Author's Note: Hello my lovely and most amazing readers! I have supplied you with another chapter that I know you will love... hopefully. Anyways, just as a forewarn, I am Greek, half. If, at all I do not put a little '*' to show you what it says, definitely kill me. ANYWAYS! Going to thank Niikkii95 for reviewing (you're so right, Hell is never good, haha!), Dark Angel 792 for adding for their favs (cuz who doesn't love favorites? =]), and ConGarzia and BVBForever13 for adding this story to their alerts. Alright! Done with the thanking, on with the show!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah... I don't own Phantom of the Opera... Blah, blah, blah
Chapter Four: Destroying Memories
"Nai, gnorízo tin akriví tous thési tóra.*" Said a large burly man hiding in the shadows, he gloved hands cupped against his mouth as he tried to heat them up with his hot breath. His brown eyes and bald head were staring as they watched the two targets walk down a flight of stairs and seemed to disappear from sight.
He raised a large, thick brow and coughed. He hit his chest with a fist as if to break up the mucus that was suffocating him. He looked over to his left and saw the scrawny little man slack against the wall, his hands in between his thighs as if his cock was a heater.
"Why is it so god damn cold?" Said the scrawny man, shaking his head and letting a layer of snow fall from his brown hair. He looked up to the burly man for an answer.
"I don't know. All I know is that if I want to sleep in a warm bed and eat actual food, we're gonna have to do this for the Boss."
"This is so stupid! Why couldn't the Boss do this himself?" He said grudgingly. He huffed and watched as another snowflake caught in his curly brown hair. "Shit! Even the snow is trying to get warm! They're clinging to me for dear life! Stupid snow," he said, kicking at the white fluff that surrounded his feet.
"I would kill to be at the beaches right now with seven gypsies and ten women cooking for me and feeding me by hand." Said the large man as he closed his eyes and began to daydream.
"Well, isn't that what we're here to do?" Snickered the scrawny man as he stood up, pulling a picture out of his pocket.
A young woman was smiling and her raven black hair silently floated behind her as she sat on a bench in some sort of park in the spring time, it looked like. Her icy blue eyes broke all concentration anywhere else and commanded every person who looked at the pictures' attention. A small golden butterfly had been flying in the sky right above her, near the apple tree that stood proudly in the back; it's crimson red apples were begging those to come and pick them.
"Yeah, but, we're only scouting. Once the Boss gives us the go ahead," he chuckled as he remembered what his boss had said.
"She'll be ours," the scrawny man whispered as he held the picture in front of the burly man.
"And anyone in our way," the burly man nodded at the picture and looked back to the staircase.
"Will die a most painful death." They ended together, reciting the words their boss had said earlier.
…
"I've been living here all this time? Oh, my God!" I shouted, spinning around in the underground lair. My ballet slippers had fallen off of my heels and as I spun, the cape I had began to flow around me.
Though, when I came to a halt, my hair whipped against my flush and excited face, looking at Erik who had dropped his cape onto the floor so ungracefully. I ran over to him, grabbing him by his shoulders and felt his muscles tense from such a surprising touch.
"Will you take me to the stage? Please? I have only seen it once." I smiled the most innocent smile I could, even though it might have looked very weird.
A small chuckle sounded through his throat. "Change into something clean and I will take you as soon as you are finished." He gave a small smile and I clapped my hands together, turning around and running over to the two suitcases, flipping the locks off and throwing the tops back.
I searched for something very informal and pulled out a long black skirt and a light blue cashmere sweater. I looked down at the suitcase and began to think; I own only long skirts and cashmere sweaters. "Hmmm," I sighed, closing the tops and walking into the large stoned bathing room.
I changed quickly and washed my face with the cold water sitting on a stand in a corner. I looked up at the mirror and watched as the water trickled down my face and dripped back down to the bowl from my chin. Each drop sounded through-out the room, echoing in an eerie way. I rubbed my hands over my face again, letting my hands rest on my cheeks and watching the wrinkles and very small lines that I hadn't noticed before. I pulled my face back towards my ears, watching as my pink lips stretched and the skin begin to chap.
I let go, watching the skin retake its shape and fall back into place. I looked to my forehead and scrunched my eyebrows down, then up. I stared at the lines that were forming then disappearing from sight but, to me, they were still there. I looked to my hair and ran my fingers through, letting the fine black strands fall where they may.
