A Phantom and His Family

Chapter 8: Cruelty Relived

A/N: TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MAY CONTAIN CONTENT THAT IS SENSITIVE FOR SOME VIEWERS. VIEWER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

Madeleine's POV

An unknown, haunting melody filled the air as I was awakened by the sound of the piano being played once more. By how dark it was outside, I could only deduce that it wasn't even twilight, and yet someone decided that it would be appropriate to be awake.  Unable to go back to sleep, I placed a robe on my person and headed downstairs towards the music. 

As I made my way to the parlor, I discovered the one responsible for the melody that echoed throughout my otherwise silent home.  I saw Erik, slightly hunched over the piano, the light of one dim candle enveloping the darkly-clad figure of my son in a hazy, golden halo. There he sat, blissfully unaware that I had descended from my room and joined him.

He wore what appeared to be silk, black pajamas and was maskless as the mask he wore yesterday sat on the ledge used for placing sheet music. His fingers expertly danced across the keys and I couldn't help but be amazed by his skill. Despite having a face of a monster, he could play the piano better than anyone that I have ever known.

I suddenly felt a small amount of pity for him. If he didn't look the way he did, then he could have been the pride and joy of Boscherville. Boscherville was a small town made up of simple, God-fearing men and women, making us pretty much non-existent in the world. Erik's musical talents and his vast, unexplainable intelligence would have made us famous and he would have been loved by all instead of feared and hated like he was now.  Such a shame, really.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the music ended and the sound of Erik scooting out of the piano bench. 

"That was beautiful."  

It wasn't a lie. I always thought that the music Erik played was beautiful. A little bit too beautiful, even, especially if he sang. He had a voice of a fallen angel: heavenly yet sensual. If I were to be honest, that was one of the reasons that I locked him away. If he ever was freed, he could bewitch innocent women and make them do unholy acts. 

Maybe that was the reason for how he had acquired a mate and offspring. 

He said nothing, simply placing his mask over his face before turning to face me. 

"What is it?" He asked, the white, full-faced mask making him seem intimidating. 

"I couldn't sleep and I heard you play. I was wondering if we could have our talk now? After all, I do not think that either of us shall be going back to sleep. " 

His yellow eyes peered through the mask and bore into my own before he took the candle that he had placed on the piano and proceeded to light a few more on a tiny candlebera that sat at my mantle and taking it to the Louis-Phillipe room, me trailing behind him.  He sat the candles down on the wooden table that separated our seats from each other and leaned back on the couch, hands folded across his chest and a glare working its way into Erik's gaze. 

"Let's talk, since you are so willing to listen." His cynical tone matching the way he sat on the couch: impatient and critical. 

Erik's POV

I watched as the woman before me sat and fidgeted in her chair, possibly thinking of the right excuse to spew out. 

"Well, I was just so scared when you were born. I was a young woman who had just become a widow and in my grief, I had high expectations for you, especially about what you would look like. When things didn't go the way I had hoped, I was just so deva-" 

"That's enough." I cut her off, getting even more frustrated, "All you are giving me is excuses. 'Oh, I was afraid!' 'Oh, I had hoped for something else to happen!' That does not justify the agony you caused."

She tried to speak again, but I silenced her, the pent-up anger and pain from years ago suddenly springing out of me as I paced back and forth. In a passionate, spur-of-the-moment, I ripped off my mask, exposing my deformity to the woman that bore me. The same woman that hated me. 

"Have you any idea how much damage your cruelty caused Erik at such a tender age? Could you even stomach all that had happened to your only child after your torment caused him to run away? Well, let Erik tell you, mother dear!"

The fear in my mother's eyes was evident as she began to try and make herself shrink into the chaise-lounge. 

"Erik had to fend for himself as he traveled through the forests and as soon as he was foolish enough to stop walking, he was found and abducted by gypsies. And do you know what they did to your son while under their captivity? Why, they put him on display as a sideshow attraction, a freak of nature! Normal-faced civilians would pay a pretty penny to gawk at the young boy called "The Devil's Child". Whips, screams, and evil insults were all Erik knew, but that wasn't all. Oh no, it gets even worse.  Would you believe him if he said that as a small boy, Javert would try and force him to do ungodly, horrendous acts? Would you even guess that such a man would try and rape a disfigured freak?! Don't worry, your son killed him and escaped before he could continue to do so, but even worse things would occur during your son's life."

Her eyes grew wide as she began to beg for me to stop talking, but I didn't. I couldn't stop even if I had wanted to. The dam was broken and the flood was rushing out fast as I opened my mouth. Soon, I took a few calming breaths before I continued, 

"I was taken in by a kindly architect and I believed that I was going to have a family, but I was sorely mistaken when his real child came home from school and became too curious about my mask and demanded that I remove it. You know what happened to her? She took off my mask while standing on the roof of their house and was so frightened that she backed away towards the edge and fell to her death. She DIED and I had to run away, finding myself in Russia and becoming a magician. I thought that I would stay there alone, but no! I was taken again, only this time by my own consent and into Mazenderan where I became the Shah-in-Shah's assassin. I killed people for their government, for the Shah's mother, the Khanum, and I was almost put to death for knowing too much. Fortunately, or possibly unfortunate for you, I had made a friend in that terrible place and he helped me escape to Paris, where I stayed for years. I will not bore you with the rest of the details, but I will say this: I just might have to thank you."

"F-for w-what?" She stammered, the fear in her eyes turning into tears. 

"If you weren't so cruel to me, then I would have never had a chance to meet and fall in love with my beautiful wife, Evangeline nor had my sweet children. Just ten years ago, I was ready to take my own life, but now I have everything I could ever want. A loving family, an honest living, I'm even considering buying a pet or two. My children want a French Bulldog, but I would rather have a Siamese cat. What do you think, mother? Should I do so?" 

She slowly started to scoot off of the chaise-lounge as I got up and headed back to the bedroom where my wife slept in. 

"Oh and mother?" I replied before heading up the stairs.

"Yes?" She quaked.

"We may be related, but you are not my wife's mother-in-law, nor are you my children's grandmother. You lost that right years ago. So stay away from them. We're staying for All Saint's Day and our wedding anniversary, and then we are going to leave." 

"I'm looking forward to it." I heard her murmur under her breath. I paid it no mind, just gave her a sideways glare before going back to my bedroom and slipping under the covers right next to my gorgeous, slumbering wife.

A/N: Hello my fellow Phantom Phans! How're y'all doing this fine evening? 😋

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