Music for the Lost and Dark Past II

Chapter1

It was 1990, in the middle of November, it was a normal night in New York. Some of the people just came home, some of them started with their night shift. Or as very possible, they went to theaters to see a movie or a show. Especially in the Majestic Theater, where "Phantom of the Opera" was going on, all the seats were full.

Inside there all the lines of seats were looking at the stage where the final part of the first act was coming to its concluding moment.

But on the higher box hidden from the eyes of the viewers, there sat a little girl in her white dress and with a white mask covering only her right side of her face, she was listening to those touching lyrics.

Yes, little Phantalmina was yet again present to watch the same musical of her family origin from her regular seat and close her eyes to dive in the sad melody of the song. But her musical-trance was quickly broken by a voice.

"Phantalmina."

That wasn't from the play. It came close, right next to her. She turned her head to see a brown rat and a small bat on the floor close to her looking at her.

"Justin? Dusk?" she recognized her little friends, but for what reason were they here? "What are you doing here? Is there something wrong?"

"Don't worry. Things are well at the theater. We just like to talk to you." Justin, the brown rat said to her reassuring her that she didn't need to get worried about their visit.

"Well, can it wait a little longer? This part will end soon." Phantalmina said to them and kept watching the play.

Justin and Dusk gave a quick look at each other and then got themselves up close to the little girl trying to watch together the last part of the act. The Phantom-actor final words filled the hall and left Phantalmina with a yearning feeling.

Soon later, when the break began, Phantalmina took her friends to the restroom to hear what they had to say, after checking they were alone there.

"Well? What are you two doing here? What's going on?" she asked them.

"Dusk figured out our old search parties. And now, he likes to talk things through with you."

"Not just that. How come you never let me in on this? I can fly, I could help you." Dusk let out. He surely sounded like he was more disappointed with a part that couldn't help her.

"Dusk, I said 'old' search parties. We haven't done this ever since we got the blood-bands." Justin tried to calm down his friend.

"No Justin. I..." Phantalmina hasn't told any of them yet and hoped that she never would need to. But, it didn't feel good to lie about it either, so she had to tell him. "I have been continuing the search on my own."

"What?" Justin's voice turned worried when he heard her answer. "Why are you doing it? It's been a year now. Ashley can't even leave you. So, why?"

"Why?! I can't just give up all because Ashley is sealed to stay. We don't even know where nor how her family is?"

"But searching information about them all alone? You shouldn't be doing this."

"Yeah! You should let me come along too." Dusk let out.

"Dusk. Not helping." Justin gritted his teeth.

"What? If she is still going for it, I might as well participate now." Dusk tried to give a reason to his answer.

Phantalmina knew this reaction was expected to come. But this time she needed to tell Justin that this had more to it then Ashley's family. Justin has been a good friend and a great help so far with this search.