Helena woke to find Perrault snuggled close against her. The cat was clean though when she had fallen asleep he had been almost unrecognizable. Now his gray stripes were bright against his black fur, or maybe his black stripes were dark against his gray fur.
As she rose she found herself fully clothed except for shoes and her mask. Erik had pulled a blanket over her but not undressed her and she felt something odd to find it out, she felt relieved to know that he wouldn't take advantage of her but also sad, maybe because he hadn't tried. That confused her and she clinched a fist to make those thoughts flee.
She tried not the think about it the whole time she washed and brushed and changed. She had almost managed to not think about it until she left her room, Perrault dashing out the door before her. She had almost managed until she saw Erik bent over his organ, frantically writing on a sheet of paper. She probably would have managed to not think about it then too had she not seen sketches of a curly haired girl scattered around the bench.
'That is why he doesn't try,' she thought, 'because he has someone to think about.' Then she had to admonish herself. 'You have someone, too.'
Erik spun on the bench to look at her though she hadn't moved for a full five minutes. "Are you well?" His voice sounded raspy and thick, like he held back emotion and had been screaming all at the same time.
"Well enough. Hungry though," she murmured, quieter than she would have liked. Erik motioned to the curtained doorway he had previously gotten all his balms and vials from and turned back around.
Something in his posture or manner bothered Helena. It didn't frighten her like he was angry but made her want to hold him, to pet him like she would a frightened animal. They didn't really know each other but she wanted to comfort whatever bothered him.
"Do you want anything while I am in here?" Helena called from the curtained room which she now knew was a well-stocked pantry. She heard faint scratching but nothing more. "Erik? Are you hungry?" Helena peeked her head out to ask more directly but stopped. Erik was scrambling for the papers from the bench. He was moving woodenly and far less gracefully than she had ever seen him move. He almost looked like he was shaking, like he was frightened, and was picking up the papers because he was supposed to.
"What was her name?" The words were out of the mouth almost before she could think them. She didn't know what had possessed her to ask that when it wasn't her place. Erik's head shot up and she could see his eyes were bloodshot as they narrowed. Icy fear shot through her veins as Erik sat up and started to stand.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask! I'm sorry I shouldn't have! Erik, listen to me, I didn't mean to ask." Helena's pleas fell on deaf ears. Erik stalked toward her and Helena scrambled out of the pantry and down the stairs leading to the lake. "Erik you need to listen to me," she moaned, starting to cry in fright, "I'm sorry. I didn't think. Erik, please!"
The tall dark figure no longer resembled Erik; the anger in him twisted his face and seemed to make him more solid, like he was made of stone rather than flesh. Three steps more and she would be in the lake, five steps more and he would be within reach of her. Helena took another step back and slipped on a wet spot. She started to fall back. Erik's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her toward him, his other hand went to her neck and he slammed her into the wall.
"Erik!" Helena's scream reverberated on the cave walls. The man didn't even blink, his eyes were glazed and his skin felt cold as Helena's hands scrambled at his hand that was pressing her air off. Helena scratched and clawed at his hand before reaching for his face. Her nails left bloody trails on the left side of his face and then the world seemed to stand still as her fingers caught his mask and it was dislodged and flew away.