Yellow

Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Eleven

Robinete screamed and I cried out in pain as the Persian's brain and blood splattered all over the room (in the midst of this I managed to pull the blanket over my head, so it wasn't totally useless). Someone gasped the blanket and pulled it down, Erik was at my side. He kissed my cheeks over and over and held my hand, I screamed and Madeline peeked under the blanket "she's ready" she said, Erik squeezed my hand.

I screamed a high E as the pain hit an irrefutable point, and everyone was huddled around where Gustave would come out. Erik wouldn't let go of my hand and actually sang to me as Madeline counted and I held my breath and pushed. Though there was no fire, I saw shadowy figures on the ceiling of the room, they were dancing and playing, I smiled and bit my bottom lip; blood quickly spilled from it and I gave one final scream.

*Something burned my mouth, my eyes shot open and I gasped, breathing quickly and urgently looking around to find everyone smiling at me and little Madeline holding a little body in a blue blanket. Madeline passed the body over to Erik who chuckled and smiled, then, kissed the baby's forehead. Reluctantly, he passed Gustave over to me and I couldn't hold back my emotions.

He was normal! With eyes of jade and skin that was unblemished by imperfections! Gustave Erik Muhlheim was perfect, in every way possible. I looked up to Erik who fell down to one knee and smiled, he took off his mask and wig and again revealed his wonderful face; no one cringed in fear or disgust. Erik was beautiful, and everyone saw it.

"Penny" he whispered "will you marry this monster and make him the happiest man on any planet? Will you become Penny Alice Muhlheim?" He asked, holding the original ring he proposed to me with, I smiled and nodded.

"Of course I will! I love you, Erik Muhlheim, I love you with all of my heart and soul and whatever I have left! Yes, I will marry you! Yes, yes, yes!" I cried, Erik stood and slipped the ring on my finger whilst everyone clapped, Erik kissed me and Gustave cooed.

Erik smiled and Gustave clenched onto Erik's index finger. "Our son" Erik said softly, kissing my forehead "our son."

*Seven months came and went and we preformed Erik's opera numerous times, I usually left Gustave in Mama V or Robinete's care. Although, I made Mama V swear to me on all she holds dear she won't hurt Gustave, herself, my things, or do anything she isn't supposed to do whilst Gustave is around. Erik was the perfect father, he would do anything for little Gustave and the two spent much time together playing and bonding. Gustave learnt at a very fast pace, faster than my pace, but slower than his father's; Gustave already knew how to speak sentences and read books! Though, Gustave's favorite thing to do was play the piano.

Erik would sit Gustave on his lap and Gustave would tap the keys, but he didn't randomly tap them. No, not at all! The notes were planned out and carefully calculated, creating beautiful songs, which I secretly wrote down to show Gustave later in life. Looking at Erik and Gustave it was hard to believe that we were only in our twenties! I felt so much older than I looked.

Getting back to Erik's opera, he would take little Gustave up to box five and they would watch me sing, sometimes Erik would allow Gustave to throw me flowers after the song 'Think of Me'. Once, after I finished singing 'Angel of Music' with Robinete, Gustave yelled out "yay, momma!" And clapped, the skylight focused on he and Erik and the crowd gave an exclamation of 'aw'. I sent kisses to my son and fiancé. 

Gustave was quiet at night, he slept in a crib beside me and sometimes I would feel his little hand reach through the bars and hold mine. I would open my eyes and get him out of the crib and into Erik and my bed and hold him close; Erik would roll over and lay his arm around Gustave and I and that was the way we would sleep most nights.

One day, Erik came back down to our rooms holding our mail, and he did not seem very happy. Gustave was sitting at the piano, playing 'Green sleeves' very slowly. Erik and Gustave hugged and Erik kissed Gustave's forehead. Erik still wore his mask, but would remove it at night (along with his wig) and Gustave had no problem with this, the very first time Erik showed Gustave his face Gustave smiled and clapped, he was too young to say words. Anyways, Erik gave me a blue envelope with a golden, wolf seal.

I shook my head but Erik stopped me "just, read it" he whispered, I nodded and he walked over to Gustave, setting him on his lap and astonishing him by playing Bach's 'Toccata Fugue in D'. I opened the letter, and it ran thus:

Dear, monsieur and mademoiselle Muhlheim,

  Congratulations, I have seen pictures of your boy, Gustave, and he is absolutely beautiful. Nice and gentlemanlike, I hear, too. He is a reincarnation of monsieur Erik, eh, Penny? Anyways, I heard of what happened with your latter teacher, Penny, and I am sorry someone so close to you deceived you; believe me, I know what it's like. I have been to Asia, Africa, South America, England and all around France and, Penny, I had never laid my eyes upon a move beautiful woman than you.

  I wanted you to know that before I did something like this, something stupid and yet, reasonable. I love you, Penny Muhlheim, I love you.

With Regret,

   Viscount Raoul de Chagny.

The Viscount Raoul de Chagny committed suicide by hanging himself from his father's bedroom rafters, where his brother, the Count Philippe was found dead also, a poison bottle in his hand. The Count and Viscount's last wills and testaments both proclaim that all the items they own or were to be inherited are now passed to Monsieur Erik Muhlheim, Mademoiselle Penny Muhlheim, and Monsieur Gustave Muhlheim. Come to the de Chagny mansion on Tuesday, July 9th at ten o'clock am to claim your rightful possessions.  

(this was two weeks away!)

*Tuesday, July 9th, 9:55 am.

I alone went to the de Chagny mansion, Erik had to work on his next opera that was a sequel to 'The Phantom of the Opera' called 'Love Never Dies'. I wore all black and walked inside the mansion to find a few people roaming around, one was a chubby man in a brown evening suit with a silver watch poking out of his pocket. He had curly brown hair with a brown mustache and brown beard and wore small glasses; he carried a little notebook and was taking in his surroundings. I sighed and placed my hand on my stomach, smiling, Erik and I already named this one too.

Pierre. Pierre Rupert Muhlheim.

Shaking my head out of my happy fantasies I walked over to the man, he seemed nice enough.  "Excuse me, monsieur? Can you tell me where a...monsieur Dupree is?" I asked as sweetly as I could; the man smiled and sighed.

"I'm sorry, mademoiselle, I cannot; I'm only a writer" said he shrugging. I smiled.

"Oh! You're a writer? If I may ask, what are you writing about and why are you here?" I asked, the man laughed and his cheeks turned pink. "How rude of me!

My name is Penny, Penny Muhlheim." I explained, the man's face flew into shock.

"So, you are the one who's getting this grand house and all of the objects therein? Ah, you and your fiancé and son? Perfect, well, believe it or not this just interested me so I picked up my pen pad and came here, hoping a story would come to me. Excuse my rudeness! My name is Gaston, Gaston Leroux."

The man finished, I smiled "Gaston...that's funny, my son's name is Gustave." I paused and smiled "It seems a story has come to you, Monsieur Leroux. A very long, painful, sweet story, you may not become famous off of it, but it is something to preoccupy you, monsieur Leroux." I paused and turned to him with a smile on my face "would you like to hear it whilst we tour my new home?"

"Of course, my dear! Let us be off!" He cried, I smiled and shooed everyone out besides Monsieur Leroux and I out, I took up his arm and smiled, he also readied his notepad, scratching down every word I said.

"The story is named 'The Phantom of the Opera'. It was the evening on which MM. Debienne and Poligny, the managers of the Opera, were giving a last gala performance to mark their retirement. Suddenly the dressing-room of La Sorelli, one of the principal dancers, was invaded by half-a-dozen young ladies of the ballet, who had come up from the stage after "dancing" Polyeucte...."