Erik: The Vampire Hunter
Episode 5: Fascination
By: Elektra
Erik's Room
Erik took a deep breath as he readied himself for bed. Christine was disgusted by him, he was sure of it. After seeing his face, after seeing him destroy his quarry, what else could she be?
He looked down to see a cream-coloured cat wrap her tail around his leg with a soft mew. Well, at least there was one female happy to see him. He gathered the feline in his arms, "Isis, how's my little lady?" she mewed in response.
"Ahh... the kittens will be coming soon," he said as he gently touched her stomach, "I'll make you a nice basket to nurse them in." The cat slipped out of his grasp and onto the bed, "No, my dear, that's my basket,"
She didn't seem to care as she made herself comfortable. Erik didn't have the heart to move her. Instead, he changed out of his Masquerade costume and pulled on a pair of yoga pants, then collapsed beside the feline, not bothering to slide under the covers. He was too emotionally and physically exhausted to even make the effort.
He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping before he felt a sudden weight on his bare chest. No, not just his chest, but his entire body. Erik slowly opened his eyes, only to look up into Laura Ashton's face.
"You're not nearly as ugly in the dark," she said, "Though I can still see your face far too well,"
"Get OFF me!" He hissed as he shoved the woman to the floor and sat up.
"Oh really, Erik!" she replied exasperated, "I thought you would enjoy the feel of a woman! I know it's not something you have much - well, any - experience with!"
"How did you get in here?" he demanded.
"I have my ways," She stood gracefully and he jumped to his feet, immediately going on guard, "I was rather put off you killed my scout, you know," she pouted.
"Why are you tormenting me?" he hissed, his eyes traveling to the stake on his night table. It was only a few inches away.
"Tormenting you?" Laura slid her arms around his neck before he could take his weapon, "Please. I just have a great interest in you," she remarked, then pressed her face against his throat, inhaling deeply, "Hmmm... you smell delicious. Candlesmoke and sawdust... oh, and blood, of course. It's something you're so very good at spilling... "
He quickly grabbed her shoulders and held her at arm's length, "I'm not one of your meals," he snapped, unaffected by her attempts to unsettle him.
She met his eyes, deciding on a different strategy. "My but you are in good shape!" she replied as she slowly traced her fingers over his bare torso, "It's a shame that after all these years, no woman has yet enjoyed your lovely body." She shrugged, "I suppose your face scares them away,"
He raised his brow, "If you're here to rip my throat out, let's get on with it already!" he grasped the stake and prepared himself for her attack.
She fought the urge to take him up on the offer, and let out an exaggerated sigh. He seemed so easily distracted by pretty women, after all. "You know, I have this wonderful eternal youth now, but it seems my appetite has grown stronger then I expected,"
"Sucking a human dry is not enough to satiate you?" he asked coldly.
"Oh, I don't mean THAT appetite," she waved a dismissive hand in the air, "No no... I eat well. I'm talking about my OTHER appetite."
Her irises darkened as she met his eyes, "You were such a passionate boy, Erik," she explained, "I could hear it when you sang, I could see it in your art. I so desperately wanted to know the mysterious masked boyI was infatuated with the way you moved, the way you talked, the secrets you hid. And it wasn't just me, " she noted, "Didn't you notice the effect you had on your female classmates?"
"I sent one running into traffic, apparently," he scowled.
Laura laughed at that, grating on Erik's already raw nerves. "Touché," she replied, then grew serious, "No, Erik, you made us girls think naughty thoughts. We were fascinated by you," she shrugged, "...well... provided we didn't know what lay beyond the mask. I'm sure our reactions to you would have been different if we had. Did I ever properly thank you for granting me that to-die-for gift?"
"What do you want from me, Laura?" Erik asked impatiently.
She suddenly forced him back against the wall with inhuman strength, catching him off guard as she pinned him with her own body, sliding her fingers into his hair. "What I want," she began huskily, "Is to see if you can still fascinate me now the way you did then!"
