Hi guys! Chapter 8 here... WARNING: THERE IS A BIT OF CURSING/FOUL LANGUAGE IN THIS CHAPTER.
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Fiwen543: Thank you! I try to update as much as possible. :D
RedDeathLvr: Just wait till you read this chapter... Ahahahahaa :3
PhantomFan01: I hope you like the chapter then! Review and tell me what you think of it!
PanicAtTheEpicness: I could not stop smiling when I read your review. I love you. You literally made me start writing this chapter after I read your review because I was so happy. Alas, it came out a little later then expected... But you essentially got this chapter started :P All of your questions will be answered in time, and you also gave me a few ideas... THANK YOU! Haha!
TheIdesofMarch: Cookies make everything better! -gives cookie-
amysmiles: I enjoyed writing that part, it made me feel so happy! This chapter was a bit more, uh, less childish-happy-ness xD
Confused and hurt… Shame and embarrassment… Who was I to think… To believe…. What naiveté consumed me to imagine… What have I done? I understand nothing anymore. No words can describe this feeling of betrayal and hate. How could this happen… How could I have let this happen? Why am I so idiotic, so foolish, so helpless?
Nothing is real… And yet, I feel the reality crushing me down.
Nothing is true… And yet, the undeniable truth is destroying my soul.
Nothing is right… And yet, somehow, I feel it is correct. Somehow, I knew it would be this way.
Why me? Why now? Why this? Anything but this… Anything but this intense loss, this fate now set before me. Only shame and defeat can be seen on my path.
I have lost. I am finished.
I am dead.
Aimee clung onto the curtain for her life.
Run, run, RUN!
"NO!" she hissed to herself. Not this time.
She would stay. She would remain. She would prevail.
Somehow.
Aimee's fear was slowly consuming her; it took all of her effort to form coherent imagines in her mind. One moment the Phantom was in the boat; the next, he was lifting Abigail's limp body into his arms. He watched Doug as he silently moved past him, his cloak billowing behind his overpowering form. The man continued humming the odd tune as he made a beeline towards Aimee.
Her eyes widened. Where would she go? What should she do? Aimee whipped around, eyes darting around the small area. Her eyes found the wardrobe. She darted inside, just managing to leave an inch open before she heard the Phantom pass through the veil.
Aimee watched him as the giant figure gently placed Abigail on the swan bed's red covers. She appeared to be asleep. A sigh of relief almost escaped Aimee's lips. The Phantom stayed with Abigail for a moment, simply watching her. Aimee thought that this was odd. Why watch someone sleep? It freaked her out. The Phantom was obviously crazier than she had imagined.
After a moment, the Phantom got up, and dashed off towards Doug. Aimee whimpered. She slowly opened the wardrobe, snuck out, and crept over to the edge of the curtain to watch.
The Phantom was circling Doug as a wolf stalks its prey; his fists clenched and unclenched, wild eyes darting over his limp body. Doug didn't look good. Blood was dripping onto the ground; his face had almost completely paled. Aimee's fingers dug into her palm; she should have brought him to a hospital. It would be her fault if he died down in this cold, unforgiving realm. Why could she do nothing right?
Aimee's heart jumped as the Phantom suddenly darted at Doug. He grabbed his hair, pulling Doug's head back to stare into his face. Aimee covered her mouth as Doug's lips opened, letting out a painful moan, but not much more. The Phantom seemed dissatisfied. Aimee observed the dark figure as it moved around the island, collecting various objects that she could not make out.
She recognized one very clearly: his Punjab lasso.
Aimee almost passed out.
She had to do something. But what? All she could do was watch in horror as the Phantom slipped the noose around Doug's and tighten it. Panic began to rise in her throat. She looked on as the Phantom rested his foot against Doug's shoulder, both hands wrapped around the Punjab, and began to pull.
Doug stirred, gagging and thrashing his arms about as he tried to grab the air around him. He opened his eyes, revealing the Phantom looming over him. Realization spread across his face. The Phantom was real. He was trying to kill Doug.
An roar erupted from Doug's lips, his eyes going into a frenzy. Despite the fact he was weak from blood loss, and the Phantom practically on top of him, Doug leapt from the chair and tackled the Phantom to the ground.
The Phantom was shocked, but not for long. He grabbed Doug's throat, and the two began to wrestle among the rocks and dirt. They twisted and rolled around, each one attempting to get ahead of the other. All Aimee saw was a whirlwind of fists and feet. Tears began to flow down her face. She wanted this all to stop, she wanted to take Doug away from here and help him and care for him and protect him.
