Sing Once Again With Me
Sing Once Again With Me - Ch. 15
Ella stared at the coffin with an expression completely blank of emotion or thought. She stood perfectly still, overcome by the numbness once again. Unable to feel the light breeze she saw rustle the leaves in the treetops or the light breaths she took that kept her from where her father was. Unable to cry the tears everyone expected of her or undergo the emotions she expected of herself.
Her eyes shone everything though, like a deceitful light show. She was torn right down the middle and tugged in two completely opposing directions. One part of her felt sad and confused that her father was now gone, she knew not where and she had never resolved things with him. Yet an equal half of her was angry because her father was now gone... and she had never resolved things with him...
The small gathering that surrounded the burial ceremony consisted of family and friends. A few distant relatives had come because they lived rather close. But the group was mostly made up of friends, some family friends but mostly her father's friends. They all looked at her sympathetically and with pity, and she wanted to murder each and every one for it. None of them knew what she knew. What her brother knew. And what the now dearly deceased knew.
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
'Dammnit Eric! Get a grip!
It's only been five days...
You've managed alone your entire life.
What difference does it make now?'
Eric knelt by the lake and twirled his finger on the surface of the cool water, his mind lost deep in thought. He knew what a foolish question he had thought. He knew the entire world of differences Ella had brought with her. Yes he missed Ella greatly, he would love to have her there with him that very moment, but that wasn't the main point. This time spent separated from Ella taught him how much he truly needed her. How horrible he had really been before she had arrived. It actually frightened him... He remained that way for a while until the words weighed on his soul and he had to release them from his consience...
"No one would listen,
no one but her,
heard as the outcast hears..."
He paused and eventually looked up and over the lake, scanning it's surface and watching nothing.
"Shamed into solitude,
shunned by the multitude,
I learned to listen,
in my dark, my heart heard music..."
Eric stood from the edge of the lake and just began walking... deep in thought...
"I long to teach the world,
rise up and reach the world,
no one would listen,
I alone could hear the music..."
He paused for a moment, then approached a wall. It had many music sheets and books, but most noticeable of all were the sketchings. They were very beautiful and detailed sketches of who he considered the most beautiful person on the face of the earth.
"Then at last, a voice in the gloom,
seemed to cry "I hear you;
I hear your fears,
your torment and your tears."
He turned away from the many sketchings and picked up a single rose. Taking a moment to appreciate the feel of its sharp thorns yet soft petals at the tips of his fingers.
"She saw my loneliness,
shared in my emptiness,
no one would listen,
no one but her,
heard as the outcast hears..."
Eric had come to walk around the table with the scaled down set of the opera stage. He sat down and gently felt the rose over his lips before laying it down on more sketches of Ella.
"No one would listen...
no one but her...
heard as the outcast hears..."
~~~Ella's POV.~~~
She had been overcome by the crowd. When the priest had finished his sermon and everyone had sprinkled their share of dirt onto the grave, everyone wanted to speak with her. More so speak to her really. Every single person gave her their condolences and a short speech on life and how things would get better. She understood all they wanted to do was help her but she couldn't help the death glare she gave each and every one.
But when it was over and everyone was leaving, she noticed Marcus was gone. And with his absence came a course of fear that jolted her body. She suddenly began panicking... Everyone was gone, and now these last few people were leaving. The strange thought of asking one of them to stay passed through her mind and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Perhaps, the last thing she needed right now... was Marcus' comforting presence to be away from her side...
She was almost overcome by the lost, lonely feeling. She hugged herself and with a final, fearful glance around she started walking.
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
Eric remained in his humble underground abode for most of the day. It wasn't until seven o'clock at night that he left to deliver a message to Madame Giry.
He was silently stalking down one of his many secret corridors when he heard a voice. It caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He tried to continue walking but he couldn't move... and he listened... The voice wasn't familiar, but he felt like he slightly recognized hearing it before. It spoke purposefully but with a clear edge of fear or anxiety. He silently sighed and eventually moved to a spot where he could see who the voice belonged to.
The sight he saw caused him to stop, and it was a deadly stillness that took over him. Moments passed, but he finally heard his heart in his ears again and a manic enmity surged throughout him, actually causing him to flinch. There, just a few yards away, stood the Comte Jacques Temes and he was asking about Ella again. The foolish boy had dared to return. Eric would make sure he would never step foot near his opera house again.
Just one moment. That's all he needed. Just one moment for this boy to depart from the wandering eyes of others and he would be done. Eric was determined that the next time he left this opera house, he would not be among the living.
Finally, Jacques briefly thanked the man he had been talking to and left. He had been walking for only a few moments, and he turned down another one of the many hallways. Eric followed closely behind and it wasn't long before the boy realized a stare watching his every move. And for good reason.
