Hello my wonderful readers! Thank you for all of your awesome reviews! That includes: PhantomFan01, OfLoveAndLies, AND THERABIDWRITER! (I love you! -no homo..) Just to let you know, Erik and Iris BOTH die in this chapter... maybe.. let's find out.
Iris's POV
I was blacked out for a second from shock and panic. I recovered very quickly and looked around, remembering where I was.
I screamed and trembled uncontrollably. The alligators were coming closer and closer, jaws snapping and snarling. Since I only had one eye, it was hard to tell where all of the alligators were. Suddenly I felt a very sharp and painful snap in my left arm. Swiveling my head towards my arm, maybe the smallest, yet very large, alligator had attached its jaws to my arm. I screamed to the top of my lungs and pounded on its nose. The water around me turned red from my blood. I gasped as another set of jaws closed slowly on my leg. Pain continued to seep through my body as I screamed and screamed, occasionally being dunked under water by the starving reptiles.
"Make it stop! Make it stop! Kill me now and just end it! Make it STOP!" I screamed. Tears, water, and blood covered my face as I cried.
"Please God!" I pleaded. "Save me from this! Let me be in heaven with my father! Please! I beg of you!" I shouted.
Then there was darkness again.
Erik's POV
I practically flew down stairs and ran so fast my feet barley touched the ground as I raced towards the alligator trap. Suddenly the screaming stopped. I gasped, but kept going. Maybe they got her already. Maybe I was too late. Maybe they drowned her. How could I have known a girl for such little time, maybe a month or two, and already care for her so much? I pushed those thoughts from my head as I continued on. I slowed down as I reached the trap door on the floor. I got on my knees and began feeling the wall in the cracks and crevices for the key to a small door that opened and released a rope ladder that fell from the ceiling, allowing the trapped victim to escape. I had installed this device for Madame Giry when she first brought me here. She was always falling in my traps, nearly killing herself each time when she came to check on me. Now that she knew where every one of my traps was located, she had no need for my rescue devices. I turned the key and the trap door swung open, as did the small door that held the ladder. I shoved the key in my pocket and began climbing down the ladder. I neared the surface of the water and jumped in. Iris was floating on her back, and very still behind a large tangle of alligators fighting over her as their meal. I pulled two Punjab lassos from my belt and lassoed two of the alligators, tightening the rope where the gator could barley open its mouth. The other alligators ended their battle and began swimming curiously towards me. "Damnit..." I cursed. I quickly swam over to Iris and grabbed her body, tucking her under my arm as I swam slowly back to the ladder. The hungry lizards approached me and opened their jaws. One swam up eagerly and snapped its jaws on my arm. There was only a small cut, but it bled. I kicked at their snouts with my hard boots, sending waves of shock through them. They floating in the water for a few seconds, stunned. I used that as my opportunity to escape.
Heaving Iris up with me, I began my slow ascend up the ladder. As I reached the final step, I pulled her up and laid her on the ground beside the trap door. I coughed severely and threw up some water that managed to get inside my mouth as I rescued her. Climbing out, I shut the trap door back in place and put the key in the lock once again and locked the small door, which retracted the ladder and shut. I coughed once again and picked Iris up and walked through the dark hallways back to my lair. Slowly, a few tears escaped my eyes. As they ran down my bare cheek, I then realized I had lost my mask while saving her. I sighed and sniffled. This was my entire fault. How was I to explain this to Madame Giry? And how was she to explain this to Andre and Firmin? I reached the dock and looked around for my gondola. It was floating around the middle of the lake where I had left it, when the oar broke. I grumbled and laid her down once more on the wooden dock. Quickly, I jumped up the steps and walked up to Caesar.
"Hello, cheval doux. Our precious Iris has got hurt and my boat is in the middle of the lake. We are in need of your services if you do not mind." I said leading him towards the dock. I brushed the saddle off and mounted him.
"Bow down, cheval doux." I said to Caesar. I had taught him this trick out of complete boredness when Christine would go to school and I wasn't busy writing any music.