Aimee's mind shut out common sense.
"STOP!" she screamed, bursting out from her hiding place
Both men froze, shocked to see her. They were in an awkward position, the Phantom's hand pressing Doug's face into the ground, one fist raised; Doug was holding him a distance away, his hand pushing against the Phantom's chin, one foot in his stomach, and the other fist also raised to strike. Both were bruised and bloody. They stared at her as if she was some kind of apparition, unaware of their own outlandish state.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Aimee screamed even louder, sprinting over to them, coming to a stop a few feet away. Tears were replaced with anger to the Phantom; he had hurt Doug.
"Excuse me," the Phantom replied in a chilling voice, "But who do you think you are? And you," he said, looking down at Doug, "Who are you? Why are you two in my home?"
"Mmmfmmgmff!" Doug attempted to yell through the Phantom's hand.
The Phantom was not amused in the slightest.
"Please," Aimee pleaded, reaching out to Doug, "Let him go. Please. He is hurt."
"Does it look like I care? You have no right to be down here!" the Phantom screamed, shoving Doug's face further into the ground. The Punjab was still hanging around his neck.
"Well… You had no right to take Abigail!" Aimee screamed back.
The Phantom raised an eyebrow. He looked at Aimee, then back down to Doug, and back to Aimee again, "You… know Abigail? You are friends of hers?"
Aimee nodded quickly.
"You are the one who left her then?" The Phantom hissed at Aimee, "Abandoned her in her time of need? Didn't protect her from the evil old Phantom?"
Aimee sobbed, "N-no… I… It… I didn't.. I didn't mean to!"
"Oh? Of course, the entire world did not mean to betray me! Did not mean to take advantage of her!" he yelled, shaking a head in Abigail's direction, "I'm sure everyone takes excellent care of her! You don't even care about Abigail!"
"That's not true!" Aimee cried back, "Everyone loves Abigail! We love Abigail!" she said motioning between her and Doug. Doug nodded as best he could, "We take good care of her, and we miss her! Why do you think we are here? Taking a nice tour in the dead of night?" Aimee screamed, bewildered, "And how can you make such accusations? You stole Abigail off in the middle of the night, preventing her from returning home! You are keeping her prisoner and torturing her for all we know! Why do you even care about who is kind to her or not?"
The Phantom glared at her, "If you care so much about Abigail, why are you trying to save your male friend right now rather than sneaking Abigail away? After all, she is standing right behind you. You would know that if you were truly here to help her."
Aimee froze. She looked behind her, and, sure enough, Abigail stood there, listening, her dead eyes staring straight ahead of her in shock.
"Abigail?" Aimee whispered.
"Aimee? Doug?" she murmured back, "Is that you?"
Aimee had almost forgotten about Abigail. Surely their screaming had woken her. She had not even considered it. Aimee sprinted up to her and slammed her into a hug. Abigail did not hug her back.
"Why are you here?" she asked, confused.
"Why would we not be here?" Aimee cried, squeezing her, afraid she would disappear again, "We came to rescue you, but Doug is really hurt! He needs to get to a hospital! We need to get you out of here!"
Aimee pulled away from her. Abigail was frowning, a confused expression corrupting her face.
"You… You came to rescue me?" she said, scratching the back of her head. She was wearing a black tank top with black sweat pants. Upon further inspection, Aimee noticed she had a pair of white slippers on her feet. She ignored it.
"Yes!" Aimee said, shaking her shoulders, "Get your things! We're leaving!"
Abigail grabbed Aimee's wrist, swaying a little bit, "Aimee.. I… It's been so long… I'm… I don't… I don't know what to do."
"You don't need to think, Abigail, just get your cane and we can leave!"
"Who said she is leaving?" The Phantom called from behind. Aimee turned around and screamed.
Doug lay motionless upon the ground. She sprinted past the Phantom, dropping to her knees beside Doug. She felt for a pulse. It was there; barely.
"What did you do to him?" she sobbed, pulling Doug into her arms.
"Get out of my sight." The Phantom hissed, "The only reason I do not kill you where you stand is because Abigail would never forgive me. Should you return, I will not be as kind." and with a swish of his cape, the Phantom grabbed Doug and Aimee violently, dragged them into the boat, jumped in, and began to led them away.
"Abigail!" Aimee screamed.
