Welcome back. Leave a comment for me at the end of this chapter. Criticism is good. There is no possible way that you could offend me. Just say something. My first chapters are always a bit short. All subsequent chapters should be about three pages or more. I'm getting a lot of positive response for this story.

Also, I write this as I go. I will probably update this slower than Dreams. I find that I have to take twelve chapters of notes for Government, write a 15-page research paper, do a chapter's worth of Calculus homework, read a novel, learn an accompaniment piece for choral contest, and work on finding scholarships so I can afford college all within the next couple weeks. Needless to say, I'm a bit booked. (No pun intended.)

I'm not sure about a sequel to Dreams. I felt like I was putting that story out of its misery towards the end. Maybe my muse will be kind and grant me some inspiration.

---'---,---((0))

I remember worrying about my classes. I was going to be late for World Lit, and the professor always locked the door as soon as the clock hit 7:30. We had a quiz too. I was screwed.

But it felt so nice to just lie there. It felt so nice to just forget what I should be doing and enjoy the haziness of my mind.

A niggling corner of my mind poked me and reminded me that I was with Raoul last night and didn't remember how I got home. I shot up. I struggled against the fuzzy brain and tried to look around. This wasn't my bed. I knew my bed. I knew where all of the broken springs were and where the holes in my blanket were. This blanket was brand new. It still smelled of plastic. The soft mattress worked with my exhausted brain to try to lure me back to sleep. It would be so easy just to give in. I rolled out of bed. I realized I was no longer wearing my stilettos. Or the dress I wore last night. Silk sleep pants and a tank top were there instead. The carpet was thick and warm and invited me to just lay down and rest – just for a few minutes. I stood up and tried to find a wall. I cursed as I ran into an end table. That would bruise. I felt stupid groping for the light. I finally found a door and opened it. I winced as the bright light flooded into my room. I looked down at myself and saw that the pants were a watery green and the tank was white. They must have been expensive. I used the light to find a light switch and flipped it on. Soft white light illuminated the beautiful cream and deep blue of my room. I gasped at the beauty of it. Tall, gauzy, white curtains seemed to flow from the windows. The comforter was a deep blue velvet that just looked warm. It was beautiful.

Curiosity got the better of me and I tried the other two doors in the room. One led to a bathroom with a white marble tub with gold veins. The other led to a closet bigger than all of my dorm room. One scarf probably cost more than I ever paid for a pair of jeans. I was almost afraid to touch the clothes.

I turned back to the door that lead out of my room and cautiously crept out. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Why was I here? I hadn't been raped. I was pretty sure I hadn't been raped. Or was the person who had taken me just waiting until I was conscious. My family wasn't rich, my kidnapper wouldn't be able to get a ransom from them. My mind couldn't wrap itself around it. Why had they redressed me? Why had they left the door unlocked? Why had they made up a room for me? Why did they buy me a new wardrobe? I leaned against the wall, feeling like I was going to throw up. How was I going to get out of this mess?

I checked each of the doors along the hallway. They were all firmly locked. It was a beautiful house that I was in. I hadn't seen any windows yet, but, then again, maybe I was in the basement. I tried every door, looking for some way out. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, and I could tell I was growing weaker with every step I took. How long had it been since I had last eaten? How long had I been unconscious? I leaned more and more on the wall. I finally gave up. I admitted that I was lost. The hallways were like a maze. Except there was no cheating by slipping under one of the walls. I didn't even try to get up again. It just wasn't worth it. I couldn't stop the sleep now, I had no willpower left.

---,---'---((0))

I woke up again in the beautiful bed in my room. One of the lamps nearest to me was glowing and underneath it was a tray of food. My stomach turned. My head ached. I knew what the cure was to my stomachache, but the perfectly prepared omelet didn't look appetizing at all.

It's not that I don't like omelets in general - my dad used to make them every morning for breakfast. It just had been so long since I'd eaten that I didn't know if I my poor stomach could handle it. I sighed and picked up the heavy fork and dug in, the plate warming my lap. It almost hurt worse to eat. I forced it down and after awhile, I started to feel sort of normal again. I sipped at the now-cool coffee. It was still good. I could almost feel my headache melting away. I laid back and sighed in contentment, almost forgetting that I was some sick bastard's prisoner. I replace the tray and stretched. It was time to make good use of that marble tub. I had thought I had seen water jets in it.

I came out a few hours later feeling lazy and pampered. I had spent time merely rubbing an expensive lotion into my skin. I had even painted my nails, which I never do. I didn't want to change into clothing. I just wanted to sit all day in just my bathrobe. But, the lure of all of my new clothes was too great and I went to see if they actually fit me.

They did. Every last piece of lingerie was tailored to my exact size. I looked at myself in the 360 degree mirror. I felt sexy. I eventually settled for some skinny jeans and a soft blouse. I felt overdressed. It wasn't like I was probably going anywhere anytime soon. I hadn't even seen my kidnapper yet.

I started to explore all aspects of my room. There were hidden shelves and cabinets everywhere! I was delayed by all of the book shelves. It seemed like my kidnapper shared my tastes exactly. The shelves held all of my favorites – Jane Eyre, 1984, The Picture of Dorian Gray... plus a few that I hadn't had the chance to read yet – The Count of Monte Cristo, Anna Karenina. It would take me months to read all of those books. I dove head first into The Grapes of Wrath.

