Sing Once Again With Me
Sing Once Again With Me - Ch. 18
Quickly though she edged away, and on her knees she stared at the limp form of Jacques. Eric had knelt beside her and was holding her close, he too looked the body over. Eventually he stood and went over to kneel down next to Jacques. He felt his neck for a pulse, and sighed looking back at Ella...
"He's dead..." he finally pronounced in almost a whisper. That was it... it was all over... She should have known her life was over the moment she realized Jacques was here. If he killed her... if he forced her to return to the mansion... Now he was dead... and she would surely die as well. "Oh mon Dieu!" she cried, a few helpless tears rolling down her cheeks. Eric knelt beside her and held her in his arms. "It's alright. We're going to get through this.." he stated firmly, leaving no room for disagreement. But she wasn't a fool, she knew she would never be found innocent.
The creak of the door opening caused Ella and Eric to look up and see a shocked Marcus staring down at them with wide eyes. "Ella..." he said, giving Eric an alarmed glance. Eric suddenly stood up and Ella with him. "Let me explain Marcus!" Ella said, taking a hopeful step towards him. "I would hope so!" he responded rather loudly. "How much did you see?" Eric asked and Marcus looked back at him. "..I heard him yell about someone cutting his shoulder. I knew he wasn't talking about Ella so I looked to see who it was..." He came to stand close to Ella, "What are you doing here with my little sister!?" Ella stood in front of Marcus, "I'm the one that needs to explain this, not him!" Marcus finally looked back at her, waiting for the explanation. Ella took a deep breath and began, "First of all don't be upset with me for not telling you sooner. I know you only care for my well being but this is something personal. Marcus, this is - " Marcus cut her off though, "I know perfectly well who this is! He's the phantom, Ella! Do you know that!?" She stopped him, "His name is Eric and he's an old friend that I met while I was traveling with the gypsy circus!" Marcus frowned at her incredulously and glanced back at Eric.
It took some time while Ella and Eric explained things to Marcus but he finally understood and somewhat accepted it. Eventually he left to telegram the police, Ella went to find Madame Giry and Eric remained to make sure no one entered the room. Eventually she, Madame Giry, Marcus and the two owners were discussing everything in hushed voices outside the large front doors of the Opera Populaire. Ella was on the verge of tears when the police finally arrived and some went inside to retrieve the body, but a few remained outside to find out what had happened.
When they were leaving though, what felt like an eternity later, the leader turned and kindly nodded before saying, "You'll be coming with us Miss Temes." Her eyes widened in fear, "Que? I have to leave?" He nodded again, "By order of law you are required to return to the prison with us for questioning and to assure you won't try to leave without our knowing." Ella looked at Marcus, then the officer again. "But I wont leave!" He silently sighed, "I'm sorry but it's not my decision to make." Marcus demanded, "Then I'm leaving with her." The officer looked over at him, "I'm afraid not. You can come tomorrow during visiting hours and find out when she is to be trialed."
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
Eric watched the scene unfold from a point on the roof, and he hated himself beyond what words could describe. He longed to stand beside Ella. He wanted so badly to hold her and comfort her in her time of need. And all because of his damnation he could do neither. He willed his legs to carry him down to where the group was, but he couldn't move.
He wanted to scream out as the officer escorted Ella to the automobile and they drove away. He had never felt so helpless... Almost every instance before he had had a solution to help things, in his little world called the Opera Populaire. But this was the first where he truly was maimed of all power. And with such a feeling of inability came the cold hit of fear. A taste of humbling fear as the locomotive disappeared into the distance.
The group remained outside for a short while after, discussing things in hushed voices and he had come to a lower point to listen. Now as they entered the building once again, Madame Giry knew he was waiting and she wasted no time in separating herself from the group. She came to be in a large room with circular tables scattered about and a piano set near a corner. This room was designated for private parties but it hadn't been used in quite a while. Only a moment passed and Eric was quickly walking up to her from one of his many secret doors.
"Why did she leave with them?" he demanded forcefully, but she knew it was only because he was worried. "Apparently it is by law that she had to go with them. So they could question her and keep her from possibly trying to leave." He shouted a curse and slammed his fist down on a table. He paced the floor, frighteningly silent in thought. The Madame watched him with worry and after a long while he stopped. "Why can't I help her?" he asked more to himself, sounding like a child again.
The Madame boldly walked over to stand in front of him and glared at him seriously eye to eye. "Eric you listen to me and you listen good. There was nothing you or any of us could do. Nothing is going to happen to her and she has plenty of people ready to fight for her when she goes on trial. She knows you want to help but she understands why that can't happen. You better understand it to." He was silent, just staring back at her sincere glare not of anger but determination. Madame Giry could be very intimidating to anyone when she felt so. Eventually he sighed and sunk down into a chair at one of the tables. They remained in that room for hours, half of the time talking but equally spent being silent in thought. Eventually Eric left and wrote a message that he gave to Madame Giry to deliver to Ella when they went to see her the next day.
