~A Talk with a Monster~
Elizabeth was many things. Beautiful. Sweet. Kind. Intelligent. But blind and naïve weren't on that list. She knew that all was not well with her dear Victor, despite his reassurances. She couldn't point to any clear evidence as proof, the young scientist appearing well, now, on the outside. But she could feel that something was eating him away- a feeling that went deep down past the marrow of her bones. Victor- dear, precious Victor- was tense, even more so after the tragic deaths of William, Justine, and Henry. His once bright eyes- eyes that gave away his thirst and excitement for knowledge- were now dull and full of fear, as if he was expecting something horrifying to appear at any moment. Or someone.
So, in truth, she wasn't surprised to find a giant of a man in her and Victor's bedroom on the night of their wedding. The young woman took a moment to look at the creature through the mirror as she unraveled her hair- a looming height, his well built body covered in surgical scars that seemed to act as thin roads that told a frightening tale. His short black hair brushed against the back of his neck, his bangs long and hanging in his face but failing to hide his eyes from her. Eyes filled with hatred and resentment. And yet, they were underlined with something so human, despite his appearance. Desperation.
"You may come in."
The figure's large shoulders tensed before it stepped completely into the room.
"He's not here." There was no need to elaborate on who the 'he' was. She turned around and stood up. "And may I be so bold as to say you are here to do me harm?"
The figure's lip twitched before it spoke, "And what if I am? What would you do?" The young bride walked slowly up to the looming figure, stopping when there were only a few feet between them.
"It will depend on the reason."
The figure was silent, just looking at Elizabeth blankly. When it did finally speak, its' voice was a low hiss that dripped with anger and hurt that she knew wasn't completely directed at her. "Why does he love you and not me? He loves you and his father just as much as he loved that boy and maid and man. He pours all his love on you, sparing none for me. Why?"
A chill ran down Elizabeth's spine- this was the one who murdered William and Henry, and led to the execution of Justine. She fought the hatred that was starting to boil up from the bottom of her heart. Hating this creature- this lonely man- will not change the past nor bring the departed back. "I cannot say," she began, "why Victor does what he does. The answer to your question escapes me just as much as it does you."
"Are you not curious about my relationship with Frankenstein?"
"I am, in all truth." She craned her neck back to lock eyes with this shadow of a man. "But that is something I sense is too personal- too dear- for you to tell to an outsider. Especially to the outsider who is now married to the man whose love you yearn so dearly for."
The creature's eyes darkened and his voice rumbled, "I don't want just his love. I want everything- his sadness, his happiness, his lust. I have only earned his hatred and anger as of now." Elizabeth's heart wanted to crawl out of her chest and touch this desperate being. This figure- this lonely creature- wanted Victor- only Victor and everything that he was- while she only wanted the bright side of him.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I don't believe killing me will ever bring Victor into your arms willingly. But," she raised a hand to halt any argument from this creature who truly loves Victor, "you certainly deserve him more than I do." She could hear the shattering of her heart like delicate glass at these words but she didn't stop. "I want only his happiness while you want both his darkness and his light. That willingness to take all of Victor is a love so much purer and stronger than my love for him."
The creature's eyes burned with primal possessiveness, and it took Elizabeth's breath away. His voice was rough now, yet words slid off his tongue like dark honey. "A brave argument but you forget. He will never be mine if you live." Large heavy hands wrapped around her throat, forcing her to move as he guided her to the bed. His grip tightened; the young bride's breathing became uneven as her vision started to blur.
"You see, my love for Frankenstein- for Victor, for my master- is not pure. No, my love is much darker than yours." The creature leaned in closer to the now gasping woman. "You want, in a way, to become an extension of him. I, on the other hand," his breath ghosted over her face as a scream rose up from the belly of her soul and was ripped from her throat, "want to own and dominate Victor Frankenstein completely."