In the name of our love

9. Melody

A.N. I'm sorry that this has taken me so long. I've been focused on my other works lately, but I've had this chapter planned since I posted the last one in April. I hope you enjoy. It's a bit shorter than I planned, but it's full of Phantom-y goodness     ~Shadow 

   Melody waved goodbye to her parents as she mounted her horse. As always, her mother fretted over her. 

      "Don't be out long, dear!" the blonde Swedish-French woman called. 

       "I won't, mother." she sighed.

        "Don't be out after dark--"

        "Just let her have fun, Christine." Father cut mother off in mid sentence, which Melody was very grateful for. Melody grinned and turned her horse, waving to her parents as she rode out of the de Chagney estate. 

     It was a beautiful day in Rouen and Melody knew that she would enjoy it, even if her parents didn't want her to. She spurred her horse into a gallop as she rode toward town. She slowed her horse as she came towards the open streets. 

     Erik heard the 'click CLICK click CLICK' of horse hooves and looked to their source. A young girl riding a well-groomed horse. Her clothes were upper class, as was her makeup and posture. He didn't pay her much more mind until he heard a man call out, "Hello, Miss de Chagney!" 

     De Chagney! That was the daughter of Christine and Raoul! Here she was, without escort, It would be the perfect time to get his revenge upon the couple. He kept his face straight as he casually walked behind her. He waited until they were in a more deserted part of town before making himself known to her. 

       "Bonjour, mademoiselle." he bowed. She stopped her horse and looked at him with curiosity. 

      "You wear a mask," she said quite bluntly, "Why?" Erik's smile faltered. He didn't answer the girl. Looking at her now, the living corpse could see that she had her mother's blonde hair and her father's dark eyes. She was a skinny little thing. Not skin and bones, mind you, but the kind of skinny that everyone seemed to want to be. 

      "Answer me!" she demanded.

     "Do you want me to show you?" he said lowly, his voice rumbling quietly like far away thunder. 

      "I would not ask if I did not wish to see. Why do you ask such questions? Take it off!" she said once more. Erik bowed slightly and took off the black full-face mask that he wore. The girl just screamed. He wanted so badly to make her go quiet, whatever means necessary, but he could not find it within himself to harm the girl. She was like Christine. She was Christine's child. He could never truly harm Christine. 

        "Put it back on! Put your mask back on!" she pleaded him.

      Erik smirked. Just like her mother. She never really knew what she wanted, but then, when did women ever truly know what they wanted. 

      "Only if you come with me." 

     "What?" she blinked, confused. Her horse stepped back a bit, uncomfortable. 

     "Come with me and I will replace my mask." he repeated. 

      "What if I run?" she said. Stupid girl. Why talk about running? Why not just do it! 

      "I will follow you. I know Rouen like the back of my hand. You could not flee from me." he told her honestly. 

      "I... I..." she spurred her horse back another couple of steps. She was against a wall. She could not run, for they were in a dead-ended alley.