Christian
As Erik finished his story, I couldn't help but stare at him in wonder. This powerful man, who I had grown to respect so much, was now standing before me weeping for the woman he loved. I had also been shocked to learn that that woman was my mother.
I was sure he had never told anyone that story before, yet it flowed from his mouth and created a picture no painter could ever recapture. I had so many questions for him. He had just told me almost everything about a time in my mother's life I had known almost nothing about; her glorious Opera days.
The sound of a soft thud brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see that Erik had collapsed to the floor. He had himself held up by his arms, but, as I watched him, his arms seemed to give out beneath him. He now lay on the floor looking more vulnerable than I had ever seen him.
Suddenly, he sat up and looked around. He jumped up and ran to the door. I stood up and watched him. He stepped outside briefly then came back in.
"Damn you Daroga," he said quietly. "Christian!"
"Yes Erik?"
"I want you to go into your room and stay there until I say you can come out," he ordered.
"But-"
"Just go!" he said more forcefully. I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I sat on the bed and waited. Suddenly I heard breaking glass and Erik yelling.
"No Daroga! That is not what Hell is! Hell is having a son who doesn't know I'm his father! Hell is knowing that Christine sleeps next to another man each night! You want to see Hell?! Then just take a look at my life Daroga! That is what Hell is!" he roared. I had never heard him so angry. The Daroga must have responded for then I heard more glass breaking and Erik's voice again.
"Leave me Daroga and do not come back! Go ruin someone else's life!" A moment of silence passed before I heard Erik scream "damn him!" and a door slam.
I opened the door to my room a crack and looked out. Glass littered the floor of the lair. I tried to figure out which door had been slammed, but I had no idea. There were so many doors that I could never tell which one Erik had gone through. I finally just picked one and went through it.
As Erik finished his story, I couldn't help but stare at him in wonder. This powerful man, who I had grown to respect so much, was now standing before me weeping for the woman he loved. I had also been shocked to learn that that woman was my mother.
I was sure he had never told anyone that story before, yet it flowed from his mouth and created a picture no painter could ever recapture. I had so many questions for him. He had just told me almost everything about a time in my mother's life I had known almost nothing about; her glorious Opera days.
The sound of a soft thud brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see that Erik had collapsed to the floor. He had himself held up by his arms, but, as I watched him, his arms seemed to give out beneath him. He now lay on the floor looking more vulnerable than I had ever seen him.
Suddenly, he sat up and looked around. He jumped up and ran to the door. I stood up and watched him. He stepped outside briefly then came back in.
"Damn you Daroga," he said quietly. "Christian!"
"Yes Erik?"
"I want you to go into your room and stay there until I say you can come out," he ordered.
"But-"
"Just go!" he said more forcefully. I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I sat on the bed and waited. Suddenly I heard breaking glass and Erik yelling.
"No Daroga! That is not what Hell is! Hell is having a son who doesn't know I'm his father! Hell is knowing that Christine sleeps next to another man each night! You want to see Hell?! Then just take a look at my life Daroga! That is what Hell is!" he roared. I had never heard him so angry. The Daroga must have responded for then I heard more glass breaking and Erik's voice again.
"Leave me Daroga and do not come back! Go ruin someone else's life!" A moment of silence passed before I heard Erik scream "damn him!" and a door slam.
I opened the door to my room a crack and looked out. Glass littered the floor of the lair. I tried to figure out which door had been slammed, but I had no idea. There were so many doors that I could never tell which one Erik had gone through. I finally just picked one and went through it.