Chapter 10

Alice's POV

"He has really wrecked this place." I said looking around the room. There were only a few candelabras that were untouched and were giving off some light, but not as much as there used to be. Erik's organ hadn't been destroyed either. Paper littered the ground and a pile of wood that used to be a chair was scattered next to a wall. Candle wax was also smashed all over the place. "If Odette saw this she would be crying." I was surprised that Erik wasn't out here pounding away at his wretched instrument. "Cecilia, do you know where Erik is?"

"I believe he's in Odette's room, deary. Take one of Odette's feathers to him. He may freak out if he sees you, but may stop because of the feather." She told me. With that she swam back to her underwater home. Sighing, I found one of Odette's feathers and carried it to my friend's room. From the outside, I heard sobbing. It was so sorrowful I nearly died from the noise. Every once in awhile, the voice would cry out 'Odette'. He's heartbroken. Well this is my queue. I entered the room through one of my many small doorways into it. Erik was crumpled on the floor next to the bed. His body shook with every sob.

I have to admit, I've never seen a man, human or animal, look as bad as he did right in that moment. His hair was sticking out all over the place, his face was red(his mask was also off, but it didn't faze me one bit), and he smelt like he hadn't bathed in who knows how long. It was just so unlike Erik to be like this. Mustering up all my courage, I went forth to hopefully live to tell him of Odette.

Erik's POV

I couldn't stop crying after my tantrum. It had never been this bad before. The time was unknown to me, hunger left my mind, I didn't feel like doing pretty much anything. All I did was sit in Odette's room crying. I would die in this room of a broken heart, a lonely man, and would never forget my sweet swan. In my dying despair, I cried out her name over and over again. There was no one who could hear me, but that didn't stop me.

It was a curious thing, but what happened next didn't scare me in the least bit. There I sat, crying my life away, when a mouse. A simple little rodent got my attention. It crawled up onto my leg and in its mouth... its miniscule mouth, it held a feather. This wasn't just any feather now; it was one of Odette's. After I wiped my face with my handkerchief and put my mask back on, I reached for the feather. Does this little mouse know Odette? The mouse dropped it into my hand and looked up at me with its black eyes. Something in them made me think it was trying to comfort me. Before I lifted my hand with the feather away, it crawled into my hand. "Do you know Odette, my dear little friend?" I asked knowing it couldn't understand me.

To my surprise, it gave its head a little nod 'yes', or was it just me. Something in my head told me it was coincidence, but my need to find Odette was stronger than that. "Please tell me, sweet mouse, do you know of her whereabouts?" Once more it nodded. If it wouldn't have been for that little mouse, I would have thrown my hands up in the air and cried for joy, but I cried out loud in relief instead. "Oh thank you. Thank you so much! For your help, I'll give you a whole thing of cheese, little guy." The rodent shook its head at that, sat back on its haunches, and crossed its front paws. "Little miss?" Another quick nod. "Oh I am very sorry, mademoiselle. Shall you take me to her?" It covered its nose with a paw and pointed at the vanity with a mirror. I had no idea how I got all that she said, but I did: I was a mess and needed to bathe. "Thanks for realizing, mademoiselle, otherwise I would be going out looking and..." I gave my underarm a good sniff and almost gagged. "...smelling absolutely horrid." I sat her down and walked to the door. "Stay here now. I'll be quick."

Odette's POV

Waiting. I was waiting for Erik and Alice and freedom. Victor would look into the room every once in a while and check if I needed anything, but I never told him if I did. It seemed like hours that I sat there on the bed. Before I knew it, it was dinner time and I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day. My stomach was hurting so bad I nearly lost whatever was in my stomach at the time. Victor walked into the room right as my stomach made a sound and he smiled. "I knew you'd be getting hungry my dear. Here have whatever you desire." With a snap of his fingers, a whole tray full of all my favorite foods as a swan appeared out of thin air. "And don't even think about starving yourself. What would your poor deformed Erik think about that?"

He wouldn't be happy if I starved to death. I decided what was best for me and Erik, and ate. I ate like I hadn't eaten in a million years. Who cares if I ate like a pig! The food was delicious and I couldn't get enough of it. Before I knew it, all the food was gone and I was very full. "There you go, Odette." He snapped again and the tray disappeared. As he left the room, I heard him barely whisper "I can't wait..." The door closed and locked, I shivered. Wait for what? What is he so excited about? Whatever it was, I hope it didn't include me, but that was a hard thing to not think about because I was the reason I found myself here. I was left alone to think about all the things that Victor could do to me if he wanted. Most of them ended with either me dying (from him killing me in some horrid way or eating me), becoming his wife after he turned me human for good, or having to watch him kill Erik. It scared me to death, these thoughts, but I couldn't stop thinking about them.

Day gave way to night, and I became human again. I curled up underneath the covers in the bed and closed my eyes tight. Fear had gripped every corner of my body and I couldn't hear, see, or feel anything but that. Time would only tell what was to become of me and I hoped that it would be a long time off. Footsteps pounded through the hall; it was what brought me out of my fearful daze. I quickly sat up in the bed and whispered "Erik" as the door opened...