He was checking over his shoulder once again when he ran into a hard wall. He spun around to meet the death glare of two icy blue eyes and not a second passed before a large, gloved hand tightly grabbed him by the throat and mercilessly shoved him into the wall. Eric held him there, his face showed no emotion but his eyes danced with pleasure at watching the boy's struggle for air become more desperate with each passing second.
Then, just a moment shy of his final breath Eric released Jacques to collapse to the floor. He raggedly gasped for breath and Eric soon picked him up by the collar of his shirt. He held him up and hit him right in the jaw with his balled fist. The impact sent Jacques falling a few feet away, and he was on all four limbs while one hand grasped his mouth. Eric calmly approached and focused all of his force into kicking him in the ribs, just enough to not break one. Jacques in turn rolled into the wall and yelled in pain.
Eric quickly unsheathed his dagger though and knelt down, tightly holding it across the boy's throat. His muscle's tensed and he was about to pull it across the skin when one thought stopped him. 'She wouldn't want this.' Eric then paused... No, Ella wouldn't want this... She was too... amazing... to wish death upon the very man who had treated her so horribly. Even if she did return to find Jacques had been killed she would know who's fault it was.
Eric glanced back down at Jacques, he was slowly trying to get back up but Eric roughly shoved him back down and Jacques winced in pain. Eric then tightly clasped his hand over the boy's mouth and a small smirk played on his lips. He held the knife over the boy's shoulder and slowly, cut a deep gash along it. Jacques screamed in pain but the cry was efficiently muted.
Eric then looked Jacque's in the eyes, but all that looked back was sheer terror. "Listen closely if you have any wish to continue living." Eric began, "You are to never, ever return to my opera house again, and if you do, you will not leave again alive. Ella will never go with you and if you ever lay a finger on her again I will hunt you down and kill you." Eric then stood and quickly walked down the hallway, turning onto a dark passage to disappear through another one of his secret doors.
~~~Ella's POV. Later that day.~~~
Marcus' back was turned to her while he stood frighteningly still. His hat had been removed and was now tightly held in his hands which were clasped infront of him. He studied the carved stone that stood before him as if it would answer all of life's questions.
It read:
Here lies Elaina R. Durands.
A beloved wife and mother
whom shall rest in celestial peace.
1805 - Sunday, June 18, 1832
Ella stared at his back with a pounding heart. She couldn't remember her mother of course, but she felt like she had known her as well by how much Marcus and her father had told her. Now as he stared at her grave, it hurt Ella that she knew she couldn't help comfort him.
What hurt more though, was when he finally turned around. His visage was shocked when he saw her, because they had always said she looked so much like her. Ella then felt incredibly guilty, even though she knew she couldn't help it, but he soon walked over and hugged her. Ella hugged him back and they soon left with the setting sun.
Her eyes shone everything though, like a deceitful light show. She was torn right down the middle and tugged in two completely opposing directions. One part of her felt sad and confused that her father was now gone, she knew not where and she had never resolved things with him. Yet an equal half of her was angry because her father was now gone... and she had never resolved things with him...
The small gathering that surrounded the burial ceremony consisted of family and friends. A few distant relatives had come because they lived rather close. But the group was mostly made up of friends, some family friends but mostly her father's friends. They all looked at her sympathetically and with pity, and she wanted to murder each and every one for it. None of them knew what she knew. What her brother knew. And what the now dearly deceased knew.
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
'Dammnit Eric! Get a grip!
It's only been five days...
You've managed alone your entire life.
What difference does it make now?'
Eric knelt by the lake and twirled his finger on the surface of the cool water, his mind lost deep in thought. He knew what a foolish question he had thought. He knew the entire world of differences Ella had brought with her. Yes he missed Ella greatly, he would love to have her there with him that very moment, but that wasn't the main point. This time spent separated from Ella taught him how much he truly needed her. How horrible he had really been before she had arrived. It actually frightened him... He remained that way for a while until the words weighed on his soul and he had to release them from his consience...
"No one would listen,
no one but her,
heard as the outcast hears..."
He paused and eventually looked up and over the lake, scanning it's surface and watching nothing.
"Shamed into solitude,
shunned by the multitude,
I learned to listen,
in my dark, my heart heard music..."
Eric stood from the edge of the lake and just began walking... deep in thought...
"I long to teach the world,
rise up and reach the world,
no one would listen,
I alone could hear the music..."
He paused for a moment, then approached a wall. It had many music sheets and books, but most noticeable of all were the sketchings. They were very beautiful and detailed sketches of who he considered the most beautiful person on the face of the earth.
"Then at last, a voice in the gloom,
seemed to cry "I hear you;
I hear your fears,
your torment and your tears."
He turned away from the many sketchings and picked up a single rose. Taking a moment to appreciate the feel of its sharp thorns yet soft petals at the tips of his fingers.
"She saw my loneliness,
shared in my emptiness,
no one would listen,
no one but her,
heard as the outcast hears..."
Eric had come to walk around the table with the scaled down set of the opera stage. He sat down and gently felt the rose over his lips before laying it down on more sketches of Ella.
