Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 46: Meanwhile

Exactly, what trouble could two Destler children possibly get up to?

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"Eli!" Erik boomed, "Let go of her now!"

"No!" Eli yelled back his eyes flaming. "I won't!"

Ilios sobbed violently on the edge of the roof, "I said I'm sorery! I said sorery!"

Eli felt his anger increasing, it wasn't sorery, that wasn't even a word, sorry was a word, and until she said it right he wasn't letting her down.

"Mama it's cold," Ilios sobbed her little eyes pleading towards her Mothers.

Christine looked desperately to Erik, "He wouldn't hurt her Erik. Just get her down from there."

She turned to her son and let out a pitiful cry, "Eli what did she do?!"

Eli felt his tears stinging his eyes and he dropped slid down and sat beside the wall, burying his head in his knees.

Amidst his crying he could only choke out one word, "Sketches," he cried, "Sketches."

Erik ran to his daughter and scooped her down, her little arms grabbing so tightly to his neck Erik felt he might choke.

"Ilios?" Christine asked warily, taking her daughter and holding her tightly, "Oh Ilios what have you done now?"

"They were all black and white, so I colored them." She cried, "I only wanted to help."

"Christine take her downstairs," Erik said softly, eyeing his devastated son.

"But Erik-" Christine started, she wanted to be sure Eli was alright, she had never seen him that angry, never seen anyone but Erik that angry for that matter.

"Go on," Erik said with a nod. "We'll be down in a moments time."

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Erik knew that when it was just them too Eli felt as if he could talk freely. And while he was having trouble suppressing his own anger at anyone endangering his daughter, he felt a sort of understanding that biased him in Elis behalf.

"Foolish child," Erik scolded, taking a seat beside him, "What possessed you?"

"All those months and months of work," Eli cried, "All those late nights and it was all for nothing."

"She only wanted to help you Eli."

"But she didn't!" Eli snapped, "She ruined them. She doesn't ask. No one asks."

Erik felt a bit wounded, "I always ask to see your work, Eli. It's beautiful work."

"That's not what I meant," The small boy sniffed, "No one ever asks how I want things. Because I'm too small to have an opinion worth listening to."

Erik frowned, "That's not true."

But in Elis' eyes, he saw that his son's conviction in this fact of life was too strong to be swayed.

"Gustave never asked me if he could leave," Eli whispered. "And I'm too quiet for Mother to sing with or play with like she does Ilios."

"There's me-"

"No," Eli sighed, "You have work, work that's important to you. I wouldn't make you put that aside for me. You do that enough already. I know why Gustave went to New York. Our financial situation is less than stellar. You need another Opera, or to become a ghost again and receive the regular 10,000 francs."

Erik listened in amazement as his own son quoted him on his economic standing, but he chose not to belittle the boy with any signs of surprise.

Eli trembled in fear, it was if he was coming out of a dream. "I don't remember Father, I don't know what came over me."

"I know, I know," Erik said worriedly holding his son tight to him.

With Gustave, he had such dread expecting his temper to arise at any moment but never had he expected it with Eli. His little eyes so helpless and appealing never arose any suspicion of the tormented waters that lay underneath.

"Oh Father," Eli sobbed, "What if she had fallen? I'd never forgiven myself, and over something like my sketches too. I hate me, how can you stand me?!"

"No more words child," Erik said sternly, "There are words better left unsaid. Your sister is safe, and we will be able to put this all behind us."

As Eli looked up at his father, he so wished that was true. But there was a new change in Erik, one that Eli dreaded to see, a caution, a lack of complete trust, and to Elis horror, he thought he even saw the tiniest trace of fear.

"Come, your mother and sister will be expecting you," Erik stated.

Eli felt a sick fear of dread knot up in his stomach. "Oh please don't send me."

His father's eyes, however, assured him he had to, or else.

He took his small hand in Eriks firm one and was led down the stairs begrudgingly.

Erik watched in breathless terror, however, as when they made their way halfway down the staircase Eli paused, leading him right into the main foyer.

Erik cringed.

Mirrors.

Eli led his father to one of them, the big one in the main hall that all the great and distinguished guests looked in before carrying on their way.

For the first time in his life, Eli stared at his own reflection.

How it chilled him, the boy looking back scared him. He had never truly considered himself a monster before. But what a haunted face, what twisted distortion lay before his eyes. A human so ugly, with a temper so vile and acts so great in wickedness must be nothing but a monster.

Still, Eli stared, his father watching anxiously from behind him. Eli raised a hand to touch his face as if to be sure that the person in the mirror was truly him, but stopped himself.

"I can't bear it," Eli whispered in torment, "Let's go home."

Erik reached for the little hand but this time it was not offered up to him. Instead, Eli put his hands in his pockets and walked along ahead in solitude.

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When they arrived home, Christine rushed to her son, peppering him with anxious kisses and tight hugs.

"Oh my poor little boy," She cried, "My precious little boy."

Eli said nothing, but a look in his eyes conveyed such despondency that Christine decided it was perhaps best to withdraw.

"Ilios?" Eli whispered.

"She's asleep," Christine said, "She feels so awful about your drawings Eli She-"

Erik shook his head ever so slightly to tell her there was no need to continue.

"Eli," Christine said, her voice breaking ever so slightly "What do I have to do to see you smile again? To bring back my little boy?"

Eli frowned.

"Fix this," He screamed internally, "Fix this haunted face and let me be the same as everyone else. Let me blend in, let me hide in the dark."

Erik approached slowly, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder until she stood up, then he pulled her into a hug.

"It's all going to be alright Christine," Erik sighed.

She gave a nervous sigh, "How can you know?"

"Because look at where we started. Look how far we've come."

"Mom," Eli whimpered from below.

Christine looked down with pity and picked up her little angel holding him close. "Mothers got you. Everythings going to be okay."

Everythings going to be okay.