The Prisoner (A Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction)

Chapter 24

Erik's POV:

"Do you like what you see?" I asked. Christopher's face was terrified, and you could tell he was going to be sick.

"Oh my god-" he mumbled before promptly puking on the floor of my torture chamber. I could feel the heat steadily rising, yet the only effect it had on me was the horrid stench. Christopher was obviously not so lucky. He was sweating profusely and panting. He was crouching in his own vomit.

It gave me power. This man who had thought himself so powerful was dying, humiliating himself, and I got to watch.

"All... I wanted... was a damn... child"

The truth had set in. I engineered the torture chamber so that while being tortured, you were driven to a hysteria that forced you to tell truth. Granted, sometimes you couldn't hear the questions.

"What did you say?"

"She was my... only wife... She wasn't dead... I couldn't remarry... I needed her..." Christopher let out what I assumed was a sob.

Grabbing him by his hair, I jerked his face to mine.

"Then why, pray tell, did you abuse her?" I spat, and threw him back down.

"No... child... She Wouldn't... Cooperate... Had to... force... her!" He let out a high, long laugh. I grimaced. He thought it was funny. Well, perhaps not as much as the laugh would convey, but he certainly didn't feel any guilt. Otherwise he'd be uncontrollably sobbing.

"You disgust me."

"You... disgust... her"

Storming over, I grabbed him by his collar.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"She's... only... seen... the mask!.. She hasn't... seen... your face... Has she!?"

I threw him down.

Once again, he laughed. "She'll... leave... you!" More laughter.

"Put yourself out of your misery." I left the chamber. Turning a dial on near the door, I cranked up the heat. Looking through a small window, I saw he was already crawling towards the noose. Shutting the window with a slam, I furrowed my head in my hands.

Damn. I left my mask in there.

Quickly checking to make sure she was still asleep, I nearly ran to my room and grabbed a new mask. My only white one was obviously unattainable, so I grabbed my black one. Quietly I returned to the room with Renee, who was still asleep. Climbing back into the bed, her eyes fluttered awake.

"You can go back to sleep, dear."

"Where'd you go? And why'd you change your mask?"

"I'll explain in the morning dear." I said, gently stroking her hair. She sat up and took hold of one of my hands.

"Is everything okay?"

No

"Yes."

"You seem worried. Is it Christopher?"

I could see the sincerity in her eyes.

"No, my love. Please, sleep. You need it."

Nodding, she reluctantly laid back down, although I could feel her discomfort and worry. I needed her to sleep, for me.

"Renee, fall asleep until I wake you." I said, using my hypnotic tone.

She promptly fell into a deep sleep.

Stroking her hair, unwelcome thoughts circled inside my head.

"She'll... Leave... You!"

I own her. I own her loyalty, and therefore her.

She doesn't know the monster who owns her

The monster she sleeps with

The monster she claimed to love

The monster who abused her

Would I let her go if she asked?

Would I care if she feared me?

I hope I would

I laid awake until the morning. I could not sleep, yet I had no desire to leave my Renee. Remembering I had to tell her to wake, I did so immediately.

"Renee, love, wake up."

Her eyes once again fluttered open. "Good morning." she said groggily. Hopefully she hadn't remembered or didn't know I had hypnotized her into sleep.

"How did you sleep, dear?"

"Well enough. How about you?"

"I didn't."

"Oh. Aren't you tired?"

"No, my body has been getting more sleep than it is used to. I can go for days without sleep."

"Oh."

"Are you hungry, dear?"

"Famished."

"I'll be right back."

I got up and quickly replaced my cloak and fedora.

"Erik? Since I'm staying here, do you mind if this afternoon I go get groceries? You can't steal from the kitchens forever."

"We'll talk when I return."

"Okay."

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I thought I'd end this chapter with an 'okay' in honor of the movie coming out on Thursday (in the US)! I think I'm going to start one of those I'll-ask-a-question-and-you-answer-in-comments thingys. So this chapter's question: What are you most looking forward to for the TFiOS movie? (If you're even looking forward to it, that is) Also big thanks to all the comments on Chapter 22! Who doesn't love a good cliff hanger? ;)

Your Obedient Servant,

~Rose