" We have looked everywhere for her! No one has seen her since the dance!" my mother wailed.
" She will eventually show up. We need to keep praying that she is safe," my father said solemnly.
Then the dream dissolved into a new image. There was a woman in white sadly looking at me.
" How are you holding up?" she asked me.
" Ok so far, I guess. It could be worse," I said uncertainly.
" Do you know who I am?"
" I have no idea."
She motioned for me to sit down in an armchair that had magically appeared next to her.
" I am your guide for now to get you through this. This is going to have a lot of impact on you. I wish we could have prevented it, but like Erik said, it was fate that brought you here."
I looked at her in confusion. Why was everything about fate?
" This is going to be a long story. Erik's
parents decided to build the home underground when they realized that his
face was going to cause problems. Their first instinct was to protect
him. They were cleaver folks.
Unfortunately, they died when he was ten years old. He was extremely
smart for his age, so he knew how to care for himself. That is one
thing you have to be careful of. You can never be too sure what he
will plan next. He
seems to be pretty set on you staying with him. I will always
be with you. Eventually, we will find a way out for you. Just
be cautious until then."After that strange explanation, I woke up.
I didn't know what to make of it.
I hadn't really gained any knowledge about why I was down here in the
first place. All I could do was take it one day at a time.
I glanced at my watch and realized that it already was morning. I was so used to the sun waking me up, but since there weren't any windows down here, I had to guess whether it was morning or night.
I got up, took a shower, got dressed, and then waited for Erik on the chair outside my room. While I was waiting, I looked at the pictures lining the walls. They were mostly landscapes of forests and castles at night. One picture, however, was of a young woman. She looked frail with her skinny arms by her sides. Her face was pale, no smile, looking bored. Her dress was a dark red color that flowed from her feet. I wondered who she could be.
As time passed, I grew bored and decided to get up
and walk around for a little bit. The hall was a so eerie, with the
dim lights and dark walls. I found a door and opened it, wondering
if Erik was in there. I found out too
late that he was, and that it was his office.
" How dare you! Look out!" he shouted furiously.
Before I could move, I felt a sharp pain against the back of my head and passed out.
When I came to, I was in a feather bed with my head wrapped comfortably in soft cloths. I tried to sit up, but my head hurt too much. I guess my movements set off some kind of alert system because Erik immediately appeared at my side.
" I am sorry about that. I tried to warn you! Why did you open it anyway? I told you never to go in my office!"
" If I had known that was your office, I wouldn't have gone in," I said sharply, " You showed me several rooms, but I know that there are more than just your office and room that I haven't seen."
" That is true, and I am sorry for not warning you about which doors were to my room and office. Knock next time."
He handed me some chicken noodle soup, which I gulped down thankfully.
" Have you ever taken piano lessons?" Erik suddenly asked.
" Not really, I taught myself middle C though."
" What a shame! You have such beautifully long fingers that are perfect for the piano. They are not only supposed to be used for your viola you know!"
" I have a busy life. I hardly have time to practice my viola, let alone have piano lessons."
" Well you are in luck because I am going to teach you to play the piano and keep you practicing that viola as well. You have a promising career ahead of you."
I had heard that several times from countless music teachers. I knew that I could be a lot better if I just practiced it once in a while. It seemed like I never had the time, but why he wants to teach me, I don't know, but I decided to continue to play along, pacifying his wishes.
" What kind of music do you have for me to play?" I asked.
" Everything and more than you can think of, my dear."
" When will we start the lessons?"
" As soon as you are ready."
" Ok, well I am ready right now."
" Good, then get up and follow me."
My head felt a lot better. I wondered what was in the soup.
I tried to keep my head focused on what was really happening, but I lost
it as soon as I started playing the piano. Erik started me on some
easy Middle C songs. He
was incredibly patient with me while I tried unsuccessfully to play
"Ode to Joy". After about an hour of piano lessons, we switched to
the viola, which I did much better on.
" I need to get some more challenging songs for you!" he said in surprise as I sight-read another song perfectly.
" I have been playing for five years now," I told him matter of factly.
" Do you know how to dance?" he asked, suddenly changing the topic.
" Somewhat, I just try to follow the beat of the music."
" That is another thing I am going to teach you.
You have long legs that need to be worked out. Dancing will be perfect
for them."
" What kind of dancing do you have in mind?"
" All kinds of dancing. This will be fun!
I need to get you the right kind of outfits though."
I just nodded in agreement. I thought it was really odd that he seemed to want to teach me all these different things, as long as it kept him happy.
