Persephone's Angel

Nightmare

Chapter Thirty Three: Nightmare

--* I woke to faint shouting and a small hand shaking me. "Mummy? Mummy, get up; I believe someone's trying to get in" Pierre said in a whisper; I opened my eyes and sat up, stretching groggily.

"Have you..." said I, pausing to yawn. "Have you told your father?" I asked rubbing my eyes; the faint shouting was getting a bit louder, and more voices were joining in.

"That's just it...I can't find him!" Pierre cried; my eyes shot open and I stood, hurrying around our home and yelling for him, but we came up with naught. Now my emotions started to give way to panic and anxiousness. Pierre stood before me as I paced, mumbling to myself; finally, I sat down upon the couch and buried my head into my hands.

The voices were louder, and, it seemed, closer.

I wasn't thinking clearly, but the one thing I did know to do, was to get Pierre to a safe place. I stood again. "Pierre, my angel of a son, pray, go get a bag and pack your clothes and closest belongings in it, okay? I'm going to go to the kitchen and pack you a bag of food, grab a few books or something too, okay?" I asked, Pierre nodded and ran into our bedroom, packing my leather satchel that I arrived with, full of his clothes and most prized possessions which composed of: a stuffed elephant I sewed for him when he was a baby, music sheets and a pen, a blanket, the pair of opal earrings and diamond necklace Erik gave to me.

My brows furrowed when I saw him stuff them into his bag.

"Why do you want those, dear?" I asked, walking into the bedroom carrying a bag of food.

"I know you hold them dear...so...I'm going to keep them safe and give them back to you after this affair is over" said he; I smiled and put the bag of food into the satchel. Next, Pierre ran into the living area and stole his favorite books off of the shelf. Which were: 'The Many Trials and Tribulations of Shakespeare', 'To Death Do We Part', 'The Soul's Sincere Desire' (written by Erik), 'Dracula', 'In Heaven I Burn', and my own diary! 

I said nothing as I watched him glance about to make sure I wasn't looking; he then stuffed it inside his satchel and threw the satchel around him, tightening it to fit his thin frame. Now, the yelling was ever closer, I grasped his hand and led him into the Louis--Philippe room and through a white door, into a hexagonal room with mirrors on every side. 

This was Erik's torture chamber.

When I was pregnant with Pierre Erik showed me a few of the many trap doors that laid dormant in our home upon the lake; one of these was a lose tile in the ceiling of the torture chamber. He said if I ever was to become stuck to stand on the top of the iron tree and bang the ceiling as hard as I could until I found the right tile. This I did, Pierre stood on the ground, dumbfounded. "Mummy, what are you doing? What is this room?"

He asked, I sighed and ignored his questions; he would soon find out, anyways.

I punched and punched until I heard a slight 'click' and a tile opened; I smiled and jumped down, hurriedly picking Pierre off of the ground and pushing him into the small space. "Follow this tunnel and it will take you to the surface; what I want you to do next is leave the Palais Garnier and go to this address" said I, handing him a piece of paper.

"Rue de Rivoli?" Asked he questioningly, I smiled.

"That's where Monsieur Daroga lives; do you remember him? Ah, good, well, I want you to go there and tell him everything that's happened; alright? He will, no doubt, take the very best care of you." I paused and felt tears yanking at my eyelids at the thought of leaving my most cherished possession. "I love you, my son...if you see your father....tell him...tell him I love him too and that no matter the outcome of this...I will be eternally his" I paused and fought back tears, gently touching Pierre's soft cheeks.