She ran, not knowing where she was going. She just ran. She wouldn't let
anyone take her back to the nightmare she knew before. He could be up
there, waiting for her to come. She would never let him near her again.
For too long she depended on him. For too long had he only given what she
didn't need, pain. She would never return. Suddenly, before she could
react, she was surrounded by and icy cold. The feeling of a thousand
needles peirced through her as she struggled to stay afloat in the icy
water. She felt her dress draggin her to the bottom. She kicked harder,
but to no avail. Just as the water closed over her head, she felt two
hands reach in and pull her from the water.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Eriks shout echoed and he reached for the girl, but she slipped from his grasp. He then realized the direction in which she was headed. She was headed staright for the lake. He tore off his cloak and ran after her. He watched as she began to flail about wildly in the water. He threw his cloak on the ground and plunged in after her. He grabbed her out of the water just as she was sinking below the surface. He swam back to the shore. He wrapped the shivering girl in his cape. He knew he needed to warm her, not to mention himself, soon. He headed towards his home. It was not long before the girl was slumped against his shoulder, unconcious.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The girl awoke to the crackling of a fire. She tried to sit up but she met only dizziness and pain. She cried out softly. Immediatlry she felt a presence at her side. Somehow a voice made its way into her mind through the pain and dizziness, telling her not to move. She vaguely recognized the voice but could not remember where she had heard it before. Someone was then holding her head and telling her to swallow a bitter liquid. In seconds she was laying down again, the pain and the voice fading into a comforting, silent numbness.
The girl woke again several hours later in the same place. She knew someone was next to her and tunred her head towards the presence. She now remembered everything that had happened and wondered at where she was. She tried to ask where she was but a voice hushed her. It was Eriks voice. She tried to sit up and two gentle hands were helping her up, propping her up with pillows making sure she was as comfortable as possible. These couldn't be the hands of the phantom of the opera. How could one, who she'd heard so many terrible stories of, be so kind. Her head hurt even more as she grew confused.
Erik told her he would be right back with some broth for her. She heard him leave the room and then took some time to figure out her surroundings. There was a fire crackling at fair distance to the left of her. She felt around and found she had been put on a couch. Erik then entered to room again. She could smell the broth from where she sat and realized how hungry she was.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Erik placed a small tray in front of the girl. No one had been here since Christine. Part of him found it odd to have someone in his house and another part of him liked the company. He placed the bowl and was reached to guide her hand to the spoon. She gasped and quickly pulled her hand away. It suprised him a little but he was used to it. He knew his touch was not a pleasent one. He watched the girl eat. She was obviously hungry and was soon finished. He took the tray and the bowl from her. She then did something he didn't expect. She smiled and thanked him for everything he had done. " My name is Melanie." She finished.
He smiled back, "and I'm Erik."
The girl then laughed. "I know." she said. "I remember."
"Let me see your wrist." He said. "I don't think it's broken, but I want to make sure." He reached for her outstretched arm. The minute he touched her, she flinched again, but this time she doesn't pull away. "Tell me if this hurts." He examines he wrist and hand carefully, and then looked up to tell her that it was not broken. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came out. The girl had a curious look on her face, and she was crying. "Have I hurt you?" he asked. The girl shook her head. He then let go of her wrist, studying her face, slightly confused. "What's the matter?" He finally asked after a moment of silence.
The girl turned her head towards him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her look terrified him, like nothing had before. He knew whe was blind, but now she seemed to look right at him, no, she looked straight through him. Her lips began to form words, but no words came out.
Finally her voice cracked. "You made her leave. She loved you, she would have done anything you told her to, and you told her to leave." Her voice was not like the one he had heard only a few minutes ago.
His face twisted in anger. How did she know anything about what happened. His anger was so great, he was not even curious how she knew. He stood up suddenly, barely able to control his rage. He raised his hand to hit her, but instead swung at the empty bowl. The girl did not flinch, even when the bowl crashed against the wall. Erik stormed out of the room, leaving her alone to her thoughts.
Eriks shout echoed and he reached for the girl, but she slipped from his grasp. He then realized the direction in which she was headed. She was headed staright for the lake. He tore off his cloak and ran after her. He watched as she began to flail about wildly in the water. He threw his cloak on the ground and plunged in after her. He grabbed her out of the water just as she was sinking below the surface. He swam back to the shore. He wrapped the shivering girl in his cape. He knew he needed to warm her, not to mention himself, soon. He headed towards his home. It was not long before the girl was slumped against his shoulder, unconcious.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The girl awoke to the crackling of a fire. She tried to sit up but she met only dizziness and pain. She cried out softly. Immediatlry she felt a presence at her side. Somehow a voice made its way into her mind through the pain and dizziness, telling her not to move. She vaguely recognized the voice but could not remember where she had heard it before. Someone was then holding her head and telling her to swallow a bitter liquid. In seconds she was laying down again, the pain and the voice fading into a comforting, silent numbness.
The girl woke again several hours later in the same place. She knew someone was next to her and tunred her head towards the presence. She now remembered everything that had happened and wondered at where she was. She tried to ask where she was but a voice hushed her. It was Eriks voice. She tried to sit up and two gentle hands were helping her up, propping her up with pillows making sure she was as comfortable as possible. These couldn't be the hands of the phantom of the opera. How could one, who she'd heard so many terrible stories of, be so kind. Her head hurt even more as she grew confused.
Erik told her he would be right back with some broth for her. She heard him leave the room and then took some time to figure out her surroundings. There was a fire crackling at fair distance to the left of her. She felt around and found she had been put on a couch. Erik then entered to room again. She could smell the broth from where she sat and realized how hungry she was.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Erik placed a small tray in front of the girl. No one had been here since Christine. Part of him found it odd to have someone in his house and another part of him liked the company. He placed the bowl and was reached to guide her hand to the spoon. She gasped and quickly pulled her hand away. It suprised him a little but he was used to it. He knew his touch was not a pleasent one. He watched the girl eat. She was obviously hungry and was soon finished. He took the tray and the bowl from her. She then did something he didn't expect. She smiled and thanked him for everything he had done. " My name is Melanie." She finished.
He smiled back, "and I'm Erik."
The girl then laughed. "I know." she said. "I remember."
"Let me see your wrist." He said. "I don't think it's broken, but I want to make sure." He reached for her outstretched arm. The minute he touched her, she flinched again, but this time she doesn't pull away. "Tell me if this hurts." He examines he wrist and hand carefully, and then looked up to tell her that it was not broken. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came out. The girl had a curious look on her face, and she was crying. "Have I hurt you?" he asked. The girl shook her head. He then let go of her wrist, studying her face, slightly confused. "What's the matter?" He finally asked after a moment of silence.
The girl turned her head towards him, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her look terrified him, like nothing had before. He knew whe was blind, but now she seemed to look right at him, no, she looked straight through him. Her lips began to form words, but no words came out.
Finally her voice cracked. "You made her leave. She loved you, she would have done anything you told her to, and you told her to leave." Her voice was not like the one he had heard only a few minutes ago.
His face twisted in anger. How did she know anything about what happened. His anger was so great, he was not even curious how she knew. He stood up suddenly, barely able to control his rage. He raised his hand to hit her, but instead swung at the empty bowl. The girl did not flinch, even when the bowl crashed against the wall. Erik stormed out of the room, leaving her alone to her thoughts.