Cold Darkness, Chapter 4

As I looked around after lighting a candle, I saw old costumes, piles of them infact.  Along with costumes there was parts of sets, instruments covered in dust, as was everything it seemed.

As I walked around and dug through boxes I found torches from a show we did years ago, The Phantom Of The Opera.  I then found an antique lantern from the show.  It took me back to another time, another place.

I was in Paris, it was 1995.  I had went there as a graduation gift from someone that meant the world to me, someone, actually not a someone, this person believed in me, listened to me, helped me through some very horrible times as a teenager, and then later as an adult.  Without JT,  I would not have survived the daily bullying, ridicule, and harassment.  Anyways I was in Paris the summer of 1995. I was 18 years old, living the good life, exploring life, feeling a freedom I never felt before.
JT arrived shortly after I did.  We went to check into our hoteliere, we soon found out that our room reservations were mixed up in translation, and there was only one room under our names.  We decided to take the room and figure it out.  After all we were both adults and great friends, with a huge amount of respect for each other.

The room was amazing, old world charm, amazingly detailed with ornate wood moldings, gold and ivory wallpapers, thick down filled bedding, a gold ornate carved wooden headboard and exquisite drapery.

The bed was big enough for a few people.  There was also an antique couch, chair and a marble table for two.

We decided to head out to explore the city, we eventually came upon an antique shoppe, as we wandered through it, we found an old lantern, it was gold and silver, with a unique design to it that resembled an hour glass.  As we looked it over we turned it upside down, there was an inscription on the bottom of it, it read:  "A Love For All Time."

As I stood there in the lower level of the orchestra pit holding onto the old lantern I felt a tear trickle down my face.  Where was JT now?  When I needed him more then ever?