Keep Me Close

Dont Leave Me

The rest of the walk home, back to Erik's flat under the theater in Phantasma, was silent except a slight sob coming from Lily every once in a while. As they walked through the park, many of Eriks employees would give him a strange look regarding the small child he kept close to him. The mysterious "Mr. Y", as everyone referred to him, now had a child with him.
Nighttime had come over the park and the lights on the rides and vendors had come on. Usually this would bring Erik some sort of joy however, sorrow still ran through his heart.
He arrived home to his dark flat locking the door behind him. The sleeping child still in his arms, she stirred only once during the firework display going on in the park tonight. Erik swiftly brought the girl into one of the spare bedrooms down the dark and quiet hall. The room was larger with a queen bed with a black comforter. He placed the child on the bed while quickly running to his bedroom where he grabbed an old dress shirt that he no longer wore. Erik removed the child's dress and wrapped the shirt around the girl, being careful not to wake her, while laying the dress on top of a chair in the corner of the room. Returning to his daughter he picked her up once more and laid her under the comforter on the red satin sheets. She curled up in a ball under the covers and returned to her sound slumber. Erik stood there for a moment, admiring the beauty of the child. She couldn't possibly be mine... he didn't believe he could ever create something this beautiful other than his music. He reached his large hand down to her face and stroked her soft skin just as he used to do to his Christine all those years ago when he would sing her to sleep.

Erik then silently left the room and retreated to the darkness of his study. Here he lit some candles and approached the bar he had set up in the corner. He took out the glass and began to pour himself a glass of scotch. Erik rarely drank, however he was hoping to numb some of the pain he was attempting to hide.
The grande piano and organ sat in the middle of the room.  All he could do was stare at the instruments, all music would make him think of his angel. He sat in the leather chair by the fireplace, peeing off his mask and setting it down on the table beside him. His jaw tightened as he attempted to stop the flow of tears in his eys. His lips quivered as the first of many warm tears rolled down his face and turning into full on sobs,
"Christine, my Christine" he cried. Covering his face with his hands. The trembling began again, he picked up the glass and took another sip of the strong liquor. Nothing was seeming to end the pain at this point. He stayed like this for a long time, mourning the death if his angel. Feeling weak and vulnerable, he felt a man of his stature was not supposed to be like this. However, at least he hadn't dropped a chandelier on people this time.
Then he heard a cry coming from across the hall, he silenced his own sobs and listened. He heard soft sobs coming from his daughter's room. He stood tall and placed the glass on the table, trading it for his mask. He placed it on his face so he wouldn't scare her again in the night, and began making his way towards the sobs of his child.

Lily POV
I had woken up from a nightmare, not that waking up into reality was any better at this time. I no longer wore my dress, but instead a man's dress shirt. It smelled like roses, parchment and mint. It smelled like Mr.Y, I mean my father. Then thought of the events came flooding back to me: My father holding my mother's lifeless body and sobbing into his strong chest and him holding me. Raoul never held me like that, I felt safe with my father as a girl should. Then the emotions took over, starting the uncontrollable sobs
I attempted to silence myself as my breathing became quick and short. I was afraid of waking my father and having him be upset with me, seeing he did have a short temper. He was my father but I still feared him, not for the reason of his face being disfigured, but the mystery he presented. I knew nothing about him, except the fact that he and my mother had known each other for a long time and she loved him very much. The thought of my mother made my cry harder and harder. Then my door slowly creaked open to reveal my father standing in the doorway. He was tall and strong looking with his hair slicked back, but he looked disheveled at the same time.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up" I softly said, scared of being screamed at.
"My love, why would you be sorry... I wasn't asleep. Don't worry about me" he said in a soft, and soothing voice. He approached my bed and sat at the edge. I stared at his mask glimmering in the bit of moonlight that was shinning through the only window in my room.
"Father?" I asked. He turned to look at me taking my small hand in his large one.
"Yes, my love" he said, looking at me with a concerned expression. I looked deep into his eyes, which showed so much pain.
"Please don't leave me" I said beginning to sob again. Noticing my sobbing, he took me into his strong arms and pulled me close. I heard the calming beat of his heart. I was trembling in his arms, he rubbed his hand along my back in attempt to soothe me. I pulled away from him and looked at his face, he was crying. I took my hand up and placed it on his mask, he flinched and then calmed down at my touch but quickly brought my hand away.
"My angel, I do not wish to frighten you again" he said remembering my screams from the first time I had seen his face. I didn't want to upset him even more by making him uncomfortable with it off so I just went back to hugging him.
"Father, can I sleep with you tonight,  please" I said. He smirked and nodded. I think he was surprised by my request. He stood tall and took off his suit jacket and waist coat laying them next to my dress on the chair. He blew out the candle next to my bed and we were both emerged into darkness. I heard him slide off of his shoes and suddenly I felt the covers be pulled back and felt the warm strong body of my father next to me. He laid there stiffly until I wrapped my arm around his torso and laid my head on his strong chest. He sharply inhaled and then calmed back down and pulled me even closer to him. I heard his heart beat again and slowly began to drift off to sleep comforted by the safely and protection of my father.
"Good night my little angel" he whispered to me and placed a kiss on my head as I nodded off to sleep.