I know I have thousands of stories that I've started and that are still going, but this is the LAST one! Everything from here on in is going to be one-shots…unless I'm updating a chapter. But this story has been buzzing around in my head for weeks and it won't go away unless I write it! I know that this type of story has been done over and over and over, but I hope you guys really enjoy this because I do try and make my stuff original and if it seems like I'm copying other people's work, I'm not. Now to get off this depressing subject, have fun reading this and Erik won't be making his grand appearance until the end of the chapter. Sorry!

Why You Should Be Afraid Of The Darkness

"Come here, young man. What causes such sadness within you?" a calm voice asked. Erik looked up from his spot on the floor and gasped at what he saw: the woman in front of him was absolutely beautiful! She even rivaled his mother! She had long, black hair, pale skin, and piercing red eyes. Why were they red? Did it really matter…probably not?

"You can never understand, nobody can." He replied. His life meaningless now that his whole family was gone; they were taken by a plague that had swept through their tiny village. It all started less than a month ago and nobody really thought about it; it started off like a cold, but it soon escalated into a fever, seizures, and coughing up blood. Within three days, the person who had contracted the disease died a very painful death. Erik had been so careful to keep his two children inside the house and away from the infected, but when his wife became one of them, he had no choice but to treat her and make her comfortable. The children caught it the very next day. Erik had always found it strange, even months from their funerals, that he was the only person in the entire village that didn't contract the disease.

The woman standing in front of him kneeled down to his eye level and placed a comforting arm around his trembling form. She could understand his reasons for ending his life, but there was so much more to live for! Perhaps she could help him? Perhaps she could save this man from himself and from his grief.

"Young man, there is a way that I can help you. I can help you get through this grief, but you must believe me when I tell you what this help is." She whispered, tracing a finger down his cheek. He really was a handsome man and he could easily find another wife, but he didn't seem to have those kinds of plans in mind.

Erik's golden eyes filled with unshed at the offer of somebody helping him. Lately, he had been going from village to village, inn to inn, trying to find work, or someone to offer something, but nothing ever came. He had come to the barn outside of the inn he was staying at to hang himself; he had been fed up with life and he was going to end it. Then, the woman came in. She told him to come down from the rafters and, against his own will, he came down from the rafters, leaving the noose behind. "I'll do whatever it is you ask."

Taking a deep breath, the woman put on a soft smile and began to speak, "I'm going to turn you into a vampire."

Erik turned to look at the beautiful woman, his golden eyes were as wide as saucers at her proclamation. She was going to turn him into a vampire? Vampires didn't exist! They were only a bedtime story that he had told his children so they would sleep. There was no way that this could be true!

"I know it seems crazy, but you've been talking to a vampire all night." The woman said, tucking back a piece of black hair from his face.

"You? You're a vampire? You must be mad; I must be mad! This can't possibly be happening." He breathed, trying his best to move away from the woman's gentle touch, but she held firmly onto his shoulder.

"You're not mad and neither am I. You said that you would believe anything that I had to say and so far you are breaking that promise, young man."

"Fine! Change me into a vampire, but nothing will happen! Just watch." Erik muttered, pulling up his dirty shirt sleeve and thrusting it into the woman's face. The woman wasn't entirely sure what to do; her master never taught her how to change a human…"I will, young man. Before I continue, will you tell me your name?"

"Only if you agree to tell me yours."

"Fair enough. My name is Natashenka."

"Natashenka? That's a…unique name. Is there a shorter version of that?" Erik asked, giving a rather confused look at Natashenka. Laughing, she nodded her head as she grasped his wrist within her petite hand.

"You may call me Tassa." She said, stroking the white flesh of his wrist. She just wanted to bite down and feel the soft skin give away and have his hot, delicious blood slide down her throat, but she had to concentrate; she promised this man immortality even when he wanted to end his life.

"Tassa…I can remember that. I'm Erik." He breathed. The feel of her delicate fingers going up and down his skin felt…amazing!

