Persephone's Angel

Momma

Chapter Twenty Five: Momma

--* My heart palpitated as I gasped for breath and looked about me; where was I? I had to be somewhere in France...hopefully Paris. But the drugs were too strong! And the bag, too thick! I could've been back in England for all my muddled brain knew.

I sighed and attempted to walk, stumbling and falling over into a puddle on the cobblestone alley. I saw double of everything and cringed as my nails scratched against the brick wall of a building; that sound! Ah! How painful I now realized it was! I sighed and laid back; giving up on moving, or, doing anything for that matter.

My limbs ached and my brain was too dizzied with theories and drugs to command me to do anything. I sighed and closed my eyes slowly, praying I would wake up fine...or...wake up at all.

---Earlier that day---

--* It was a peaceful morning; Erik took me up to the roof and we watched the sun rise. I laid my head down upon his shoulder and smiled. "I'm so excited...can it be like this every morning?" I asked, looking up to him to see a weary smile bestowed upon his lips; the morning sun shot off the hotter colours from the rainbow; reds, oranges, yellows. The light shined against his face and bounced off of his mask; this coupled with the wind that slightly blew his hair in consequence of being at such a height, caused my heart to warm and melt in my chest.

His smile widened and he placed his arm around my waist. "Of course; we'll do this every morning. We'll get a little flat somewhere in the country...I've obtained more than enough money to sustain us, and, when we have a child, sustain and send that child to the very best schools. I can entertain you on weekdays" he said, pausing and grinning "I am the very first ventriloquist, you know" he added, my brows furrowed.

"Erik?"

"Yes, angel?"

"What's a ventriloquist?" I asked, feeling my cheeks flush crimson in embarrassment; I was intelligent, and quite so, I believe. Mum taught me everything I knew, and yet, she didn't teach me terms such as 'ventriloquist'. He smiled and kissed my hot cheek.

"There's no need to be ashamed, my love; many people don't know what a ventriloquist is. It's a person who can throw their voice. Here, I'll give you an example" he explained "close your eyes" he added, and, I did so and I listened carefully; he sounded very far away! Almost as if he were on the other side of the roof! My eyes shot open and I looked before me to see him smirking.

"That is ventriloquism" Said he. "Anyways, yes, we will do that on weekdays, and, on weekends I'll take you out; we can go to little antiquity shops or restaurants or...whatever you want. On Sunday nights I'll take you to the church and we can sit in the graveyard...it's quite peaceful there...no one seems to bother a man in a graveyard." He added, falling into a whisper as the sun burned fulvous in the aquamarine sky.

"That sounds so lovely" I whispered, clenching his hand tightly in my own.

--* Erik had to go talk with the ballet girls, apparently, there was a rumor being spread about me. I hadn't heard it, but, apparently, it spilled from M. Firmin's own mouth!

However, rumors are dangerous things; a person could be executed for so petty a thing.

And has.

I, however, remained in the shelter of the kitchen most of the morning; I liked speaking with Hamish, and that morning he was telling me a story of a small, Siamese cat he found wandering the streets of Paris that morning! "Now, you must promise to tell no one that I have her" said he, I quickly nodded.

"Oh, I won't tell a soul!" I said excitedly, I had seen several street cats before, and, I've even been attacked by a few; I hoped this cat was different, I didn't fancy another bleeding cheek. Hamish smiled and took up my hand, he slowly led me over to a small cabinet near the oven; he opened this and sitting, sandwiched in the middle of two woolen blankets was a small Siamese kitten with large, round, blue eyes; there were two small bowls before the kitten, one of food and one of water. The kitten shook and meowed at me; it was the most adorable thing I had ever laid eyes upon! "Oh, Hamish" I whispered as the kitten struggled and finally escaped the blankets, waddling over to me and licking my hand.