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Portrait of the Soul	By : sirenofsaturn Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 2723 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
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I’m sorry! I know I promised to update on Saturday, but I wasn’t as completely over my little bug, as I thought I was…
Erik: See what happens when you don’t listen to me?
Bossy, I wasn’t that sick! Just tired…still am…
Erik: Weren’t you writing?
Ah, yes. Thank you for all the reviews! We hit 70! And passed it! Thank you so much! Please continue to review they keep the story going, really. Once again I own nothing but original characters, and this fiction plot. If anyone wants to sue keep in mind that I am a poor college student, and you could not get very much money from me. Maybe a few used textbooks at the most. Now on to the newest chapter, say it Erik!
Erik: Chapter Eleven.
“Mia-la! It’s almost sundown, time for dinner.” Despite the mother’s attempt to call her daughter the child remained on the floor drawing on a small piece of paper. “What are you doing angel?”
“Drawing.” The six year old answered.
“Drawing what?”
“My house.” The child smiled handing the parent the doodle.
“Sweetie, this isn’t our house. Our house isn’t as big as this one, and I don’t remember there being a fountain in the front yard.”
“No!” The child pouted. “My house, I’m going to live there one day!”
“It looks very fancy, you would have to marry well.”
“I wont marry!”
“Bite your tongue,” Her mother gasped. “Don’t say such things! Oi, I do not know where you get these silly dreams from.”
“It isn’t silly! I’ll build my house myself if I have to! Or find an architect to build it.”
“Monola, that will cost you some money.”
The mother watched with surprise as the young Mia stood up and smiled. “I’ll work for it then. I’ll raise the money.”
“Mia-la, come to dinner, it’s almost after sunset.”
Mia was completely and utterly speechless. She could not even begin to keep track of all the emotions that ran through her. Happiness, Erik had trusted her and brought her to his home. Wonder, this was a house of perfection. Erik had built this place on his own. He had taken his dreams and housed them into something built completely from the ashes of him imagination. Envy. Yes, Mia envied Erik. In his building and genius he had done the one thing she had been working for all her life. He built, ate, worked, and dreamed in a home he had created himself. Mia could only hope the day when she would live in her own home, was not far away. She had plans to build her own house, and nothing could change them.
“My dear, are you that overcome by my home?” Suddenly she remembered that this genius was Erik’s home, and he was standing by her. She watched him move ahead of her to a samovar.
“Perhaps tea would restore your voice?”
“Y-yes.” Mia flushed clearing her throat. Her voice had come out as a tiny squeak, she suddenly felt as though she was a flea. A tiny creature in a big strange world, a world of genius and perfection a house- “It’s more like a temple really.” She mumbled out loud.
“A temple?” Erik repeated turning around with two cups of tea.
“Yes.” Mia nodded. “A shrine, a museum. Someplace that houses things that should be praised. However, it all seems to unreal, to immortal to be man made.”
“Well, in that case I do not consider myself one of the human race.” Erik replied casually handing his guest tea, while taking a sip from his own cup.
Mia took a sip as well, eyes never resting to gaze upon the ‘temple’. Her mind was already buzzing with questions. Some of these things Mia had never seen in her life. She had a feeling the no one had ever seen of these creations. “Experiments?” She asked, briefly standing by a table that housed coil and metal contraptions.
“Ideas and failures.”
“All ideas…few failures?”
“For the most part.” Erik shrugged. “I have to admit, though it is hard for me to accept failure. So things that fall under that particular category are merely ideas in the making.”
“Of course.” Mia smiled wondering over to a new area. Erik watched her eye and examine every detail she could find. Curiosity obviously coursing through her, with multiplied interest. However, she was always respectful never touching anything without permission. Which, Erik found, she did not ask for to frequently. He was beginning to understand her small signals. She was not her to pry or discuss things that could make his space feel violated or at the least uncomfortable. Maybe if part of you had been listening to her, you would have figured that out long before you blindfolded her. That tiny voice, that Erik was starting to name his late guilt, was beginning to annoy him.
“Erik?”
“Yes?” Coming back to his current situation, Erik noted Mia had moved to beside his worktable.
“Someone is playing with my foot.”
“What?” The first thing Erik did, was note the space between them. He was at least ten feet away, so it was not him. Confusion dawning on him, the magician watched the artist give a short laugh. Kneeling down to the floor, the woman looked under the table.
“Hello there. You must be Ayesha, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Smiling the artist extended her hand curling her fingers under her palm.
“A brief warning, I did not mention.” Erik cut in. “Ayesha, doesn’t always take well to strangers.” He spoke, remembering the aggression and jealousy she had shown over Christine. Not to mention the shredding she first gave Nadir. Come to think of it though, no cat seemed to get along very well with Nadir. Erik was about to voice another warning about Ayesha’s temper, but he felt his voice would not carry. Ayesha was slowly coming closer to Mia. True she was crouched low, a feline sign of uneasiness, but she was coming closer to smell Mia’s hand. The feline continued to examine giving brief sniffs around Mia’s knuckles and wrist.
“She probably smells Brian on me.” Mia stated.
“That could be it.” Erik wondered. Or could it be she actually fancies you. Watching the cat give a brief hiss and jump onto a bookcase, Erik realized he might have spoken to soon.
“Isn’t she a coy little thing?” Mia laughed.