"Are you ready, Erik? Because once I start, there is no turning back."

Giving her a reassuring nod, Erik watched with morbid curiosity as Tassa raised his wrist to her mouth, her tongue flicking out against his flesh, the feel of her fangs just barely touching his skin, and then, it happened. Her teeth pierced him and he had to stuff his free hand into his mouth to make sure he wouldn't scream. God how it hurt! Was it supposed to feel like this?

Tassa moaned as she drank Erik's blood; it tasted so…wonderful! She never had blood this good before, but when she turned her deep red eyes up to the human, she saw how pale he was becoming and knew that she had to stop. Reluctantly dropping his wrist, she cut open one of her own wrists and held it up to Erik's lips, encouraging him to drink her blood. At first, Erik was hesitant to take the offered blood, but the longer he sat there, the more appealing the red liquid became. Taking her wrist, he held it to his mouth and gently sucked, not wanting to harm the woman who was helping him.

"Yes, Erik, just keep drinking…mon enfant de sang." Tassa urged, loving the feel of having her own blood being sucked out of her. This man, who was probably older than her in human years, was going to be her blood child, her enfant de sang, and there was nothing that could separate them. Nothing.

1881, Paris, France

Erik wiped his lips with a handkerchief, trying to make sure that none of the blood got onto his clothes. Looking down at the man he had just drunk from, he tried his best to not cry out in anger and frustration; he was tired of this. Tired of being a creature of the night. Until now, Erik never cared about being a vampire; he had Tassa, he had plenty of humans to drink from, and he would remain youthful for all eternity, but something was making him regret his decision. That something took on the form of Miss Christine Daae.

The girl had just arrived at the opera house just last weekend and already he had fallen for her. She was roughly sixteen years old, had waist length brown curls, creamy skin, and expressive chocolate brown eyes that shown with the innocence of a child. The gossip going around the opera was that her father, who was once a well known violinist, passed away and Madame Giry, the ballet mistress, promised her a position within the corps. Erik hadn't been to any of the ballet rehearsals, but from what he heard, she was about as graceful as an elephant.

"What are you doing up here, Erik?" a familiar voice asked; its usual seductiveness left his ear ringing. Turning around, he saw his mère de sang, his blood mother, Tassa. She was smiling and twirling a small coin purse that she more than likely got from her latest victim. She usually didn't use her techniques on him so he was curious as to why she was using them now.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Tassa? I'm watching these fools butcher opera." He replied, turning his attention back to the new managers. The two bumbling duos had paid the old manager to leave, despite much protest and threats. So far, the two had managed to put a halt on rehearsal, send the Prima Donna crying for her poodles, and act like fools when the Vicomte, a new patron Erik didn't care for, had stopped for a visit.

"You should come outside with me tonight; I hear that it's supposed to be a full moon tonight." Natashenka pleaded. She loved being outside with Erik during a full moon. He was always in a good mood during those nights, but, for some reason, he wasn't acting like his usual self; his moods were swinging more and more, he was distracted, and he had picked up a particular interest about ballet. There were more ballet books lying about their apartment than she knew what to do with!

"Tonight? You never told me that there was going to be a full moon."

"Yes I did. Just now! So, will you accept my offer, Monsieur, or will you crush a girl's dream into dust?" she playfully moped. Erik had to let out a slight laugh for this; Tassa, in all the years he had been alive, was the most dramatic being on the face of the Earth. Plus, he could never say no to her overacted, quivering lip, and puppy dog eyes routine.