"Aimee!" she cried after her, drunkenly running after them. Aimee watched as Abigail tripped over a rock, fell, and smashed into the ground. She cried out as Abigail slowly got up, holding her knee in pain.
The last thing she heard was Abigail calling out Doug's name.
She watched Abigail's pained figure until she could no longer make out her form. Slowly, she turned around and faced the Phantom. He had his back to her as he quickly led the boat along the water. She shivered in fear, almost seeing his back muscles move as he pumped at the long oar.
Aimee pulled Doug close to her. She torn off pieces of his shirt and attempted to re-bandage his wound; she could hardly see through the tears.
They had failed. She had failed. Abigail was gone, forever.
"You disgust me."
Aimee looked up at the Phantom. He was watching her, "W-what?" she cried
"You. You two. You disgust me." He repeated.
"Why?" she asked, clutching Doug closer.
"You claim to have come down here to rescue Abigail, that you still care for her, and yet, here you are, having given up. You probably only did this to feel better about yourselves. Frankly, I'm disappointed. I knew that someone would eventually come looking for Abigail. I did not know that it would be her two closest friends, practically her family I'd assume since she told me she had none other than two friends, who had since then realized how great their lives were without her."
"How dare you-"
"Do you interrupt me." The Phantom cut in coolly, "I am no fool. I know she loved this man here." He motioned to Doug, "She thought of him constantly. She wouldn't even let me read her music she missed him, and you, I'd assume, too much. Abigail had been hanging onto a hope that you two would come down here guns blazing. That slowly faded, however, as time went on."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"You should know how much emotional damage you have done coming down here. We were fine, she was fine. I was even fine for a little bit."
"I don't care about you." Aimee snarled.
The Phantom sighed, "As do all. Abigail, however, has become something like a friend to me. And this brings me to my last point. Should you ever think of coming back down here, and try to take away my little pianist, I will not hesitate to hang you from the ceiling, cut off your fingers and toes, one by one; I will let you bleed out as I cut open every limb that you have. You will feel pain in places that you did not even know existed. And you, I guarantee, will suffer through every waking moment of it, for I will keep you awake until the very last breath that you will breathe on this Earth leaves your lungs."
The Phantom turned back around, continuing along the water.
Aimee couldn't move. Her arms would not respond, her breaths coming out in short, violent puffs. What just happened? She tried to make sense of the Phantom's words, but her mind refused. Aimee thought back on the events that had occurred. What had the Phantom and Abigail been doing all of this time anyway?
Aimee gave a small cough. The Phantom slowly turned around and met her eye. Aimee quickly looked away, hastily muttering, "What have you and Abigail been doing."
"You believe that I have been torturing her."
Aimee did not respond.
"It would be a lie to say I have not laid a hand on her." Aimee whimpered. The Phantom quickly followed, "However, I have not recently. As I said before, me and Abigail have become quite… Close."
"How?"
The Phantom sneered at her, "Why do you ask so many questions? You are exactly like Abigail! Are all women these days so arrogant?"
"These days? How long have you been alive?"
"Why don't you consult my book, or perhaps the movie?" The Phantom replied, rolling his eyes.
"So they are real?"
"To an extent."
"Where does the extent end?"
"Be silent!" The Phantom yelled.
Aimee shut up. Moments later, they stopped at the large hallway that Aimee had practically dragged Doug down. The Phantom threw Doug over his shoulder, grabbed Aimee's arm, and quickly led the two through the dark corridor, through the broken mirror (The Phantom growled, muttering something about getting a new one), and up to the doorway of the Opera House. The Phantom practically threw Doug at Aimee, opened the door, and shoved them out without a word.
Aimee jumped as the door slammed behind her. She instantly looked down at Doug, gently brushing back his shaggy hair. She had to get to a hospital before it was too late.
Abigail cried. Not loudly or overly dramatic. It was a silent, painful shedding of tears. They fell slowly down her cheeks, falling off of her face, and dying on the ground. Her legs moved slowly over to the table. Hands searched the large surface, eventually finding a bowl and a spoon. Abigail's adventure came to an end when she located a box of cereal, she wasn't sure what kind, and collapsed into a chair. She felt heavy and broken.
Abigail opened the box slowly. She poured out the contents of the box, missing the bowl entirely; she didn't care. Abigail rested her head on the table, hearing small crunches of the unidentified cereal as she did so, and began to think.
