Chapter 6
The Phantoms Lair

The last time Gustave had swum was when he had set up these very booby traps in the first place. The water felt unfamiliar to him; even though it surrounded the place he called home. He could see Eloise, lifeless now, sinking slowly to the bottom, her hand pressed against the metal ever so slightly. He took a deep breath and held his nose, feeling some burnt skin at the side. Looking between his mask and the girl, Gustave dove deeper into the waters and began to crank a lever. He could feel his strength come back as he witnessed Eloise let go of her last air bubbles. Finally, the lever released and the cage began to lift. Gustave swam to Eloise, grabbed her by the waist and hauled her up, throwing her onto the cold stone that made an entrance to his lair. Taking a deep, gasping breath, Gustave crawled up beside her and began to shake her.
"Come on, wake up!" He begged, frantically searching for his mask at the same time. Eloise was motionless. "WAKE UP!" Gustave shouted after giving up the search for his mask, if his father could do it, so could he. Gustave pressed his ear against her chest to feel a breath and suddenly water spit out of Eloise's mouth followed by a deep breath. Gustave covered his face and backed away into the shadows; he couldn't risk Eloise knowing he wasn't a ghost, much less, a boy not too far from her own age.
"W- Where am I?" She sputtered, vomiting out her last bit of water. Gustave smiled at the sight of the colour coming back into Eloise's cheeks.
"This is my home." Gustave declared proudly.
"Ghost?" Eloise whispered, standing on her feet but stumbling slightly. "Where are you?" She looked at her clothes, drenched in water and began to shiver.
"I- I cannot say." Gustave stuttered, afraid of what may happen next.
"H-help me, monsieur. I'm freezing… are we underground?"
Gustave couldn't risk Eloise getting hypothermia and so, he began to recall what his father once told him of a boat.
"Eloise, I need you to get into the boat you see nearby. I will take you to my lair."

Eloise couldn't see any lair or home mentioned, she just saw a large cage, much like the one that nearly killed her, guarding what seemed like a cave. She searched for the boat, and fond a gondola shaped one near some rocks to her right. She ran in and found a man standing in the front with the paddle. Shivering to the point where she could hear her teeth shatter, Eloise realized it may not be best to ask who this man was. He was tall and well built, with thick brown hair falling slightly into his face. Was this Gustave? She did not expect someone so handsome to be her ghost – but was it even a ghost? Eloise found her assumptions to be true, this thing was not a ghost or phantom, this thing was a young man. Eloise could feel anger boiling inside of her, how dare he trick her into thinking he was the Phantom of the Opera? Finally, the blackness moved to reveal candles and curtains and a giant organ and desk on levelled rocks. Eloise noticed that the man on the boat with her was covering his face. Maybe she was wrong… Confused beyond belief, Eloise took the man's hand as he helped her off the boat and stepped calmly onto the rocks, stumbling and falling to her knees. She looked up at the man, who was still covering his face and looking down at her with his blue eyes.
"Gustave…" She muttered, "What is this? Why am I here?"
"Don't panic." Gustave replied softly.
"You are no Phantom of the Opera – are you?"
"No, Eloise I am not."
"How DARE you trick me? What have I EVER done to you?"
"Don't speak to me like that!" Gustave grabbed her hand as she raised it and helped her up. "I don't mean to hurt you, Eloise. I only meant to help."
"Why me? There are hundreds of girls at the academy but you choose me?" Eloise felt tears rush to her eyes as she turned away. "Nobody shows an interest in me. I don't have any friends. My mother left and caused my father to divorce her." Eloise wiped her tears and pushed Gustave away. "The one person that has ever shown interest in me is a Phantom of the Opera impersonator." Eloise sunk to her knees and again began to cry. Gustave felt his heart beat faster – he didn't know his actions could make someone feel like he did himself.
"Why must you cry?" He began, like he had said a few weeks earlier. Eloise looked up and him and touched the hand that covered his face.
"Why do you do that?" She asked.
"That is none of your business."
"Why n-not?" Eloise shivered again. Gustave shook his head and grabbed a shawl off his desk; handing it to Eloise and watching her cheeks turn bright red. "Thank you." She sighed in warmth.
"You cannot leave now, do you understand?" Gustave whispered quietly. He could feel his madness coming back. "You've seen my lair, you've seen my home, you've ridden my boat – you can NEVER go back! Do you understand!"
"But my father-" Eloise began.
"You can leave when he comes looking for you!"
"Well that won't be very soon ghost." Eloise spit. "You think anybody cares if I'm gone!?" She sighed and began to pace his lair, "My mother left me, do you understand? I was mocked, bullied, out casted by everyone, and you mean to tell me that I must stay here till someone comes looking for me?" She laughed, "Don't get your hopes up. I might as well live here Gustave, because no one will care if I'm gone."
Gustave stood in awe, watching Eloise's rage unfold before him. She sat down on the curb of his bed and wiped her tears. She couldn't even believe what had left her mouth. She barely spoke out of line on a regular basis – what made Gustave so special?
"I will stay." Eloise muttered, "But only until someone comes to look for me."
"Good." Gustave sighed, second guessing whether this was the right thing to do. He took his hand off this face and looked to the floor. Eloise gasped and Gustave thoughtlessly looked in her direction.
"Your –" She stopped herself. "That's why you live underground, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I don't mind it – really… can you tell me what happened?" Eloise asked, moving closer to Gustave, who couldn't believe how kind Eloise was being to his deformity.
"Alright," Gustave began, maybe Eloise could be the person to accept him for his flaw.