How could Erik look at me? I mean, look at how old I was. He must not even be thirty and here I was, twenty-six and having no career, no children, no husband and no house to clean. I sighed and dropped my head, looking down into the water and the silver of the bowl. I placed my hands in it, cupping the water and watching the water ripple from the movement. Everything had their consequences; the water and my hands to the anger and frustration showing on my face and aging me beyond what I truly was.
No man will ever love me, not even Erik. I see the way he looks at me. His eyes are so distant even though I imagine them loving me with their full potential. They were gone, as if they had seen the light then once the light left, so did the brightness in his gorgeous green eyes. Those eyes told a story and I wanted to know it, and begging might push him away. If only I could somehow open up to me, I'd-
"Nathalie?" His voice startled me and his large hand made me jump from my spot, tossing the water that was in my hands, now fly into the air and mostly on his face and dress shirt.
"Oh, Erik! I'm so sorry! You scared me!" I whispered out, walking back over to him and grabbing the dirty cashmere sweater I wore, I wiped off as much water as I could from his clothes before they could soak in.
He let out a small laugh and grabbed my wrists. I looked up at him, watching him through my icy blue eyes, searching again for anything. "It's quite alright. I had thought you might have fallen asleep and I wanted to check on you." He said, his lips pulled into a gorgeous smile.
"Y-Yes, I'm alright. Well, I was until you scared me but, that was just me in my own world." I smiled and grabbed the black skirt from off the floor, walking away from Erik and out of the bathing room and back into the large room and over to the swan bed.
I folded the clothing and placed them next to the metal bed, turning to step into the ballet slippers I had just worn. They were so cold! A large shiver went through my whole body, giving me geese flesh and the small hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention.
"Are you ready?" His low voice asked. He stood in a cream coloured dress shirt and black dress pants. He smiled at me as I nodded, turning towards him and walking with him to a gondola sitting at the edge of a set of stairs and climbed in, ready to go experience the Opera Populaire first hand with someone dear to my heart.
…
The big burly man looked at his twig-of-a-man cohort. He was shaking in his small coat and his hands were now shoved deep into his thick wool pants. The skinny man looked to the burly one.
"What? I'm fucking cold!" He hissed, turning his face away from the laughing man. "Oh man, what I wouldn't do for a hot and sandy beach."
"Oh, shut your trap, Edio. There is no use in complaining. We're just going to go in, look around and leave. From there, we get warmed up from a couple of Parisian women." A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled them back to show a large set of rotting teeth.
"How much longer then? I'm freezing out here." He spit out, his teeth chattering had butchered every word he said.
"Ten minutes,"
…
His hand was securely wrapped around mine, pulling me along lovingly as we traveled through catacombs and tunnels until we had reached a door. It had only taken us a few minutes to travel through labyrinth, a myriad of twists and turns began to give me a headache and yet, here we were, standing still in front of this door.
I looked at him, the masked side of his face only showing itself to me. I held my other hand out, wanting to touch him, to make him feel alright.
"E-Erik?" I whispered, letting my hand guide itself to his shoulder, feeling his muscles tense.
He never replied, only sliding the door open to reveal a dark room that smelled of moth balls and dust. I looked up at him and he ushered me in, making sure that I avoided tripping on the wood railing that housed the sliding door. Yet, once I stepped inside the room, it felt dead, as if something dreadful had happened and no one could or would do anything about it.
My fingers traced the vanity to my left, letting the dust gather on my porcelain hand. I created a trail around the many different objects on it: a hairbrush, a box filled with make-up or possibly jewelery, a tiny picture frame and a small box that held papers. I took each step carefully yet, once something crunched underneath my feet, I screamed.
I jumped up and ran over to Erik who, being so quiet in his steps, had moved and in the darkened room, was no longer able to find.
"Erik?" I called out, walking back over to the vanity and looking at the floor to see what I had stepped on. Expecting to find the cockroach, a crushed red rose greeted my strained eyes. I grabbed the steam, admiring the work in taking off the thorns so carefully. I pulled it up to my face, examining it and watching as the cracked pieces of petal began to drift to the floor, a few landing on my skirt. A black silk ribbon was tied around the stem and as I looked closer, a beautiful little bow graced it.
