Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 74: Looking Forward

"Good Morning Mother," Ilios beamed rushing into the kitchen and pecking her Mother on the cheek.

"Ilios!" christine exclaimd in surprise. "Where have you been? Your Father searched the entire place over twice and-"

Ilios took a bite of a fresh red apple and sunk into her chair. "I was playing in the park. l had to, Mother. My foot fell asleep in class, lt wouldn't wake up no matter how hard I kicked the chair in front of me."

Christine glanced at the clock on the wall and then to Winnies impacient face that had appeared in the doorway.

"Did you forget what day it is?"

"Yes dear," Christine laughed, "lt's Tuesday."

"Oh! Madam Giry I completly forgot." She darted up from her seat. She had taken up dancing again. She was rubbish at it and she knew it full well, but after her taste of the world above she had been eager for more. Her Father compromised by letting her attend Madam Girys studio once a week.

How she dreaded it, but it was the only way to see that skies.

"You cannot go to Giry's looking like that. I won't have people talking," Christine said strictly. "You remember to keep away from the silly girls."

"Yes Mother." Ilios yelled as she grabbed her dance shoes from her school bag.

"Put your coat on." Christine ordered firmly.

Winnie waved her hand at her Mother, impatciently summoning her over.

"Let me comb your hair."

"Yes, Mama." She tugged uncomfortable at the old coats buttons and frowned, "l hate this coat. lt makes my legs feel so long."

"Your legs are long. If you had the temperment and discipline you needed you'd make a lovley dancer. You know. . ."

Ilios looked of shamefully to the floor, ". . .sometimes l'm sorry I never learned to dance when I was younger."

"I'm not," Christine chuckled, "The last thing I need is you grand jeteing across your Fathers papers in the study. How fine you would have looked singing on a stage-"

"But l want to, Mother," Ilios said eagerly. "Why don't you let me audition? They're doing Ell Muto and-"

"No" Eli said with a shake of his head entering the room. "She won't let the world see the same mistake twice."

Christine gave a nod for Eli to continue and he took a clemntine from the bowl, the orange light reflecting ever so gently on his mask. "She thinks, well she reasons, that Mother took singing lessons,and look where she ended up. Slaving away at the Oprea-Populaire and what for when they deemed her unfit?"

Christine shook her head and laughed as if she hadn't a care in the world, "They decided to put me in such ridiculous little roles."

"But you always seemed happy."

"Happy!" Erik scoffed lifting the sulking Winnie into his arms and entering the room.

"l went to see her one night. l couldn't even find her. In the first act... .she was behind a tree. ln, the second act. behind a tenor."Christine stuck her tongue out at him teasingly and returned to her daughter. "Besides, Madam Giry teaches more than just Dance."

"What?"

"Nothing." Christine said hurriedly, sending a glance to Erik, " You go to school every morning. You see madam Giry once a week. That's all the lessons you need, when the time comes, you'll be ready."

"Ready for what, Mother?"

Christine laughed giving a glance to the grandfather clock in the study, "Enough! Now Run!"

Erik pushed his daughter out the door and watched with a small chuckle as she ran barefooted for the boat.

"Mother," Winnie said impatiently, "I can't find my ribbons."

Christine sighed, "Erik will you help Wade dress? I can take her now."

Erik kissed her cheek and nodded, "Of course dear."

Christine gave an exhausted sigh. She loved Erik yes, but lately her role as Mother had consumed every last second of her time and energy.

"Are you alright," Eli asked her with concern.

"Fine," She lied with a weary smile, "I just need to rest."

Eli nodded and helped her to her chair. He worried, constantly, for all in his family. 

"The door Eli," Christine said with a small nod in the direction of the main hall as a small knock echoed through the walls. 

Eli smiled, kissed his Mothers forehead and hurried to the door, adjusting his mask. 

"Ilios I told you to-"

"Oh- Well, Hello." 

Eli quickly shut the door behind him and pushed the girl by the shoulders out of the sight of the windows. 

"What are you doing here?!" 

"I've come to see you!"

Eli scoffed and ran stressed coarse hands through his dishevled thick hair. "Clarice you've seen me. Now you have to go."

"Eli," she said showing a rare weakness in her eyes, one he'd never encountered before. "Eli I lied just now. I don't know why I did...I didn't come because I wanted to. I had to."

"Must had been bad," He said cruley, "To make you wanna see me again."

"Eli," She said softly putting a hand on his shoulder, "Someone is following me."

He looked at her in confusion. "Who?!"

"I don't know," She lied.

He bit his lip and glanced around impatciently, "You can't stay here."

"Oh I didn't mean that," She said hurriedly with a shiver as she thought of the dark world he was forced to occupy.

Eli nodded, "What do you want me to do then?"

"Eli," She said hoarsly her eyes darting nervously across the bay, "I think someones trying to kill me."