3:05 a.m

✧r a o u l ✧

ten years. ten long years of this terror. every night gave raoul an unsatisfying rest. every night, for the past ten years, he woke at exactly 3:05 a.m to the same deep, eerie voice.

sometimes he woke on his own at an earlier time. tonight was one of those nights. he turned to check the time on his bedside clock. it was 2:54. just about ten minutes until he would come again. this time, raoul was destined to figure out who this mystery man was. he had to do it. he had to put an end to this harassment.

raoul had to pretend he was asleep so that when the man came he would still whisper that same line. he heard the same sentence repeated each day at the same time and it was beginning to drive him mad. this sentence was so odd. why would this man choose this sentence? raoul had no clue.

he checked the clock again. 3:03 a.m. he was almost here. raoul closed his eyes and waited. he laid on his back to ensure a clear view of the man's face when he approached.

soft footsteps started to fill the room. he was here. finally. raoul's heart began to beat so fast he feared that the man would hear. he felt the man standing above him. a short beeping noise was played by the man. he lowered himself down to raoul's ear.

"it's soup time," he whispered.

raoul shot up in bed. "ha! i've finally caught you! i finally know who has been terrorizing me these past years! it's, oh? erik?" raoul squinted to make sure he was seeing the right person.

"it is i."

in fact, it was erik. he had the mask, the cloak, the voice.

"erik? why would you do this for so long? what was the reason?" raoul was dumbfounded.

"it started as a joke but then it became a habit. it's so ingrained into my schedule that i'm past the point of return."

"i would've never guessed it was you. thank you for blessing me with your presence." raoul admired erik greatly. he was, of course, the angel of music.

"i better get going. i have soup to make at home. until tomorrow, raoul. peace out." erik left without a trace. he vanished from the air, seeming to teleport from place to place. raoul wasn't tired anymore. a slight hunger grew in his stomach. he had a craving for something.

soup.