A/N: Hope this all fits- I wrote the majority of it a week ago. Warning, the next chapters are harder to write for me, so there will be delays, but I won't abandon it, so stay faithful:)
Not long after noon, Christine stopped in her tracks from her restless pacing and realized that Erik had left without eating breakfast that had gone uncooked, pushed aside for that beautiful game of chess. Feeling awful that he had nothing in his stomach while he was working hard with the sun pouring it's heat upon him, she ran to the kitchen and began to cook a lunch while Nadir napped.
After she had finished, she piled all the food in to a basket, fully prepared to be taken to Erik.
Before Nadir had a chance to wake, Christine grabbed the basket of food and called to her kitten to join her on the walk.
After following the directions of some nice merchants who knew of the only man in Persia who was donned in all black, she found herself staring at him in the distance. Encouraged, she quickened her pace, nearly causing her kitten to run to keep up.
"How soon will it be done?" The Khanum asked Erik, walking on a ledge below him.
"Tomorrow, I believe. I have yet to try it, but it shows every sign of competence." Erik replied. Hearing footsteps as Erik inspected the last details of the torture chamber from above, she looked over the ledge.
"Oh my...I see you've kept her well...and in line. Does she bring you food here often? I wouldn't have expected such a sensitive soul to be so accepting of your work here."
Erik was only half paying attention to her words, but as soon as they sank in, he spun around to see Christine inclosing on him, a bright, eager smile upon her lips, good intention radiating like a glow around her as she took off her veil. All the blood on the tanned side of his face drained, paling instantly, his mind reeling. What was she doing here? What would he tell her?
"Erik! I found out where you were and brought you lunch." She said joyfully, proud of herself as she came to a soft halt, feeling her kitten walk against her leg to go exploring.
Interested for all the wrong reasons, the Khanum quickly came to ground level to eye the lovely girl.
"What are you working on? Will you tell me now?" Christine asked, trying to encourage Erik to speak to her.
"You didn't tell her?"
Erik looked surprised at the woman of power standing near by. For the first time in all the while he knew her, this was the first that he had ever heard the Khanum speak French. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, "A woman is only as powerful as her mind. I thought learning languages would come in use."
Then, turning her attention away from the fearful man, she looked over at Christine, a devilish twitch of smile played at the corner of her lips. "I thought your owner told you. What excuses has he offered for his repeated absences? Come, see the work of beauty this Godlike man created. It's the most powerful and harsh torture chamber ever invented in Persia, and it's to my belief, there is none in all the world that can beat it."
Erik felt as if he had died and gone straight to the fiery hell he knew one day would claim him. Christine peered over the ledge at the strange looking inclosed arena, then closed her eyes. Erik continued to stare at her until the angel opened her big, innocent eyes, soft and moist in utter confusion, shaking her head at him when she figured she couldn't understand. That perhaps the Khanum must have used the wrong words. Or that they simply weren't registering correctly. But when she saw the look of pure sorrow on Erik's sagging face of despair, her good intentions shattered in the form of her basket crashing to the rocky ground. He winced to see it, yet his gaze never left hers, watching the wheels of her mind slowly churn to damage and break her innocence forever.
Suddenly there was a soft, distant sound of a hatch closing.
The Khanum, curious, peered down. "What is that down there?" She asked, squinting. Erik peered over carelessly, until he realized just what it was. He quickly started to run to Christine to get her away, but before he could reach her, the lights of the chamber went on, and Christine was watching, trying to process what it was down there.
Horrible screams of acute and pure suffering came from the little ball of kitten fluff as it writhed in pain.
Christine's chest rose and fell as her soul began to wither and dissipate in shock.
Finally the shrill cries of intense pain died. The extreme heat that had radiated inside the torture chamber slowly started to blow upwards towards them, carrying the scent of death.
At first, Christine allowed the foul wind to wash over her, not able to move. Erik saw that she was shocked - there was no anger or sadness in her eyes. Only the upmost horror and anguish. And then suddenly, she spun on her heel, trying to run but wasn't in her right mind enough to avoid the basket that she had dropped. Instead, with a cry, she fell over it, a long cut in her skirt created, revealing the wide gash in her leg that started to send forth much blood - not that she noticed. She pushed herself back to her feet and kept running, every once in a while stumbling upon her skirt hem.
Erik tried to call her back, not sure what he'd even say to her for such a thing. But her name was strangled in his throat, unable to help her.
Looking back to the torture chamber to see the poor kitten's body that once was held in Christine's loving arms, his heart clenched. He had given her this kitten to make her happy, to give her something to do through out the day. But in the end, because of what his own hands had created, he knew in his heart that the look of horror in her eyes was not only from witnessing her kitten's death. No, too much of it was horror for himself - what she now knew could be a part of him.
...What had he done?
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ya all wondered when it was coming, the bigtwist- it came!
