The History of the Phantom

Why I'm Back

I walked out of the carriage with the two police men by both of my sides. They suddenly wrapped their fingers tightly on my biceps. It sent a sharp pain through my bony arms. I tried to move my shoulders to have some sort of release, but I found that I wasn't able to even lift them. Their strong grips were unbreakable. Within every step they took, I was forced to join the quick pace their feet carried. It was almost as if I was completely attached to their hands. I had no control of the movement in my legs or else they would be dragging me through the dirt if I stopped. My head hung down in defeat. You would have thought I was walking to my execution.

Right when they were about to open the door to the building, I closed my eyes and turned my face away from the entrance. I was frightened to look inside and see everyone I used to live with. Especially the bearded woman and the armless guy.

This couldn't be happening. This was unfair. I was finally living a normal life like all the other boys in Paris. I had a home with people who loved and cared for me. I had everything I have ever wanted in all my life. That was a family. Gustave was like my protective older brother for the last seven years of my life. As for Christine, she was the most beautiful and pure gift God has given to Earth. Now, that is all taken away from me. I'm back to suffering a lone in the dark.

The doors swung open, and I drew in an unsteady breath. My eyelids were tightly shut, and I refused to take a peek inside. My breathing stiffened as the policemen practically dragged me into the building.

"For crying out loud, open your eyes!" Ben snapped at me.

"Your behavior is absurd!" Garrett was clearly not having it.

"I don't want to be here. I want to go back home," I whispered as I felt the horror rising inside me. There was never a moment in my life where I ever needed to have Christine and Gustave close to me at this minute. My heart ached to feel their warm presence comforting me.

"Listen, Erik. Sometimes the hardest things to do in life are what we're destined to do. God has made a plan for all of us and this is yours." Ben was trying to calm me down, but he was doing the exact opposite. In fact, he was ticking me off a bit.

"By your own words, I'm destined to be beaten for entertainment? Night after night? Hit after hit?" Now I was the one who wasn't having it.

"Stop being dramatic." I open my eyes and scold at Garrett. He doesn't believe me! He thinks I'm just making all of this up!

"Dramatic? Is crying on the floor in front of dozens of cheering people fucking dramatic?"

"Swear at me one more time, kid, and you'll be going to jail."

"You're a policeman. You're supposed to protect people. You're practically blindly throwing me into a cage with a hungry lion."

"Make that one more word out of your bratty mouth, and you'll be going to jail."

I shut my mouth and didn't scare to say anything else.

"Garrett, I got it from here. I'll take him up to his room." Ben shoved me towards the staircase to stop the fight before it got any worse.

I examine the place as I head up the stairs. It's exactly the same as it was years ago. Each piece of dust particle was stuck to the same corner. The walls still appeared to be unevenly painted in a dark gray. It looked like someone took a brush and made random swipes without any thought at all.

As I got to the top, the memories flooded inside my mind. I could feel the intimidating and petrifying presence of the tall man deep in my bones as the remembrances replayed in my head; his shouting, throwing, and locking me up in my room. My body shivered in agony as the pain of being chucked onto the concrete floor rattled in my bones.

The cop opened my bedroom door for me. As I walked inside, an image of me dressed in my outfit for a show flashed before my eyes. Maybe I was destined for this. My only duty on this planet is to makes my sufferings laughter for others. If this is the plan God made for me, I want to get off Earth.

"I'll be back in about an hour with your clothes. I assume you left it at Gustave's," Ben said.

"Yeah I did," I told him.

"Ok. I'll be locking the door so don't get any ideas about leaving. If you attempt to do so, there will be a major consequence. I'm gonna tell Garrett to keep an eye on the door just in case. I'm telling you, kid, don't make any stupid decisions."

There was one more thing I was dying to know but haven't had the chance to ask yet.

"Why now?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"These past four years nobody bothered to bring me back here. Why is today different? Is there someone in particular that wanted me to come back?"

"I can't say."

"You can't or you shouldn't?"

"It's private information that could cost me my job if I tell you. I can't just tell people about my clients."

"So they can ruin my life, take away my friends, and be kept anonymous?"

He sighed deeply. "I know this seems unfair, Erik."

"Unfair doesn't even begin to describe what this is. It's cruel. It's inhumane."

"You need to learn how to grow up."

"Ok, I will learn how to grow up. After you tell me the truth. I want to know who wants to destroy my life."

"Nobody wants to destroy your life. They only want you to come back because this is where you belong."

"No I don't! Why don't you believe me when I say people beat me every night for a show in front of so many people here? I don't feel safe at all."

He sighed even deeper. He shook his head back and forth as he sat himself down in the chair. Ben buried his face in his palms.

"I'm sorry about your past. I really am. However, you need to stay here. It is in one's commands."

"Who's?" I wasn't going to drop the subject. I needed to know who this person is.

"You aren't going to let this go are you?"

"Nope," I admitted.

"Philippe De Chagny bought this place a few weeks ago and ordered us to find you."