1 Out of the Darkness... Trapped without light
Her, now clouded, blue eyes stared at him for a moment. Soon after, she began shaking uncontrollably as her eyes darted about the room. Tears fell down her cheek when her lids closed, burning the scrapes on her ivory skin.
Christian sat motionless, unsure of what to do. He'd hoped, if not expected, Satine to rush into his arms and hold him tightly as he'd comfort her. He didn't expect this.
He reached out to touch her shoulder and maybe she'd stop crying. Instead, she recoiled fearfully and scrambled off the bed. She frantically crawled as far away from him as possible and curled up in a tight ball.
"Satine? What is it? Tell me what's wrong!"
She tried her best to shut out his panicked voice with her hands. Crying, she rocked herself back and forth, whimpering like a lost puppy. He advanced towards her cautiously. Her eyes were screwed shut; she didn't notice his approach. His hand touched her arm. She was ice cold!
She screamed and scrambled further away from Christian. Distraught, he simply watched her repeat the same gestures as before. "I can't even touch her! Why is she afraid of me?"
At that moment, Harold and the doctor rushed into the room. "What happened? We heard a scream," Zidler demanded. He then saw his little Sparrow in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably; he blanched, becoming as white as her.
"She... I don't know! She woke up and she started shaking and I can't even touch her..." Christian sobbed. "Why is she like that? WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?"
He was becoming hysterical.
"Just leave her," the doctor advised.
"What? I'm not going to leave her like that! I need to help her!" he yelled, horrified.
"It's best for her! She's been traumatized, and she'll need time to recover," the doctor explained. Christian looked over to Satine; she was still rocking herself, crying. "You may stay in the room with her, just keep your distance."
He nodded solemnly. He would help Satine, no matter what it took. The two other men left again, this time for the night. Christian backed slowly to the chair Marie was sitting on previously, and waited. If he waited long enough, maybe she would come to him, but Satine made no motion of leaving her corner.
***
The night was long and lifeless. She'd stopped crying an hour after Harold and the doctor left, but still remained, unmoving, in the dark corner. She seemed oblivious to Christian's presence. He simply waited patiently for her to fall asleep, so maybe he could get closer. Three hours later, her resistance broke and she fell into a deep slumber.
Christian didn't notice for a good while. His lids were beginning to fall with the heavy burden of sleep. He shook himself awake several times and watched Satine. She literally hadn't move since she first crawled into the corner. If she hadn't begun shaking from the cold, he probably wouldn't have known.
He grabbed the blanket from the bed and dragged it towards Satine. He carefully wrapped it around her and watched as she stirred slightly. A sad smiled appeared on his face. Unsure of what to do next, he sat beside her and watched her with complete adoration. She almost looked like she had four months ago, safe and happy. He reached out to stroke her scratched face and drew a shuddery breath. "How could he have done this?"
They didn't have physical proof that the Duke took Satine that night, but they both disappeared that night from the Gothic Tower. "Driven mad by jealousy..."
Christian suddenly had the irrepressible urge to hold her. She was asleep and couldn't cower away, so what harm could it do? He reached out and pulled her on his lap; her forehead resting in the crook of his neck, his arms wrapped protectively around her. To his surprise, she cuddled against him and sighed contently. "She's so small!" he thought, alarmed.
"I love you Satine, 'til the end of time," he murmured in her hair. She smiled in her sleep. "Maybe she does remember me..."
Her, now clouded, blue eyes stared at him for a moment. Soon after, she began shaking uncontrollably as her eyes darted about the room. Tears fell down her cheek when her lids closed, burning the scrapes on her ivory skin.
Christian sat motionless, unsure of what to do. He'd hoped, if not expected, Satine to rush into his arms and hold him tightly as he'd comfort her. He didn't expect this.
He reached out to touch her shoulder and maybe she'd stop crying. Instead, she recoiled fearfully and scrambled off the bed. She frantically crawled as far away from him as possible and curled up in a tight ball.
"Satine? What is it? Tell me what's wrong!"
She tried her best to shut out his panicked voice with her hands. Crying, she rocked herself back and forth, whimpering like a lost puppy. He advanced towards her cautiously. Her eyes were screwed shut; she didn't notice his approach. His hand touched her arm. She was ice cold!
She screamed and scrambled further away from Christian. Distraught, he simply watched her repeat the same gestures as before. "I can't even touch her! Why is she afraid of me?"
At that moment, Harold and the doctor rushed into the room. "What happened? We heard a scream," Zidler demanded. He then saw his little Sparrow in the corner, sobbing uncontrollably; he blanched, becoming as white as her.
"She... I don't know! She woke up and she started shaking and I can't even touch her..." Christian sobbed. "Why is she like that? WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?"
He was becoming hysterical.
"Just leave her," the doctor advised.
"What? I'm not going to leave her like that! I need to help her!" he yelled, horrified.
"It's best for her! She's been traumatized, and she'll need time to recover," the doctor explained. Christian looked over to Satine; she was still rocking herself, crying. "You may stay in the room with her, just keep your distance."
He nodded solemnly. He would help Satine, no matter what it took. The two other men left again, this time for the night. Christian backed slowly to the chair Marie was sitting on previously, and waited. If he waited long enough, maybe she would come to him, but Satine made no motion of leaving her corner.
***
The night was long and lifeless. She'd stopped crying an hour after Harold and the doctor left, but still remained, unmoving, in the dark corner. She seemed oblivious to Christian's presence. He simply waited patiently for her to fall asleep, so maybe he could get closer. Three hours later, her resistance broke and she fell into a deep slumber.
Christian didn't notice for a good while. His lids were beginning to fall with the heavy burden of sleep. He shook himself awake several times and watched Satine. She literally hadn't move since she first crawled into the corner. If she hadn't begun shaking from the cold, he probably wouldn't have known.
He grabbed the blanket from the bed and dragged it towards Satine. He carefully wrapped it around her and watched as she stirred slightly. A sad smiled appeared on his face. Unsure of what to do next, he sat beside her and watched her with complete adoration. She almost looked like she had four months ago, safe and happy. He reached out to stroke her scratched face and drew a shuddery breath. "How could he have done this?"
They didn't have physical proof that the Duke took Satine that night, but they both disappeared that night from the Gothic Tower. "Driven mad by jealousy..."
Christian suddenly had the irrepressible urge to hold her. She was asleep and couldn't cower away, so what harm could it do? He reached out and pulled her on his lap; her forehead resting in the crook of his neck, his arms wrapped protectively around her. To his surprise, she cuddled against him and sighed contently. "She's so small!" he thought, alarmed.
"I love you Satine, 'til the end of time," he murmured in her hair. She smiled in her sleep. "Maybe she does remember me..."