I don't know if this chapter is enjoyable, but I hope it's gripping. Lots of story left to go, though.
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It was funny how quickly everything could change.
Not funny in a good way. No, not funny at all.
It was absolutely horrifying.
She had heard Raoul's footsteps first. They were so soft that she first thought the sound came from rustling leaves. Then, she had wondered if a deer was approaching. She had seen a few during her time at the cottage. She was so fond of them that Erik had once asked her if she would like to have one as a pet. She had replied, "I don't think it's right to take her freedom away."
That horrible day, Christine had walked toward the forest to see the approaching deer.
She had seen her boyfriend instead. She had stood there in shock for several moments as they gaped at each other. Raoul had raced toward her and hugged her, picking her up into air and squeezing her tightly against him. Overwhelmed, she had started crying, asking him what he was doing there, telling him he needed to leave. He had begged her to come with him.
At first, Christine had refused to go. It was too dangerous. She had wanted to handle this on her terms.
But then Raoul had told her the truth about Erik. It had clicked in her head, and she wondered why she hadn't seen it before. Erik was the escaped SCI patient, the one who had murdered those two correctional officers. She vaguely recalled the news reports. At best, he was a very unstable man. Christine had suddenly wondered if she were in danger simply by being around him.
And yet – she hadn't wanted to abandon Erik like that. He would be so upset, betrayed…hurt…heartbroken. She was terrified and conflicted, on the edge of vomiting.
She was stuck.
When Raoul had taken her hand, Christine had stupidly let him. She had let him make the choice. She had run with him.
And everything had exploded in her face.
Erik locked her inside the bedroom. She didn't even know until she tried to go back out and check on Raoul, to again beg Erik for mercy. Christine twisted the doorknob. It barely budged. She pounded her fists against the door. "Let me out! Erik, what are you doing? You'd better not be hurting him! Let me out!" There was no response.
Christine paced and wept, trying to think of what to do next as all her thoughts came apart. She had to get Raoul out of here. What happened next didn't matter. What happened to her didn't matter.
Again and again, she cried, "Erik! Let me out! Talk to me! Please talk to me!"
Her door opened once, so quickly that she barely comprehended it. A bony hand threw a sandwich wrapped in plastic onto the dresser. Erik slammed the door again.
She jumped off her bed and threw herself against the locked door. "Let me out!" she screamed. "Please let me out!"
But he wouldn't. Only a couple of hours probably passed, but it felt like an eternity.
Christine made another mistake out of desperation. She was terrified of the fact that Erik was alone with Raoul. She wanted out of that room by any means necessary.
"Erik!" she yelled at the top of her voice. "If you don't let me out, I'll kill myself! I will!" Her voice grew hoarse. "I'll…I'll hang myself with the sheet. Or smash my head into the wall!" She pounded her fist against the plaster for extra effect. "I'll do it! I swear to God!"
Christine didn't intend to do either. Until that horrible day, she hadn't even been close to that miserable. Afraid and uncertain, yes. Confused, yes. But not suicidal. She only wanted to be dramatic enough to gain his attention - kind of like when she was four and threw a tantrum about not receiving Ballerina Barbie for her birthday. She had held her breath until her face turned blue. Her poor father had shaken his head, sighed, and then probably spent the last of his paycheck at Toys "R" Us.
It didn't work out so well for her this time.
The door flew open. Erik stood there, slightly bent forward with his hands clenched into fists. His eyes were enraged. "So," he said in an eerily quiet voice. "You would rather die than be with me. Is that correct? Not only do you hate me. You would rather kill yourself than suffer the fate of my presence."
She quickly shook her head. "No! I just want you to talk to me. To listen to me! To let him go. And then we can-"
"No, no, no. You have made yourself perfectly clear, Darling." He said the last word with such disdain that she wondered if he were reachable. "There is no We. There never was, was there?"
He approached. She stepped backwards. "Erik," she whispered. "I just want…"
"What do you want?" he rasped. "No, don't tell me. I know what you want. A perfect little life with your perfect boy. Waking up to his perfect face every morning in the sunlit suburbs. Two, perhaps three beautiful children. A white fence surrounding your home, keeping out the monsters and the undesirables. A dog. A purebred, of course. Saturdays at the country club. Sundays at church! Picnics at-"
"You don't know what I want!" she snapped, her eyes filling with tears of fury. His condescending tone was maddening. "And what's worse - you don't even care about what I want. You only care about yourself!"
