Chapter 20

Erik looked down at Nicole. Never had he seen her smile so broad. He turned away trying to control his emotions.

That song, it's been so long, yet it still means so much. When I sang it to Christine, it felt forced, but singing it to Nicole it finally feels right.

"Erik, that was so beautiful. Thank you."

He made no reply, not trusting himself to even look at her.

"That music, it was so dark. So comforting..." Nicole trailed off, still smiling.

Erik turned to look at her. Her smile was still there, but had a far off look to it.

She loves darkness, and so do I. She often talked of darkness, as a friend. I must know why.

"Nicole, why do you love darkness?"

She stirred coming back from her trance. "What?"

"Darkness. You have often said it comforts you. Why is that?"

There was a long pause, and he thought she wasn't going to tell him when she said, "It happened when I was eight years old."

Anne was ten, and I was eight. Mamma had a new suitor. He seemed nice, at first. I and Anne never really took a shine to him. Then he started coming to our home drunk. A few times he got angry. Once he struck Mamma. We didn't know what to do. So whenever he would come Mamma would hide me and Anne, separately. She said it was safer. I would hide under my bed, I never knew where Anne was hidden. One night I could hear the man, his name escapes me now, he was angry, drunk. I heard Mamma scream. I started crying. I heard him coming for my door. I prayed to God to hide me. To fuse me with the darkness, make me a shadow. And when the man walked in my room I held my breath. He searched throughout the room, until finally he looked under the bed. He looked right at me, but didn't see me. I was the darkness. He finally left my room to search elsewhere, and I breathed again. God had answered my prayer. That night the man stayed, but he didn't do anything else. I would hear him yelling, and I just melted into the wall. The darkness enfolded me. Comforted me and protected me. It was my only friend that night.

"And that Erik, is the reason why I love darkness. It saved me, hid me, and protected me. If it didn't I don't know, and don't want to know what that man would have done to me."

Erik stood where he was unmoving. Anger boiled up inside of him towards that man, that nameless, brutish man.

"And that man? What happened to him?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"He died. After that night, he didn't return for weeks. Then one day we read in the papers he was killed in a bar fight. From that night on, whenever I became scared I would close my eyes and let darkness surround me."

Erik's anger retreated, and instead looked upon Nicole with complete understanding. He had never meant anyone else that enjoyed the company of darkness.

You and I both love darkness. It has been a friend for us, when we had no one. Nicole, I love you, even more so. I do believe I will keep finding more reasons to love you as each day goes by.

They were both quiet then, enjoying the comfortable silence between them. He unashamedly stared at her, unable to look away as she stared across the lake. Her small form sat gracefully, her lips turned up in a small smile. Her hair was down, as he liked it. She never seemed to wear it up anymore. He loved the way it framed her delicate face, the way it made her eyes seem wild. Nicole looked at him, with those piercing eyes, and smiled at him, as if she knew all his thoughts.

"Erik, I think I better be leaving now. I feel tired, and I will want to be refreshed for our lesson tomorrow night."

She rose to leave, and he extended his hand for her to take. She did, and held on tightly, as if she never wanted to let go.

Erik watched Nicole walk out of the opera house and then followed behind her on her walk home. He was making sure she got home safely, as he always did whenever she left. He walked along the way about 100 yards behind her. He watched as she twirled around in the moonlight. He could tell that she was completely distracted from the world around her. The way she danced made his heart pound, he had never seen anyone dance the way she did. As if dancing was her only escape from the life she was given. He knew what it felt like, to look to something like singing or dancing to escape from the harsh reality that surrounds you. He too became lost in her dance, watching the rhythm in her body.
Later Erik would curse himself for being so careless. He was so distracted by Nicole, that he never noticed the man lurking in a dark alley that she danced by. As she swept passed the strange man, he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her forcefully into the alley. Erik heard her muffled scream, and then nothing.
For a split second Erik froze, not believing what he had seen. In the next instant he was bounding down the street and into the alley. The man had already knocked Nicole unconscious by the time Erik arrived. Erik could smell the liquor coming off the man's body right away.

"Come here my little pretty one." said the man.

Erik's rage was fuelled beyond reason. He saw how roughly the man handled Nicole and how her small figure was limp. The man was unbuckling his belt, fumbling with buttons on his pants, and Erik ran up to the man and struck him on the back of the head.

"What the!" yelled the man.

He saw Erik and horror struck him.

"A ghost!" slurred the man, and he went running down the alley and turned to look once more behind him.

Erik stood there staring him down. Then he went screaming down the street, "Ghost! A ghost!"

He was so loud, Erik new someone would hear him and come looking for a ghost. He turned to look at Nicole and his own worries vanished from his mind. She was unconscious, and her complexion pale. Her dress was torn at the sleeve, her cloak broken off completely. He saw a large bruise starting to form on her forehead. He retrieved her cloak from the ground and placed it as a blanket over her. Then he picked up her light body in his arms, and started back to his home.

Nicole awoke in Erik's strong arms. Her eyes were closed but she knew it was him. She knew his smell and it comforted her. She snuggled in deeper in his embrace, trying to act asleep. She sighed knowing she was safe from that man that attacked her, and safe from everything else in the world. In Erik's arms, nothing could touch her, nothing could harm her. She knew instinctively that he would let nothing happen to her. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. She could see the anger seething in his eyes. His face was stern, and taught. She felt his hold on her tighten, but yet remain gentle.

Yet behind the anger in his eyes I see something else. What could it be? Could he really care for me? I can only hope!

Her head hurt too much to think further on it. She closed her eyes once more, and slipped into a light sleep. She could feel the air around them get cooler, and knew they were heading back to Erik's home.

There is nowhere else I would rather be!

As she felt herself being lowered into a plush bed, she opened her eyes, and smiled weakly at Erik.

"Erik, would you please sing for me? My head hurts so much."

He nodded, and began to sing a soothing lullaby to her. Her eyes drifted closed and the pounded in her head started to dull and lesson. Soon she was fast asleep.

AN: heheh I just had to do the ol' damsel in distress scence!i couldn't resist!