AN: Boy, was that a cute chapter, eh? Well, it was very necessary for the plot to continue. A lot of you are probably thinking "How is this story progressing? Does it even have a plot?". Well, it does have plot, so shut up and read. Or I'll shut up and let you read. Oh yeah, and SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY for the long wait. Guess who wants to be able to count on having two more up by Wednesday? ME.
The masked men stared at each other, then at the trees, then at each other again. Erik then had the intelligence to ask, "I have told you my life story. Will you return the favor?"
The boy looked down at the ground, nodding. "My name is Jaques. Ever since I was born, people have hated me. My father went to the bar to drink, and my mother did nothing to stop him when he beat me. She actually liked it when I was hurt... she wished I was dead.
I ran away three years ago, when I was ten years. My parents" he annunciated the word angrily "were quite glad to see me gone. They moved to Paris just a month after I left. They hated me, I hated them."
Erik stared at Jaques, then questioned, "Why do you kill people?"
The simple inquiry made the boy hesitate. "I... well... it makes me feel... superior to others," he responded quietly. The two men became lost in thought. Gracefully, Erik broke the silence and said, "I suppose that I should head back to my house now... or are you still going to kill me?"
The teen's eyes widened. "What – I would never do that!"
"You had said just ten minutes ago that you would murder me, to put it bluntly."
"But that was before -"
"Are you going to kill me?"
"I – well, no... but -"
"That settles it, then. I will leave without being murdered, and you can stay here and pretend nothing has taken place. We both know that that is what will happen."
"I see. Good-bye, Monsieur... you have never told me your name!"
Erik was gone by the time Jaques had exclaimed this. All around, he heard the sad tone as the bells from the church in the distance sounded.
"Forget me..."
The situation had become to hard to handle for Erik, so he had resorted to slipping away unnoticed. Returning back to his house, he slipped through the entryway and after a paranoid glance around the place, he settled onto his piano bench. Hovering his bony hands above the keys, he cursed himself for even bothering with the hideous child. That wasn't even his place, to be sympathizing with a stupid boy.
Erik's hands fell to the keys in defeat. Yes, it was his place to sympathizing with the boy. Who else would? The poor boy was a spitting image of him... so why didn't he stay to comfort him? The thoughts became guilt and ate at the pianist, who eventually couldn't stand the sight of his beloved instrument and had to throw himself into a pitiable heap on the sofa. Closing his bloodshot eyes, the monster fell into a peaceful sleep.
There was nothing. Nothing surrounded him, and he was Nothing; the world he existed on happened to not exist at all. The world was engulfed in darkness, yet light streamed through the Nothing. But suddenly, through the Nothing, a Something was born, a Something that was him, and so now the world did exist. Besides him, Nothing existed, and he was terribly lonely, left to thoughts filled with Nothing. And thus did the Something die, and disappeared into Nothing.
He awoke. Staring groggily at his arm, he tried to remember if he had taken any drugs which caused the strange dream. Not recalling anything of the sort, he stood and glared at the room. He desperately wished to fall back to sleep, but he was too much awake to even try to rest. Suddenly aware to a pounding in his head, he pressed his head against the wall, assuming he had had one too many drinks the night before. He stood still as he realized that he did not have a "hangover" as he had not consumed alcohol, and that the pounding was really coming from the door.
Straightening out his mask as he flew to the entry in a blinding rage – disfigured men happen to not like being disturbed right after waking up – and threw the door open. Seeing who it was, his facial features relaxed as he invited the person in.