"Well, I have had to care about myself. No one else will, will they?"
"Someone must have." Her voice softened. "They cared enough to put you into SCI, to help you."
He laughed. "They were not trying to help," Erik said, a sneer in his voice. "They were trying to be rid of me. And I daresay they nearly succeeded. If not for the charming government bureaucracy. If not for the Governor." He glared behind the mask. "Did you know that the state legislature is holding an entire meeting about me? Isn't that amusing? A special meeting on whether I deserve any sort of peace. But do you know what, my love?"
"What?"
"I am done with this world, virtual or otherwise. I don't give a fuck what they decide!"
She flinched at the profanity. Not because it offended her. She had heard much worse, living in the city. Her father hadn't had the cleanest mouth. She flinched because it signified a terrifying change in their relationship. Erik no longer felt the need to be careful with her, to shield her from himself.
And then the first sentence sunk in. I am done…The finality of it was disturbing.
She felt a pain in her heart, a loss. What to say? What to do? "Erik, can't we please-"
He didn't even let her finish. "I told you. There is no We. We aren't doing anything. No need to kill yourself. You will be free soon enough. Free of the monster forever. But I am getting in a bit of fun before the game ends."
"What do you mean?" She doubted that any game of Erik's was going to be fun.
"It is all up to you, Princess. Will it be a little tragedy, like Romeo and Juliet? Or will it be an exciting spectacle? A national event broadcasted on CNN. I can hardly wait for your decision."
"What are you talking about?" Her voice trembled with fear. She was too afraid to approach him, to touch him. Or to try and shake some sense into him. Erik was out of his mind. "What are you going to do?"
Erik tilted his head.
A second of silence passed. The whole cottage was deathly quiet.
He flew toward her, a giant black cloud of doom. She had no time to react.
Christine screamed as he grabbed her arm. Something sharp pinched her skin. He was putting her to sleep.
"Say goodbye to this room," he said, his voice soft and sad. He stroked her hair as she faded. "I am afraid that your next accommodations will not be nearly as pleasant." He sighed sadly. "How I will miss this place. The best days of my life were spent here. And I thought that there might be a chance…Ah. What a foolish idiot I was. I won't make that mistake again. It will all be over soon."
"Erik," she murmured. And slept.
Nadir tried calling Raoul several more times. Nothing. As the sun rose, orange on the horizon, he drove around and around. Until the trees and paths blended together, until he was dizzy and fairly certain that he was going in circles. His stomach still felt unsettled.
He tried one last time and left a final message. "Look. I don't know what you're doing, but I can't find you. I'm going home before my car runs out of gas. Please come back. Let's form a plan. If I don't hear from you in an hour, I'm getting your father involved. No kidding this time."
He headed back to the city, stopped at a gas station, and then a grabbed a bacon breakfast burrito. Right after he had climbed into his car, his stomach full and his fingers greasy, Nadir's phone rang. "Finally," he muttered to himself as he answered. "Hello?" Before Raoul could respond, Nadir continued, "Where the hell are you?"
"Khan, Khan, Khan." Nadir froze. His mouth dropped open. "Chagny beat you here. Really? Oh, dear. Your detective skills are languishing in your old age."
It took Nadir a moment to find his voice. "Erik. Oh, dear God. Erik! Do you…Is Raoul with you?"
"He is sleeping."
"Is he alive?"
"For now."
That didn't sound good. "What do you plan on doing with him?"
"I am not quite sure yet. It all really depends on her. The uncertainty makes it all the more fun. A little thrill before my time here is finished."
"What are you-? Ugh, I don't even want to know. Let them go! I won't tell anyone you're here if you let them go. I'm doing my best to help you, Erik."
"Help me?" Erik chuckled. "Haven't you helped enough?"
"I'm sorry about what happened. I never meant for them to find you. I've been trying my hardest to get you back to SCI."
"SCI? That is a dead dream."
"Don't you want to go back there?" Nadir asked. He clung to that hope, the idea that they could somehow put Erik back into that world. The idea that Erik wanted to return to that world. "Weren't you happy?"
