Alright, this one's a bit shorter than usual, but that's because if I didn't end it where I did, it would prolly end up being something like twenty pages (or more) long. And that seemed to me like it might be a bit tedious to read, especially if you only have limited time on the computer or the internet. So here it is, have fun.

I'm sure you all know the spiel by now, I don't own Phantom, fic takes place in present day, blah blah blah, REVIEW…

Lenore couldn't say exactly how it happened, but she knew her dream had changed. She was no longer trapped in a pitch black night with the smell of smoke suffocating her. It was hard to decide if her new dream was an improvement over the last, due to the stench of decay that assaulted her sense of smell.

It seemed that she was now laying in a field of black, dying roses that were close to falling off their sickly green vines. The only part of the plant that seemed to flourish was the thorns, which were pricking her skin no matter how she moved. The sky above her was a stormy grayish black, and Lenore decided that she should follow her instincts and do everything in her power to get away from this place.

"You'll regret it, if you stand up now, ma chouchoute," Erik informed her. She hadn't even realized that he was sitting beside where she lay until he spoke. His black cloak made him nigh impossible to see. "It isn't always wise to listen to instinct. Besides, it's not your instinct that's telling you to run; it's the darkness in your heart."

"I'm not going to sit out here and wait for it to rain," Lenore argued, starting to sit up.

Erik reached over with one hand and pushed her back down the few inches she had risen. "Are you deaf?" he snarled with such hostility that Lenore began to tremble in fear.

"But…it's going to rain…and…I…well…it…" she stammered, not able to finish her sentence. She couldn't tell him that this place was horribly intimidating and her entire body ached to get away from here, but it turned out that she didn't have to.

"I know," Erik replied gently, conveying a deep pity for her. "The edge of Hell isn't a comfortable place for most. The devil plays upon the fear of his domain in the attempt to have you rise. If you get up, you won't be able to keep yourself from staring at his dark citadel. And if a mortal so much as catches a glimpse of Hell, they are eternally condemned, even if you live your life entirely according to God's word."

"But…what about you? You should be lying down too, shouldn't you?" she inquired curiously. After all, Erik had no right to scold her about her language and being concerned about her soul's final destination if he didn't care about his.

"It doesn't matter. I turned my back on your Lord before your great grandparents were born."

"You don't just give up faith. It's not as simple as merely turning and walking away from it; it's a slow process. I know, because I've already started down that road," Lenore whispered softly. "Before I met you, I was certain that God didn't exist and death was merely a state of non-existence. But you…what with the edge of Heaven and Hell…I just don't know what to believe anymore."

"If you don't fear eternal damnation, sit up and let your eyes show you what you should believe," Erik said dryly.

"Um, I think I'll pass on that one and take your word for it," she replied, not moving an inch. "You know, you shouldn't have looked at Hell. God forgives."

Erik's amused laughter startled her. "Forgives? You know nothing, child. He places whomever He wishes in Hell. Forgiveness is a pretty little gesture humans have invented so that they don't have to live with guilt. God is no more than a malicious child playing with toys to amuse Himself."

"That's not true," she argued. It couldn't be. All her life she'd been told that God was mercy. That He was a loving father, waiting to accept His children and pardon their transgressions. How could it be different? It was inconceivable to her that everything she had once believed was incorrect. "You haven't met God, you don't know anything."

"You haven't met God either, ma petite. So how do you know that God isn't what I say?" he pointed out.

"You and your logic. God's true nature is not about fact; it's about a feeling that every normal person seems to have. He's forgiving and He loves all His children. Even wayward ones like you."

"He loves us?" Erik chuckled. His fingers brushed the scars and burns on her lower legs. "He has a rather perverted way of showing that love, doesn't He? Quite an odd father to let His little child be mutilated in such a fashion."

"God works in"-

"Mysterious ways," he finished for her. "I've heard that one. You humans always concoct explanations for everything. After all, it wouldn't be proper to admit that even God makes mistakes, would it? So naturally His actions are merely beyond your comprehension."

"And I used to think I was bitter," Lenore retorted. She was unnerved by the way Erik seemed not to associate himself with other people. After all, he was only human…wasn't he? "Erik…what are you? How are you still alive after all these years?"

"That doesn't concern you."

