Love Will Continue - Sequel to Phantom Child

14. Plotting and scheming

Once again I thought that I was going to die of a heart attack, when Madame Giry magically appeared behind my back. She silently came up to where I stood and stopped right next to me. Then she started humming quietly:

"Ten long years and he casts us aside
Ten whole years, this is how we're repaid
Ten dark years of toil and tears
And now what we've worked for will go to that child"

It was then, that I understood she was also resenting Erik for his interest in little Gustave. Giry and Meg had also helped Erik; they had been for the past 10 years! And who was I to think that Erik would still take my existance into account after half a year spent with me, so long ago that it was ancient history. But it just couldn't get through to me; Erik had still missed me, and he had showed it yesterday evening, when he talked to me. He even felt disappointment at the thought that I would forget him.

As I battled with thoughts, Madame Giry continued:

"All our hopes were at last in our grasp
All the dreams and the plans that we laid
Everything is vanishing
And we get discarded, rejected, reviled"

It was true, I realized. The words applied to my situation as well; all I had wanted was to see him once again. And I did, but he didn't seem to see me.

"All of the bonds in between is now torn"

"All of the love that we gave him for sworn" I added under my breath.

"All would be ours if that bastard had never been born!"

Well, the name she used to describe Gustave was not the prettiest one. I had heard it many times, in reference to myself; that's mainly why I considered it highly offensive. I would even argue with her about that, if she only wasn't right. Even so, he was still like a brother to me... He was like... my brother...

The ton of information that I had been faced with since the start of this day seemed too much for my brain. I felt beyond overwhelmed with all that was going on around me and the fact that I had absolutely no control over anything. Suddenly I felt very tired, my head became heavier and all I really wanted to do was to lay down, get a good portion of sleep and wake up to see that none of this had actually happened, I am still happy and everything's alright.

Madame Giry grabbed me by the hand and led me away from the door. I was in too much of a state of shock mixed with numbness to protest, so I just walked behind her in silence. The walk out of the castle didn't last long and we were out in the sun, in Phantasma in no time.

"Where are we even going?" I finally asked, when the woman didn't stop walking.

In my voice there was an audible hint of "leave me alone, I have no will to live right now". But Madame Giry continued to lead me somewhere. I didn't even bother to look around and find out our destination. I didn't care anymore.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a small room with a desk and a bookshelf above it, a chair near it and a sofa on the opposite side. The doors, probably to other rooms, were on three of the four walls. A dim light was given by a small, yellow lamp on the desk. My eyes were wandering around the room without a certain goal, but I soon realized that Madame Giry took a place in the chair and next to me sat no one else, but her daughter, Meg.

I leaned my head on the back of the sofa and stared at the ceiling for an unmeasured period of time. But then my attention was drawn by the two women. They were talking about something. At this point though, when it came to me, they could've been talking to a brick wall with an equal effect. My brain was absorbing none of what was happening around me. For the first time in my life I felt... nothing.