"I was nonexistent, old friend. Which might be interpreted as happy. Or dead. Same difference. It does not really matter now."
"Please don't hurt them," Nadir pled. "Please let them go. And I'll help you. In any way that I can." Nadir swallowed. "But if you harm them, I'll have no choice but to end this in the worst way possible."
"Silly Khan," said Erik with a smile in his voice. "I am going to end this myself. And then you won't have to worry any longer."
Nadir paused. "Are you referring to suicide?" No response. "Erik, I hope you won't."
"No need to lie."
"I mean it. But, if you do, please leave Raoul and Christine unharmed. I'm begging you. Hell, kill me before you harm them. Take your wrath out on me. Maybe I deserve it. Not two innocent young people." Nadir meant it. He felt responsible for those kids.
"No one likes a martyr." Erik hesitated. "I will leave her unharmed. Of course I will. And you, Khan, you are an everlasting annoyance. A better punishment is for you to live with yourself, I think."
Nadir snorted even as his hands shook with fear. "What about the boy, Erik? He hasn't done anything wrong. He just loves her."
"His fate will depend on her. But I do loathe him, you know? He has taken everything. Everything that the government did not take, Chagny has stolen. Who dies? Who lives? Pick your color and spin the wheel. You will come up with red either way."
"Erik-"
"Goodbye, Nadir. Perhaps this is the last time we will speak. For your sake, I hope so."
Nadir increased the volume of his voice. "Please, Erik! Don't-"
"If they ask about me - the media, I mean - tell them I was a monster. Don't sugarcoat me. That would be insulting to my memory. Tell them that I was something from their nightmares."
"Erik!"
There was a soft click and then silence. Erik had hung up.
"Damn it!" Nadir shouted, smashing his phone against the steering wheel.
After taking a second to compose himself, Nadir did what anyone would do. He called the police. He called the Governor's office. He told them that Raoul was in grave danger.
Within an hour, the authorities had swarmed the area where they expected Erik to be. The police set up roadblocks. A helicopter flew over the miles of forest. The story was all over the news. Deranged SCI patient kidnaps Governor's son. Call the police if you see any sign of them. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONFRONT HIM YOURSELF.
Finally, Nadir was informed that the police had discovered the cottage in the forest. Raoul's car was parked nearby.
The police broke inside, but the cottage was empty.
They were gone.
Erik was right.
About the accommodations.
Christine opened her eyes, still groggy from the drug. Her body was warm, but her face was cold. She was lying on a cot, a heavy quilt covering her. She slowly sat up and looked around. Where was she? Some abandoned building? An old warehouse? The room was about the size of a garage. The walls were made of grey concrete. There were a couple of cardboard boxes stacked against the walls. A single dusty lightbulb hung over her. There were no windows.
A soft sob of fear escaped her lips. Now what?
Christine slowly stood. She was only wearing socks and could feel the frigid floor against the soles of her feet. She folded her arms against her chest and walked to one of two white doors. With a shaking hand, she tried to twist the metal knob. She wasn't surprised to find it locked. "Hello?" she called. "Erik! Are you out there? Is anyone there? Hello?"
No one came. She put her ear against the door and could only hear a soft mechanical hum. Christine walked to the other door and was able to open that one. It revealed a bare bathroom that had no bathtub or shower. Just a sink and a toilet. There were no rugs or decorations. At least it was clean.
Christine went back to the bed and wrapped herself in the blanket. She didn't have the energy to beat against the door and scream again. She huddled there for at least an hour, trapped with her thoughts. Erik finally entered. She dully stared at him and didn't try to stand. He studied her for a moment and then asked, "Are you cold? I barely notice the temperature. But I will warm it up in here. And you will only be here for several days."
She didn't even know where to begin. "Why are we here?"
"The cottage was no longer safe. So we could not stay there. As to why we are here, you will see soon."
She shook her head in frustration. "Where will we go after here?"
"For the last time, we will not go anywhere. You will leave here unscathed. Erik will be gone forever."
"What do you mean you'll be gone? And what about Raoul?"
"I hardly think you care about the answer to your first question. For now, the little nitwit is perfectly fine. What happens to him next will depend on you."
"What do you mean?"
"Now is not the time. But timing is everything!"
"You're not making any sense!"
