Erik's POV
"Christine, we don't have to do this," I said, staring down at the piece of paper that had those horrid words written on it. "We don't have to participate."
I wanted to scold the woman for participating in the game, but I couldn't… There, on that piece of paper was a challenge, one that I couldn't even think of doing. I had been hoping that it was going to tell us to hug or dance, but no, instead of a hug, it was daring us to fondle one another.
"I refuse to continue this foolish game," I growled, crumbling up the piece of paper and tossing it aside. "Our evening is over, goodnight, Christine."
The woman seemed disappointed, but I didn't care. I barely knew her enough to even place my hand on any part of her. I headed towards the door to let her out, when I felt the woman's arms wrap around my back and squeeze me. I sighed, not wanting her to let go. Never had I ever been hugged before.
"Oh, Christine, why?" I mewed.
Her head rested on my back and I felt her hand leave my stomach and began traveling seductively down my right thigh. I closed my eyes and let the warm feeling of her doing so take over my body. The woman continued moving her hand down my leg until I felt her grasp the center of my trousers.
"Christine, no…"
The woman spun me around and forced me to look at her. I saw her hand reach up to embrace my mask, but she didn't remove it.
"We've never touched one another at all…Not even a hug."
I nodded. "I…I know."
Her thumb lightly brushed my bloated lip, causing shivers to run throughout my body.
"I…I wonder what your lips would feel like against my own," she said. "I…I would do it if you wanted to."
Did I want to kiss Christine? In the past I had wanted to do nothing more, but this woman had hurt me so much that the urge to kiss her had faded. But oh, a kiss… never had I ever kissed a woman before. It was something so natural and I would see my patrons and employees doing it every day…and yet never had I ever had the chance to experience it for myself. My heart was beating a mile a minute as Christine leaned in to place her lips against my own. But before she could do so, my mask stopped her.
"Erik, would you mind removing your mask? It gets in the way of things…"
"You would scream," I cried. "It would ruin everything."
"I have seen your face before," she said. "And I have also seen your heart. I thought you knew me better than that."
I took a deep breath and removed my mask, finding that her eyes seemed concerned about the massive sores and bruises that my mask had left upon my face.
"Erik, you poor thing," she cooed, lifting her hand to brush a few of the sores. "Your mask is irritating your skin. You should leave it off when you're in your caravan."
Never had the woman looked at me for so long without running away in fear. This was all I had ever wanted in life, this and a little bit of love. The woman stood up on her tippy toes so that she could whisper into my ear, her warm breath sending waves of pleasure into my trousers.
"I will give you that kiss now," she replied. "You would like that wouldn't you?"
Her last sentence instantly made my heart ache with pain, and soon, the room disappeared and I was left standing naked in the cold snow. I was freezing and bleeding, fresh pools of red covering the virgin snow.
"Go on, Corpse! Get to your knees like a good little slave!"
My master appeared with the familiar bull whip in hand. I took a step back, only to feel the end of the whip against my chest.
"On your knees, Corpse!"
I fell to my knees, the snow instantly burning them. I cried, cried like a baby as I heard the familiar clicking of his belt coming loose. I knew all too well what was going to happen next. Soon after, I could feel him behind me, his monstrous hands pushing my face into the snow. All that came next was searing pain and the weight of the world crushing me.
"You want me to stop?" he would laugh. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"
"Erik?"
I heard Christine's voice and soon found myself back in my caravan. The woman was still standing before me, a look of concern displayed across her face.
"Erik, what's wrong?"
I covered my ears and rushed into my kitchen. I began rummaging through the cabinets like a madman in an attempt to find my medicine.
"Erik, what's wrong? Are you all right?"
But I wasn't, for all I could hear within my head were my childish screams and my master raping me.
"Erik…"
When I felt two hands place themselves upon my shoulders, I violently spun around and grabbed whoever it was by the throat. Though, that person was Christine… I took a breath and let the woman go, realizing that I was out of my medicine….the medicine that kept the voices away.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked, embracing my cheek with her hand. "Look at me…"
"Nothing," I assured. "I…I think you should leave."
The girl seemed heartbroken, but I didn't care…No, all I wanted was to be alone again.
Christine's POV
Trying to understand Erik was like trying to understand another language. I didn't know what he felt half the time, and if I attempted to understand him, I wound up getting shunned for it. One minute we were about to have our first kiss, and the next he was grabbing me by the throat. When he requested that I leave, I did so without questioning him, knowing that I would regret it later if I had.
