Kaylen put the finishing touches on a servant costume. Finally, she was ahead on her work, not an easy feat when you worked for Birdy. She decided to take the rest of the day off to go for a walk. She shook the costume out and hung it in the closet before grabbing her cloak and heading out the door.
It was beautiful in the park. The sky was blue with just a hint of purple to tell of the setting sun. She walked on the paths in silence admiring the glassy surface of the lake. For some reasons her thoughts wondered back to that night when she had first met Erik. Somehow his lake was ten times more beautiful than this. She sighed as she sat on a bench. Why did she keep thinking about him? He was her teacher and friend, nothing more. Right? The sun was setting in front of her transforming harsh day into comforting night. Slowly the stars came out to wink hello to Kaylen who answered with a smile. She had to wonder if Erik came to the park to look at the stars. Despite the late hour, a few couples still walked the paths talking and gazing at the stars. Kaylen watched them with envy. She had never had a suitor and had been the joke of the town because of it. Painful memories of schoolmates teasing her came back to her. She blinked back tears. Why had they been so mean to her? She had never done anything to them. She sighed once again as she rose to leave. It was never wise to stay anywhere alone in the dark in Paris.
"Leaving so soon Mademoiselle?"
Kaylen turned in surprise to see the figure of a man materialize from behind a tree. As he came closer she noticed a white mask covering half of his face. It was only Erik.
"Monsieur, I would love to stay later, but I have no escort and the streets are not safe at night." Kaylen said with a smile.
"Well in that case, would you care to accompany me on my stroll of the park?"
"I would be honored." Kaylen said as she took Erik's offered arm.
*
Erik led Kaylen through the park with ease. He had been here many times before. They talked as they walked and Erik was amazed at how easily he could talk to her. " I love it the park at night don't you Erik?" she asked as they passed by one of the many fountains. Erik looked at her with barely concealed surprise. " Why at night? Don't you find it much more beautiful in the day?"
Kaylen laughed lightheartedly. " No Erik, I think it is much more beautiful in the dark. I like the night for some reason. I find it...comforting." she said dreamily. " But now you must think me to be morbid. I am not truly."
"Surely not my dear." he replied. Erik led her through much of the park that was unknown to the everyday Parisian , enjoying her love for the park at night. Only when he looked over at Kaylen in time to see a stifled yawn did he finally , and with some reluctance, deem it time to return to the opera house.
Erik led her down the dimly lit hallway towards her room. The gaslights, those which had no already been extinguished, burned low and soft. The occupants of the opera house already asleep, Erik had no fear that he should be seen. He smiled as he found that he quite liked the feeling. His eyes being pre-accustomed to the dark he led Kaylen through the gloomy corridors with ease.
"I trust you had a good time, my dear." he said as they finally reached her door. Even through the gloom, he could see her bright smile as she fumbled through her handbag for her key.
"Erik, it was wonderful," she sighed "I must admit that I needed something to get my mind off of all that's been going on lately..."
"Oh?"
"Yes, Birdy has been working extra hard to meet the deadline, I only just got a day free today. The other usherettes have been unusually harsh to me lately, nothing I can't handle of course. Oh...and then there is poor Meg. She comes over at all hours of the night weeping. I do my best to comfort her. Poor Meg she hasn't been quite the same since Madame Giry was fired."
Finally finding the key, she began trying to unlock the door.
"Madam Giry was fired? On who's authority?" Erik could feel his anger rising along with his voice.
"The managers I suppose..." Kaylen answered cautiously. "Erik are you alright?" she asked noticing the tightly balled fists that had formed at his sides.
* * *
"The managers? They have not right! "So enraged was he that Erik did not notice that Kaylen had taken a cautious step back. His fists were now balled up so tightly that Kaylen could see that his knuckles had turned deathly white. It seemed to her his nails must be drawing blood. "She was my employee, mine! They will pay dearly for this!" he said through clenched teeth.
"Erik?" she said cautiously. With a trembling hand she reached out and touched the collar of his dress coat. Quicker than she could pull away, Erik's hand shot up and grabbed her little wrist. Kaylen gasped as his rage-glazed eyes turned upon her. " You! How dare you go against my wishes! Who gave you the right to fire her? Hmm?"
"Erik!" Kaylen yelled as loud as she dared fearing he no longer recognized her. Her voice seemed to bounce off and invisible barrier that his anger had built between them and he began to shake her violently. "I warned you! I told you would happen if you didn't do everything I asked!"
"Erik please" Kaylen sobbed as she tried to escape his iron-like grasp. "Erik, your hurting me!" Kaylen fell back on the floor as Erik suddenly released her.
* * *
Erik's breathing leveled off as he slowly returned to reality. He looked down at the sobbing heap of dress on the floor. He turned his head away ashamedly when he realized what he had done, taking a moment to fight back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes . She now knew him for the monster he surely was. Slowly he knelt down beside her, laying a cautious hand on her shoulder. Always she had been so strong, so fearless, and it pained Erik to see her like this , even more so because he was the cause of it.
"I'm sorry...I..." he began but Kaylen waved a hand and motioned for him to stop. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and rose up to stand, brushing her dress off. It tore Erik's heart in two to see her like this, stubborn pride made her determined to be strong to the last. In this state she reminded him of a dove with a broken wing. His eyes moved to her arm and he frowned as he noticed a bruise already forming there, the result of his evil work.
"It's alright," she said simply, "you didn't mean to." with that she turned on her heal and entered her room, leaving Erik outside to wallow in his own thoughts.
* * *
Kaylen let the door click shut behind her . After lighting a lamp she hung up her cloak and changed into her night gown. She sat on her bed and stared blankly at the wall for a while before slowly turning her head over to her night stand. Her eyes fell on the perfect rose Erik had left for her, still lying next to its crystal counterpart. Even now a few of the petals threatened to fall off the stem, but somehow it managed to keep its perfect shape. At the sight of it Kaylen held her head in her hands and began to cry. As she surrendered totally to her tears she thought she could just hear a soft sobbing echoing her own from the other side of the door.
* * *
Erik stumbled ungracefully down the length of the dark passages that led down to his lair. He felt still so ashamed of what he had done. He had wept outside of Kaylen's door for what seemed like hours and he would have stayed there if the thought of being discovered had not finally chased him away. He clumsily fought to press a stubborn lever to one of his passages. His mind was unfocused, already he had almost triggered more than one of his secret traps. He cursed him self aloud for his clumsiness, and then once more silently for his lack of stealth.
Finally the secret door swung open and he found himself facing the lake. He climbed into the boat and almost without noticing began rowing to the other end of the lake.
It was over....the friendship he had held so dear was gone. Torn asunder by a few seconds of blind rage... temper he could have should have controlled. He winced as he thought about how she must see him now: uncivilized, uncouth, ...monster...He felt the sting of tears threaten his eyes again and he rowed more quickly in an effort to stop thinking of them...as if he just concentrated on something, one simple task, hard enough he could erase the memory of what had just happened if only for a little while.
Finally he reached the opposite side of the lake. He tied the boat off deftly and then went to open the door to his house. He walked over to the brandy pitcher and served himself glass after glass until his wits dulled and he felt a fuzzy sense of peace. He would make it up to Kaylen somehow...he only hoped she could find it in her heart to forgive him....