A/N: Unfortunately, I'm pretty burnt out on writing right now. I do it so much—I've got so much time on my hands these days that I spend all day writing. Be it fiction, music, lyrics or poetry, I'm writing all day or reading. My fountain of ideas has basically run dry. This is the only story out of Chronicles of Immortality (COI), How We Won the War, All the Point of View, and numerous short stories that I feel inspired to write at all. I began another one recently—an espionage story this time, a nice escape from my ever-angsty romances—that burnt out at paragraph 3. This afternoon I finished reading a book and began reading another, then just fell asleep on the couch out of boredom. I got up and dragged myself to my computer and then attempted to continue in one of my thousands of short stories and found I was completely out of any inspiration whatsoever. (By the way, this author's note will probably end up longer than the chapter... and it'll most certainly be more of a story than this phic ever will be... heh.) This story I managed to get a little further, and I'll probably outline the whole plot while I'm away at the studio next week (recording a CD! WHOO!) so the story will—hopefully—be much more engaging afterwards. I really need to distance myself from my writing right now, so this story will probably be a little slow in coming. . . . Sorry.
CHAPTER THREE
In Return...
How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?
—No Use for a Name, "Angela"
I could think of nothing more intelligent to do than stare at her for a second; then I realised she was probably waiting for an explanation of my presence. Unfortunately, I had none. Staring at her like this was probably not going to help, either. I fumbled for something to say—"Hello, Christine, I heard you singing and decided to drop by for a friendly visit!"—and all I could manage was to work my mouth like a fool and have no sound come out but, "Uhh . . ."
She knelt down and looked at me with concern and something else I could not identify in her blue eyes. "What on earth are you doing here, Erik?" she whispered. "I thought you were—"
Feeling discomfort like this was something I was not accustomed to. I've always been used to being collected, calm, in control, on top. . . . However, I could not gain the upper hand without an excuse, and I lacked one utterly. I had to look away from her to clear my head.
"I'm afraid I lack any adequate explanation, Mademoiselle Daaé—or, excuse me, is it Madame de Chagny now?" I finally managed to say in a remarkably level voice. She shook her head and stared straight at me.
"No. But—what are you doing here, Erik?"
I shrugged. "I'm afraid I must ask the same question. I myself have no logical explanation for my presence. You, however—you must have some reason for being here. Lovely performance, might I add."
She was speechless for a second, then stuttered, "Um, thank you. I—well, Erik, I thought you were . . . you were . . ."
I raised an eyebrow. "You thought I was, I was . . . ?"
"Dead."
I couldn't help but laugh harshly. "Well! I appear to be standing in front of you, so I suppose that theory is incorrect. However, I think I've been dead for a few years. Alas, fate seems not to accept that a dead soul trapped inside a living body should have ceased to live the day the soul died." Which, I continued mentally, meant I should, theoretically, have been still-born.
She was still confused. "But you're not. How?"
"And you're not married to the Vicomte, apparently. How?"
Turning around and shaking her head, she stammered, "Oh, Erik. . . . Why did you come?"
"Only to compliment you on a job well done, my dear. And why did you come here?"
She sighed and hesitated. After a long silence, she turned back to face me and took a deep breath before she began to speak. As she did so, I noticed her beautiful blue eyes filling with tears. She forced herself to say—as it sounded rather as though she was struggling with fierce emotion I was incapable of seeing—in a nearly-level voice, "Why am I not married to Raoul? Erik, did you not hear that Raoul was killed months ago?"
"What?"
--
To be continued (if readers so desire)...
Advice needed/desired! Please review if you're feeling kind! Thank you!