Gustave's POV
Summer came to an end faster than I thought it would. It didn't seem that long ago that my mother passed away, but it had already been nearly a month. A month too long. While Mister Y was ill, I spent my time helping and caring for him just as my mother would have done. The whole idea of Mister Y getting infections in his face frightened me, for it made me think that perhaps next time would be worse. I couldn't imagine life as an orphan, and I didn't want to. Losing my mother was hard enough without having to feel as though I would lose my papa too. Mister Y spent nearly a week in bed with a fever before being able to stand on his own two feet again. Though, when he was able to do so, he took over at caring for me instead of me caring for him. Taking care of Mister Y was no harder than taking care of a pet fish. He hardly ate and slept most of the time… I'm sure caring for me was much harder.
During Mister Y's bout of illness, Phantasma had its closing day. The only reason I knew this, was because he cursed beneath his breath about not being able to be there. I wished that summer would have stayed longer, for it was nearly my first day of school. If there was one thing I hated, it was the dreaded place where children were mean and scary. Back home, I hated going to school, for the children treated me like a freak. Yes, I was a good student and aced every class, but when it came to making friends, I flunked in that category. Perhaps Coney Island schools were kinder…They had to be! If I were treated like a freak back in Paris, at least now I would be surrounded by them.
Tomorrow, I would be starting school, and I wasn't looking forward to it. While Mister Y was busy cleaning up from dinner, I sat on the windowsill of my bedroom and hugged my knees to my chest, staring out at the Coney Island lights.
"I hate school, mother." I cooed. "I don't like it. Why couldn't Mister Y have just home schooled me? Even when we lived in Paris I didn't like school…What is going to change that now?"
"Gustave, is everything all right?"
I turned towards the doorway and spotted Mister Y entering with his hands folded behind his back. Yes, Mister Y might have been strange, but he was always concerned about my well being. Well, at least he was more concerned than Raoul. Even when I had bad days at school, Raoul never once asked me about what was bothering me. No, I was lucky if I got a simple "hi" out of him on his way out to the bar.
"I'm just talking to mother." I said, pulling my knees closer to my chest.
"And what has she said?"
"Nothing," I sighed. "She never speaks to me."
"Never?" he questioned. "Oh, I find that hard to believe, Gustave. Your mother speaks to me all the time."
"No, mother is as silent as the night, Mister Y. I just don't understand it… She once told me that her father sent her the angel of music. If that's true, then where is my angel?"
Mister Y reached out his hand and placed it firmly against the center of my chest.
"She's right here, Gustave. Don't you forget that. Your mother is always watching over you, son…She loves you very much."
"Then why did she have to leave? I need her here beside me, Mister Y."
"And she always is, Gustave. Just please, always come to me when you're feeling sad. I will always be here for you…"
I nodded, and Mister Y lifted me off the windowsill.
"Come along then, it's time for bed."
"But why?" I groaned. "I'm not even tired."
"Because you have school in the morning. You need to look bright eyed and bushytailed for your first day. And I can already see you being more popular with the children here, than with the ones back home."
As I sat there on the side of my bed, Mister Y went into my wardrobe and pulled out my pajamas. He then placed them at my side and stood there watching as I dressed into them, taking each of my garments that I discarded and placing them into the wash bin.
"But what if they don't like me?"
Mister Y lied me down beneath the blankets and covered me up, smiling as he did so.
"Gustave, who wouldn't love you? You are the kindest and funniest child I have ever seen. You're your mother one hundred percent. Whoever loathes you, it is only because they are jealous. I'm certain that you will make more friends tomorrow than you know what to do with."
This made me feel a little better, for I sighed and snuggled my head into my pillow.
"Here's Don Juan." Mister Y said, handing me my stuffed bear. "Now get some sleep and think about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. I'll take you to school in the morning and pick you up right after it's over."
"You promise?"
Mister Y nodded and pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. "I promise, Gustave."
"Would you sing me a lullaby?" I begged. "Mother always sang me lullabies."
"All right," Mister agreed. "But only one."
I then closed my eyes and listened to my papa as he sang me "music of the night," the same lullaby that my mother used to sing me when I would beg her for a lullaby. And before he even finished, I had fallen into a deep slumber, hopefully waking and having the best day of school I had ever had.
Erik's POV
After singing Gustave to sleep, I rose from his side and left his bedroom door halfway open. It was strange how I had come to know his routines and fears. Deciding to catch up on work that I had neglected over the past few days due to my illness, I took a seat at my desk and lit a candle to light up my work area. Afterwards, I began to write, filling out checks and paper work for my park.