"I suppose not. In any case, all we can do is wait. Do you need anything to make yourself comfortable?"
She looked at her dismal surroundings. "Yeah. Everything! Why are we here?"
"You will see soon."
Erik turned around and opened the door. She loudly protested as he left and then glared at him as he came back in with more blankets. Then a stack of books and a little battery powered lamp. A portable television. Clothing from the cottage. A toothbrush and toothpaste. Sandwiches and chips and sodas. Cookies. What was this? A picnic in prison?
As Erik came and went, she asked the same things over and over. Why were they here? Was Raoul really okay? What was going to happen next?
He refused to answer, humming a song she at first didn't recognize. Then Christine realized that it was a weird, choppy, extra slow version of Unchained Melody. He made the romantic song sound like something from a horror movie.
"When does this end?" she finally asked. "Can you at least tell me how long this is going to go on?" She needed a light at the end of the tunnel. If she could count down the minutes, maybe she could keep her sanity.
"Four days," Erik replied. "Give or take."
5,760 minutes. Give or take.
"Are you sure that you still want to go?" Corey asked. He took a seat on the foot of the bed. They could both hear Gabby's voice from outside the door. She was talking to Nadir.
Alice slowly looked at him. The television was on and turned to the news. She was allowed to watch it now. Along with everything else, she had seen a blurred picture of Erik's real face that someone had taken with a cellphone. He was extremely disfigured, nearly skeletal, and she guessed that the sight would be even more shocking in real life.
Still, by far, the most horrifying thing about the real Erik were his actions. Now Raoul was gone, too.
"Yes," she said. "I still want to go."
Corey sighed. "I doubt it will matter. Everyone wants to see him dead or punished."
Alice stared at him. A dull pain encased her heart and stomach, and she knew it didn't come from her illness. It looked like Corey was waiting for her to agree with him. She didn't. All she said was, "I hope everyone is okay."
He glanced down and nodded.
Gabby came in, holding her phone at her side. Her eyes had dark circles around them. "Still no sign of anyone," she said. "The police have no idea where to look. They found Raoul's car. And a little house where it looks like Erik and Christine had been living. But everyone is gone."
"Crap," said Corey.
"But the legislature is still holding the meeting?" Alice asked.
"Yes," said Gabby. "Although I doubt there's any chance of a good outcome for Erik. Anyway, the meeting will be open to some members of the public, and Nadir is going to make sure there will be space for us. We'll be discreet about entering, so no one should bother us."
"Is Nadir coming?" Alice asked.
"I don't know yet," said Gabby. "He's trying to help the police. He knows Erik better than anyone…" An uncomfortable silence settled over the room. They were all basically sitting around and waiting for Erik to be killed.
Gabby swallowed and stepped backward. "Hey, why don't I get us some Chinese food? There's a place down the street I've been wanting to try."
"That sounds good," said Corey, mustering a happy voice.
"Great," said Gabby. She grabbed her purse and keys. "I'll be back soon."
Alice guessed that Gabby wanted some privacy so that she could have a good cry.
"Wanna see what else is on television?" Corey asked after Gabby was gone. "I'm getting sick of the news."
"Sure," said Alice. She felt wet warmth gathering in her eyes before she could stop it. "Actually, could I have a little alone time? Just twenty minutes. Please?"
"Uh. Sure," said Corey, setting the remote on the nightstand. "I'll be in the lobby."
"Thanks."
Sometimes comfort was nice.
And sometimes it felt better to mourn openly in the silence.
Christine was able to see the local news on the little television. Erik wasn't shielding her from it any longer. A huge manhunt was underway for the three of them. The police were looking through the forest and around the cottage. Christine knew that she had to be far away from their little home now. Was she back in the city? She thought that was possible, as she occasionally heard distant car horns. But why were they back here?
Her time at the cottage now seemed like a distant, surreal dream. Had she and Erik really been about to go off together and explore the world? Had she really possessed actual hope? Had she felt hints of happiness? Had she seen genuine good in him? How had it all disappeared? She couldn't even tell what was real any longer.
She didn't hide her tears when he came inside with more turkey sandwiches. She didn't look him in the eye. She lay on the bed, motionless and quiet.
"It won't be that much longer," he informed her. "You will be free of me. You will have your life back."