I smiled, standing up and looking around at it, turning it all sorts of ways to see anything else. I knew it was dead, that much was obvious but, how long had this rose been lying underneath the vanity? It wasn't hidden, that was for sure because my foot didn't reach all the way back. It had had a layer of dust until I picked it up and watched as it miraculously cleaned itself off. Had it wanted to be seen? Had it wanted to be picked up by me? And where is Erik?
I turned my head side to side, looking for the man. He was no where to be found and I sighed. I placed the rose on the vanity and watched as the colour had died out in its bloom. I shook my head and headed for a large set of doors. My hands grabbed the handles and turned one, opening the large heavy door into a hallway going three directions: left, right and forward. I cleared my throat.
"Erik? Are you out here?" I asked the empty hallways. Clearly, if he had even opened the door, I would have heard. Such a stupid question to ask. I shook my head and walked out of the room, traveling to the right and once I saw how dark and dangerous it looked, I spun on my heels and walked right on back to the doors. I stared ahead, looking down the large hall that looked like it had led to a wall of crimson red but, the wall looked weird and my instincts to go and see what it was urged me to stay behind.
I was arguing with myself, literally. I stood there at the doors, holding onto the handle and cursing up a storm trying to tell myself that there was nothing wrong and to stop being such a baby and go over there. Yet, once that argument was done, another would start, trying to talk me out of it. I shook my head and nodded along with what argument was speaking until in my mind, I knew that if I didn't go down that hallway right now, I'd never be able to go again.
So, with that in mind, I walked away from the door and stood tall and with my skirt in my hands, holding it up so my feet would be seen, I ran down the hallway. I passed sets of stairs and rooms and all sorts of outfits that were ridiculous looking until I came up to the red wall, running through it only to see it as a curtain and falling onto the wood flooring.
I lay there, not quietly but laughing. I began to laugh as I realized I was still alive. I rolled over to my back, looking up to see a large mural painted on the ceiling. I began to quiet down, looking up at the lovely painting still held well on the roof. I pushed myself up onto my elbows, looking as the cherubs held onto their small bows and arrows and had taken into circling around the circular ceiling. I looked away and over to the right only to see something I hadn't in eighteen years.
The red velvet chairs, the crystal chandelier and the top balcony that housed the weak, wooden chairs the poor would sit in if ever they were allowed.
"Enjoying your tour?" A deep voice called out into the large auditorium.
I turned my head and picked myself off, dusting off the remnants of old. "Yes, quite." I smiled walking to the center of the stage and looked at the chandelier that was situated in the seats, now a guest to a show that would never be performed for just him.
"Everything is absolutely beautiful. I remember everything looking so magnificent as the first day I had seen it." I smiled, turning around to see the stage set with a large backdrop of a moon shining upon a lake, surrounded by forests and little sprites.
"How can you call this 'beautiful'? Don't you see what is in front of you?" He asked, standing up in an opera box nearest to the stage.
"Because it is. Everything is exactly what I remembered it to be." I smiled again, a large grin plastered onto my face.
I heard his footsteps cross the stage and I knew he was headed towards me. I waited for him to take me in his arms and to spin me around so that I may nuzzle in his neck and breathe in that smell which was so indescribable. But, it never came, only a cold hand placed itself on my shoulder and turned me to face him and look into the eyes of a man I didn't know.
"Erik?" I asked, reaching out for his face, only to have my hand caught in his.
"Look around you," he seethed, his face drawing closer to mine and his hot breath spilling over my face.
"I have; everything here is amaz-"
"NO! Look around you! Everything is dead!" He shouted at me, spinning me around to see the auditorium once again. And this time, it looked completely different.
The chandelier that had been sitting so gracefully in the seats looked as if it were dead, holding onto the burned ash that lay beneath it, crying to the chairs and begging them to come back. The red velvet of the seats was gone, leaving the metal structuring open for all to see. I looked up to the ceiling, hoping that the cherubs wouldn't be harmed yet, they were burned, black and lifeless. The ceiling cracked and the snow falling so depressed down to the top part of the now crushed balcony. The whole middle section, destroyed. A fire had burned off the area, leaving seats upturned and burned coats strayed across the railing.
Erik turned us around to look at the stage and I couldn't believe my eyes. Large wooden beams were cockeyed and burned, leaving red, orange and yellow curtains blowing ever so gently in the freezing breeze. I became cold and realized that the warmth I had felt was unreal, only a memory.