What had happened in the past hour? All had seemed perfectly fine. She and Erik had explored a bit of the Opera House. They danced; oh, had they danced. He touched her, held her; she felt him and let him draw her in. It had been exhilarating, the way that he moved alongside her and whispered sweet nothings into her head. She had been at peace for the first time in what seemed like years. Not even Doug could have done what Erik had done to her. It was pure feeling, no outside factors. Just touch and thought.
But then, she woke up to screams of fear. Confused and worried, she had jumped out of the swan bed, unsure of how she had gotten there, and crept up to the edge of the platform. She listened as she heard what Abigail believed to be Erik, Doug, and Aimee arguing. But, how could that be? She refused to believe it was them, simply listening to their babblings in shock until someone acknowledged her. Only Erik had noticed her it seemed.
But then, he took them away. They were gone now, forever it seemed. Erik had threatened them and hurt Doug. Somehow, this was not as terrifying as Abigail probably should have thought it was. Her concern for Doug and Aimee seemed to have almost diminished slightly. How could that be? Perhaps time had just took its course. However, how could a little over a week change so much? It seemed Aimee had changed as well. Her hug appeared to be almost… Forced? Abigail clutched her hair. What had Aimee and Doug been doing?
Maybe the Phantom had been right… Perhaps what he had said to Aimee was true. That they had moved on. They didn't care about her anymore; that their rescue mission was only to make themselves feel better. How… After all of these years…
Abigail heard the boat returning. She listened as it gently hit the ground, and as Erik's soft footsteps slowly got off. He did not move, as far as Abigail could tell. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt his eyes staring at her. It took all of her strength to stop her sobs from before. She did not want Erik to see her cry.
Erik slowly walked over to Abigail, his footsteps louder now and more defined. They jumped off of the walls and bounced back to them, creating an eerie contrast against the deafening silence. Abigail felt a hand slide up her back and rest on her shoulder; it would have been comforting if she didn't know that the hand belonged to the one who had severed her from the two people in the world that she considered her family, traitors or not.
"Abigail…"
"Please… Do not speak with me." Abigail hissed through the table, tightening her grip on her hair.
"Abigail, if we can just talk about this-"
"No!" she screamed, slamming her hands on the table as she threw her head up, "There isn't even anything to talk about!"
"There is everything to talk about!" Erik replied with the same volume, swinging the chair around so it faced him. Abigail felt him kneel down, grabbing her shoulders with both of his hands. She unwillingly felt tears begin to flow down her face as Erik continued to speak, "I know exactly what you are going through… Please, let me help you. You have been abandoned by what you considered your world, your two friends. Everything is a blur right now. You are confused and hurt and scared. The last thing that you were counting on turned out to be a big fat lie. I have been through all of this. I understand you, and I probably am the only one who ever will. If you do not let me in, I can promise you, Abigail, you will turn into what I was before I met you."
Abigail's shoulders shook, "Y-you… You… threw them from m-me… You forced them away… It's your fault they are gone!"
"I was protecting you, Abigail!" the Phantom roared, shaking her shoulders; his voice beginning to rise as he drew closer to her face, "They only cared of each other now! You couldn't see it becau-"
"BECAUSE I'M BLIND?" Abigail screamed, pushing his face away. She jumped up from the chair, rushing back and forth as she ranted, "I KNOW. I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING. POOR ABIGAIL, CAN'T PROTECT HERSELF. POOR ABIGAIL, DOESN'T KNOW WHATS GOING ON. POOR ABIGAIL, CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR HERSELF; WHAT A SHAME, SHE'S GOING TO NEED SOMEONE TO HOLD HER HAND FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE." She panted, coming to a halt in front of Erik, jabbed a finger into his chest and continued, " Who the fuck deemed YOU my hand holder, Erik? Did you just magically decide for yourself that you needed to protect me? Did I ask? Did someone else want you to? Or did you just feel the need? You just selfishly decided that you, probably for once in your entire life, wanted to fix something, right? I just happened to be the first fucking thing you saw in a hundred years, right?"
"No-" Erik said weakly.
"Oh, fuck you! I hate you! I don't understand anything that you do! Why would you… How could… Ugh! You… Just… GET AWAY FROM ME!" and with that, Abigail stormed off to the swan bed. She slammed a fist into the pillow, threw her face down, and screamed silently into its feathers.
That night, Abigail cried herself to sleep.
Doug woke up in the hospital. He began to sit up, confused, when a sharp pain erupted in his head. Doug fell back down and groaned. What was going on? His eyes darted around the room.