Men! They never wanted to answer a woman's questions. And beyond that, the issue at hand most certainly did concern her. She was living with him, after all, and a girl had a right to know about the man she lived with. Though it wasn't something Lenore wanted to contemplate, Erik was certainly old, even if he didn't look it. Who was to say that she wouldn't wake in the morning and find him dead? Then I'll be stuck in the underground, searching blindly and frantically for a way out so I don't die myself. Of course, this is all assuming that Erik's mortal. What if he's not? What if he's just going to live forever? Or what if he's a vampire or something like that? Well, he's probably not a vampire; he hasn't tried to suck my blood yet. "How old are you?" Lenore inquired.

"Older than you."

"Well I kinda figured that one out for myself. How much older?"

"Many, many years older."

"What's your last name?"

"You have no need to know that."

"Where were you born?"

"Once again, that's not something you need to know."

"Why won't you tell me anything about yourself?" she asked, trying her absolute best not to let her frustration creep into her voice.

"Because I see no point in telling you things that you don't need to know," Erik replied.

"So you expect me to tell you everything about myself and let you see the real me, and then not give anything in return? That's fuc- messed up," Lenore muttered darkly. "You know, every question I asked is something I need to know. We've been living together for almost a month now, and I hardly know anything about you. All I know is that your name is Erik, you wear a mask, you compose and paint and sew and cook exceptionally well, you have a pet rat named Cristoph (which is a strange name for a rat), and you're an excellent kisser."

Erik gave a tired sigh. "First, you asked how I'm still alive. I see that as a ridiculous question; the fact is that I am alive, the how is irrelevant. My age was your next inquiry. All you need to know about that is that I far surpass you in years. I refuse to give out my last name for two reasons. I left my family, and coincidentally my family name, rather early in life and don't care to remember the name. Moreover, if I give it to you, you might in turn give it to authorities who can use it for an arrest warrant. And lastly, one's place of birth is trivial when it comes to actually knowing about a person. On a side note, Cristoph is named after Cristoph Gluck, a composer. I suppose you don't know much about classical music; it should have been quite obvious."

"One more question. Why don't you trust me?" It was more of an angry snarl than a question, but it hurt her that he didn't have any faith in her, and her way of dealing with emotional pain was to cover it with anger.

"For the very same reasons you don't trust me, ma chérie," Erik returned with a smirk.

Erik knew Lenore would protest that she most certainly did trust him, and he didn't have to wait long for it at all.

"What's that about? I trust you. I live with you, after all. If I didn't trust you, I'd have run away by now!" Lenore replied with a perfect air of indignation.

"You don't stay out of trust. You don't attempt to escape because you know you can't, mademoiselle," he pointed out.

"You're missing my point entirely. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't care how hopeless any escape attempt would be; I'd still try because I'd be desperate to get away from you," she argued.

"And you are missing my point, little one. You know better than to waste time and energy trying to escape me. Of course, that's not the only reason you stay. You stay because your sister is at risk if you try to leave, and because it would be a rather ghastly end for you if dared defy me," Erik said calmly, as if merely discussing the weather. "Do you realize that you have turned the conversation in a direction you did not intend?"

"I did not. You said you didn't trust me for the same reasons I don't trust you. But I do trust you, so you're entirely wrong anyway," she snapped.

"You do not trust me, and you turned the conversation to the matter of why you do not try to run away, which I'm quite sure you did not mean to discuss. It seems to me as though you're trying to convince yourself that you have no desire to flee captivity."

"Just what are you trying to imply?" Lenore said heatedly, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

Before she had raised herself three inches off the ground, Erik reached over with his hand and threw her back down violently. "What is it that makes you incapable of hearing and following simple instructions?" he hissed dangerously. He didn't wish to be so cruel to her, but it was for her own good.

"I don't know, probably the fact that I'm just a lowly human," she retorted. "All men are arrogant pricks and the world would be better off without them." That last bit was muttered under her breath and wouldn't have been heard by most people, but Erik's exceptional hearing gifted him with catching that nasty little opinion of hers.

"The human race would die out rather quickly then, which would be a blessing," Erik replied with a smile at the thought of that detestable species being wiped off the face of the earth.

"You're just sick and twisted, you know that? I don't"-

Lenore was gone, her subconscious having taken her to another dream, and Erik slipped into dark, dreamless sleep.