“You have no idea.”
A few hours, and cups of tea later found the two seated at Erik’s table flipping through the tarot cards. “It’s called a phrenology bust.” The architect explained gesturing to the object that was kept near his herbs. “I can not tell you if I found it in England or in India, it was so long ago.”
“Are doctors really relying on them to be true?” Mia asked.
“Not yet. It’s still a theory. I’m sure some people practicing medicine might keep it in mind. However, it has yet to be tested as anything true.”
“Do you consider it true? That the shape of one’s head could tell a person about one’s mind?”
“Yes.” Erik answered without a second thought. “I’ve seen a lot of things. I long ago accepted that almost anything is possible.” Erik explained. “Now, I want you to pick a card from the tarot deck. Close your eyes and select the card you feel the most drawn to.”
Mia obeyed and did as she was instructed. Drawing a card from the picture deck she handed it to Erik. The magician laid the card face up on the table. The Queen of wands. “So, what does that say?” Mia asked tilting her head and studying the card.
“The card you have chosen first, is supposed to represent you. This card is more a reflection of your strongest qualities. The Queen of wands is a woman out to create. You are out to make a career, or perhaps reach a goal. And if anyone dares to cross your path to stand in your way, it will be extremely hard for them to stop you.”
“What about you?” Mia inquired. “What card represents you?”
“Lets see.” Erik sighed, laying all cards face down on the table. Closing his eyes Erik slowly moved his hand to almost the end of the deck. Feeling a call from a blind card, his middle bony finger dragged the card from the pile. Opening his eyes and flipping the card Erik viewed his designated tarot symbol. “The hanged man.” Erik stared.
“The hanged man?”
“Once a fool, the hanged man. Now he waits. His path like the hermit remains mysterious and reclusive. But now he hangs waiting for clarity, waiting for any sort of sign. Something can happen to him, he just needs to meditate on his past and present and then wait for it.”
Mia smiled. “It sounds like something good is waiting for you.”
“Yes.” Erik reflected. “If I choose to let it. Like I said, he is a fool of mystery. Who is to say? He may prefer his old life? He might like it to remain that way.”
“You-don’t have to…” Mia whispered.
“What?”
“You don’t have to hide from everyone.”
“Are you mad?” Erik inquired standing up from the table. “I chose to hide! I spent many years in public, but it did not suit me. I learned my lesson. I am better off as a permanent recluse. I should have drawn the hermit.”
“Maybe not.” Mia argued standing as well. “You have so many gifts Erik. Why do you hide when you could give so much to the world?”
“I did give!” He hissed. “I gave and gave! But this world is selfish! They want my gifts, they took my gifts, but because I am not like them, they did not want me in their precious perfect world!” Erik’s voice continued to rise as he began pacing. “I did them a favor by living here. I am perfectly content! I have my music, my home, my art, and my science! I am fine living without the world!”
“People are stupid!” Mia shouted. “The world is full of fools, Erik. You must know that! For hundreds of years, mankind as ignored the fools, why can’t you? Do not listen to people! Ignore what they say, you are a genius! To Hell with them and their small minds that can not understand that!”
“They understand that Mia!” Erik shouted whipping around to her. “Were you not listening? The fools out there know my genius. They have many of times accepted and praised it! That is not why I hide.”
“Then why do you?”
“To what ever force or god there may be, are you an idiot? I do not want to believe it! You seem very bright to me! Perhaps quite above average! Do you not see my mask? Even as I am talking you can see my misshapen lips! Have you even dared to imagine what is behind this white shield? Would you sketch my portrait if you knew what lies beneath?”
“Small things such as physical beauty should not make a difference of how someone is judged in this world!”
“No it shouldn’t! But it does!” Erik shot. “Everyone judges everybody by the nose on a face! The color of an eye! Men by their height and weight, and woman by breast size and the shape of their derriere!”
“Not everyone, Erik!” Mia heatedly protested. “I would never judge a person by their appearance! I know this because I believe a person’s physical beauty is not a mirror image of their soul. That is what I believe for everyone, and you Erik. What ever sort of deformity lies beneath your mask, is probably the most farthest contrast from who you are inside!”
“You believe that?” Erik gasped. It was getting harder to breath, if he went on another attack might come. Another attack as it had when Christine had first come, but Erik could not stop now. He was too angry. She dared to understand him. She really believed in not judging someone by his or her looks? Obviously she had not seen him! His face was a mirror image to his soul distorted, ugly, and wicked. “You truly believe that? That you would not judge me, based on this horrid face!” Erik challenged. “Well then have a look!” He dared hastily clawing at the mask and ripping it from his once covered face. “Gaze upon Erik and his hideous soul!” Watching the brown orbs widen Erik closed his sunken eyes. The sound of Mia’s gasp rang in his ears as he waited for her scream to come.
Yes, I think I’ll stop I there. Someone once told me I could be evil and write cliffhangers, what do you think? I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, and continue to review! Maybe we could hit 80, but I don’t want to set my hopes too high. So do what you can.
Erik: And here I thought you self esteem was improving…
Shut up. Next update…/thinks/ Well lets just see how many reviews I get. However, I’m feeling a little fatigued so I’m going to bed. Night everybody, and please review!
Erik: You promised me ice cream before you went to bed.
…Oops
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Portrait of the Soul