"Why not let me go now?" she asked, still not looking at him. She answered her own question. "Because you're going to do something horrible first, aren't you?"
"Someone has to suffer," he agreed. "Why should I die miserable while everyone else receives their happy ending? Why should all those who have wronged me escape punishment? That is not fair. That is not fair at all!"
He almost sounded like a five-year-old when he said the last sentence. As though everyone else had gotten a cookie except for him.
She slowly sat up, brushing her tangled hair from her tear soaked face. "What are you talking about? Why can't we just leave this place? And-"
"No more games, Christine," he said, putting up a gloved hand. "I am so tired of games. You tried to flee with that boy. And then you declared that you hate me. And, best of all, you threatened suicide. You absolutely despise me. So no more pretty lies from you."
Her face crumpled. "I…I don't even know what to say. What do you want? What do you want from me?!"
"I want out of this world. But I want to go out in style. And you will help me. You don't have to say anything." He tilted his head. "Well, perhaps you will have to say one thing. You will have to make your final choice."
"What choice? What are you talking about?"
"You will see," he replied. "You will see very soon."
She let out a frustrated cry as Erik left her alone again.
Christine tried to count down the minutes. At some point, she lost track of them. She tried to distract herself. With the books and the television. It was nearly impossible. Sometimes she dozed, but sleeping was hard, too. It was nearly as bad as when she had first been kidnapped – only better in that she didn't think she was going to be killed.
But the chilling question was – Who was going to be killed?
Her pain and exhaustion worsened with each passing day. Alice finally told Corey that, "After the meeting, I want to go back to SCI as soon as possible."
"Either tomorrow or the day after," he reassured her. "I'll see when I can get you in."
"And I want you or Gabby to put me back," Alice added. "Not Daniel."
"No worries there." Corey rolled his eyes. "I don't even know where that asshole went."
Gabby helped her get ready to go. Alice put on the same bland outfit that she had worn to see the Governor. The skirt and the blouse. At least she wouldn't stand out. It didn't sound like Nadir would be with them. "I think he's about to go crazy," said Gabby. "He feels so responsible for all this."
"He was just trying to help," said Alice, adjusting her hair in the mirror. The strands were so dry and stringy here.
"We are all," said Corey with a touch of anger. "Look at what everyone's done to try to help Erik. Look at how much everyone is suffering. Maybe he can't be helped."
"But he was okay in SCI," Alice protested. "We saw him all the time, and he was fine. Nearly normal."
"For how long would that have lasted?" Corey asked.
"Maybe we'll never know," Alice replied. "But I wish they had left him alone. None of this would have happened. Erik and I would have eaten that damned lasagna and finished watching Jurassic Park. And everything would have been fine."
Gabby squeezed her shoulder. "I wish that, too," she said. "I wish it every day."
As they left to go to the meeting, Alice realized that she had unintentionally endorsed everything that Nadir, Gabby, and Daniel had done. Her words had come from the heart. Maybe there wasn't a way to use reason or logic when it came to this issue.
Everyone had been happy before Erik was taken out of SCI. Alice had been happier. Gabby, Nadir, Corey, Raoul, Christine, and Erik had all been happier before this had happened.
And that had to count for something, didn't it?
Feelings had to count for something.
Alice closed her eyes and inhaled. At least she knew what she wanted now.
Not that it would matter to the state legislature.
Erik continued to come in and ask if she needed anything. He came in so often that Christine stopped answering him. She looked away. But he never stopped asking.
Then finally– right before she was about to completely lose her mind - Erik proclaimed, with his hands clasped, "Today is the day!"
She lifted her head. "What?"
"Today you obtain your freedom," said Erik. "You can be free, my love. No more monster. No more freak."
She felt no joy. "What's going to happen?"
It was then that she noticed that his suit looked a little strange. Bulky, almost. Like something was under his black jacket. Before she could ask, Erik opened the door. He gestured for her to come out. Her heart beat wildly. She shivered and slowly followed him, grotesque curiosity tickling the back of her brain.
They walked down a dim, grey corridor. Erik opened another door, and she followed him inside. They were in a much larger room with more boxes and metallic machines that had rusted gears and levers. And windows! She blinked in the brighter light. Yes, they were definitely in the city, probably one of the abandoned factory buildings. It was daytime, and she could see multiple grey and brown structures.
