Three Days and Nights ( A Rumplestiltskin/Phantom of the Opera story)

Chapter Three

*Erik's POV*
I walk through the forest, easily remembering the way. The cottage can't be too fat away now. I begin to feel a little nervous. What if my mother doesn't remember who I am? Or what if she doesn't want to see me again? I shake the thoughts from my head and begin to think of that girl I met in town.

She was so beautiful. Her chocolate brown hair, big hazel eyes, and light pink cheeks. And her sweet voice when she was humming as she walked to the bakery. I feel sorry for her though, having to sing for that evil king.

As I continue walking, I suddenly see the cottage ahead. The place looks exactly as I remember it; the brown and gray stones with the black single roof. I smile and quicken my pace. Memories from my childhood flood into my mind as I get closer. Once at the door, I take the handle and turn it. Only the door won't open; it's locked.

Mother never locked the door during the day, even when she went to town. I go around the house and look through the windows, no sign of anyone or anything. I then remembered that this house has doors that lead to the cellar in the back of the house, so I decide to go through those.

I head around to the back of the house and easily find the doors. The doors have ivy covering them, which makes me a little nervous. But I push the nerves aside and open the doors. Once the doors are open, I step inside and head towards the stairs that lead upstairs.

I quickly climb up the stairs and begin to look around. I smile; the place is just as I remember it. The yellow walls with a few oil paintings, the dark wooden floors, and the multicolored rugs in each room. As I walk through the house , I notice that everything is covered in a thick layer of dust. Where's my mother?

Before I can take another step, I hear the sound of keys entering a lock. Someone's coming inside. Out of instinct, I begin to look for a place to hide. I remember there is a huge pantry, so I rush to the kitchen and hide in there. The second after I close the pantry door, I hear the door open.

I hear the loud sound of footsteps enter the house. "You heard what the king said make sure this girl can't escape," I hear a loud gruff voice say.

I hear one pair of footsteps get softer, but one gets louder. I hear each step the person takes. Eventually, I see the silhouette of a person right outside the pantry door. I hold my breath, hoping the man will walk away. After a minute, the man walks away and I softly exhale. Who's here and why do they want no one to escape?

*Christine's POV*
The trip to the cottage is long, but scenic. It's the beginning of fall, so the leaves are just beginning to change into many shades of reds, oranges, and yellows, making the trip a little less depressing. But even the leaves can't make me feel completely better. I'm still going to this abandoned cottage to delay the inevitable death that's coming. My voice won't be able to please the king; he only wants what's best and my voice is only average.

Soon enough, the cottage comes into view. The place looks small, but well built. We walk down the stone path to the front door. One of the guards pulls out a ring of keys, picks a small silver key, and puts it into the lock. The guard turns the key and opens the door.

The door opens and we step inside. The room is painted a cheerful yellow and the floors are made of a beautiful dark wood, but the thing that sticks out the most is the multicolored rug in the middle of the room.

"You heard what the king said make sure this girl can't escape," I hear a guard say. One guard heads to the left while the other heads to the right. I sigh and sit on one of the chairs that's in the room.

The room I'm in seems to be the living area since it has a sofa, chairs, and a beautiful grand piano. I stand up and walk over to the piano. I feel a tear escape my eye as I look at the piano. Before my mother died, father would play the piano while my mother sang.  Even though father preferred to play the violin, he still liked to play piano.

I swipe the tear away and turn away from it. I see the door and wonder if I should make a run for it. I could easily escape; the guards are somewhere in the house. I could run away and never come back, but they would kill father. I could convince father to come with me, but he would most likely laugh it off and we would be executed. I sigh; I have choice but to stay.

Both of the guards enter the room a few minutes later. They both nod to each other before one walks over to me. The guard pulls out two pieces of paper and hands them to me. "This is the song you are to know by tomorrow," he says as I take the papers from him. I look at the song and feel fear well up inside me. This is song is impossible to perfect in one night. "We will be back in the morning to bring you back to the king to perform the song and see if you live or die. Is what I have said clear?" I nod my head. The guards look back at each other and nod. They turn and head out the door. I watch as the door closes, which is followed by the sound of the lock.

Suddenly, I can't keep my feelings in anymore. I fall on my knees and begin to sob. Why did this have to happen to me? It could have happened to anyone else, what were the chances of this happening to me? Eventually, I am able to control my sobbing and begin to take  deep breathes to calm myself down. But as I'm calming myself down, I hear the sound of a door opening.

I freeze. I thought this place was empty. The sound of soft footsteps fill the place, but I barley hear them over the sound my heart thudding in my chest. I then see a person step out from around a corner. I feel my mouth open in shock; its the man I bumped into at the market.