Let Your Fantasies Unwind

Chapter 18

The next week flies by, and I'm only half aware of what's going on, and half aware that time is passing by. I finish sewing up my dress, and go around doing my chores, trying to avoid the Phantom as much as I can. I check on the barrels, clean Christine's bed sheets, do the dishes, and dust everything off, again. During that week, Erik tries to talk to me about something, probably about Christine, but I shrug him off with chores that I have to do. After telling him, he usually stares after me as I walk off.

'Probably because he had my support, and now he's getting nothing. Why is he trying so hard to talk to me though? What could it possibly be that he needs to? The next time he asks, I'll let him. Better to do that than ask him, and of which he could return the "favor" I've been doing to him.'

I find a book on one of the shelves and plop down onto my bed, hoping to get lost in its storytelling.

Three days have passed, with me doing various chores, and he tries to talk to me again when I recline to the bed to continue reading.

"Megan? Will you please let me talk to you? It's important." He says on the other side of the door.

"Sure. Come in." I set the book down as he enters. "What's up?"

He stares for a few seconds, and then he posture shrinks. "It's about Christine..." he pauses, like he's asking permission to go on.

"What about her?"

"Well, it's also about you."

A small silence falls between us, and Erik decides to break it. "I like Christine-"

"Obviously." I interject.

"Silence, Fille." He threatens, possibly unconsciously. "I like Christine," he starts again, "but I'm tied between feelings."

"How so?"

"Well, I've been watching over her for the past ten days, and I discovered that she sings! It could be better though." He says, almost excitedly.

"Perhaps you can teach her." I flinch at my own words. "Teach her to be better."

"You're right...but what about you?" he flicks his eyes to me.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I've managed to hear you sing over the past several months. You're an alto." He states. I motion him to continue. "You can also do better."

I shake my head. "Save your teachings for Christine. I'm sure she'll need it more than I will."

"But what if I want to hear you sing while we're down here?"

I don't know how to answer, so I don't. "You said you are tied between feelings. I assume they're stuck between Christine and me?" He nods. "Alright. What are you going to do about it?"

"That's just it. I don't know."

I pause. "How old are you, Erik?" 'Sometime in his late forties to very early fifties.'

"What does it matter?"

"Well, let's compare all of our ages. I'm eighteen. How old are you and Christine?"

His eyes get heavy. "Older than both of you...and not in the "good" range, I guess you could say."

"Forties to fifties, yes?" I answer. His eyes glare at me, but mainly because he's confused. I sigh. "I think you should go with Christine, because maybe you can get away with the age gap, just ever so slightly. But with me," I pause to emphasize, "you can't. You just possibly can't."

He leans against the doorway, and stares off into the void, to think things over.

"Who do you like, Fille Megan?" he asks five minutes later. "Or rather, did you like."