"He's dead..." he finally pronounced in almost a whisper. That was it... it was all over... She should have known her life was over the moment she realized Jacques was here. If he killed her... if he forced her to return to the mansion... Now he was dead... and she would surely die as well. "Oh mon Dieu!" she cried, a few helpless tears rolling down her cheeks. Eric knelt beside her and held her in his arms. "It's alright. We're going to get through this.." he stated firmly, leaving no room for disagreement. But she wasn't a fool, she knew she would never be found innocent.
The creak of the door opening caused Ella and Eric to look up and see a shocked Marcus staring down at them with wide eyes. "Ella..." he said, giving Eric an alarmed glance. Eric suddenly stood up and Ella with him. "Let me explain Marcus!" Ella said, taking a hopeful step towards him. "I would hope so!" he responded rather loudly. "How much did you see?" Eric asked and Marcus looked back at him. "..I heard him yell about someone cutting his shoulder. I knew he wasn't talking about Ella so I looked to see who it was..." He came to stand close to Ella, "What are you doing here with my little sister!?" Ella stood in front of Marcus, "I'm the one that needs to explain this, not him!" Marcus finally looked back at her, waiting for the explanation. Ella took a deep breath and began, "First of all don't be upset with me for not telling you sooner. I know you only care for my well being but this is something personal. Marcus, this is - " Marcus cut her off though, "I know perfectly well who this is! He's the phantom, Ella! Do you know that!?" She stopped him, "His name is Eric and he's an old friend that I met while I was traveling with the gypsy circus!" Marcus frowned at her incredulously and glanced back at Eric.
It took some time while Ella and Eric explained things to Marcus but he finally understood and somewhat accepted it. Eventually he left to telegram the police, Ella went to find Madame Giry and Eric remained to make sure no one entered the room. Eventually she, Madame Giry, Marcus and the two owners were discussing everything in hushed voices outside the large front doors of the Opera Populaire. Ella was on the verge of tears when the police finally arrived and some went inside to retrieve the body, but a few remained outside to find out what had happened.
When they were leaving though, what felt like an eternity later, the leader turned and kindly nodded before saying, "You'll be coming with us Miss Temes." Her eyes widened in fear, "Que? I have to leave?" He nodded again, "By order of law you are required to return to the prison with us for questioning and to assure you won't try to leave without our knowing." Ella looked at Marcus, then the officer again. "But I wont leave!" He silently sighed, "I'm sorry but it's not my decision to make." Marcus demanded, "Then I'm leaving with her." The officer looked over at him, "I'm afraid not. You can come tomorrow during visiting hours and find out when she is to be trialed."
~~~Eric's POV.~~~
Eric watched the scene unfold from a point on the roof, and he hated himself beyond what words could describe. He longed to stand beside Ella. He wanted so badly to hold her and comfort her in her time of need. And all because of his damnation he could do neither. He willed his legs to carry him down to where the group was, but he couldn't move.
He wanted to scream out as the officer escorted Ella to the automobile and they drove away. He had never felt so helpless... Almost every instance before he had had a solution to help things, in his little world called the Opera Populaire. But this was the first where he truly was maimed of all power. And with such a feeling of inability came the cold hit of fear. A taste of humbling fear as the locomotive disappeared into the distance.
The group remained outside for a short while after, discussing things in hushed voices and he had come to a lower point to listen. Now as they entered the building once again, Madame Giry knew he was waiting and she wasted no time in separating herself from the group. She came to be in a large room with circular tables scattered about and a piano set near a corner. This room was designated for private parties but it hadn't been used in quite a while. Only a moment passed and Eric was quickly walking up to her from one of his many secret doors.
"Why did she leave with them?" he demanded forcefully, but she knew it was only because he was worried. "Apparently it is by law that she had to go with them. So they could question her and keep her from possibly trying to leave." He shouted a curse and slammed his fist down on a table. He paced the floor, frighteningly silent in thought. The Madame watched him with worry and after a long while he stopped. "Why can't I help her?" he asked more to himself, sounding like a child again.
The Madame boldly walked over to stand in front of him and glared at him seriously eye to eye. "Eric you listen to me and you listen good. There was nothing you or any of us could do. Nothing is going to happen to her and she has plenty of people ready to fight for her when she goes on trial. She knows you want to help but she understands why that can't happen. You better understand it to." He was silent, just staring back at her sincere glare not of anger but determination. Madame Giry could be very intimidating to anyone when she felt so. Eventually he sighed and sunk down into a chair at one of the tables. They remained in that room for hours, half of the time talking but equally spent being silent in thought. Eventually Eric left and wrote a message that he gave to Madame Giry to deliver to Ella when they went to see her the next day.
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uhuhTHANKYEWVERYMUCH!