She tried to pull his mouth down to hers, but Erik quickly realized what was happening. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged her back, effectively stopping her attempt as he pressed the stake against her un-beating heart. "What game are you trying to play here?" he demanded, his voice harsh, cold. He narrowed his golden eyes, "Were you trying to catch me off guard so you could kill me?"
"Well, yes," she began, "But..." Laura slowly ran her eyes over him, "My tastes have recently strayed to the morbid, you know. Before I killed you, I would have enjoyed you in my bed first!"
"In your-" he was disgusted as he tossed her away from him, "You have a sick sense of humour!"
"Who said I was joking?" she asked as she tried to resume their earlier position, only to be caught with the point of Erik's stake against her chest once more.
"Don't make me do this, Laura," he said, eyes filled with the unspoken guilt of what had caused her transformation in the first place.
"Awww... is Erik's conscience bothering him tonight?" she taunted.
He squeezed his eyes shut, his hand tightening around the stake. He knew what he had to do... but... he couldn't!
He had been the cause of Laura's death once before, he could not be the cause of it a second time!
"Laura..." he began, but there was no answer.
Erik's eyes flew open, only to find himself alone in his room once again, a quiet feminine laugh whispering around him like the wind.
Christine's dorm room - the next day
Christine was exhausted as she entered her dorm room. Professor Gudicelli had put her through the ringer, asking her what had happened to all the progress she had made earlier.
What could Christine say? My tutor won't talk to me because I saw his face? She was sure that wouldn't go over very well.
Christine sighed as she threw herself on her bed and stared up at the grate in her ceiling. She furrowed her brow for a moment - she could have sworn she saw something moving up there. She closed her eyes, hoping it wasn't rats.
"Christine..." a voice whispered in her ear.
Her eyes shot open, "Wha...!" she sat up and looked around her room, but she was still alone. Meg was watching DVDs in the dorm lounge. Christine closed her eyes again and lay back down.
"Miss Daaé... we need to talk..." the voice was right beside her now.
"Hello?" Christine called out, opening her eyes again. She was still alone. "I'm hearing things," she muttered.
"Not entirely," came the answer.
"ERIK!" Christine gasped, "Where are you?" she asked, then paused, "And... why am I hearing you in my head,"
"Interesting little trick, no?" came Erik's reply, "It's amazing the things one can teach himself when he has nothing better to do,"
"I'm not going to lay here and talk to myself! Let me see you!" She demanded, quite sure she was no longer imagining his silky voice.
"You've seen quite enough of me, Miss Daaé," he answered as if he were on the bed beside her, whispering in her ear. "You've seen things you shouldn't have seen!"
Christine frowned, "Are you going to threaten me with bodily harm if I say anything?"
A dark chuckle answered her, "Now why would I harm such a body?" Erik's comment made her blush, "No, Miss Daaé... I ask you simply to respect my privacy,"
"I don't divulge other people's secrets, Erik," Christine assured him.
There was silence for a moment, until she spoke again, "Erik..." she began quietly, knowing this would probably be the only chance she had to talk to him before he disappeared on her, "I... I'm not doing very well with Professor Gudicelli. She said I've taken a step back. I was so much better when-" she stopped. "...Erik..? Are you still here?"
"Yes... I'm still here," came his quiet reply in her ear again.
"Please tutor me again?" she asked softly. The silence seemed endless, "Erik?"
"Sing for me," he answered finally, "Let me hear what Carlotta found so distasteful,"
Christine slid off her bed and stood up, then began to sing the aria she had sung for Professor Gudicelli. When she was done, there was more silence. She sat back down on the bed. Maybe Erik thought she was horrible too.
"Beautiful sound, but no emotion," he spoke, "It's no wonder she found it less then impressive!"
"Well whose fault is that then?" Christine snapped angrily, "You're supposed be tutoring me!"