The camp was like a ghost town, making my journey back to my caravan a frightening one. Once inside, I unchanged and was glad to find Gustave already asleep in his bed. I tucked the sleeping child in before crawling into my own bed. I looked up at the dark ceiling of my home and sighed. I missed my father more than anything in the world. I wasn't sure if he was looking down upon me, but if he was, I had so many questions to ask him, a lot of them being about my angel. I fell asleep that night with him on my mind…
I wasn't sure what time it was, but that night, I woke to a strange cry. I sat up and looked around my dark caravan, noticing that the sound wasn't coming from Gustave, for he was as silent as a tomb. At first I believed the sound to have been in my mind, but just as I settled back down beneath my blankets, I heard the sound again. It sounded like the muffled cry of a dying animal, but I wasn't sure. Curious, I placed on my cloak and headed out into the dark camp, following the sound all the way back to Erik's caravan. His home was pitch black, and the muffled cry was coming from inside. Without knocking, I opened the door and stepped inside, finding Erik kicking and screaming in his sleep. I watched the man struggle for the longest time beneath the blankets of his bed.
"No…Stop!..." he shouted. "Not there…it hurts…I can be good! I swear to you I can be good…"
In between his shouts, I would see him clench his pillow tight as if he were attempting to dig his way out of the horrible dream. Suddenly, the man shot up in his sleep and opened his eyes. He didn't even notice that I was in his home…No, he hugged his pillow tightly to his chest and began to sob. Not only was he crying, but he was out of breath as well…But what had been so terrifying?
A few seconds later, Erik rose from his bed and began limping towards his kitchen. He was walking strange, as if it hurt to walk. The man leaned over the counter and buried his face into his hands like a wounded animal.
"Erik?"
When he heard me say his name, he gasped and looked my way.
"What are you doing in here?" he cried. "I thought I told you to leave…God, I want my medicine…"
Yes, his temper frightened me, but I knew if I was going to gain his trust I knew I couldn't back down.
"What medicine are you talking about?" I asked.
"I…I have medicine that I take before bed each night," he said. "It…It helps me stay asleep. It keeps the bad things away. I…I have been out of it for a while, but the bad things haven't bothered me…They…They seemed to have just disappeared. Until tonight…Until you said those words."
"What are you talking about? What bad things are you talking about?"
The man looked at me with tear filled eyes, as if he wasn't sure that he could trust me.
"Erik, I want to help you."
I tried to reach out to touch him, but he jerked away before I could do so.
"No one has ever helped me, Christine. I am dirty…I'm nothing but a filthy child, one that has had things done to him that no one should ever have to endure."
"Erik, you can tell me anything… I…I won't let anything leave this caravan, I promise."
"I can't, Christine…No, I can't tell you. I don't even want to speak about it."
"My papa always told me that speaking about things takes a lot off our minds. He used to tell me that once everything was out in the open the weight of the world would instantly be lifted from ones shoulders. You have my word, Erik."
I took a seat at the kitchen table while Erik paced the kitchen like an expecting father.
"Little things set off the memories," he began. "Little things like what you said to me tonight. You can't say things like that to me, Christine."
"You act as though I called you a monster."
"No, you asked me if I would like it."
"And what's wrong with that? I was only attempting to make conversation with you."
Erik pressed his eyes closed and clenched his fists together. "Because that is exactly what my master used to ask me right before he took me out into the woods and raped me each night."
My heart stopped beating when I heard Erik say those disgusting words. Raped? My angel had been raped?
"Erik, I…I didn't…"
The man held up his hand in protest. "I do not want your pity, Christine. I…I don't wish to continue this conversation either. I…I see his burning yellow eyes every night before I go to sleep…Some nights I wake to the sound of his belt buckle coming undone….I…I used to soil myself out of nervousness. Just my ten year old self, naked and clinging to the bars of my cage, fretting over the hour when the sun disappears."
Erik began to sob into his hands once more, but this time, I was there to sooth him. I wrapped my arms around his torso and shushed him with soothing words of love and kindness. He would never have to suffer through another night alone again, this I would promise him. If I had to stay with him until he fell asleep every night then that was what I would do. Children were afraid of monsters, and Erik had the most terrifying one living beneath his bed. But in time, I would prove to him that they were just shadows and nothing more.
Ok, first off, I must apologize for not updating in a while. Been extra busy and on top of that I was away for a few days. Secondly, I have officially published my first Phantom novel! It has been submitted and should be up for sale on Amazon in one to two days! If you want to read one of my published works, now is your chance. It's being sold around the world on Amazon, so if you want to grab a copy, or download it to your kindle, just look for "The Scorpion's Kiss" By L Ann Price. Grab it, read it, love it and if you're going to be at Phantomcon this summer, bring it and I will gladly sign it for you! Thanks again phans, because if it wasn't for you all emailing me and demanding that I publish a Phantom novel I probably wouldn't have bothered. This is going to be a series, so look for book 2 probably around Christmas time. On that note, I now have to bring you the bad news. I have been here on Fanfiction for 15 loooong years. It has been a great run and it really has helped me with my writing. Sadly, this will be my last story. There are still probably 20 chapters left, but after this, I will strictly be publishing Phantom stories into book form instead of posting them online. I have an author facebook page that I keep updated on book signings and new books I have coming out. Look for L Ann Price on facebook and hit that lovely LIKE button to be updated on my travels and new work. Once again, thank you all so much for the reviews and love you have given me over the years! You're all great!