Later that day, Erik left to get me the necessary outfits for dance lessons. I took the opportunity to look for a phone. I found one in the kitchen. I gratefully picked it up and called Mary. Why I didn't call the police is beyond me, I guess I was so nervous that I wasn't thinking straight.
" Mary?"
" Alice! Where are you?" she exclaimed.
" I have been kidnapped. By Erik, the guy I was dancing with. I can't tell you much, but I am under my house, in his house."
" Him? The guy with the mask? Oh Alice! How did he get you under your house? Speak some sense to me!
" I don't know, but I wish I could tell you, but I can't. Please don't tell my parents just yet. I don't want them trying to look for me just yet. Erik is extremely smart, and I don't want to risk them getting hurt."
" We had an encounter with this Erik today."
" What?" I said in surprise, " What happened?"
" Well, you know Brent right?"
" The little guy?"
" Yeah, his dog was kidnapped the other day.
We were sitting in the bleachers at the football field talking about it.
Brent suddenly said that he would kill whoever kidnapped her when all of
a sudden Erik burst out of
nowhere and grabbed his shirt. He hissed something like, ' If
you ever try to find her, you will regret it till the day you die!
She is happy with me!'
Then he quickly left. Brent had no idea what was going on. Now I can tell him, that it wasn't his dog he was talking about!"
" Be careful about what you say. I guess Erik is keeping a close eye on you too. I have no idea what to do!"
" First thing you can do is hang up that phone," said a dangerously low voice.
" Got go bye!" I slammed down the phone and faced Erik.
" Who were you talking to?"
" My friend."
" You better be honest with me Alice."
" I swear that I just called my friend. What threat is she to you? There is nothing she can do, and you know it! I have the right to call my friend and tell her that I am all right, don't I?"
" What information did you give her?"
" I told her that I was in your house underneath my house. I told her not to tell my parents or try to find a way down here because you are too dangerous. You can trust her."
" I don't know. I don't want to ever catch you on my phone again. Hostages don't have rights."
I turned away from him. I was so mad that I was afraid of doing something extremely stupid. Why did this have to happen to me? When was it going to end?
" Oh, I am sorry. I have made you mad," he said sarcastically, and began to massage my shoulders. " What can I do to make up for it?"
" Get your filthy hands off of me for a start," I said coldly.
He picked my hand up for a moment and looked at it.
" Don't you just love this ring on your pinky? As long as it is on you, I know where you are at all times. I suppose if I keep you down here, people are going to get worried, and since you told Mary, I need to let you up on Earth once in a while. Before I do that though, I need to know that you will come back, without me coming after you. It is going to take a long time though, so don't get your hopes up."
I started to feel wary. So many surprises under his sleeves! I couldn't believe that he would actually let me out of the house. It was probably part of a plan that he had.
" Ok, here are the dresses and outfits for the dance lessons. I think that you will recognize the first dress."
It was my bridesmaid dress from my aunt's wedding a couple months ago. A floor length gown in a cashmere color, which I had planned on wearing to one of my proms. Now I didn't that I would be able to go to any proms.
" I want you to put this on. We are going to go haunting tonight."
I did not like that idea. What did he mean by haunting? Who were we going to scare tonight? I decided not to think about it, just change into the dress and follow along.
When Erik met me at the chair, he had changed into a very stunning suit. He had on a brilliant white mask, huge billowing cape, and black top hat.
" If I didn't know any better, I would say that you are trying to act like The Phantom of the Opera," I commented.
" You just figured that out? My name is Erik, I have a mask on because of deformity, bad temper, good musician, I thought you were obsessed with Phantom of the Opera!"
I should have figured it out. Now the pieces were coming together. He wanted me to be his Christine! Oh great.
" Why do you have makeup in your hand?"
" I need to make you pale"
" Like a ghost?"
" Of course. You are going to be allowed to
talk to your parents for a little bit about how you are underground with
me. How long you will be able to talk to your parents depends on
how much information you leak out. I will
be in the background the whole time, listening. When it is time
for us to go, I will come and snatch you away, so that they see me and
understand that I know what I am doing. I also know that it would
make you feel better for
them to know that you are alive and all right. The makeup is
to scare them out of their wits. You can tell them that I made you
put this getup on, but don't tell them where you are. I know that
you understand what to do, right?"
" I understand," I lied. Why did he want me
to scare my parents? They were probably scared to death as it is!
While he had been talking, he had put white powder all over my face
and arms.
" Put your cross on, it looks good with the dress."