She realized that she was many stories off the ground, too. She couldn't see the street. Just the buildings and the bright blue sky.
"Look closer," he said. His voice was quiet yet excited. "Go to the window." She slowly did so, feeling as though she were walking to her doom. "What do you see?"
She expected to see something horrible. She didn't. "Buildings," she murmured.
"What sort of buildings?"
"Just buildings. Wh - Oh. They're government buildings. This is where all the government complexes are." She remembered having to go into a few of them when sorting out the paperwork for her parents' deaths.
"Precisely. Government. The bane of everyone's existence."
"I don't understand," she said, looking over her shoulder at him.
"I told you that that they are holding a meeting. All about Erik. It is today. In that large building, with the statue of the bear in front of it. Do you see?"
She looked down again. "Yes. But I still don't understand. Why are we here?"
Erik stood up straighter. He tucked his hands behind his back and approached. He came to stand beside her and stared out the window, too. He said, softly, "I have a choice for you, Darling. You will wonder why I am asking you to make it. And here is why." A pause. His voice was so quiet that she could barely hear him. Yet his tone sent shivers up and down her spine. "You think you hate me now? Hate me? You have no idea what real hate is. But I do. Hatred flows through my veins. I have been raised on it. Nurtured by it. I am a creature of hate." Another eerie pause. The volume of his voice increased slightly. He turned to look down at her. She stared up at him with wide eyes. "And now I want you to know true hatred, too. By the end of this, I want you to absolutely despise me. And then, even after my death, I will be with you forever. You will never be rid of me. If I cannot have your love, then I want your deepest hatred. The sort of hatred that scars!"
She had no reply for him. She could only stare in open-mouthed horror, waiting for this choice.
Starting at the top, Erik slowly unbuttoned his jacket, revealing a strange black vest with red wires and several metal cylindrical objects attached to it. It took her only a few seconds to identify what he was wearing. Christine gasped and leapt backwards, nearly crashing into the wall.
Erik laughed and shook his head. "No, my dear. I will not detonate it in here. I will use it in there." He pointed to the building. "Amongst the useless government bureaucrats, as they try to determine my fate. There are other devices situated around the building, and they are all ready to go. I will show this city fear. They will regret removing me from SCI! They will regret stealing my peace!"
"You can't," she choked out, a hand over her mouth. Her heart pounded in her ears. "You can't! All those people! You can't kill dozens of people!"
"I rather like the idea. It will be the biggest spectacle since Nicholas Vaughan had his day."
"Don't do this! You are not Nicholas Vaughan!"
"No? Too dramatic? Well, then here is your other choice. I kill the boy. I will not even do it in front of you. And then I will go away quietly and kill myself. Only a single death for you to mourn. No spectacle. No screams. No drama." Erik gestured toward the window. "On the other hand, if you allow me have to my fun, you and the boy survive all this. You walk off into the sunset together – while the building burns in the background. You can marry each other. Happily ever after."
The cruelty of the decision sunk in slowly, twisting her heart and stomach, killing her from the inside.
"So Christine," he said. "I will give you an hour to decide."
"I can't make that kind of choice!" she yelled as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. "It's monstrous!"
"Well, I am a monster. I am a creature of darkness. And if you don't make your choice, I will do both. I will kill the boy and make the building jump jolly, jolly high. You might as well prevent one from happening."
She wrapped her arms around her shuddering body. She willed herself to be anywhere but here. "You're…"
"We have been through that, Darling. I am a monster. You hate me. Oh, do hate me, Christine. Perhaps I hate you, too. It does not matter. After this day, you never have to see Erik again. But, first, you will make your choice. One hour!"
He quickly strode away and shut the door. He left her standing there, staring down at the building. People were trickling into it. Men in suits. Women in skirts and pantsuits and heels. A couple people were rushing in through a side door, an older woman with a guy around her age. And a dark-haired girl in a wheelchair.
Were all their lives in her hands now?
She couldn't. Not all those people. People with children and lovers, with friends and families.
But Raoul. Oh God, Raoul. Oh, God…No.
Christine sank to her knees, entire body shaking with sobs. How had it come to this? How had it broken down into this?
Yes, she had truly found Hell.