"I accept your invitation, Mademoiselle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a nap before tonight's festivities." He bowed and turned quickly on his heel, eager to get some rest. Whenever he fell asleep, a repeating nightmare would pop up into his mind: he was sitting underneath the opera house, lonely and sad, and Christine Daae would be sitting on the floor far, far away from him, as if she were trying to protect herself from him. He would try and console the poor child, but every time he would touch her, she would scream and by the third scream, she would collapse and disappear. Soon, everything would go dark and he'd hear a voice whispering to him; it was the voice of his dead wife, calling him to join her and his children. He would repeat over and over that he couldn't, that he was a vampire, but they would refuse to listen. They would reach out, grab Christine's limp body, drag it into the shadows, and before he could see their ghostly faces, he would wake up.

Tassa knew that her friend was suffering from nightmares; she could hear his harsh breathing from her room, but every time she would try and bring it up, he would assure her that it was nothing and that she shouldn't ask again. She cared deeply for Erik, as a sister would for a brother, and she was sure he felt the same, yet…he wouldn't tell her anything while she told him everything. Where has our special bond gone to, mon enfant de sang? We used to adore each other, but now…now you push me away. Erik, please, talk to me.

Walking towards a secret passage, Erik pulled a small lever, barely visible to even a vampire's eyes, and waited as the wall opened. Slipping inside, he shut the door once more and began his descent down into the dark tunnels of the opera house. He and Tassa owned an apartment that sat on the outskirts of Paris and usually they would be home before the sun rose, but on the rare occasions that they weren't, the catacombs of the opera worked perfectly! The first time they had discovered this was when they had first moved to Paris; they had no home to go to and one day, when someone spotted them drinking, they bolted and ran into an alley. Tassa had been able to spot the grate that lead to another one of the many secret passages, and ended up in the underground cellars.

The place was now their home away from home; whenever someone needed to relax or a quiet place to think, this is where they went. Erik came here at least three times a week so he could compose. When the landlady found out that he was playing his piano at two in the morning, she was furious and demanded that they find some other place to compose. What better place to compose and hide from the sunlight than a cavern that is five cellars underneath the opera house?

Getting into the gondola that sat on the edge of the lake, Erik began to row himself across the lake. He couldn't understand what was going on! Why was he having these mood swings? Why was he obsessing over a mortal? Christine Daae should be nothing more than another meal to him, but there was something…different about her. She didn't seem to be as low as the other ballet girls, or as snobby as the chorus. She was an odd child, especially when he would hear her praying at night, begging her father for the Angel of Music. She was a sixteen year old girl and she still believed in angels? Erik had been tempted more than once to answer the girl's prayers, but a little voice in the back of his head told him that he was a monster, not a heavenly being.

Erik breathed a sigh of relief once he reached the other side of the lake and nearly tossed the pole across the room. Grimacing when he heard it crash against the stone floor, he hopped out of the gondola and ran up the stairs, giddy with the fact that he might finally get some sleep! He opened the wooden door which led to the only bedroom in the cavern, Erik let a smile creep up onto his face when his eyes found the elegant swan bed. Throwing his cape into the corner of the room, he crawled underneath the silky sheets, pulled his knees up ever so slightly, and drifted off, forgetting to set an alarm clock for visiting Tassa.

^.^

Tassa stood outside the opera house, waiting for her enfant de sang to come and meet her, but he was two hours late. Where are you, Erik. If he left me again to meet with that…human girl, he'll get a good lecturing! Erik didn't need to fall in love with a mortal! All it could do was bring him pain; she had learned the hard way about falling in love with a mortal…

But that was the past and she had to be thinking about Erik, who was in the present. Looking down at the small pocket watch that she always carried, Natashenka gave a sigh of frustration and decided that it was time to go find her friend. The only question was where to start looking! Erik was always a master of hiding in the shadows; she couldn't even hide as well as he and she was at least two hundred years older than he was!

Before she could begin her search, the tantalizing smell of blood drifted through the air. Erik could wait a few minutes; she was hungry for her next meal. Tassa followed the scent back into the opera house and into the ballet dormitories. Ballet dancers; they always thought that they were so perfect, so great! Well, let's see how well they do against a vampire.

