I lifted my head from my pillow, squinting through the darkness and listening hard. I was sure I could hear the sound of a piano playing, but it was so faint it could be my imagination. I stood from the bed and rubbed my eyes as I moved to the door and stuck my head out. The sound had vanished. But as I closed my door the piano was back. Surly not…
Oh yes indeed. As I moved down the tunnel down to Erik's domain, the playing grew louder. I stepped into his cave and saw an old piano propped against one wall, and Erik playing furiously. Though his hands appeared to be rough and angry, the music was sad and slow. His eyes were closed, as though he knew the song well enough by heart he did not need his eyes. I stepped tentatively toward him, and sat beside him on the bench.
"Where did you get this?" I asked quietly, but loud enough so he could hear me.
"For me to know and you to never find out." He replied, not breaking his string of music.
"Don't you think someone will notice if a piano is missing?" I accused, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow.
He sighed, putting his hands on top of the piano to stop his playing. "I had to get it out of my system." He muttered. Erik shook his head and placed a hand over his mask.
"Do you know," He continued, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "how I knew that you weren't just a filler, looking for 'a maiden to dangle of my knee'?"
My cheeks turned bright red at this. That wasn't my proudest moment, telling him that.
"I know you can't stand the secrecy, and the hiding, and you deserve better than anything I can give you."
That confession of mine had come out during our argument as well.
"But when I met you, every emotion I felt flooding through me after seeing you, it, you, inspired me. For 3 years, my music was lost, because of Christine. My music is the most important thing to me. And I can write again, play again, all because of you. You are my muse Alanna, and you brought me back from the depths. These months with you have been-" He cut off, sighing. "You are the most important thing to me Alanna. You are so different from Christine, but what my heart needs. That is why I beg you to love me, even though I don't deserve it. I truly don't. Eventually, I want to shed the secrets, and become a man, you make me want to be a real man, Alanna." He sucked in a shaky breath. "But something still nags at me." Erik gestured to his face. "This."
I had never asked about the mask, and to be frank I had never really cared. It was his preference, he wanted to wear it. But I had never considered that he might have been hiding something. I cocked my head and waited for him to continue.
"I know if I show you that it could come between us, but I don't want to keep secrets. Just please…" His voice faltered, and I was utterly confused. What on earth could be under that mask that was so awful? His fingers twitched as they neared the mask, and he pulled his hand away, shaking his head.
Slowly, I raised my hands and pulled the mask from his face with delicate fingers and almost dropped the mask in shock as I stared at his face. His handsome features were distorted and diseased, his blue eye sunken in, the flesh around it rotting. He blinked at me as I tried to compose myself. What could I say? Oh you're ugly? So I did the only thing I could; I put my hand on his face and kissed him. His shoulders seemed to sag with relief as I placed my other hand on them, and he placed his hands on my waist. I wondered if there was getting used to his face… But I wasn't going to be so shallow as to walk away based on looks.
"I love you," he whispered, "I love you so much."
I pulled away from him as my heart began to race faster. The words stuck in my throat. I couldn't say it. I couldn't risk having my heart broken again. If I said the words, it would seal me to him, it would confess to myself that I did indeed love him.
"I love you," I said in a barely audible whisper. My heart was beating in approval, but my brain was saying otherwise as it went numb at his next words.
"And I don't see spending my life with anyone else. Your very presence heals my heart." He pulled the mask from my hands and replaced it over his face. He gripped my hands.
"What are you saying?' I whispered.
"Marry me, Alanna."
My brain had defiantly decided to stop working.
"You don't know me Erik, the real me." I whispered.
"Then let me know you." He said earnestly. He put a hand on my cheek. "It doesn't have to be now, just make me this promise. Please."
I did not know what I could possibly say. So I said the only thing I could.
"I can't, Erik."
