AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you all for reviewing! Keep at it! And now for some
replies:
EriksAngel: Thank you! By the way, Aaralyn is 25, but we still don't know it in this chapter. Soon, I promise!
Azure: Yes, I know the beginning is a little fast-paced, but that's just how it turned out.
and to Ayesha and DahnaJeane: Thank you! And, lol, DJ!
KEEP REVIEWING AND THANK YOU!!
CHAPTER 3
Now wearing one of the extravagant gowns that she found in the wardrobe, Aaralyn sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what she could do. She looked down at her dress. It was a deep blue, gathering under her chest and falling to her feet like water would fall over a waterfall.
And then, her room was filled with music. It wasn't coming from within her room, she knew, but from elsewhere. It was the most beautiful, enchanting music she had ever heard. She, almost in a trance, stood up. She followed the music to the edge of the lake. On the side adjacent she was standing on, there was a small house. She very quietly approached the door and stood, mesmerized. She could hear the man singing softy:
Softly, deftly,
Music shall caress you
Feel it, hear it,
Secretly possess you
Open up your mi-
The music stopped abruptly and Aaralyn was pulled unwillingly from her ecstasy. She blinked a few times, and noticed the door in front of her had been opened, and the man stood in it.
"May I help you?" Erik asked with an eyebrow arched.
Aaralyn just stood there, at a loss for words. Erik had to fight the impulse to wave his hand in front of her face to see if she was awake, for that would be too childish. He merely shut the door.
"Wait!" said Aaralyn and he reopened the door, "Keep playing! That was.beautiful." He nearly grinned.
"I know. I wrote it." He said matter-of-factly.
"You wrote that?"
"Of course, Mlle. Would you," the next few word were hard to put together, but he managed it, "would you like.to have dinner.with me? You seem dressed for the occasion!" he added.
Aaralyn blankly nodded, not believing her ears. Dinner? She had not expected this.
"Well then.come back in about twenty minutes, alright?"
She nodded again, a smile etched across her face.
* * *
Erik shut the door, not believing what he had just done. He had actually invited someone to dinner! With him! This would be a night to remember.
He noticed his mask, again laying on top the organ. He smacked his forehead. What was his problem? He had never ever forgotten to wear it in front of others! Why should this situation be different? Although, the girl had not said anything.Why? His face was hideous enough to at least be commented about, but was usually gaped at. She had done neither.And she had seen his face twice.
He walked over to the organ and slid his mask over his face, determined not to forget it this time.
* * *
Aaralyn stood in front of the mirror, checking her appearance for the hundredth time. She was wearing the same blue dress, and half of her hair was pulled in a hairpiece nearly on top of her head, leaving the other half cascading around her shoulders.
She moved over to the bed and sat down. She vowed to herself that she would at the very least find out the man's name, if not more about him.
Determinedly, she walked out the door toward the house by the lake.
She knocked on the door with caution. It opened, and the man walked out. She noticed he was wearing a white mask. He held out his arm toward her, and she took it.
"Well then, shall we go?" asked Erik.
On their way to a different side of the lake than Aaralyn had ever been to, he turned to her and asked, "Mlle, what is your name?"
She stopped walking. "Aaralyn," she said.
"Aaralyn." he repeated. "What a beautiful name. What does it mean?"
"With song," she answered and seized her chance. "What is your name?"
He looked her, seemingly puzzled. "No one knows my name."
She gave him an incredulous glance. "Not even you?" "Of course I know my own name."
"Well, what is it?" she pressed. He sighed, knowing he would not get anywhere if he kept this up.
"Erik."
She nodded and forced herself not to inquire further. They continued walking.
Upon reaching a small table by the lake, they both sat down and started on their food. Aaralyn didn't know what it was but it was good.
"Monsieur, why do you wear a mask?" she asked bluntly.
He looked up from his dinner. "And you want to know because.?"
"Because I have seen your face twice, and you didn't have a mask then!" She bit her lip, knowing she had gone too far. Erik looked away and continued to eat, refusing to answer her question. They ate the rest of the meal in silence.
Erik finally stood up, and motioned for Aaralyn to follow him. He escorted her back to her room, and said simply, "I wear this mask so that no one should have to see my face." He walked away, leaving a very puzzled Aaralyn behind.