Stepping out of the shadows and opening the door, she found that there was only a single girl in the room, the mortal that had stolen Erik's heart. Should I kill her? It would kill Erik emotionally if I did and I don't want him to revert back to when I first changed him; I don't want to see mon enfant de sang in so much pain!

Finally coming to the decision that she would drink from the girl, but just enough as to not kill her, Tassa entered the room and as soon as she did, the brunette's head tore itself from the sight of her bleeding knee. She looked squeamish, like the sight of blood made her nauseas. If only you knew the joy it brings me, child.

"W-Who are you?" Christine stammered, wondering who the beautiful woman was and why she was staring at her cut. Christine didn't really remember what happened, but from what she did know was that she was walking by the corps and the next thing she could remember was lying face down in the cement. How she hated those ballet rats! But her papa had taught her to never hate anyone, not even the people who did horrible things to others.

"My name is Natashenka. May I see your cut? I can help you clean it before it becomes infected." Tassa offered, trying to gain the trust of the mortal. After many years of hunting, she learned that there were two ways to capture her prey: make them trust her, or seduce them.

"Bonjour, Natashenka, and if it wouldn't be too much trouble…"

"It would be no trouble at all. Now, let me take a look at it." Tassa smiled, kneeling down before the girl. Letting her long, pale finger across the cut, she felt the girl flinch, probably from the light sting of her touch. "It looks seems to be alright. Is there anywhere else you'd like me to check?"

Putting out her wrist, Christine revealed a gash that had also been created from her fall. It wasn't horrible, but it stung and it refused to stop bleeding! She watched with interest as the woman picked up her wrist and brought it so close to her mouth. What was she doing? Did something just poke her? What was going on?

Natashenka could taste the blood on her tongue; it was going to be one of the best meals she would ever have. Taking one last lick, she pierced her fangs into the girl's soft flesh, drinking the fluid in big, thirsty gulps. It was so sweet!

Christine wanted to pull away from the woman, but the longer she felt the teeth underneath her skin, the more she didn't want the woman to leave. Her vision was becoming spotty and black, but she didn't care; she just wanted the woman to take as much blood as she wanted…wait! What was she thinking? This woman was drinking her blood! "No," she cried weakly, "please, stop."

At the girl's weak words, Tassa came back to her senses and released the girl's wrist, wiping away the last of her blood with a handkerchief. She hadn't meant to take so much blood! Hopefully Erik wouldn't find out, but she knew he would; once a human was bitten, they were forever committed to the vampire who had bitten them. "I'm sorry, mademoiselle."

"Y-You're a…a…" Christine muttered, not wanting to believe what had just happened. This had to be a dream! If she closed her eyes, or pinched herself, she would wake up and find herself in bed, Madame Giry yelling at her to get up and get ready for rehearsal.

"Shh, child; you have nothing to be afraid of. I'm a vampire." Tassa explained, putting a finger up to the girl's lips. She really was a pretty little thing and she almost felt bad for taking so much of her blood.

"A vampire?"

Nodding, Natashenka was about to begin to talk, but was interrupted by the deepest growl she had ever heard, "What have you done?"

And we're done with this chapter! I really have to get to bed because I have school! But don't feel bad, everyone; I have less than a month left and then I'll have total freedom to write! So that means more updates, more stories, and more commentary brought to you by our fave phantom.

Erik: Merci, mon ami.

Me: He's so nice!

Erik: Of course I am! Christine can even agree with me.

Christine: *holds up Crucifix* Back off.

Me: Put down the necklace; you don't even know he's a vampire yet!

Christine: Yes I do! If Natashenka is a vampire, then he has to be one too.

Tassa: That hurt…

Erik: *hugs Tassa* Ma mère de sang.

Me:…Well, Christine can hang out with me for this story, at least until she gets comfortable around you guys.

Christine: *sprinkles holy water on herself* Now I feel comfortable.

Tassa: *sigh* Review everyone! The sooner you do, the sooner Christine can get used to us!

^.^