Due to you annoying peasants with your insurmountable begging and my inability to part from Erik being a Jellicle, I have decided upon continuing the story. Own nothing, enjoy you buzzards.
I don't remember what drew me to Erik's lair. Perhaps my sadness over his death? To pay my respect? The more I think about it, I just can't remember why the idea called to me. But as I held this silky animal in my arms, I felt strangely at peace with Erik's death, perhaps as far as to say content. Until that day, I never thought I would get along with a cat but hearing the kitten purr and purr changed my mind.
He was an agreeably sweet kitten. Very soft and endearing. He reminded me in so many ways of Erik. From his creamy face to the gracefulness of him curling up in my hand- he could fit in only one.
Meanwhile, the other cat, a full grown one, seemed not to take a liking to any of this. Whenever I had to set the kitten down, the full grown cat would try to run off with the kitten in his mouth. After a while of me scolding him, he just ran off. The kitten and I, whom I decided to name Erik, made our way to Raoul's estate where he was in a particularly fine state about the kitten.
"What's that you have?" He asked curiously as he took my cloak.
"I found this sweet little kitten abandoned on the street. I couldn't just leave the babe to starve." Erik promptly tilted his head up to look at Raoul. I could already sense some tension between them. "Isn't he just adorable?"
"You know we can't have a kitten around here! What about the retrievers? They'll tear it to shreds!" I put on a pouty face. "You are not a child, Christine. You are a budding noblewoman."
"I'll take care of him on my own, then. And you know very well that I can't possibly be a perfect noblewoman." I held Erik a bit tighter as I climbed the grand staircase and made my way down the hall to my room. I slammed the door shut behind me.
My room was fairly large with lots of floor space. A balcony was straight across from the door and to the right of the door was a washroom. On the left side was a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. On the left wall was a large canopy bed. In the corner of the right wall and balcony wall was a writing desk and on the right wall, centre with the bed was a fireplace.
I set Erik down on the bed then went over to start a fire in the fireplace. Once a fire was burning, I went around the room turning on the gas lamps. Erik silently watched me from within the sea of cream coloured sheets. When I finished I checked the time on a gold pocket watch Raoul had lent me. It was nearly suppertime! Just as I was about to untie the laces of my dress, the ladies maid appeared and helped me out of my day dress and into my way to elegant, sunshine yellow evening gown. When the ladies maid left, I turned to look down at Erik. He made a wretched little coughing sound and I smiled. "I know. I hate this dress too. I hate all of them. They're just too fancy." He seemed to make a nodding motion. "I will bring you food from supper, alright?" I said as I pinned back my hair. Erik made the same little nodding motion. I smiled and made my way down to the dining room. Everyone was already there. Raoul stood and pulled out my chair for me. I sat down and he pushed me in then went back to his seat, all the way across the table from me as I was at the head. We began our meal in awkward silence, as usual.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier, Christine. It's just that, what you need is a strong and capable dog, not a tiny, helpless kitten."
"What are you implying by that?"
"I'm not implying anything-"
"Well, why does it sound like you are?"
"I'm worried. That foul beast could come after you-"
"Erik is dead!" My voice cracked. "You saw for yourself!"
"But what if it was just-" I didn't hear anything else, for I stood and grabbed my plate of fish fillet then ran up to my room. I slammed and bolted the door then collapsed against it in a crying heap. I set my plate down beside me and after a while felt a soft nudge under my elbow. I lifted my arm and Erik jumped up between my legs and chest to curl up in the mass of sunshine fabric. I stroked my tears out of his fur as he purred with my touch.
"I miss him so much, mon chaton." Erik looked up, questioningly. "Erik, I miss him so much. Mon Ange, my mentor." I looked down at the plate to see it untouched. "Eat something, my love." I removed Erik from the mass of yellow and sat him on the floor then stood up. I tore away my layers of fabric and changed into a nightdress. Seeing that Erik had finished his meal, I set the plate outside the door then locked it again. I went to the washroom and doused my tear-soaked face in water and washed off all the pounds of makeup they put on me. I unpinned my hair and tied it up in a white ribbon to match my nightdress. When I emerged I found Erik fast asleep in the writing desk's chair. I giggled then went around turning off gas lamps before curling up beneath the sea of annoying white fabric.
When I woke, I found a red rose and a letter of apology from Raoul beneath the door. I sighed and tossed both into the dying fire.