Erik stood on the edge of box five, looking down into the crowd, Rene by his side, Rafe by the door and I reclining on the couch. The sound of the orchestra warming up below the stage greatly overwhelmed the conversation under us. "I believe, by now, memories of the Phantom of the Opera have long fled the minds of the corrupted circus act below. Their acts so vile and thick that Don Juan would not have even spat at them, let alone wasted his time to kill and make the world right again. The unnumerous thoughts of tyranny have leaked onto this very stage and poisoned the floorboards black as their souls. The Phantom was not a masked vigilante, but a soul wishing for correctness and purity."
Rene's eyes were open wide as he peered at his father with curiosity. He understood, of course, that Erik and I ran this opera by fear and cunning, but had never heard our own reasons for the chaos. His hands trembled on the edge of the arm rests as the prima donna began her aria, the first of many she would sing. Her voice rose to the highest points but didn't seem to soar and try to break the barriers. She was seemingly content being average other than extraordinary. Something that simply would not do.
"Rene, I was not always the benevolent man you see today. I scorned those who donated money to charity. The men would donate thousands of francs and then brag about it in their boxes, insisting their wives had done it, not themselves. I gained the most out of this world from greed, anger and pure power. Power to kill and power to destroy. I was known under a slew of names. The trapdoor lover, prince of darkness, opera ghost. But the name that lives on in these times of forgetfulness, that has become a complete façade is Phantom." Erik slipped off his mask as he faced his only son. "This is the face my mother hated. This is the face that sealed every bad thing in my life in place. Except your mother. Your mother, she hated this mask. She hated the Phantom. She wanted the true me. That scared little child with only a scrap of cloth to his name as he watched his mother, pregnant, come towards him with knives and fire pokers. The child who was not allowed around his baby sister for fear that he would make her a demon too. She wanted a heart that had tried to grasp the world only to have it turn from his hands screaming."
Erik placed his mask back on and got face level with his son, allowing him to see the tears glimmering beneath the surface. "This is what has been created, Rene. Look at it. This mask is the legend of the Phantom. This mask is one of death, deceit and destruction. I have lived my own life of lies. I have never lied to anyone in this room."
Rene's face was shocked. "You lied to Mom?" He looked back and forth between me and Erik then turned to the small black box on the wall. A box that we had used many of times to listen to the gossip of the inner circles of the big wigs of Parisian society.
Erik raised himself to his feet and gave Rafe a look. "Check the guest book. See who has signed in for tonight's show." Rafe nodded and slipped out of the room silently. "I have lied and stolen away many things. It has become quite a survival mechanism. Of all I could've stolen from her, her confidence, her love, her trust in a Phantom. I almost took her life. It was never intentional that so many plans would crash down around me at once. I wish I could've held out. And when I saw her, all those years ago, up on a rooftop with a razorblade hidden beneath her skirts, my hand reached out and brushed her face, trying to convey in a simple whisper how much I needed her to survive. How sorrow filled my heart when I had fell ill on the night of our meeting. How I could not allow Noemi to drag her down into the cellar to see me so desolate and weak. The door was sealed even to me. Then when I saw her true intent, I ran to gather her friends. The only people with any chance to save her. Her face was so white, the ground surrounding her so crimson red. My heart shattered every night I dreamed of what I had done to her. That scar still lingers there, Rene. Its on her arm and its on her heart. I dare not leave her for one night for I fear the day that I do will be a night full of fear for her heart. I am her world and her life and could never separate myself if I even tried. My soul is forever tied to hers, no matter what worlds come between us. In death I will follow her and in her dreams become the arms that encircle her and whisper sweet songs in her ear until day break tears her out of my arms. And with tear choked sobs I will let her go, anxiously awaiting the night to fall. Until her heart wishes me no longer permission to kiss her lips, to look into her eyes with love, the Phantom inside me is loyal, loving and kind."
Rene's arms wrapped around his fathers waist and hugged him with all of his might. "Father, I will be at least half as great of a man as you are. I promise."
Erik's smile lit up the room in happiness and love for this small boy that he had watched grow into this amazing young man of thirteen.
This touching scene made me wonder in my heart. When was the first time I had seen Erik. When had I realized his presence in the manor between my daily lessons with my mother and the tea parties with many of old women and young girls? My mind sifted through the early days at the opera house, deeper into Persia and the gypsy camps, all the way back into the few years spent on the French countryside. It was late at night, and I was thirsty. My nightgown was far too long for my four year old body and I kept tripping over the ends. My nanny was fast asleep, so I wandered down the hallway. It was cold, and my feet stuck slightly to the polished marble floor. Then I heard it. Piercing screams from behind a door my mother told me never to open. I lowered myself to my knees and pressed my eye to the crack. The floor had no marble, no rich rugs, but a hard wooden floor that had never been polished. The door smelled like feces and urine. I saw my mother's shadow moving, and this strange shadow I had never seen before.
"INSOLENT DOG!" She screamed and I heard a sharp crack and a whimper as the strange shadow scurried away from my mother. "Disgusting curr! Why did my body not complete its job and kill you when it had a chance? Now I must punish you demon!" More cracks and whimpers were heard. Tears streamed down my face. When had my mother became so cruel? I had no knowledge of this demon she spoke of but wished greatly to hold him and hide him from my mother. "You've cost me love." She whispered before she kicked him into the door.
He went to rise and spat up blood. "Mother…" He whispered gently before she shrieked and kicked him once more.
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT YOU DISGUSTING RAT!" I heard her voice break and she spat angrily, "What would you do if your sister heard that word from your mouth? She is to be the lone heir, not you. You were simply a drunken mistake. A curse upon the Destler house." Her shoes started snapping towards the door. I tried to get up but it was too late. Her face sneered down at me and a boy, naked, bleeding, and looked at me with shock and horror. He couldn't have been a day over eleven.
"Noemi! Since you decided to stick your nose where it doesn't belong, you can spend a night with this beast." My mother, who had been so kind to me, picked me up by my throat until I was certain I was going to die, and threw me into the room. And locked the door.