"It's not my fault that you cannot bring yourself to sing a romantic aria!" he hissed, "Perhaps you should think of your pretty boyfriend when you sing!"
"I was!" she insisted.
She then heard a harsh laugh, "And this is all the passion he incites in you? You sound like you would rather be asleep! How is one ever expected to enjoy you on stage if that is all the emotion you can muster!" There was a short pause, "... but you're only nineteen. One can't expect much,"
"You make it sound like I'm still a child. How old are you?" she asked.
She was surprised when Erik actually answered, "Thirty."
Christine was silent for a moment, then responded with a muted "Oh." She thought he had been perhaps a few years older. Not an entire decade.
"And I don't see you as a child. I see you as a young woman," he explained, then continued "... albeit naïve and immature,"
Christine frowned at that, "Well, it could be worse. I could be lurking around campus pretending I'm a ghost!"
Silence for a moment, then, "Perhaps this ghost should go back to lurking and stop trying to make contact with the living then!" he growled, "They are starting to get rather bothersome with their whining!"
Christine heard a shifting of clothes, and looked at the grate above her, seeing Erik's shadowy form moving away.
"WAIT!" she cried out as she jumped up, "I'm sorry, okay?"
She quickly climbed on her bed and reached her fingers up through the metal grate, "I'm sorry for... for not leaving when Laura confronted you. For following you on Halloween," she replied, then her voice turned pleading, "Please, don't be mad at me."
"Chrissy?" Christine turned to see Meg just walking in the door, looking at her rather oddly. The strawberry blonde furrowed her brow, "Did you offend the ceiling in some way?"
Christine heard an amused male chuckle in response to Meg's comment, "Uh... I just... um... think I need some rest," Christine replied quietly, "Bad day,"
"Poor gal," Meg replied, then held up the DVD she had fetched from her shelf, "It's Japanese horror movie night in the student lounge. Nothing like a dead girl crawling out of a Well to lift a gal's spirits." Christine shook her head, and Meg shrugged, "Oh well, your loss," she then headed back out.
Christine glanced back up at the ceiling, and slid the grate open, pulling herself up into the air duct. She furrowed her brow. Had Erik disappeared so quickly?
"As I recall, it was Meg who invited your company, not me!" Erik's voice came from behind her
Christine quickly jumped and let out a cry as her head hit the top of the metal tunnel. "I can't believe you actually lurk up here!" she said with a distasteful frown as she sat against one of the cool metal walls and rubbed her head.
With an impatient sigh, Erik moved in front of her and took her head in his hands, running his fingers through her hair to see where she had hurt herself.
"This is your own fault for letting your curiousity override your common sense," he replied, rather annoyed.
Christine closed her eyes and let her hands drop to her side. The feel of those long, thin fingers in her hair was... nice... until he found the sore spot that made her cry out.
Her eyes flew open, giving her a wonderful view of Erik's chest, currently hidden beneath a form-fitting black shirt. "Aren't you uncomfortable up here?" she asked.
"I've gotten used to enclosed spaces," he muttered, then glanced down at her, stilling his hands, "Are you claustrophobic, Miss Daaé?"
Christine took a shaky breath, "A little..."
His voice was unemotional when he spoke, "I suppose I can thank my fellow classmates for curing my claustrophobia when I was a child."
Christine furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"
"Let's just say, Miss Daaé," he began coldly, "...that young ones can think of very creative ways to taunt their resident freaks," he spat the last word out as if it was bitter.
He suddenly brought his hands away from her head, "You are fine. You didn't break the skin, though you'll have a bump there in the morning. I suggest you go back to your room and find ice to put on it,"
"Erik," Christine grabbed his arm, trying not to notice how firm it felt beneath her fingers, "What did they do to you?"
"Nothing to concern yourself over! Now go!" he pushed her unceremoniously through the opening, causing her to land on her bed. She looked up at him, only to see him frowning down at her before he pulled the metal back in place and disappeared.