EriksAngel: Thank you! By the way, Aaralyn is 25, but we still don't know it in this chapter. Soon, I promise!
Azure: Yes, I know the beginning is a little fast-paced, but that's just how it turned out.
and to Ayesha and DahnaJeane: Thank you! And, lol, DJ!
KEEP REVIEWING AND THANK YOU!!
CHAPTER 3
Now wearing one of the extravagant gowns that she found in the wardrobe, Aaralyn sat on the edge of the bed, wondering what she could do. She looked down at her dress. It was a deep blue, gathering under her chest and falling to her feet like water would fall over a waterfall.
And then, her room was filled with music. It wasn't coming from within her room, she knew, but from elsewhere. It was the most beautiful, enchanting music she had ever heard. She, almost in a trance, stood up. She followed the music to the edge of the lake. On the side adjacent she was standing on, there was a small house. She very quietly approached the door and stood, mesmerized. She could hear the man singing softy:
Softly, deftly,
Music shall caress you
Feel it, hear it,
Secretly possess you
Open up your mi-
The music stopped abruptly and Aaralyn was pulled unwillingly from her ecstasy. She blinked a few times, and noticed the door in front of her had been opened, and the man stood in it.
"May I help you?" Erik asked with an eyebrow arched.
Aaralyn just stood there, at a loss for words. Erik had to fight the impulse to wave his hand in front of her face to see if she was awake, for that would be too childish. He merely shut the door.
"Wait!" said Aaralyn and he reopened the door, "Keep playing! That was.beautiful." He nearly grinned.
"I know. I wrote it." He said matter-of-factly.
"You wrote that?"
"Of course, Mlle. Would you," the next few word were hard to put together, but he managed it, "would you like.to have dinner.with me? You seem dressed for the occasion!" he added.
Aaralyn blankly nodded, not believing her ears. Dinner? She had not expected this.
"Well then.come back in about twenty minutes, alright?"
She nodded again, a smile etched across her face.
* * *
Erik shut the door, not believing what he had just done. He had actually invited someone to dinner! With him! This would be a night to remember.
He noticed his mask, again laying on top the organ. He smacked his forehead. What was his problem? He had never ever forgotten to wear it in front of others! Why should this situation be different? Although, the girl had not said anything.Why? His face was hideous enough to at least be commented about, but was usually gaped at. She had done neither.And she had seen his face twice.
He walked over to the organ and slid his mask over his face, determined not to forget it this time.
* * *
Aaralyn stood in front of the mirror, checking her appearance for the hundredth time. She was wearing the same blue dress, and half of her hair was pulled in a hairpiece nearly on top of her head, leaving the other half cascading around her shoulders.
She moved over to the bed and sat down. She vowed to herself that she would at the very least find out the man's name, if not more about him.
Determinedly, she walked out the door toward the house by the lake.
She knocked on the door with caution. It opened, and the man walked out. She noticed he was wearing a white mask. He held out his arm toward her, and she took it.
"Well then, shall we go?" asked Erik.
On their way to a different side of the lake than Aaralyn had ever been to, he turned to her and asked, "Mlle, what is your name?"
She stopped walking. "Aaralyn," she said.
"Aaralyn." he repeated. "What a beautiful name. What does it mean?"
"With song," she answered and seized her chance. "What is your name?"
He looked her, seemingly puzzled. "No one knows my name."
She gave him an incredulous glance. "Not even you?" "Of course I know my own name."
"Well, what is it?" she pressed. He sighed, knowing he would not get anywhere if he kept this up.
"Erik."
She nodded and forced herself not to inquire further. They continued walking.
Upon reaching a small table by the lake, they both sat down and started on their food. Aaralyn didn't know what it was but it was good.
"Monsieur, why do you wear a mask?" she asked bluntly.
He looked up from his dinner. "And you want to know because.?"
"Because I have seen your face twice, and you didn't have a mask then!" She bit her lip, knowing she had gone too far. Erik looked away and continued to eat, refusing to answer her question. They ate the rest of the meal in silence.
Erik finally stood up, and motioned for Aaralyn to follow him. He escorted her back to her room, and said simply, "I wear this mask so that no one should have to see my face." He walked away, leaving a very puzzled Aaralyn behind.