"Only a memory," I whispered, pulling my hands to my face and letting out the tears that were forcing themselves out.
"A memory now dead," he whispered into my ear, letting it run through my body, letting it become limp in his grasp. He held onto me, turning me away from all the damage and into him, letting me soak up the heat and radiance of his body.
"This was the fire... the fire that ended it all," I said, my hands grabbing onto the cream dress shirt. My red-rimmed eyes was looking back into the audience, the once glorious room I had the most vivid memories of. Everything that I had seen was all a lie and a memory so imprinted in my mind that it refused to see the horror and death that had now taken over.
"Sing to me," I asked, closing my eyes and feeling Erik's arms close around me, holding me against his strong chest.
"What would you like me to sing, mademoiselle?" His chest reverberated against my face, letting me smile as I begged to hear it and feel it once more.
"The song that Christine Daae sang when I had come to the Opera Populaire for the first and last time." I sighed against him, feeling his body tense and unravel as I held onto him.
"Another song, Nathalie." He said, and I nodded, letting my mind wonder over the few songs I had heard in the once magnificent opera.
I opened my eyes and smiled, my cheek pressed hard against his chest.
"He put it on me, I put it on, like there was nothing wrong
It didn't fit, it wasn't right, wasn't just the size
They say, 'you know when you know'
But I don't know.." I took in a breath and let my body relax against Erik, letting myself mold into his shape.
"I didn't feel the fairytale feeling, no...
Am I a stupid girl for even dreaming that I could?" I felt Erik's arms hug me tighter, his head resting on mine as I tried to continue my song.
"If it's not like the movies, that's how it should be" Erik sang back, letting my grip tighter to his chest, feeling and relishing in it's warmth.
"When he's the one, I'll come undone
And the world will stop spinning
And that's just the beginning..." I looked up at him, watching as he took back his head.
"My world has stopped spinning, Erik. Maybe this is the beginning." I said, watching as he smiled the most gorgeous smile he had ever given me. His lips were pulled back so far and his white teeth brilliantly shined through the darkness in which we stood.
…
They were inside, searching through clothes and sheets of paper with random markings. Edio and Markus were looking through everything their dirty hands could grab and toss. Even though they didn't throw anything, they did sort through the privacy of their targets.
"Hey, look at this," Edio called out, his skinny arms stretched out so that his partner could look at his finding.
"Hmm, you think the Boss would understand that?" Markus asked, taking it his hands and reading over it, looking over the words.
"If he doesn't, then I don't know what'll make him happy," Edio sighed, sifting through papers once more.
"Well, let's go. We've over-stayed our 'welcome'." A dark grin came over the large man's face.
Edio closed the drawer and walked behind Markus as they went through the door and back out into the blistering cold night air.
…
They jumped off their Percheron horses and walked up the lavish marble stairs to the grand patio that wrapped around the large manor. They opened the heavy black wood doors and dusted themselves off of the snow that had collected on their clothing and hair, for Edio.
They turned left and into the closed off study. With one large and hard knock, a voice sounded from inside, beckoning them to enter. They did as they were told and opened the black wood door of the study and entered the warm room their boss sat in.
"I assume you've brought me something of interest?" Their boss said in Greek, turning around to look at the two.
"Yes, we've found something you might be interested in." Markus walked forward, placing the lone paper on the desk, letting his boss look over the information.
A large smirk crossed the olive-skinned features and the dark amber eyes lit up with something so evil, even Markus began to take a few steps back. "Oh, you have done me well, gentlemen. Make sure the servants do whatever you want," he said, looking at the paper once more, his eyes traveling through the words and markings in a wild speed. "And when I say, 'whatever you want' I mean, whatever you want." A wicked grin crossed his lips as he turned back around and faced the roaring fire in the hearth, soaking up the information and the butterflies in his stomach.
He waited until he heard the door close to let out a laugh. He held his head with one hand a his laugh grew louder, much more deeper as he looked to a picture on the hearth. A little girl with raven hair and blue eyes held onto a young boy who was a little older. His blond curls sat upon his head as he held the young girl back. "You will be mine once again, Nathalie. I can assure you that." He let out another laugh, letting it echo in the large study.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Hopefully, I'll make you suspicious of what is going to happen. EEK! So exciting!
*Yes, I know their exact location now. (In Greek)
"Not like the Movies" by Katy Perry. BEST SONG EVER. Seriously.