Phantom Child

7. Friend of the Phantom

"If you want it so..." I heard him and was about to leave, when he added:

"Maya," I turned around once again, upon hearing my name. "Alright, go." He finished with a smile. I left and heard the door being locked behind me.

I came out of the dungeons through one of the basement windows and for the first time in two days felt the sunrays on my skin. The breeze hit me nicely and there was not a single cloud in the sky. A rather unsurprising weather for this time of the year.

Next to the opera house there was a marketplace, but I didn't want to go there since I the sellers and I weren't exactly on good terms at the moment, after a few bread thefts I had committed. So, through the narrow alleyways, I found my way to the other part of the city, where I could safely move around.

While walking, I counted the money that Erik had given me. It was more than enough for one meal for me. So technically I could just run away and forget all that happened in the cellars of the Opera Populaire. But... why would I want to.

Erik said that I could come back if I wanted to. He wasn't making me stay, he wasn't making me leave. If the relationship, slowly building between us, was going to be based on mutual respect then I was fully convinced to be his friend. Thinking about all of this I went to buy said food.
The cruise for something to eat went without any problems. No crime and no chases. I enjoyed that.

It was getting late when I returned. I snuck into the tunnels underneath the opera house through my window. I quickly found a way back to the Phantom's lair in the fifth cellar. But when I entered, I was greeted only by silence.

I looked around confused. Erik was nowhere to be seen. Even though there was nothing more I could possibly see from there, I came up to his desk and saw some clothes, neatly folded. And at the top lied an envelope, sealed with a red wax skull.

Was the letter for me? I felt a slight blush on my cheeks as I raised it up and saw my name written on it. The mystery made my heartbeat go faster.

Dear Maya,

This is a formal welcome to my home. You can live here for as long as you wish.
My heart breaks, when I look at your clothing, so here you have something to change into. Once you're ready, meet me in Box 5.

Opera Ghost, Erik

I laid my hand on the pile of clothes and slowly set the letter down. Not even wondering anymore I quickly put them on. They were amazing!

My new outfit was really similar to Erik's. It consisted of black shoes, dark blue trousers, white shirt and a vest in the colour of the trousers.
I hopped in front of the mirror and admired my new attire. I looked just like the Phantom, but shorter and lighter (since his vest and trousers were black and mine were blue). I was aware, that it was a manly outfit, but for someone like me, clothes were clothes. And I loved it.

I kept the letter to myself and rushed to Box 5. Now that I knew where every tunnel led, it wasn't really hard. In about 10 to 15 minutes I ran out from the underground and climbed the stairs to the boxes above the audience in the theatre hall.

I saw Erik already sitting in his usual spot. I ran over to him and hugged him. He seemed rather surprised,  even considering the fact, that it was him, who told me to come.

"Thank you so much, Erik." I said excitedly.

He turned around and admired his choice of clothes for me.

"Do you like it?" He asked. I nodded with a great grin on my face.

He patted the seat next to him, wordlessly commanding me to sit down. I did so.