The Scorpion In Heart (Erik X OC)

Chapter 9: Haunting death's face

It was hard for Penelope to find out what time it was because Erik's underground apartment had no windows. It took her a while but she finally found a clock. It was evening. ,,Do you want me to run you a bath?" she asked him. Erik widened his eyes. ,,Honestly...Erik doesn't know what to say" he mumbled. ,,Just wanted to tell you that if you would like to take a bath the bathroom is just in the corner" his surprised looking calmed Penelope a lot. Her practicing care worked. Soon he would be able to help her. She would get his trust very soon. It was actually easy to get the trust of a genius when he was so lonely his whole life. She didn't plan to hurt him. She was too grateful to him. But she was hopeless and needed his help so badly. ,,But I am asking you instead. Do you want a bath?" She asked him again. ,,Maybe it's indecent to accept it....but what a fool would refuse that" he answered. He liked that. Penelope smiled and sat down on the sofa on the other side of him. ,,You know...I saw a lot of ugliness. Getting abused psychologically and since today even psychically from my husband. So....I am sure your face won't scare me" when she said that Erik shook a bit. ,,Don't start with this. Christine took my mask away once....and she probably told you how that ended" his voice was gloomy. ,,My father had never seen me and even my mother made me wear a mask" suddenly it sounded so personal to Penelope. She herself was theoretically trapped in her own house. Her prison wasn't her face but her husband. But it was enough for her to understand Erik's feelings at least a bit. ,,Have you ever seen a corpse?" He asked quietly. ,,That's what I look like. A rooted skeleton" he described himself quietly. ,,Don't do the same mistake your friend did, Penelope" she took a deep breath. ,,I won't" she said. ,,I am asking you to do that yourself. You'll feel better. You know I will have to stay here for a while because of Arthur. I'll have do be hiding in here for a while. And you can't wear a mask constantly. Don't worry. I have no choice to run away anyway. Everything is better than Arthur. He's handsome, yes. Light brown haired with hazel eyes. But he's jealous and aggressive. Is that better? You know... Whatever your face looks like you are already better than him. I know what you did in past. A few years ago. But.... it's also a past. Now you seem calm and peaceful to me. Even though you're stressed a lot. Don't fight it. Do it, Erik. I am begging you" she spoke to him calmly. These words made sense to Erik. The thought a bit. Then he touched the mask he wore. His hand was trembling. He finally untitled it and very slowly revealed his face.....It was yellowy pale, boney, skinny, almost skeletal. His cheeks had no muscles. His eyes were so deep they really looked like two black holes with deeply placed golden eyes inside them. His lips were so pale and thin that it looked like they wouldn't be there at all. The most horrible think was that he had no nose. Instead of it had only one black hole. Just like a skull. It was really scaring. But Penelope bit her tongue and forced herself to be strong and not to scream or even faint. She didn't even make a scared face. Instead she nodded like she would only accept a basic information. ,,I think you'll feel better like this" she said and so much tried to sound calm. Erik was surprised. He wasn't silly. He noticed that his face scared her but her reaction was still the most calm one he ever experienced during all his face reveals. ,,Aren't you afraid?" he asked. She pointed her hand near his chest and touched it a bit to feel his heartbeat. He was scared of touches but stayed quiet and stiff. ,,No" she answered at least. ,,Your heart beats. You are alive. You're not a living corpse. But a living human being" she said to sure him and herself at the same time. ,,Thank you" he said eventually. He calmed down a lot. He didn't feel so calm for a long time in someone's presence. Maybe never. ,,I think eventually I will appreciate a bath" he joked a bit.