"I thought I told you that you should stay still," Orianne said, her heart still hammering against her chest. She shakily smiled as she caught sight of the boy crouching down beside a small opening. "Erik, what in the world are you doing?"
When the guilty eyes of the masked boy flicked up to look at her, her lips fell from her tentative smile. Her hand reached out to pull at his ear, causing the bucket to fall from his hands. Remnants of a red liquid dripped from its insides, catching Orianne's attention.
"There's no point in trying to terrify people. Just try to keep your head low. People are already frightened by the idea of the infamous Opera Ghost-"
"The woman has been trying to find out who I am!" the boy interrupted, picking up the fallen bucket and holding it toward Orianne, who carefully took it from his hands.
"Then, you should not have called more attention to yourself," Orianne responded, a heavy sigh escaping her. "You're a very smart boy, but I don't understand your reasoning at times."
"If she continues to hunt me down and no one is able to stop her, this predicament is going to result in her finding out about me," Erik attempted to explain, standing up and brushing dust from the legs of his pants. "Simply doing nothing will not help our situation."
"We will most definitely be uncovered if you keep drawing unwanted attention toward yourself. I have made a few good connections, and I can find some way to fix this. There is no reason for you to interfere in any sort of way," Orianne said, reaching out to tidy his jet black strands of hair. "Now, come. I still have to make dinner for you before I have to go back to the opera."
Orianne, forcing her lips into a soft smile, grabbed ahold of Erik's shirtsleeve. Trying her very best to not let her fingers touch the yellowed skin of his skeletal hand, Orianne pulled him towards the pathway that led to the house. Their travels were silent, at least until Erik caught sight of the wooden walls of the house. His hand slipped out of Orianne's loose grip, and the little boy raced toward his dwelling. As soon as she was sure that Erik would not see her, Orianne wiped her hand on her skirts, praying to rid herself of his deathly cool touch. The woman continued her leisurely stroll before she came upon the door, which she swiftly unlocked with a key that hung from her neck.
"Go and play the piano. I need to be alone while I'm cooking," Orianne requested, letting out a relieved sigh when Erik stepped into the music room. A challenging piece of music rang out through the house as Orianne began to fix a light dinner for Erik, mindful of his extremely sensitive stomach. Her movements stalled when the piano-playing suddenly halted.
"Mother, why do we have to hide away from other people?" Erik moodily asked, his sudden voice causing Orianne to jump in shock.
"Well, you see..." Orianne started, pausing to gather an explanation for the boy. The woman peeked behind her shoulder at the young boy, who stood in the doorway. "Um-"
"Is it the same reason that I have to wear this mask?" When he did not receive a response, his arms moved to cross in front of his chest.
"Erik, I do not tolerate such questions. When you are older, you can know. However, today is not the day. Now, why don't you play that beautiful song again?"
She let out a relieved sigh when the boy clicked his tongue and stalked back into the music room, the melody soon filling the house again. Orianne focused on preparing his dinner, her eyes wavering to the clock. Upon finishing it, the woman wrapped a shawl around herself and stepped into the music room, tapping Erik's shoulder to alert her that she was leaving the house.
"Mother, are you going to give me a kiss goodbye?"
"Where did you hear about something like that?" Orianne curiously asked, earning an irritated glance from the young boy.
"Such things are in the books that you have gifted to me. Now, are you-"
"I'm going to be running late, Erik. I'll see you tonight!" Orianne interrupted, quickly rushing out of the music room and out of the front door, locking the door behind herself.
Erik, watching the woman leave, let out a soft sigh before turning back to playing his piano. "Goodbye to you too, Mother..."
YOU ARE READING
What Lies Behind the Mask (Phantom of the Opera x OC)
FanfictionA new retelling of the Phantom of the Opera.