Dean Giry's Office
"You're late," Dean Giry spoke as Erik entered her office.
"I had to take care of something," he replied, not wanting to tell Giry he had been talking to Christine. "What do you have for me today?" he asked.
"You're going to a comedy club," she informed him.
"Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"There's a new hypnotist in town. One of our scouts heard about his act, and went to see it for himself. It turns out the man doesn't merely hypnotize, he enthralls," Erik nodded, immediately understanding why the Hunter's Guild was concerned. "He chooses young girls as his volunteers, and takes from them something they've deemed important - usually a piece of jewelry. A very talented thief. Now the Guild doesn't want to jump to conclusions, of course, but we cannot simply believe this is all just natural talent,"
Erik nodded, "When is he performing next?"
"Three days from now," she replied as she handed him the address, "I trust you to keep yourself well hidden so he doesn't see you,"
"Trust me, Antoinette. No one sees me unless I want them too,"
Giry raised an eyebrow, "I've been questioning that lately. Certain people HAVE seen you." She frowned, "You were supposed to blend in at the Halloween Masquerade, not stand out and be noticed."
Erik opened his mouth to explain, but Giry interrupted, "Oh yes, Meg told me all about it - Christine saw a friend of hers at the Masquerade, but he brushed her off. Miss Daaé was very upset about it, apparently. Meg didn't tell me much about this friend, of course, but I can take a guess who it was,"
"Well I certainly know nothing about Miss Daaé's so-called friends," Erik replied. "The truth of the matter is, Antoinette, I was hiding in plain sight. What better way for someone like me to blend in at a Masquerade?" He then stood up, "I will go to the comedy club and do what needs to be done. Really, you must stop worrying so much, Madame," he said, then quickly headed out.
Practice Studio - Arts Building - 3 days later
Christine stretched herself out as she held onto the ballet bar. In her attempt at improving her vocal skills, she had neglected her ballet skills, and it was starting to show in her dance classes.
Luckily, she had Meg with to assist her, as Meg was currently the top student at Ravelle as far as dance went.
Now if only Christine could find a good vocal tutor.
"Hey, Chrissy, check this out," Meg said as she went up to the bulletin board, "There's someone new at Improv Tonight and they're offering the ladies of Ravelle College half-price tickets. Want to go?"
Christine shrugged, "Sure, why not. It's not like I have a vocal lessons to worry about any more," she muttered bitterly, hoping perhaps that Erik was lurking about and heard her.
Meg raised an eyebrow, but brushed off her friend's comment, "Girl's night out, then. Should be fun," Meg replied, and with that, the plans were set.
Improv Tonight, Comedy Club
Erik stood at the back of the smoky room, hiding in shadow as he often did. It seemed it was ALL he did, in fact. He was quite sure he could rarely, if ever, walk in public as a normal man. He had been scrutinized every time he had tried it.
His golden eyes took in the scene before him, watching each person with suspicion, waiting for the horrible comedian on stage to finish his act and allow Erik's quarry to take the spotlight.
As he searched the room silently, his eyes fell upon a familiar sight - a lovely girl with long chocolate curls, and her strawberry blonde companion.
"Damned it," Erik muttered to himself. It seemed he would never get away from Christine Daaé, though Erik had started wondering if he even wanted to.
Erik's thoughts were interrupted when the unfunny comedian left the stage, replaced with the headliner - a hypnotist by the name of Mageaik. Erik could sense immediately that he was not what he appeared to be.
He watched as Mageaik looked through the audience for his first volunteer. A young female. Meg eagerly stood up, but it seemed Mageaik was more interested in her companion - Christine.
Erik frowned, not liking that idea at all.
With much urging from Meg, Christine got her feet. The hypnotist approached the girl carefully, his eyes never leaving hers. He asked Christine if she agreed to be his volunteer, and Erik realized it was too late to ask. Mageaik had already started.
