Chapter Six : **Prison of My Mind**
The world was a bleak, abysmal void that had her falling hard into it's murky depths. The tendrils of despair curled over her and pulled her down. Elissa's head was bent back from the force of her scream, trying to let out all the pain and anguish that had suddenly come rushing back into a mind not ready to deal with it. Sobbing, she bowed her head into her hands and trembled from the edges of her soft hair to the tips of her toes. And just like that, the black cloud descended on her once again, enclosing her in the chest of hopelessness and loneliness. Through the anguish, she heard a loud, hoarse sound and realized she was screaming still.
Pieces of stone and sifts of dust came falling from the ceiling. The walls were shaking and bursts of heat shook her body. Her chest burned and she realized vaguely the great aching every time she took a shuddering breath. Rocking back and forth, she stared blankly at the shadows in front of her and started all of a sudden, seeing a large building on fire in her mind.
What felt like an eternity was actually only a few moments before Erik was next to her. He felt a sudden jerk in his chest as he saw her curled up on the floor in pain, crying out in emotional sorrow. He wasted no time picking her up, cradling her like a child against his chest, and rushing back to his lair. She turned her head and buried her face into his chest, surprising him. He laid her gently on the pillows on the bow of the boat, regretting making her feel alone for the precious minutes it took for him to row across the lake. What worried him was that she had not stopped crying yet and was clutching her chest in what seemed like physical pain. Hurriedly, he carried her inside his lair and laid her gently on the bed in her room- he had started considering it her room. She had stopped screaming, though, but her breathing was shallow and ragged. He sat next to her on the bed, looking down at her anxiously as his mind raced trying to figure out what to do.
He eyes switched to his suddenly and she say up quickly, pleading, "Go to the opera staircase. Please!!"
"Why? Who's there?" he sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing.
She shook her head frantically. "No, the chandelier there just crashed. Go make sure no one got hurt."
He didn't answer, wondering how she would know this. "Please!" she begged him and he nodded and stood. "Stay here," he ordered, "and don't let anyone in." He started to walk away but turned around again, "And don't move. Stay…there." He didn't want to leave her for long so he hurried to the opening to the opera foyer. Sneaking in, he blended in to the shadows and watched the people regarding the crash with puzzlement and anger. Firmin and Andre were there, of course, looking equally annoyed and talking about cost. Crystal pieces were strewn across the marble floor, glinting in the light like teardrops.
Without warning the walls of the room started to shake. Erik looked around sharply while the other men tried to balance themselves, startled. Bits of the ceiling fell to the floor, a painting was heard crashing on the floor above them, and outside and tremendous crash shook the ground as the giant stone angel fell from the roof and was pitched down onto the road below. A spread out pile of broken stone and a single wing not damaged lay on top. A crack began to form in the ceiling and Erik's eyes narrowed. Somehow, someway, Elissa was breaking apart his opera house. He paused for a moment. Elissa herself was breaking apart. With that thought circling his mind, he went back through the secret entrance and ran soundlessly back to his lair
Elissa had stayed where he'd told her to but now sat on her knees, bent over in agony with her fingers buried in her hair. Raw screams tore from her throat as tears ran quickly down from her clenched eyes. Her body trembled violently and she felt like she was on fire. Images from her childhood snapped through her mind; sudden, horrible realizations became aware to her. Her head hurt terribly, aching from remembering and a searing, choking pain went through her chest with every scream, but she could not stop.
Suddenly, two hands her on her shoulders, pushing her firmly back onto the bed. Her screams turned to sobs and a familiar gloved hand brushed the hair out of her face before pressing a bottle to her lips, urging her to drink. Without thought, she automatically opened her mouth and drank the contents of the vial. She took a shuddering breath after she swallowed and sank back into the soft mattress. The sobs stopped. Opening her teary eyes, she looked despondently up at Erik who was sitting on the bed next to her and holding an empty bottle. The liquid inside was a concoction he'd made that would calm her and cause her to go to sleep very soon.
"I never asked Madame de Loncrae what had happened to my parents," she said sadly. "She never told me. I always thought it quite strange that I had no memories of my childhood before I was six. I couldn't remember a thing. But tonight…he called me Little Lissy…" her voice trailed off, a glazed look in her eyes.
"Who did? Who called you that?" Erik asked, wanting to know the reason behind this.
"My father used to call me Little Lissy…"
"Who called you it, Elissa?"
She focused on him again, tilting her head a bit, "Pierre did."
Erik leaned forward, wanting to catch this bit of information before she slipped into the quickly approaching sleep, "How did Pierre know what your father used to call you, my dear?"
Her eyes then looked painfully sad, as though saying it made it even more unbearable than just knowing it. Looking down for a moment, she gazed blankly at her hands before looking back up at him. He took one of her hands in his, hoping it would make it easier for her. But nothing could have prepared him for what she said next.
"Because Pierre killed my father."
The liquid overtook her then and she slipped into unconsciousness, her face still wet with tears, and leaving Erik to stare at her and let what she'd just said sink in.