"You're looking much better today, Erik."
"So I am…" I knew Christine was here, but I was too busy trying to catch up to care.
"Gustave did a wonderful job at taking care of you."
"Yes, he did."
From behind me, I felt my angel massaging my shoulders. I closed my eyes and relaxed against her touch.
"You work yourself too hard, Erik."
"I do no such thing, Christine."
"Your shoulders are so tensed…Stiff muscles are only from sleeping over your work."
"I have things that need to be done, Christine." I said, sitting up straight again. "I would much rather prefer to work alone."
"You've grown cold."
"No," I said, picking up my pen. "I have not grown cold. I've come to terms with myself…Those terms being that I shouldn't acknowledge you."
"And why not?"
"Because you're not real. You are simply here to guide me…Well, Gustave is in bed, what further guiding could I possibly need from you tonight?"
"Just because I am here to guide you with Gustave, does not necessarily mean that you couldn't use some company as well. You are lonely, Erik."
"I'm not lonely." I scoffed. "You can never know loneliness if you're not alone. I have Gustave."
"Perhaps, but you're lonely…" Christine pointed to my chest. "You're lonely in here. I know deep down that you're still pining over my death. I know how much you miss me and how much you wish I were here beside you."
"Enough!" I growled. "Go away…Please… Angels are to obey, and I order you to obey my wishes! I want to be left alone! I don't want you here beside me when you're not guiding me!"
I couldn't hold back the tears that wanted to come any longer and found myself sobbing into my hands. I missed Christine! I missed her with all that I was! It was harder to sit here and watch her in the form of an angel than it was to acknowledge her death!
"Erik, you're miserable."
I shot to my feet and leaned against my window, staring endlessly at the Coney Island lights.
"Having you here in this form is hard for me."
My angel approached me and brushed a stray tear away from my cheek.
"The afterlife is not so bad, Erik. Everything there is beautiful…"
"I highly doubt it…Your life would have been more beautiful here, beside me…Coney Island is beautiful, Christine!"
I was so upset, that I took a seat against my windowsill and ran my fingers through my hair.
"You know, Erik, when you die and go to heaven, it is much like living here on Earth. Only, in heaven, there is no sadness, in heaven, there is no violence or poverty. Everyone is happy…And in heaven, you get to chose where you live, much like one can do on Earth."
"If that is the case, you probably live in the house by the sea."
My angel chuckled and shook her head. "That's the problem with you, Erik. You always shorthand yourself. You believe that everything must be a certain way, when in reality, life is what one makes it out to be."
Suddenly, everything around me began to change. The walls took on a shape of their own, the floor turning into one consisting of cold brick. From the corner, a book case appeared, one that looked all too familiar. I stood and gazed around my new surroundings, finding this place even more familiar now.
"Where are we?" I questioned, walking around the room.
"Don't you know?"
I kept quiet, exiting the room and entering another, one that had a piano in the corner and a desk with papers and music notes scattered about. No…This couldn't be! It just couldn't…could it? I hurried down the hall, opening the skeleton shaped doorknob, only to be met with my room! The room that I had lived in back in Paris…the room in my underground lair! Everything was the same…The fireplace was burning, my throne chair that was pushed neatly up against my desk looked as though it hadn't aged a bit. Everything was just how I left it, everything except my bed. It was no longer the coffin I had once spent endless nights tossing and turning in…No, it had been replaced with a real bed…one with beautiful blankets and plush pillows set atop of it.
"Are we in Paris?"
Christine stepped beside me and smiled. "No, Erik. This is my home…Well, our home. I'm keeping it cozy for you."
Curious, I walked to the front door, expecting to open it and find the underground lake, but instead, there was sunshine and bright skies… And, when everything cleared, I was left staring at the ocean. Was this really heaven?
"Beautiful, is it not?"
I was speechless, for it was beautiful. My Christine had envisioned my home and made it her own, placing it right on the beach. Oh, heaven it was!
"But why my home?"
"There was just something about your lair that always felt like home, Erik. It is my happiness."
It was then, that I got the greatest idea in mind! I knew just how to spend time with my Christine without having me look like a crazy person! Yes, it was perfect!
"Christine," I turned to her and took her hands into my own. "I have an idea."
"An idea?"
I nodded. "If you can take me here on your own free will, why can't you and I spend endless nights here with one another? We could have picnics on the beach, candle light dinners…"
Her smile faded, and sadly, everything else around me did as well. It began to take form again, until I was back in my own room.