I looked at him in surprise. How had he known about the cross? No one knew about it, not even Mary!
" You shouldn't be so surprised, Alice. Remember, I know everything about you."
I ran back into the bathroom and put it on. The diamonds glittered in the light. He was right, it looked really good.
" Now sit down in this chair so that I can do your hair just the way it was for your aunt's wedding."
I did as he said. Thankfully it didn't take him too long. Every piece of my hair was up in a little crown that Erik had added to the look. At least my head wouldn't hurt from the extra weight.
" Ok, you are ready to go. You need this though."
He handed me a blindfold, which I reluctantly tied on. I wanted to know where we were going, but he obviously didn't want me to know how to escape. He grabbed my hand and led me through several tunnels and stairs. Finally, when my legs were about to give out underneath me, Erik took the blindfold off and showed me where we were, in my parents bedroom.
" Sit down in the computer chair and wait."
I did as told, like usual, though I was insanely curious as what was about to occur. Erik set up a small light that cast an eerie ray of light over me causing me to look like I was really a ghost.
" I am going into the bathroom right now. When I close the door, they will wake up. Remember what I told you."
I settled back and waited for him to close the door, but he didn't close it instead he slammed it so hard that it could have woken the dead.
" What was that!" my dad shouted as he sprung up.
" I don't know dear, maybe... oh my dear god!" my mother said as she noticed me.
" Hello mother, father, I trust that you were sleeping well until that dumb wind slammed the door," I said while silently cursing Erik for making me do this.
" Alice?" my father said in disbelief.
" Yes, it is I. I am not dead. Erik insisted that I wear this stupid getup to frighten you."
" Who is Erik?" my mother asked.
" My kidnapper."
" Is he in this house?" my dad asked fiercely with his fists clenched.
" I can't tell you. But he can hear us."
" I knew this was going to happen Joe! I just knew it!" my mother said excitedly.
" What do you mean, mom?"
" I knew that this was going to happen. I have been having dreams about it. It is your fate Alice! You must be careful though."
" Your mother is right. I knew something like this was going to happen. There is nothing I can do to stop it though."
" What the heck you talking about?" I asked, starting to get very tired of all this 'fate' talk.
" You don't have much time left with us. All I can tell you is to be very careful. Eventually we will see you again, I just don't know when," my dad said in an eerie tone of voice, which was quite not like him.
Then they got up and hugged me, like they were puppets on strings. My dad gave me a ring that had been left from Scott, my very close guy friend. We didn't really date, but it was getting close to it.
" Alice, it is time for us to go," Erik said as he entered the room. Before I could even say goodbye, he had lifted me over his shoulder and took me out the front door.
" I have some errands to run Alice, this is your
time to go anywhere you wish to go. I will find you when it is time
to go, don't you think that you can hide, or escape from me. So don't
waste time trying. I suggest you
spend some time with your friends, this will be the last time you will
have a chance for awhile."
Then he just left me there, on the street. The first place that
popped in my head was Mary's. Thank goodness she didn't live very
far from me. The streets were really quiet, shattered by the sound
of my shoes hitting the
pavement. I thought that it was very odd of Erik to let me run
around like this. For all he knew, I could go to the police.
However, I also knew that since I didn't know how to get to his house,
I couldn't explain anything.
Hell would have to freeze over before they would believe my story.
I wasn't even sure what was going on. This was the point where I
started falling in and out of Erik's trance. When I finally reached
Mary's house, I went around the side and lightly tapped on her window.
A light went on, and then her shadow appeared through the curtains.
" Is that you Alice?" she asked eagerly.
" How did you know that it was me?" I asked.
" I had a strange feeling that you would come today. Do you believe in fate? If you don't, I think that it is time that you do."
" I think I am starting to. My dad started talking about fate, and you know how skeptical he is about that kind of stuff. In fact, both mom and dad were acting strangely, not at all like themselves. Why does it seem that everyone knows what is going on except me?"
" We don't know exactly what is going on, but we have a sense of it here and there," she said mysteriously. Why was she acting like this? This isn't normal for her either, I thought nervously.
" Erik let me go for a little while, as you can probably tell. He didn't tell me where to met him."
" You should know by now that the ring tells him where you are."
" That is what he told me. We better make the best of our time together. Erik told me that this is going to be the last time that I am going to be able to see you for a while."
" Great. At least you have an excuse to go to Scott's house this late at night."
" How is Scott doing? Has he been asking where I have been? My dad gave me his mother's wedding ring. I don't know what that is supposed to mean, but my dad said that it would protect me along with God's power."
