A Place in This World
Another short, but very important chappy. Oh, and Michél is pronounced Mitch-el, when Erik shortens it, it is just pronounced Mitch. His importance will be revealed in due time also.
Along time ago in a galaxy far, far away…(no, I don't own "Star Wars" either)
CHAPTER 10
Very early, the next morning
Erik awoke to an incessant knocking. He could not remember the last time he had gotten such a good nights sleep. (Who on earth could that be?) Erik threw on his black silk robe over his black silk sleep pants, and donned his mask. Brushing his fingers though his thick hair, he stood at the door and asked in a booming voice, "Who is it?" Another knock was the reply. "Who is it?" Erik demanded, a decibel louder this time.
"It's me Erik, let me in." Erik relaxed upon hearing Michél's familiar voice.
He unfastened the locking mechanism and opened the door. Michél showed himself in as he moved past Erik and into the room. Michél stood about three inches shorter than Erik's 6'4 frame. Even at 46, he was a vigorous man with silver-tipped dark brown hair. His soft brown eyes had seen more than enough of their share of suffering, even before he meant Erik some twelve years ago. He was a loyal and trusted friend, the only one that Erik could truly say he had; he knew that Margarite was his friend, but even after 24 years, she still feared him.
"Honestly Erik, when I saw the headlines announcing your capture, I think I was on the verge of having a heart attack!" Michél always did have a flair for the dramatic. "What were you thinking?" Michél looked exasperated and more than a little perturbed. "Were you even going to let me know what self-destructive thoughts were brewing in that eccentric mind of yours?"
Erik stood maddeningly still, regarding him through sleepy eyes. "What…no explanation; no excuses?" Michél stubbornly glared at Erik with his arms crossed over his chest. Erik did not attempt to speak, but his mind was working quickly, (I sure do miss this man when he is not here, the verbal bartering brings a rare smile to my heart.) When the younger man did not attempt to reply, he threw his hands up in the air and hastily headed for the kitchen.
If there was anyone who made Erik laugh, it was Michél. He had a way of taking every situation and making it an event. He was the sanity that echoed in Erik's mind. Erik sat at the table and observed as Michél busied himself with breakfast.
Michél turned to Erik and spoke, "I owe you my life Erik; I will not stand around and allow you to destroy yours, especially over a woman." Michél pointed his finger at Erik, "A woman that I remember telling you was not for you; you need a woman who is every bit as strong willed as you. You need a woman who will issue you a challenge and love you with the same passion and conviction with which you love."
Michél turned back around and again focused on preparing breakfast. He turned to Erik again as another thought crossed his mind, a hint of mischief was on his face and evident in his next words, "Let's face it Erik, you just need a woman." Michél threw a wink at Erik and once again turned to prepare breakfast.
There was a long silence; a very deafening one. "Hello Mich, it is good to have you back." Erik's languid statement caused the older man to roll his eyes. Erik smirked, "You fuss at me like we are an old married couple." Erik stood up and made his way to Michél's side, casually draping his arm over Michél's shoulder, Erik replied, "You're really not my type, but I'm flattered." This was said with a raised eyebrow and more than a little mirth.
Michél turned to him and cracked a huge grin. "You will give me early gray hair Erik, never do this to me again."
Erik scanned the older man's hairline, "Early gray hair? It seems that someone beat me to that."
Both men laughed and Michél replied, "Ha, ha, Erik; very funny!"
They ate scrambled eggs and bacon and drank cup after cup of fresh brewed coffee. Neither man spoke until their plates were empty. Michél proudly scrutinized Erik's empty plate. "I think that is the first time in a long time that you have eaten that much." Erik gave a slight grin; his eyes once again cloaked in shadow, and Michél knew that he had decided to open up about the events that covered the last few days.
Erik left no details out as he painted the picture for Michél"I only wanted peace Mich, for the first time in my life…the only way that I could fathom to finally obtain it…was to let death have me…it is not the first time that I have attempted this, you are well aware of this fact."
Michél outwardly cringed as the images of Erik's five attempted suicides swept across his mental vision. "I had hoped and prayed that you were past that self-destructive phase."
Erik ignored Michél's words and doodled with an imaginary spot on the table, "All of my affairs are in order and my fortune is allocated as I want it. I knew that those I cared about would be taken care of…what reason did I have for remaining in this loathsome body?"
Erik lifted his eyes from the unseen object and peered at Michél"The fact that you were not here, made my decision that much easier to make…I knew that you would try and talk me out of it."
This was said matter-of-factly and Michél just shook his head, he was shaken by the thought that if Margarite had not found the evidence in Erik's lair, Erik would be dead and Michél would be grieving the loss of one the best men he had ever had the privilege of knowing.
Michel chokingly replied, "Well, thank God that somebody else was there to do that for me. If Margarite had not found that journal and those letters, I would have returned to an entirely different scenario; one I don't care to dwell on."
Michél got up and went around the table, he placed his hand on Erik's shoulder and knelt down beside him, "Would you have really died for these crimes Erik? Would you have let them hang you, knowing that you were not guilty?"
Erik was silent for what seemed like an eternity, he finally shifted in his chair and looked at Michél with distant eyes, "I am guilty Mich. Guilty of ruining lives with my presence; guilty of being jealous and coveting those things which will never be mine…" Erik again focused on the table, "Guilty of thinking that I could actually have a place in this world…who was I fooling?"Erik looked away, disgusted by his own stupidity. "...The answer is yes...I would have gladly died at the hands of the French government."
Michél felt tears stinging his eyes. The thought of Erik just yielding himself to the authorities for no other reason than that he felt overwhelming guilt for things he had no control over, cut him to the core. (I almost lost him…thank you God for seeing fit to rescue him from the snares of the devil. Erik has suffered enough in this lifetime; help me Lord…help me to help him find what it is he seeks.)
Michél addressed Erik with amusement in his voice, "Are you even curious about the information that I gathered while I was away?" Erik's head snapped up and his face quickly took on an interested look. Michél's eyes danced with joy, "It seems, my friend, that you are indeed Scottish by birth."
Chapter 11 preview – Hunting for Erik