A/N: This chapter was written with my brand new Wicked pen! I saw the musical live for the first time a week ago! It was amazing! Probably my second favorite musical, I think you all know my favourite ;) And as for how Sara figured out it was "the demon" daylightsshadow described it better that I ever could have (so for a more detailed analysis see her review), yes it was indeed the eyes and the voice. Ironically I used a real life story to inspire part of that chapter my friend had, as daylightsshadow put it, a "phan reaction" once to the sound of this seemingly bodiless voice floating into her room. When she heard it she dropped the book she was reading, looked into her mirror and said "Erik?". Unfortunately for her though it was not Erik but her roommate singing in the shower! How she missed the sound of the running water is beyond me… Now I hope you enjoyed that tidbit for if my friend ever finds out I published that little story online she will kill me :P

As always R/R and enjoy!

I stirred, slowly waking from a deep sleep. I didn't remember falling asleep and I certainly didn't know where I was. I looked around the room frantic to find some clue as to my location. I was still completely clothed with the exception of my shoes and was in the most gloriously soft bed with the fluffiest comforter I had ever seen pulled up to my chin. The walls were painted a beautiful rose and a small vanity rested against the wall. It reminded me greatly of my old room back when I lived in England.

I shifted into a sitting position but as I did so I felt a dull ache radiating from the back of my head. I lifted my hand tentatively and touch the back of my skull; it was tender to my touch. What had I done to give myself such an injury? I sat on the edge of the bed and racked my brain. The last thing I remember was pinning some gossipy chorus girls dress. Then, then I what? Something must have occurred between then and now.

I stood up abruptly, ignoring the continued throbbing of my head. I began to pace, letting the cold wood on my bare feet revive my senses. The creature! That's right, I remembered! My supplies had disappeared and when I went in to get more I was taunted by a demon with burning eyes and the most beautiful voice I had ever heard, but it attacked me. It must have. That would explain my injury, but how could I explain my surroundings?

Suddenly someone knocked on the door. The sound started me so much that I met the sound with a scream. I was evidently not alone. The knock came again, I timidly scurried across to the door and my hand hovered above the handle. Should I open it? I did not know who was on the other side, I could ask but the only people I knew in the entirety of Paris were my sister, her husband and Mme Dubois. So I threw caution to the wind and slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

I did not know who I was expecting to be on the opposite side of the door, but the thing that stood there was the last thing I ever expected to see in my life. It stood over six feet tall dressed entirely in black, complete with a black mask. If it was a person then it was the thinnest person I had ever seen in my entire life. It looked as if someone had put fine evening wear on a skeleton. My head reeled, it really was him. I had heard that story a million times during my travel with the gypsies. I had always doubted it but how could I now? For just as they had all described it, it stood before me now.

"Now that you are once again lucid, there are things that we need to discuss." It said slowly.

Terror grasped my whole being and I shrunk backwards trying to keep space between me and it. But for ever step I took backwards it took one forwards and soon I was backed against a wall.

"How do you know about the gypsies?" It hissed quietly.

"I…" My voice trembled, "I worked for them briefly and they tell stories."

"What exactly did they say?"

"Not much." I squeaked.

I felt like a fly trapped in a spider's web. It didn't say a word and just continued to let those eyes burn my flesh. Why did it care so much, if it cared that I knew why didn't it kill me? Unless… unless it would do so after extracting the information. All the blood drained from my face. Why had I listened to that story? Why had I repeated that story? My stomach felt sick at the thought that I may have unwittingly sentenced death on others.

"They said that there once was a demon that use to use its voice to lure men to their deaths." I quickly uttered.

It just stared at me intently not making a sound. Then it slowly pulled it's self to its full height and turned away from me slightly. I am not sure what came over me in that moment but before I realized what I was doing I had pushed the creature backward onto the bed and was sprinting out the door. I ran wildly in the house, pulling on the handle of every door I passed. I heard quick footsteps close in on me as I saw the front door and my adrenaline spiked. I pulled frantically on the lock as a hand grasped for the back of my dress missing only by millimeters. I flew out the door, running as fast as my legs could carry me. The ground grew wetter and slicker under my feet as I approached what appeared to be a lake. Suddenly I lost my balance and felt and a sharp pain in my ankle and moments later I splashed down into the water.

"We really are clumsy aren't we?" The creature taunted closing the gap.

I tried frantically to stand but an unbearable pain shot through my entire leg. Unable to support my own weight I fell awkwardly back down into the water. The creature's polished shoes were inches from the waters edge, inches from where I now lied. It bent down seemingly to grab me.

"Don't touch me!" I cried shrinking away again. It was only the slightest of changes but it seemed to wilt at my outcry.

"Erik only wished to bring you inside," It said morosely. "Unless you would prefer to stay out here in the cold lake." It's voice took a sarcastic twist.

I didn't know what to say. I shifted awkwardly in the water. My adrenaline had stopped pumping and I was just beginning to notice how cold the water actually was. It stabbed at my entire body like icy needles.

"Erik, your name is Erik?" I finally said, this point finally sinking in.

"In matter of speaking." He said

"Why did you knock me unconscious?" I asked, it was a question that had been weighing my mind down.

"Erik didn't." He said, and a strange flicker lightened his eyes as his mask twitched. If I had had to guess I would have said he was smirking.

"Then why is my head so sore? And why did I pass out?" I demanded, finding my courage at the sight of his humility.

"You fell," He said. "You are feisty but you are also rather clumsy."

He fanned his hand towards me indicating the scene before us both and obviously referring to my most recent spectacle.

His mask twitched again, "Perhaps you have a future as a ballerina."

I smiled dryly and my voice was laced with skepticism as I said, "I fell?"

"Yes, on the silk that fell to the ground." He replied coolly.

"You mean on the silk you threw at me?" I snapped, surprising myself with my own bravado.

"That is rather irrelevant." He said firmly, indicating the end of that line of discussion.

"What do you want with me?" I asked.

"Erik only wishes to ask you a few questions." He said.

"Like what?" I asked, shivering involuntarily.

"If you stay in that water you will die of cold." He stated matter of fact.

It was probably true. I could already feel my extremities going numb and the iciness of the water bit painfully everywhere else.

"You are probably right," I said.

I shifted to stand up; a shooting pain reminded me of why I was still sitting in the water.

"I can't walk," I said timidly

"Erik will help you inside, but," His voice took an unexpected tone, a humorous one that one would use to tease a child, "he will have to touch you."

I couldn't suppress the eye roll that followed those words. I mutely held out my arms and let him scoop me out of the water. He had a strength I did not expect. He had lifted my soaked self out of the water effortlessly. I grasped his lapels as he carried my dripping form back into the house.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I always pictured Erik with a bit of a humorous side that was largely sarcastically based. I always figured he was so intelligent and observant that being witty would come naturally and his darker personality would turn that into sarcasm. And it appears he used that humor to his advantage here to unwittingly diffuse the situation and put his "guest" at relative ease.