Chapter 5

That night, the blessed sounds of a scraping climb made there way to Madeline's waiting ears. He had come! With ecstasy, Madeline pulled on her housecoat and ran to the door. The sound of someone stepping into the room reached her. She pulled her hand into her pocket for her the keys, but they were gone.

Madeline was stunned. She reached for the doorknob and pulled. It was locked tight. She raised her hand to pound on the door and to call out to her child, but she was stopped. An icy voice penetrated the night, "Who are you?" It was Sabine.

"I... who are you?" was the hesitant reply. How much older her son sounded!

"I live here," Sabine said coolly, "Who are you?"

"I... I used to live here," Erik answered, "In fact, this was my room..."

"Well, it's mine now," Sabine replied, "At least, it's one of mine. See all these presents? They're mine too."

Madeline gritted her teeth. What was Sabine doing? She had assumed that the girl was somewhat jealous, but was she really trying to send Erik away? Madeline was too frozen to move.

"I'm sorry," Erik stumbled, "I mean, I'm sorry I intruded, just, my mother still lives here. She... I saw her! I just hoped..."

"She's my mommy now," Sabine stated, "And I love her. She loves me, also. She was so happy you left. She went and got me instead because she loves me better than you. She said she never wanted to see your face again!"

"She said that?" Erik asked, his poor, beautiful voice was choked with a stifled sob.

"Yes," Sabine lied smoothly, "she'd be very angry to see you again. You best go away."

"But, but can't... I stay here?" Erik begged, he was obviously crying, "It... it's so... bad out... there. Please, I'll just... just stay in the attic. I... I won't ever come out!"

"I'm very sorry, but I'm sure the answer would be no," Sabine sighed, "She even said that she'd summon the police if you came back. She said she didn't want her daughter mingling with your types."

Madeline had had enough. She could not bear to have Sabine hurting her child like that. She shouted, banging against the door, "Erik!"

"Oh, she's heard you now!" Sabine cried, "You must go away!"

"But I want to see her!" Erik pleaded.

"Erik, don't go!" Madeline called desperately, "Sabine! Sabine, you open this door right now or so help me..." Madeline stopped calling out. She could scarcely make a sound. Even her knocking seemed to be muffled. What had happened? She glanced about for something to pick the lock. At last she came upon a long nail. As she worked she peered in through the crack in the door.

Erik was standing on the sill, about to climb back down. She frantically hurried her work.

"Get out!" Sabine cried.

Erik hesitated, "Could I see her just a moment? I have something for her."

"She wouldn't want it," Sabine replied icily. Her long, dark hair hung over her like a vale, and something sinister seemed to come from her very being. She advanced towards Erik.

"I don't care," Erik said stubbornly, "I want to give it to her!"

"No, get out of the room," Sabine said, her voice cold and even. She walked right up to Erik and reached out her hands. Madeline could no longer see them and she worked as fast as she could. She heard Erik suddenly cry out:

"What are you?"

Then she heard a scrambling noise and the sound of a fall. She burst the door open.

"Sabine!" she cried; the room was empty.

"Yes mommy?" Sabine asked innocently.

"What did you do?" Madeline said in grated syllables. Her eyes blazed with anger and she took the girl by the hair, "What did you do? Where is he? Where is my son?"

"Ow, mommy, you're hurting me!" Sabine cried pitifully, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Madeline flung the girl away from her, panting and hissing for breath, "I want my son!" she exclaimed.

"You don't need a son," Sabine replied hypnotically.

"What?"

Sabine walked towards her mother, arms outstretched, hair tumbling over her pale, pale face. Darkness filled the room.

Madeline sat in the parlor, gently, methodically brushing Sabine's hair. Her eyes were glazed over and she looked dully at her daughter as if in a trance. "There, don't you look pretty?" Madeline asked in a drone

"I love you, mommy," Sabine replied, smiling.

El Fin

Ok, how was that one, better or worse than My Angel, My Love? I based Sabine off of Samara from The Ring (heh). Please don't flame, I wrote this on my birthday. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll PM you w/ some lovely reply. Have a nice, cow-free day. Smiles. PS: If you liked it, PM me, I love messages!