Persephone's Angel

Love Never Dies

Chapter Twenty Four: Love Never Dies

--* Abelia blinked for a moment as I pulled her out of my home and pushed her gently into the gondola. I had just finished recounting to her the events of the day before; she cleared her throat and nodded as I picked up an ore and began rowing.

Thankfully, nothing happened to us on our journey to the far shore.

The entire Palais Garnier seemed to be bouncing with excitement! People were running around in different costumes, carrying boxes of decorations; the cooks were in dirtied aprons, dashing to ovens and stoves. Garland was wrapped around the banisters of the grand staircases; tinsel was wrapped around the chandelier chains and around statues, as well as standing candelabras (I wasn't so sure about tinsel near flames, but, I left the matter alone). Cotton was being torn in large chunks and placed around the rooms and; people also attached string to the ceilings and tied the open end of the string around a piece of cotton, making it seem as if it were a cloud. A row of ten people sat at a large table snipping up paper in the shapes of snowflakes!

Large, wooden nutcrackers were placed in every room; at least two per room! Miniature Christmas trees also sat in the rooms; a large one, that almost touched the ceiling, sat in the lobby of the Palais Garnier! Beautiful decorations adorned with glitter, gems, and sparkly crystal were hung on the tree, and, I was told, the star that went atop it was made of pure gold! A large gramophone covered in cotton played Christmas music and a fire blazed in every hearth in every room; for, snow lay white and quiet outside and on the Palais Garnier! I smiled as fat snowflakes rained down from the clouds above; giggling to one another before landing on the ground and creating an untearable quilt of ice.

Even though the wind blew and the snow fell, people still roamed the streets! Cabs ran about, being led with strong horses in jackets that puffed out smoke! I smiled and Abelia pulled me away from the window; back to the warmth of the middle of the room. 

To the midst of the insanity.

People hummed and sang along with the music and generally, we were all quite exuberant!

Everything being done now was a preparation for that night's gala; it would be open to the public, and, I would sing.

As I walked with Abelia I felt my ankle, oh, how nice it was that it didn't ache or give me any pain! I didn't know how or why it healed so quickly; it had only been two weeks since I sprained it! I shrugged off the thoughts as Abelia yanked me further away from the door; there was a strange, almost fearful, expression on her face! I turned to find William walking inside, taking off his top hat, and behind him was a young (but still older than me) man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes; a woman was on this man's arm, her hair was a light blonde, like mine, and her eyes were the clearest blue I had ever seen!

She was absolutely angelic.

Her lips were as red as a cherry in the summer, her skin reminded me of the snow that laid on her dark blue dress. She evoked memories of a broken porcelain doll I played with when I was little. Mum had found it sitting in a gutter; she cleaned her up, and gave her to me as a surprise when I was five or so.

The woman turned to me and we locked eyes for a moment, her eyes seemed to widen, it was as if she remembered me from somewhere. She spoke to the men, but our eye contact never broke; William yelled out my name and Abelia yanked me away, popping my arm out of socket.

Why must I become injured so easily?  

But, Abelia didn't stop yanking away; in response to this, William, the woman, and the man began running after us. "Persephone! Please, wait!" William yelled out; but my eyes surpassed William and again locked on the woman....how could someone be so beautiful? Apparently, I slowed because Abelia yanked me even harder, I gasped as she tugged me up the stairs.