"It can't be like that, Erik. You're still living…I only meant to show you heaven. I can't bring you there, that's not how it works. You and I will be together again someday, and when we are, we shall have those endless nights you speak about."
"And why not now?" I snapped. "Why not now, Christine? Why can't we spend time together? Why can't we kiss one another here, right now, in this very room?"
"Because, angel…" Christine caressed my cheek. "You will forget what is real, and what's not."
"You are cruel!" I cried. "All I ask is that you love me like a human being…Come to me each night as my lover, not as my angel. You can do this, and yet, you refuse."
"Because, mon ange…I will not be here forever…You will go mad."
But before I could say another word, my angel disappeared. No…I couldn't continue living like this! I needed to be beside my angel forever more, and I knew the only way I was going to make it happen was to leave this Earth…But what about Gustave? What about his wellbeing? Surely Raoul could raise him...Surely the man would take Gustave if something happened to me…Yes, leaving Gustave would most likely ruin the boy, but I couldn't continue living like this. Tomorrow, I would put an end to my life, tomorrow, I would be with my Christine.
Gustave's POV
I didn't wish to wake the following morning, but I did. After dressing for the day, I walked out into the kitchen to find Mister Y standing in front of the stove cooking breakfast. For some odd reason, he seemed to be acting a little strange, for he was staring endlessly out the window while the pancakes were burning in the frying pan.
"Mister Y?"
He didn't even turn to face me, nor did he acknowledge my existence. What was wrong with him?
"Mister Y, breakfast is burning!"
When I shouted this, he cursed beneath his breath and moved towards the sink to clean up the mess he had caused.
"Mister Y, are you all right?" I questioned. "You're acting different this morning. Are you feeling all right?"
He only nodded, and placed a small stack of pancakes down in front of me. What made me worry even more for him, was when he didn't join me. He simply walked to his office like a zombie and took a seat at his desk, continuing to stare out the window. What was wrong with him? I could only hope that it wasn't his face again. I wasn't too interested in eating, but took a few bites before rising to my feet and entering his office. He was still staring out the window, but now, he was also playing with something that was inside of his desk. I couldn't see the contraption, but it frightened me to see him acting like this.
"Mister Y? Are you going to walk me to school like you promised?"
He suddenly turned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Of course."
That was all he said as he rose and handed me my small backpack he had purchased me for my school books. But I didn't want to go to school, not while he was acting so strange.
"Mister Y, do you promise to pick me up after school?" I asked.
"Yes, Gustave, I will." He said, as we walked towards the school house. "I said I would."
"You're acting strange…"
"I didn't sleep last night." He said. "There has been a lot on my mind."
"Like what?"
"Nothing." He said. "I've just been thinking about certain things."
"Mister Y, could we spend some time together today? I'll promise to go to school tomorrow…Let's just go to Phantasma and play some games. Let's go to Feltman's and get some ice cream…"
"Y…You have school." He stammered. "You need to go to school."
When we arrived at the gate where all the other children were entering through, my papa knelt down at my side and brushed my cheek with his fingers, as though he were trying to take in every aspect of my features.
"You look like your mother, do you know that?"
His eyes were filled with tears as he said this…Oh, what was wrong with him? Why was he acting so strange?
"Gustave, I need you to know that whatever happens today, whatever may come this afternoon, I just need you to know that I love you very much."
"Mister Y…" this was making me upset now, for tears were rushing to my own eyes. "Don't leave me here."
"I'll be back, Gustave." He promised. "I will be with you, always."
He then stood and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
"Be a good boy…Wherever life takes you, Gustave, just promise to be a good boy."
"Mister Y, what's wrong? Why are you saying this to me?"
But he wouldn't answer me, only kissed me one last time and began to walk off. I was about to follow him, when my arm was snatched. When I turned, there was a tall woman standing before me.
"You must be Gustave?"
I nodded.
"I'm Mrs. Smith, your new teacher."
I tried to pull my arm away to run after Mister Y, but Mrs. Smith pulled me through the gate of the school house.
"You're going to love it here, Gustave." She assured. "I'm sure you'll make lots and lots of friends. Come along, let me introduce you to your new classmates."
I didn't want to disobey Mister Y, but something deep inside my gut told me that something wasn't right. It wasn't like him to just say such strange things without reason. I wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but I would certainly find out when school was over for the day. After all, he did promise to meet me here after school…He swore that he wouldn't break this promise and I trusted him…trusted my papa, that he would be here…
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