He lowered his front and neighed. I patted his neck and held on so I would't fall, as I wasn't the greatest rider. I reached down and pulled Iris's body up onto Caesar. I held her with one arm, and the reins with the other. Her chest moved up and down very slowly. I sighed in relief that she was indeed breathing. I clicked the reins and moved Caesar off the dock and onto the shore, where the water met the land. I urged him on as he entered the chilly water. Once again, the fish scattered in every which way as we approached them. I held onto the saddle and Iris as Caesar entered the deep part of the lake where he had to swim. We bobbed from left to right, almost falling off. Finally, his hooves touched ground and he waded out of the water, dripping water on the ground. I slid off, with Iris still in my arms. Since we were in the candlelight, I could now see her wounds. There were huge gashes in her left arm, and obviously it was broken. Her right leg was swollen and bleeding. I gasped and hurried over to the swan bed, laying her down as if she would break. I brushed the wet clumps of hair out of her face and sighed. She moaned softly, her arms twitching. I drew back a bit. Suddenly my eyes wandered to her face. Her eye patch was still in place. I crept forward and decided to look for myself what lay beneath it.
She whimpered in pain, like a little puppy and turned over on her stomach, her head buried in the pillows. I grumbled lightly.
Silently, I reached over her and snagged a pillow. I took the pillow case off and began tearing it into strips. Biting my lip, I wrapped the strips around Iris's leg tightly, in hopes of stopping the blood from coming out. Within minutes, the blood was already seeping through the pillow case strips. I took some of the left over strips and slowly began making a cast for her arm. I picked up her arm gently and began wrapping it up. Suddenly, her eye flew open and she turned on her back and sat up, screaming. I jumped back in total shock.
"No ! Stop !" She screeched. I leaned on chair and gasped for breath. She really scared me.
Her eye darted around the room, finally landing on me. I opened my mouth, but shut it quickly.
"Who are you and what are you doing ? And where am-" Iris cut her sentence short and screamed out in pain again, holding her arm. Out of instinct, I backed into the shadows, not wanting to get close to her for fear she might see my face, as I had no mask on. I looked down and hurried towards my organ, snatching a spare mask from the music sheet dock. I put it on with ease, sighing at the cold surface pressed against my deformed face. I walked slowly back to Iris. She was crying and laying back down, holding her arm and whispering something lowly. I walked up to the bed and looked at her.
"Please, ma bien-aimée, are you alright?" I asked urgently. I suddenly felt dumb. Her arm was broken, and her leg was bleeding like hell. Of course she would be in pain.
Iris's POV
I stared up at this strange man. My hair was neatly tucked behind my ears, but my cheeks were red from the tears pouring out of my eyes. He wore a mask. A mask. His voice was reassuring, and I could sense a bit of sadness in his yellow eyes. I coughed up some water and cried some more, not answering him. My arm was half wrapped in what looked like some kind of fabric, and my leg was stiff and asleep. The bed, which was in the shape of some kind of bird, was soaked in blood, tears, and water. My eye patch was soaked with water, and disgustingly, I could feel some water in my eye socket.
He reached a hand out to touch my shoulder, but I shied away. I fell back onto the bed and cried into a pillow. He sat on the wing of the bird bed and patted my back.
"Let it out, ma bien-aimée, Iris." he said softly.
My crying went to a sob, then to just sniffles. I sat up once again and edged away from him. He stood up an backed away a little. I did not know this man, but he knew me somehow.
"My name..." I said weakly. "You know my name. How do you know my name?" I said a little more loudly, and with fear in my voice. I held my arm close to my chest and breathed heavily.
Erik's POV
I stared at her, my mouth partially open. How would I answer that question?
"Um.. I..." I stuttered. I didn't know what to say. Her sea green eyes stared up at me, confused. I sat down on the wing of the swan bed and just looked at her.
Well that was boring... And I ended the chapter there, cause like Erik, I didn't know what to say... PM me with ideas and I'll credit you in the author's note!