"No one would listen...
no one but her...
heard as the outcast hears..."
~~~Ella's POV.~~~
She had been overcome by the crowd. When the priest had finished his sermon and everyone had sprinkled their share of dirt onto the grave, everyone wanted to speak with her. More so speak to her really. Every single person gave her their condolences and a short speech on life and how things would get better. She understood all they wanted to do was help her but she couldn't help the death glare she gave each and every one.
But when it was over and everyone was leaving, she noticed Marcus was gone. And with his absence came a course of fear that jolted her body. She suddenly began panicking... Everyone was gone, and now these last few people were leaving. The strange thought of asking one of them to stay passed through her mind and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Perhaps, the last thing she needed right now... was Marcus' comforting presence to be away from her side...
She was almost overcome by the lost, lonely feeling. She hugged herself and with a final, fearful glance around she started walking.
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
Eric remained in his humble underground abode for most of the day. It wasn't until seven o'clock at night that he left to deliver a message to Madame Giry.
He was silently stalking down one of his many secret corridors when he heard a voice. It caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He tried to continue walking but he couldn't move... and he listened... The voice wasn't familiar, but he felt like he slightly recognized hearing it before. It spoke purposefully but with a clear edge of fear or anxiety. He silently sighed and eventually moved to a spot where he could see who the voice belonged to.
The sight he saw caused him to stop, and it was a deadly stillness that took over him. Moments passed, but he finally heard his heart in his ears again and a manic enmity surged throughout him, actually causing him to flinch. There, just a few yards away, stood the Comte Jacques Temes and he was asking about Ella again. The foolish boy had dared to return. Eric would make sure he would never step foot near his opera house again.
Just one moment. That's all he needed. Just one moment for this boy to depart from the wandering eyes of others and he would be done. Eric was determined that the next time he left this opera house, he would not be among the living.
Finally, Jacques briefly thanked the man he had been talking to and left. He had been walking for only a few moments, and he turned down another one of the many hallways. Eric followed closely behind and it wasn't long before the boy realized a stare watching his every move. And for good reason.
He was checking over his shoulder once again when he ran into a hard wall. He spun around to meet the death glare of two icy blue eyes and not a second passed before a large, gloved hand tightly grabbed him by the throat and mercilessly shoved him into the wall. Eric held him there, his face showed no emotion but his eyes danced with pleasure at watching the boy's struggle for air become more desperate with each passing second.
Then, just a moment shy of his final breath Eric released Jacques to collapse to the floor. He raggedly gasped for breath and Eric soon picked him up by the collar of his shirt. He held him up and hit him right in the jaw with his balled fist. The impact sent Jacques falling a few feet away, and he was on all four limbs while one hand grasped his mouth. Eric calmly approached and focused all of his force into kicking him in the ribs, just enough to not break one. Jacques in turn rolled into the wall and yelled in pain.
Eric quickly unsheathed his dagger though and knelt down, tightly holding it across the boy's throat. His muscle's tensed and he was about to pull it across the skin when one thought stopped him. 'She wouldn't want this.' Eric then paused... No, Ella wouldn't want this... She was too... amazing... to wish death upon the very man who had treated her so horribly. Even if she did return to find Jacques had been killed she would know who's fault it was.
Eric glanced back down at Jacques, he was slowly trying to get back up but Eric roughly shoved him back down and Jacques winced in pain. Eric then tightly clasped his hand over the boy's mouth and a small smirk played on his lips. He held the knife over the boy's shoulder and slowly, cut a deep gash along it. Jacques screamed in pain but the cry was efficiently muted.
Eric then looked Jacque's in the eyes, but all that looked back was sheer terror. "Listen closely if you have any wish to continue living." Eric began, "You are to never, ever return to my opera house again, and if you do, you will not leave again alive. Ella will never go with you and if you ever lay a finger on her again I will hunt you down and kill you." Eric then stood and quickly walked down the hallway, turning onto a dark passage to disappear through another one of his secret doors.
~~~Ella's POV. Later that day.~~~
Marcus' back was turned to her while he stood frighteningly still. His hat had been removed and was now tightly held in his hands which were clasped infront of him. He studied the carved stone that stood before him as if it would answer all of life's questions.
It read:
Here lies Elaina R. Durands.
A beloved wife and mother
whom shall rest in celestial peace.
1805 - Sunday, June 18, 1832
Ella stared at his back with a pounding heart. She couldn't remember her mother of course, but she felt like she had known her as well by how much Marcus and her father had told her. Now as he stared at her grave, it hurt Ella that she knew she couldn't help comfort him.
What hurt more though, was when he finally turned around. His visage was shocked when he saw her, because they had always said she looked so much like her. Ella then felt incredibly guilty, even though she knew she couldn't help it, but he soon walked over and hugged her. Ella hugged him back and they soon left with the setting sun.
♠ ♠ ♠
