How can this be what it seems... all of my most secret dreams... somehow set free!
“Just my luck, this place has everything but a piano,” Gustave grumbled, shuffling his pages of music into a neat pile.
“I could ask Malcolm if we could borrow the rehearsal space at the cathedral,” Simon suggested.
“Sounds wonderful,” Gustave smiled.
After the rehearsal Gustave’s household servants came to pick him up in a big, expensive looking Bentley.
“Good evening Miss Fleck, Squelch, Dr. Gangle,” Simon nodded, greeting the strange trio.
They exchanged wicked glances then stepped forward and stood around him. The way they smiled at him made him nervous.
“Come along and follow us,” Squelch sang.
“Come and follow faster,” Miss Fleck continued.
“Come along and follow us,” Dr. Gangle added.
“Come and meet the master,” they all chorused.
They opened the door of the black Bentley and gestured for him to get in.
“Oh… erm that’s very kind but,… I should be getting back.” Simon replied. He was more than a little creeped out.
“Hurry up and follow us,” they insisted.
“Hurry if you care to,
“Step lively, child,” Miss Fleck giggled.
“Maybe you should come back, just for some tea,” Gustave suggested. “You can sing my father the new aria.”
“Maybe tomorrow, Seth will worry,” Simon said, apologetically.
Gustave took his hand and suddenly pulled him very close to him, fixing his gaze and taking his face between his hands, putting his own face very close.
“ Come with me tonight,
I hate to have to cut our fun short,
But this game’s wearing thin,
Come on follow me in,
Let this story begin…”
Gustave let the boy go and took a step back.
“Well then, shall we?” he asked.
Simon nodded, numbly, and Gustave helped him into the back of the car. Fleck, Squelch and Gangle cackled and climbed into the car too.
“So clever,” Fleck giggled.
“Just like the master,” Gangle agreed.
When the car stopped Simon looked around for a house but saw nothing. Gustave opened the door for him and helped him out of the car. They descended a flight of stone steps that were hidden behind a monument, they’d be hard to find if you weren’t aware they were there.
At the bottom of the steps was a black door, which Gustave unlocked with a heavy, gold key. Simon followed in after him and gasped as he found himself in a huge hall. The floor was marble and a glass chandelier clung to the ceiling. Gustave led him across the hall and they went through another door into a corridor and down a spiral staircase.
The room they then entered was lit by hundreds of candles.
“Father?” Gustave called.
Simon stopped in the doorway and saw a figure rise from the grand piano in the corner.
“Father, I brought a guest,” Gustave said.
“Erm… good evening… Mr. Y, “ Simon said, nervously.
“I suppose you wish to show me this aria,” the phantom said, stepping away from the piano. “Gustave, fetch my mask first so I don’t upset your friend.”
“Oh no, it’s alright. I don’t mind,” Simon said, quickly.
“Very well.”
“Come on then, Simon. Are you ready?” Gustave said, excitedly. He seated himself at the piano and gestured Simon to come and stand beside him.
Simon did so a little reluctantly, Gustave touched the piano keys and they began the aria.
“Very beautiful,” the phantom nodded, “It comes to life when you sing it. It seemed bland to me at first but your voice gives it lift. I change my mind about it, Gustave, you did well.”
“Thank you,” Gustave bowed, smiling.
“Now get this boy home, it’s getting late.”
“But father…”
“Gustave, I know how you got him here in the first place, get him home.”
Gustave growled and stood up. “Fine.”
As Gustave led Simon back to the entrance of the house he hummed softly.
“What’s that, it’s pretty?” Simon commented.
“One of my father’s songs. Would you like to hear it?” Gustave said, stopping and turning to him.
“Oh, yes alright, please” Simon nodded.
“
Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour,” as he sang he stepped closer to Simon, the boy’s eyes were fixed to his, like a rabbit caught in headlights.
“Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day .”
Gustave stroked his fingers down Simon’s cheek, Simon gave no reaction. He was getting lost in Gustave’s music, his head feeling dizzy, nothing else really mattering.
“Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly posess you,” Gustave had put his arms around Simon now, cradling him gently in them, leaning in close to him as though about to kiss him. Simon’s eyelids fluttered, he felt drowsy.
“Open up your mind,
Let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night.”
Simon collapsed and Gustave caught him, picking him up into his arms. He smiled to himself and carried the boy back into the shadows of the house.
Simon awoke the next morning and sat up in bed. He gazed around him and began to panic, not knowing where he was or how he’d gotten there. He found himself in a carved wooden bed with a peacocks head at the foot, the edges of the bed were carved like a curved peacocks tail, every detail of the feathers captured in pristine beauty. He’d been dressed in a baggy white tunic and pair of pyjama bottoms.
Simon stood up and wandered around the room. It was full of strange pictures, statues and toys., ancient and mysterious looking things.
He padded out of the room through an archway and found himself in a kitchen with a large open fire set in the wall. There was a heavy oak table, large and thick, covered in rough dents. Sat at the table was Mr. Y, eating a bowl of porridge.
“Hello?” Simon murmured.
Mr. Y looked up and looked surprised.
“Simon, what are you doing here?” he asked. He’d immediately put his hand over the right side of his face.
“… I… don’t exactly know,” Simon said, shakily.
The phantom let out an aggravated noise and stood up.
“Gustave!” he yelled, making Simon jump.
He stormed out of the room and returned moments later.
“I apologise, my son seems to have disappeared.” he growled. “I’ll have one of my housekeepers take you home. And rest assured I will be having words with Gustave about this!”
“Father calm down, I didn’t lay a finger on him I promise,” Gustave said. He was lying on his belly on the floor, playing with a music box in the shape of a monkey on a barrel organ. “I just needed him here whilst I finished the opera, I couldn’t have done it without him there.”
“You’ll make enemies for yourself, boy,” the phantom sighed. “You must cure yourself of this ridiculous obsession before it gets out of hand. Trust me, I’ve been there, I know.”
“Father, you worry too much. This is nothing like what happened between you and mother.” Gustave said, a little tense.
“This is exactly how it started, it just got worse and worse. We’re so similar Gustave, I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did, hurt yourself and others the way I did…”
Gustave was silent.
“I’m taking you home.” the phantom said, finally.
“What?” Gustave breathed, looking up at his father for the first time. “What do you mean?”
“Coney island,
Magical and lyrical….”
“No!” Gustave gasped. “No I won’t go! I’ll never go back to that place!”
“It’s for your own good, I…”
“No!”
There was a long silence.
“Very well, but if you continue to behave in this way then you’ll have no choice. I’ll give you one last chance.”
he sang
Soon the dark will swallow us,
Follow if you dare to…”