"Now, my dear... tell me... what is the most valuable object you possess?"
"A barrette," she began slowly. "My father gave it to me... before he died,"
Erik slowly stepped out of the shadows, readying himself if Mageaik dared to ask Christine any more personal questions. Her life story was not for public display.
"Do you have it on you?" the hypnotist asked, his voice low and smooth. Christine nodded. "May I see it?"
Christine reached to the back of her head and freed her hair from the silver barrette that nestled there. She slowly held it out to Mageaik, and the hypnotists' hand began to reach for it.
It was then that Erik sensed a shift in the atmosphere that no one else would have noticed. The air became thicker, heavier, more electrified. Mageaik was upping his power.
As Mageaik's fingers brushed over Christine's hand, Erik saw the creature's eyes go wide, "Fascinating!" he gasped.
Erik knew the hypnotist was trying to see into the girl's mind, and it seemed he had found something that greatly interested him. Erik knew anything that interested one of THEM was better kept AWAY from them.
"Excuse me," Erik began as he suddenly came up beside Christine and pulled her hand away, effectively stopping Mageaik from completing his mind scan, "You will not take this girl's only remembrance of her father,"
"It was not the barrette that has caught my interest..." Mageaik said as he looked up at the one who interrupted him. After a moment, his eyes filled with recognition, quite aware of who Erik was and his purpose for being there.
The masked Hunter was well-known among the Hunted.
Without another word, Mageaik quickly fled, leaving Christine in her current state. Erik heard the crowd start muttering what a horrible thief Mageaik was, to try and steal a father's last gift to his daughter.
Erik knew he had to pursue Mageaik, but first things first.
He slowly turned towards Christine, "Take her hand, Little Giry," he ordered. Meg did so. Erik placed a gloved hand on either side of Christine's face, tilting her head up and forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Miss Daaé..." he began, his voice even smoother then Mageaik's had been, "When I count to three, you will return to yourself. Do you understand?" a small nod from Christine.
Erik leaned forward, bringing his lips to her ear, as his voice whispered low and silky, "1... 2... 3..." Christine suddenly blinked, then grew dizzy for a moment. With a supportive hand on her arm, Meg helped Christine sit down again. Erik crouched in front of her, "Are you ok?" he asked.
Christine nodded, "Yeah... what... what happened? I remember standing up... then..." she shrugged.
"You seem very susceptible to hypnotism," he replied, though he knew it was not merely hypnotism Mageaik had used, "Now if you'll excuse me," he straightened up.
"Wait," Meg grasped his arm, "How did you know what to do?"
He tugged his arm out of the girl's grip, "One of my many skills, Little Giry. I have a lot of free time on my hands," he replied. His eyes then darted around the room uncomfortably. He saw the looks, heard the whispers.
Who's the guy in the mask?
Is he part of the show?
What is he hiding?
Is he scarred? Burned?
Doesn't he realize he looks like a freak?
Erik forced himself to block out their words as he spun around and rushed out of the club to find Mageaik.
Holli Street
Erik pursued Mageaik down the street, weaving in and out of the light human traffic - more people who couldn't stop staring at him, muttering amongst themselves. Of course, many thought he was running from police, or some such thing. Little did they know he was the chaser not the chased. He sensed Mageaik down a nearby alley, no doubt hiding amongst the dumpsters. How perfectly fitting.
As quiet as can be, Erik stalked over to one of the large metal boxes, and threw open the top. Mageaik jumped out with a horrid hiss, crouching low, preparing to pounce. Erik could see a stain of red along the creature's lips, and knew immediately why he had been hiding in the dumpster - he had found dinner. Erik would let the police sort out whatever remains were left. He had one purpose, and one alone.
But first, he wanted some information, "Tell me, Mageaik, is there a reason you found that girl so fascinating?" he asked. He needed to know what had happened in the Improv club.
Mageaik simply smirked, "Oh, she was very pretty, wasn't she?" he asked, then grew serious, "The others will find her soon enough,"
"And why is she so important?" Erik demanded.
