When I was younger, I had the firm belief that I would be whisked away into a magical land of fairy tales by a prince. Honestly, who hasn't had that idea? I never knew that magical land would be a lake beneath a theater, and that prince would be The Phantom of the Opera. But here I am, sitting in the gondola as Erik rows the both of us to his kingdom of silence and solitude. Among that silence there is music; Beautiful music that would make even the worst of people break down and cry.
"Are you alright?" Erik's warm voice echoed throughout the lake. "You seemed...Out of place."
"I'm fine." I replied. I gave him a quick smile and turned back to face the water ahead of me. The lake cast a reflection onto the brick walls. Even the sounds of water dripping were amplified overwhelmingly. No matter the volume, it was calming.
The worn-out metal gate opened up and Erik rowed the boat until we reached the shoreline. He exited the gondola first and held out his hand to help me onto land. When I finally got my balance, I let go of his hand. A smile inched across my face. This was a place where I could unwind and relax. Like a safe haven, if you will. I walked up the brick steps up to the space where the organ lay.
My hands brushed the keys until they hit a note. And another. And another. The notes kept coming, though they made little to no sense at all.
"Saffron..." Erik placed a hand on my shoulder and his gaze shifted to the organ.
"I..." I began. "I'm sorry...did I do something wrong?"
"In fact...it was just what I needed." He sat on the bench and began writing music on the sheet, which was the same music he played for me this morning. The front contained the title of Love Never Dies, which I'm assuming was the name of the music. He left a large space in between what was already written and what he was writing now.
"Your little melody..." He wrote more. "Has created the chorus for this aria." He turned around to face me with his proud face. "So...thank you."
"Uh...No problem?" I warily responded.
"You needn't be unconfident." Erik said, giving me a comforting smile.
"... alright," I said, clasping my hands behind my back. My eyes dart to the floor, but then I look back up, brushing an errant curl from my view. Erik noticed the look of discouragement on my face.
"Something wrong, Saffron?" He asked gently. I shook my head.
"I'm fine, Erik," I said. He seemed to care about me a lot. It still didn't make sense.
Why did he like me so much?
I released a breath I hadn't known I was holding. When the silence became heavy, I shifted my gaze to the sheet music on the organ.
"Love Never Dies?" I said, reading the title of the song.
"Yes... an aria," he replied. "And quite a lovely one, if I do say so myself," he said confidently.
I smiled at his sudden gush of confidence. I turned my head, my vision landing on the sheet music. I examined it more closely, taking note of every stroke of ink made onto the page. Erik noticed how much I was appreciating his work, and he smiled at my gaze. I felt his cold, calloused hand lock with mine. I appreciated the sudden display of affection. Then my face fell again.
Tomorrow was the final performance.
This show meant a lot to me, and I wasn't ready to let it go. But all good things must come to an end.
All good things must come to an end.
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My Dearest Saffron
Fanfiction"I glanced over to Box Five. I saw nothing but darkness. But then, I saw one thing. Two bright green eyes." -- When Saffron Hale is thrown into the sp...