It was a small room. White walls, white floor, white bed sheets, white curtains. Everything was white. It was disgustingly bright. Even the couch that Aimee as sleeping on next to the window was white. Doug frowned at this. Where was Abigail? Did they not find her in the Phantom's lair? Perhaps she was somewhere around the hospital being treated. The thought soothed him, allowing himself to focus on Aimee for a moment.
She seemed exhausted. Her hair was a messed, the braids she had were slowly becoming undone. Dark bags could be seen under her eyes, dirt surrounded her body. Admittedly, she looked like shit. Doug probably looked worse he realized. He suddenly remembered something.
Doug looked down to his hand. It was heavily bandaged with, who knew, white bandages. He could just make out a small amount of blood that managed to bleed through the several thick layers. Doug used his other hand to rub his face. He found a few stitches, a bruise, and nothing but pain on his face. He groaned again, this time a little louder.
Aimee stirred. Doug cursed at himself to waking her, but watched as she slowly opened her eyes. Aimee sat up, cracked her back, and moaned as she got up and stood next to him. It took her a moment to realized he was awake. Aimee knelt down to him, sadness in her eyes.
"How are you feeling?" she said softly, rubbing his arm.
"Like shit. Where is Abigail?"
A pained expression crossed Aimee's face. She sighed, and stared at his chest, "We… We didn't get her, Doug. She's still there."
Realization rushed through Doug. They gave up on her… Abigail, who had trusted them… Aimee had gave up and brought him to the hospital.
"You… left her there."
"No, the Phantom almost killed us."
"We abandoned her."
"No, Doug, it wasn't our fault!"
"Yes, it is. We failed."
Aimee began to cry a little bit.
"She trusted us." Doug said, defeated, "We were supposed to rescue her."
"It's not our fault. We tried so hard." Aimee cried, clinging onto Doug's arm.
"I knew this would happen. Who were we to think we could get her. We are just two people against a god. Fuck, how long has he been alive to practice whatever that thing is. We can't beat him… We… Its useless."
Doug put a hand over his eyes in shame. He shook his head, unable to speak further. Aimee rested her head on his arm, unsure of what to do. The two stayed there till morning, unable to move out of their defeated state.
They were dead.
Erik sat at his organ in silence.
He thought. He considered. He prayed.
His hands hovered over the keys, before coming down slowly. Erik sang, letting the air take his emotion out of his soul and letting it fly around the lair.
I gave you my music; I made your song take wing.
And now, how you've repaid me, denied me and betrayed me.
I was bound to love you, when I heard you play.
Abigail, Abigail…
Erik began to sob, letting the music die as his hands stopped. He placed his face in his hands, silently crying into them. He was such a fool. All he wanted was for Abigail to forgive him; he couldn't bear to have her mad at him. Erik felt as though she would never forgive him. He had to make her see that he did only what was best for her, that those two did not deserve to be her family. Only he could protect her from people like them, he knew it.
Abigail had to understand. The world was evil; she could not see this. Erik did not care how long it would take. He would keep her with him until the day she died, determined to make her understand. The only thing you could do was to avoid the world, let them battle themselves.
Erik began to fantasize of the day when Abigail would finally understand. He knew that when that day came, Abigail and he would finally be at peace with each other. They would play their music every day, forgetting about the world outside of their protective little island. He would make it work. Erik knew it.
Somehow, he would make Abigail see just how much he care about her.
Or, maybe even love her? The thought scared Erik a bit; however, it also brought joy. Love? He had not felt love in a very, very long time.
He suddenly understood what he had to do in order for Abigail to understand.
Erik had to explain everything to her. In order for her to love him, she had to know him. In order for her to trust him, she had to realize what he had gone through.
Erik needed Abigail to understand how dead he really was before she could understand how alive she made him feel.
AHHhhhHhhHhhh ideas for next chapter are at my fingertips... :D
And I'm sorry for such long wait, believe me I know how annoying it is to wait so long for chapters, but I have sooo much shit going on. I literally got back to my house at 1:30 in the morning, woke up today, finished the chapter, and now I am updating. Lol.
Review guys! Tell me what you thiiiiiink! I love all of my reviews, no matter what they say. This basically gives you a free pass to totally flame me, and yet I'll still love you. Opinions are more than welcome.
I promise promise promise I'll try super duper hard to get the next chapter out by Thursday. No promises though!