The Phantom's Guardian (the Phantom of the Opera fan fiction)

Part 6 - Haunting Melodies

Author Note: I do not own any character from the Phantom of the Opera books/ musical/ movie. Only my characters (Desiree, Sharon, the old musician) and any others I may add along the story are mine.

Part 6 – Haunting Melodies

"You job is WHAT??",

the Phantom looked like he was about to choke on his mouthful of casserole so Desiree hurriedly offered him some wine. He coughed for a bit but swallowed the wine and the food somewhat gracefully.

"Are you okay, Master?"

"Hmph, I am fine. Explain to me how you managed to get a women's job at a theatre full of masculine labour demands, boy.",
his lip was doing the twitchy thing again, the one that looked suspiciously like a smile and Desiree felt irritated.

"I do not do only sewing, I also help around the theatre and run errands, just like I do for you.", she almost pouted, but opted for a boyish scowl instead.

"Anyway, why do you care what kind of work I do? You wanted me to get a job there and I did, so case closed.", Desiree added indignantly.

"Fair enough, boy. Forgive me for judging you. In fact, I may even require your sewing skills later on. By the way, this food is heavenly, where did you learn to cook like that?", he asked. Desiree was correct to assume that he ate poorly because of his secret life style. She was glad to feed him a decent meal, which he probably never had in his life despite his sizable salary.

"I used to help my mother cook and sew. Her cooking is much tastier than mine.", she replied while she handed him another helping.

Erik watched her intently before speaking.

"You told me you are an orphan. What happened to your parents and how did you end up in a circus?"

The question was like ice water thrown to her face. His face was full of sympathy and sorrow. It made Desiree feel even guiltier.

"I do not want to talk about my parents or my past. They are now out of my reach, worlds away."

Thankfully, Erik did not press the matter further. Maybe he sympathized with her about keeping secrets. He finished the dinner in silence, thanked her and got up.

'(At least what I told him this time was not a lie)', she reasoned with her conscience while she got up and cleaned the table. She actually missed her parents. She had no idea how time runs in this world and her world, had no clue how a day in this world equals to the real world's moments. She might not be able to return, she might not be able to see them again!!!

"I am going to play something. Any requests, boy?" Erik asked suddenly, jolting Desiree out of her own thoughts.

"Thank you for offering, Master, but I think I will retire for the night. I am glad that you enjoyed the food. Good night."

However, the organ's haunting melody followed her while she curled on her sheets, this time accompanied by the Phantom's equally haunting voice. The song was an unexpected one, or at least, unexpected wordings to a song she already knew.

"Wandering child, so lost, so helpless

Yearning for my guidance.

Lay your head down, forget these memories

I am right here, beside you.

Have you forgotten your angel ....

If you've forgotten your angel ....

Too long you've wandered in winter

Far from my fathering gaze.

Under my wings, I will warm you

No more cold, harsh tears..."

It was all too much. The music, his voice and her emotions all gathered in her mind and rose to a crescendo of sadness that she couldn't control. Her throat tightened. Her nose stung. Her eyes started to burn. Desiree sobbed into the pillow, hoping that he wouldn't hear her cries. However, a tiny part of her mind told her that he already knew and he was consoling her through his music. Desiree cried herself to sleep that night, encircled by the Angel of Music's melodies.

Author Note: I know this is a rather short one, but it has quite a different mood from the upcoming part so I had to separate it. Please vote if you liked it, comment if you think it needs improvement or simply to express your views. Now I totally understand why other writers urge(beg) their readers to react. It is rather unnerving to see more reads with no reaction😬😬.

Yours