I never have any idea how much time passes when I read. I'm always just so absorbed in the story that hours can just evaporate. It was no wonder that I didn't notice the note placed next to me on the night stand. I wouldn't have noticed it at all if I hadn't knocked both book and note off the nightstand with my stupid clumsiness.

Go to the third door in the hallway to the right. The door is unlocked. I await your presence.

Who writes like that past third grade? The writer of the note had the worst, most clumsy scrawl I had ever seen. The damn note was barely legible. I should probably go. I slowly dragged my sorry carcass out of bed and stretched, trying to get blood back into my legs. I hobbled over to the mirror and fixed my hair. I needed a cut badly. Oh well. Not much I could do now.

I cautiously edged my way out of my room. The hallway to the right. They all looked the same. Third door. I stopped. What the Hell was I doing? Willingly going to my prison guard? Maybe... if you're really nice... freedom... a small voice in the back of my head whispered. Maybe that was the best way. Nah... that would be giving in – exactly what my kidnapper wanted. I was going to fight with every last fiber of my being. Yes. Fight. Don't ever give in. I turned the door handle, took a deep breath and walked in.

"Good evening, my dear." A blurry dark shape leaned against the fireplace, staring at me.

I squinted. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember you Angel of Music?" he sarcastically asked.

I saw the mask. "Erik," I breathed. I was doomed.

---,---'---((0))

Erik had been my vocal teacher. We hated each other. I don't even know why he had us continue on after the first disastrous semester. He was constantly late, but if I was late, he knew and he screamed and threw things. That first semester was hell. I think I had bruises constantly from all of his "corrections". He insulted me, I insulted him back. You ask why I didn't run away, why I didn't just report him. I tried to not go to my daily lesson once. I was sick of his bull and wasn't coming back. I had even left a note in the practice room that we used. I went out and worked on homework for a few hours in the fading sunlight. When I came back, he was waiting behind my locked door. I had walked into my dorm feeling triumphant. I had beat him. I had won. Next semester, I would just get a different voice teacher. How wrong I was. I opened the door and tried to flipped on the light. And tried again. I remember think that I needed to maybe change the light bulbs. I blundered my way towards my desk lamp. He reached out of the shadows and caged me in his cold arms. I kicked his shin and he hissed capturing my legs as well.

"Are you done struggling, angel?" he asked his hand muffling my answer. I stiffened, realizing who held me. "Good," he cooed. "You missed a lesson."

How did he expect me to answer? His hand still covered my mouth.

"And your foolish note – did you ever think you could train with any teacher here greater than I? All of their 'professors' are bumbling idiots, only in their position because they were told that they had superb voices. No. You will train with me," He loosened his grip on me and spun me around looking straight into my eyes. "Always."

"But you hate me..."

He laughed. If you think of the high cackle of a mad person combined with the deep chuckle of a bass singer and the wild laugh of someone who just did something stupid and lived, it would be Erik's laugh. "You are my student. Mine. And my student will be at lessons on time tomorrow. Or else." He laughed again. I was scared. No – I was terrified for my life. And so I went to lessons. Every lesson. On time. Some days he was almost polite. Some days I left wanting to stab the damn man. Secretly, some days I was attracted to him. Some days, if he would have asked me out, I might have considered saying yes. And then there were the other days, where I purposefully left anything I could bludgeon him with in my dorm room.

Our arrangement had worked for a long time. Then, one day he went to far. I don't even remember what he said anymore, but I remember being so pissed that I snapped. I slapped him across the face and knocked his mask off. I honestly thought he was going to kill me. I'm sure he came close. He looks dead. There is no nice euphemism to use. He looks like he died, was left out in the sun for a few days and then decided to come back. His face looks like rotted, putrid flesh that is just beginning to fall of the bone. His eyes – they glow in the dark. Weird. Anyways, they burned. He grabbed me around the neck and lifted me against the wall. He merely said, "You are mine. Forever." I was starting to see stars across my vision. He held me there for an age, pinned to the wall, staring deep into my eyes. I stopped struggling. I was running out of oxygen. My vision started fade. I remember falling, but not hitting the ground.

When I came to, I was tucked into my own bed. I had the worst headache in the world. Hangovers weren't that bad. I reached up for the aspirin and saw something glint on my third finger. It was the most beautiful diamond ring. It was in the Edwardian style, engraved with dozens of roses, each with a small diamond embedded in their center. In the middle was a huge diamond, sunk deep into the ring, so that it would not catch on anything. I loved the ring. It was everything I had ever imagined a... I pulled it off quickly. It was from him. He would probably hurt me if I didn't wear it, but I didn't want to give my boyfriend the wrong impression. I was hoping he would propose soon... I put it on a chain and hung it around my neck. That was a decent enough compromise.

I went back for the next morning's lesson and Erik never showed. Nor to the one after that. I finally stopped going. He didn't seek me out, so I thought I was safe. How stupid I am.

(posted 04-23-10)