" You seem to be skeptical."
" I believe in God, but I don't believe that material things can protect me."
" Then think of it as a reminder that he is thinking about you, ready to think of a way to rescue you."
" I like that better. I will think of 'fate' as what God has planned for me."
" See, you don't have to follow what everyone else
is saying. Like I have always told you, be yourself. Not what
others want you to be." Now she was finally starting to sound like
herself again, I thought as I gave her a
grateful hug, " Now let's go to Scott's house!"
Scott's house was about twenty minutes away from Mary's house, so Mary drove me over there, even though she only had her permit. I was thankful that she was a good driver. It didn't really matter whether the police pulled us over anyway. Erik would still get me out, somehow. It was Mary that I worried about. How could she have explained it to her mother? The twenty minutes seemed like twenty years, but finally we pulled up into his driveway. I always loved the way his house looked so mysterious with trees surrounding it. I felt safe from Erik here. I almost convinced myself that there was no way he could ever find me here, until I remembered the ring on my pinky. I tried again to pull in off, but it wouldn't budge.
" You are in luck Alice. His parents are both out of town on business trips. So you can just ring that doorbell without fear," Mary said confidently.
It wasn't necessary because the lights were on as soon as I started up the walk.
" Alice? My god! I have been so worried about you!"
Scott ran over to me and picked me up in a hug bear hug. " I thought I would never see you again," he said.
" I thought the same," I said as I savored the comfortable,
safe feeling I had in his arms.
" Come inside, both of you."
Scott took hold of my arm and waited for Mary to go in ahead of us. I sat down at the kitchen table, exhausted when I noticed that it was midnight.
" You are going to need some caffeine. Scott, could you make us some coffee please?" Mary asked sweetly.
" Of course! Luckily we have regular instead of decaf, so I expect that after a sip or two, you won't have any trouble staying awake."
He left to get the coffee and coffee maker. I took that time to talk to Mary about what I was going to do when Erik came back for me. How were we going to keep in touch with each other? I could probably give her letters, but how would she be able to send me anything? I didn't trust Erik not to go through my things. He knew too much about me already. When Scott came back, I told him everything that had happened, and showed them the ring that Erik had slipped on. They both seemed surprised when I told them that Erik was giving me all sorts of lessons.
" Now why would he be giving you lessons if you aren't going to be able to put use to them?" Scott asked thoughtfully.
" I think that he is going to use her for something. So far, he seems to think that he is the Phantom of the Opera. He knew how obsessed you were with it. I am surprised that you didn't make the connection when you first saw him," Mary said disapprovingly.
" Well, I had a lot on my mind!" I retorted.
" Well, it is true Alice that he seems to know everything about you. How long has he been watching you, do you know?"
" I think pretty much all my life, at least, this is what Erik has told me."
" I should mention that for the time being, you are actually safer underground with all these bombing threats around the U.S.," Scott said solemnly.
" Why have there been bomb threats?" I asked, surprised that such an important had passed by without my knowledge.
" We are at war with Iraq," Mary said.
" Great! Another thing to worry about! I don't know what I will do if any of you are hurt."
" You will have to deal, unfortunately," Scott said.
I looked at him with hurt. How could he talk like that? How was I supposed to just deal? He sensed my hurt and drew me in the shelter of his arm.
" You don't have to worry about us. We already have a bomb shelter. So have your parents. I was talking about if Erik decides to hurt us, particularly me."
" Why you?"
" Because I have a soft spot in my heart for you, and he knows it. So I guess I am sort of like 'Raoul' and you are his 'Christine'."
I looked into his eyes and saw sadness in them.
" I know that he is determined to make you his, not let me have you. He feels like it is his job to make the story a happy ending. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation for it."
"Well, he isn't going to have me!" I said as I put my head on his chest, savoring the sound of his heartbeat. I was going to miss him terribly " Mary? May Scott and I be alone for a few moments? I promise that I won't be long."
" I don't mind at all. I need to take a short
nap anyway. Take as long as you need."
She stood up and left while yawning.
" I guess I won't be able to take you to the prom," Scott said sadly.
" I guess not. I feel like Erik is going to appear anytime now. What will he do if he finds me in your arms?"
" Probably want to kill me," Scott said without attempting to move me.
" We better say our goodbye then, before he gets here."
" You are right."
With that, he placed a gentle kiss upon my lips. Much too soon after he had done that, we heard a loud, angry pounding on the front door.