"Someone was looking for her," He replied.
"Pity they'll never know you saw her," Erik replied. Before Mageaik could run again, Erik pulled out a coiled length of rope and whipped it smartly around the hypnotists' neck, yanking hard and snapping the bone. Unfortunately, it did not kill him, but Erik knew it wouldn't. He simply stared at the creature that lay limply at his feet, "Tell me who was looking for her,"
Mageaik looked up at him, and gurgled out an almost incomprehensible sentence. Erik could only make out one word, "...daddy..."
Erik frowned, "Your daddy isn't here... and you have proved to be quite useless. Good-bye," with a graceful swing of his stake, Mageaik was dust.
Dean Giry's Office
"Someone was looking for her, you say?" Dean Giry asked as Erik reported what had taken place at the comedy club. Giry thought a moment, then turned her attention back to Erik, "I want you to keep on eye on Christine," she said, "Just in case another attempts to find her,"
Erik was taken aback, "First you tell me to stay away from her, which I have. Now you tell me to keep an eye on her. You really must make up your mind, Antoinette!"
Giry sighed, "I'm sorry, Erik, but if someone is looking for her... if it's one of them specifically, I worry for Christine's safety," she looked up at him, "Of course, you are not to tell her the truth of why you're keeping such a close eye on her,"
"She knows nothing about my night job," Erik assured Giry, but that was a lie. Christine had seen him fight a creature the night of the Halloween Masquerade. He had not yet told his Minder about that, nor did he plan to.
Giry simply nodded, "Then give her singing lessons once again," she said, "It is as good an excuse as any,"
Erik sighed, "Very well, Antoinette. As you wish..." He stood up to go, "Oh, and may I suggest you find out about Mageaik's daddy. His sire, I gather. The one who made him. It was the last thing he mentioned before my stake found his heart,"
Giry nodded once more, and Erik headed out.
Christine and Meg's dorm room - that night
"What's wrong with me, Meg?" Christine asked as she turned towards her friend, who was currently reading a book as she relaxed on her bed, "Erik has made it abundantly clear that he wants me to stay away from him... and yet, I can't accept that! Why? Have I totally lost my mind?"
"Maybe you feel guilty," Meg replied with a shrug, still studying her book.
"Guilty?" she asked.
"For the way you acted when you saw his face," she explained, "Maybe you feel bad for him or something. Or maybe you just want to save him from being such a miserable bastard."
Meg finally looked up at her friend, "You were like that in High School too, you know. Wanting to befriend the less popular kids," she offered a small smile, "You're a very compassionate person, Christine. If someone is upset, you want to make them feel better. If someone is lonely, you want to keep them company. It's why everyone liked you, you know,"
"Erik doesn't seem to like me all that much," she muttered. Meg opened her mouth to say something, but closed it immediately. "What?" Christine asked when she saw her friend's face, "What's with that look?" Meg shook her head, and quickly turned back to her book, "MEG!" Christine snapped, tossing a pillow at her, "Tell me!"
Meg looked up at Christine, then let out a sigh, "Maybe the fact that Erik is giving you such a hard time is the very reason you keep bugging him," she explained, "You hate being ignored," she raised an eyebrow, "Especially by a guy,"
Christine dismissed that with a wave of her hand, "It's not like that. Erik's different," she said.
"Being different doesn't make him any less male, Chrissy,"
Christine frowned, "What are you saying, Meg?"
"I'm saying that maybe you're fascinated by him in some strange way,"
Christine's mouth dropped open, "How could I be? I hardly know him!"
Meg shrugged at that, "Just something to think about, that's all," she said, then settled back with her book once again, silently declaring the conversation over.
END EPISODE FIVE
A/N: The movie that Meg is referring to at the beginning is "Ringu". It was a well-known Japanese Horror Movie before the English version was made a few years later, known as "The Ring"