes for you to wish to stay of your own accord' and then Lenore would stubbornly decide to never want to be there willingly, just to spite him. "As long as I wish," Erik finally responded. It was the only one that gave her no length of time whatsoever. She would know that her captivity depended entirely upon his whims and not her actions.
"And how long is that?" she challenged.
"I said one question a night, and you've already had your question," Erik reminded her. Knowing she would object to sharing a bed with him, Erik decided to sing her to sleep. She could object all she liked when she woke up, but she wouldn't be able to change the fact that he'd laid in bed with her.
How will I start
Tomorrow without you here?
Who's heart will guide me
When all the answers disappear?
Is it too late?
Are you too far gone to stay?
This one's forever,
Should never have to go away.
What will I do?
You know I'm only half without you.
How will I make it through?
If only tears could bring you back to me,
If only love could find a way.
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway.
If my tears could bring you back to me.
I'd cry you an ocean
If you'd sail on home again.
Wings of emotion
Will carry you, I know they can.
Just let love guide you
And your heart will chart the course.
Soon you'll be drifting
Into the arms of your true north.
Look in my eyes,
you'll see a million tears have gone by
And still they're not dry.
If only tears could bring you back to me,
If only love could find a way.
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway.
If my tears could bring you back to me.
I'd hold you close,
And shout the words I only whispered before.
For one more chance, for one last dance
There's nothing that I would not endure.
If only tears could bring you back to me,
If only love could find a way.
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway.
If my tears could bring you back to me.
Lenore was fast asleep in his arms, snuggling into his embrace like a child. He adored these moments, when he didn't have to worry about the fact that she didn't remember him. He took her into the bedroom, and placed her in the bed he had neglected to sleep in for almost twenty two years.
He would return in a few moments, but there was something he had to do first. Going to what had once been his guest room, Erik paused in the doorway as the icy cold air swept out to meet him. Somehow, he was feeling terribly guilty.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I keep breaking my promise more and more each day. I hope you understand, and don't mind if I spend the night with her instead." He walked into the room, going to stand beside the glass coffin where Lenore Parker, the greatest love of his life, lay. He had to keep the room so cold to preserve her body, but he didn't care. Erik had lain on the floor of this room every night for the past twenty one years, leaving Lenore's side only for auditions or to eat. He had given up composing just to be near her. "I promised I would never leave you, and I've upheld that promise for many years. I know she's not you, but she used to be. I'll bring you back to her, back here with me where you belong."
The authoress sobbed into the tissue Hiroshi had handed her. "I don't care if you review this time or not. I'd really like you to, but it's so…" The authoress returned to sobbing into a fresh tissue, handing the used one to Erik.
"It's alright," Hiroshi assured the authoress, patting her on the shoulder.
"If anyone should be crying, it's me," Erik pointed out. "And I've found the inner strength to resist."
"You're a man, what do you know?" the authoress wept.
"I agree," Lenore sniffled, hugging the authoress and crying with her.