Chapter Four
Marie didn't move from her spot the rest of the day. She sat there and pouted, and
was glad no one bothered her. Come late afternoon, Javert crashed through the
underbrush and grabbed her free arm. Marie began to fight, but Javert's grip was too
tight.
"Showtime," he informed her.
Before she knew what was happening, she was thrown roughly into a cage and
then a cover was tossed over it. She thought herself alone until she saw two golden orbs
in the dark.
"It's you!" Marie gasped. "But you're not corpse boy!"
The golden orbs became watery but he didn't speak.
Marie opened her mouth to talk more when Javert gave the cage a kick.
"When the cover lifts - play!"
Another kick was directed at the boy in the corner.
"And you - you know what to do, ugly."
Marie started to panic like a trapped animal and tried to get out.
"Don't," whispered the boy. "It will only make it worse."
The cover lifted to show a crowed of leering people. Marie wanted to cry out for
help, but Javert was standing off to one side looking like Lucifer himself. He made an
angry gesture for her to start and she had but no choice.
So Marie sat in the cage and played out her heart. She play the numerous hymns
she knew, and then her own meloncholy lullabies. She felt the tears running down her
cheeks, and absently noticed that others in the crowd were wiping at their eyes.
Marie stopped and looked at the boy. He had on a porcelin mask covering his
face, which she had been unable to see before. His eyes weren't visible and she couldn't
see their golden colour that she had become so used to. He picked up the violin and began
to play. Marie had never heard it executed with such precision before. She gasped. He
was playing the anguished melody she had played only the night before when she had
improvised. He played it exactly, without a single flaw, never missing a single note.
He set down the violin carefully as the crowd clapped with delight. Javert's face
was fuming for some reason and he made a sign to the boy. The boy just sat there, not
doing a thing. Javert stormed over to the cage and held a knife against the boy's back,
where the audience couldn't see.
"Take it off," he growled.
The boy didn't seem to hear him, and sat there, staring blankly ahead. The knife
was jabbed closer, and the boy's back began to bleed. He didn't cry out in pain, but
slowly reached for his mask.
Marie felt as though the air had been torn from her lungs. The boy's face was
horribly deformed. He did actually look like a living corpse. Marie wanted to scream in
terror, but she couldn't make herself do it. His eyes were infinintely said, but distant and
unfocused.
Marie felt her stomach turn and covered her mouth, but unable to tear her eyes
away from the boy. The cover was tossed back on the cage as Javert dealt with the crowd.
The golden eyes reappeared instantly, seeming to run together, they were so watery. Even
though he had replaced the mask, Marie was still scared. The thing in the cage with her
was a monster.
"What are you?" breathed Marie unsteadily.
"Go away!" whispered the boy. Javert evidently was listening and interposed.
"She can't. You're both locked in there. I suggest you two get acquainted. You're
both going to be spending some time in there together! She might even show you a good
time, corpse boy!" He laughed wickedly at his own joke and sauntered away.
It was now the boy's turn to stare at her.
Marie scowled. "It's not what you think. It's what that dog wishes. I tried to kill
him, but he's stronger than me," she lamented.
The golden eyes were wide.
"You did?" he asked incredulously.
"I just said I did, didn't I? But it'll just give me time to think of my escape."
"He'll just find you and bring you back. He always does," he answered, barely
above a whisper.
Marie gasped. "How many times have you run away?"
The boy stayed silent and Marie realised she wouldn't be able to make him answer
for anything.
"What's your name?" she tried.
He didn't answer.
"You have a name, everyone does."
"Corpse boy," he whispered hatefully.
Marie shook her head.
"No, it's not. That's Javert's name for you."
He paused and whispered, "Erik."
"Erik," Marie echoed. "I'm Marie LeFougueux."
Erik thought for a moment and then murmured, "Like fire?"
Marie laughed out loud. "Yes." She gave the cage a kick. "And if you're out
there, Javert, unlock the cage! You hear me?" And then to herself when she received no
answer, "Damn him! Damn him to hell!"
She felt Erik look at her as though she was a crazy woman, but almost seeming to
grin at her temper. She felt quite satisfied with herself.
Marie didn't move from her spot the rest of the day. She sat there and pouted, and
was glad no one bothered her. Come late afternoon, Javert crashed through the
underbrush and grabbed her free arm. Marie began to fight, but Javert's grip was too
tight.
"Showtime," he informed her.
Before she knew what was happening, she was thrown roughly into a cage and
then a cover was tossed over it. She thought herself alone until she saw two golden orbs
in the dark.
"It's you!" Marie gasped. "But you're not corpse boy!"
The golden orbs became watery but he didn't speak.
Marie opened her mouth to talk more when Javert gave the cage a kick.
"When the cover lifts - play!"
Another kick was directed at the boy in the corner.
"And you - you know what to do, ugly."
Marie started to panic like a trapped animal and tried to get out.
"Don't," whispered the boy. "It will only make it worse."
The cover lifted to show a crowed of leering people. Marie wanted to cry out for
help, but Javert was standing off to one side looking like Lucifer himself. He made an
angry gesture for her to start and she had but no choice.
So Marie sat in the cage and played out her heart. She play the numerous hymns
she knew, and then her own meloncholy lullabies. She felt the tears running down her
cheeks, and absently noticed that others in the crowd were wiping at their eyes.
Marie stopped and looked at the boy. He had on a porcelin mask covering his
face, which she had been unable to see before. His eyes weren't visible and she couldn't
see their golden colour that she had become so used to. He picked up the violin and began
to play. Marie had never heard it executed with such precision before. She gasped. He
was playing the anguished melody she had played only the night before when she had
improvised. He played it exactly, without a single flaw, never missing a single note.
He set down the violin carefully as the crowd clapped with delight. Javert's face
was fuming for some reason and he made a sign to the boy. The boy just sat there, not
doing a thing. Javert stormed over to the cage and held a knife against the boy's back,
where the audience couldn't see.
"Take it off," he growled.
The boy didn't seem to hear him, and sat there, staring blankly ahead. The knife
was jabbed closer, and the boy's back began to bleed. He didn't cry out in pain, but
slowly reached for his mask.
Marie felt as though the air had been torn from her lungs. The boy's face was
horribly deformed. He did actually look like a living corpse. Marie wanted to scream in
terror, but she couldn't make herself do it. His eyes were infinintely said, but distant and
unfocused.
Marie felt her stomach turn and covered her mouth, but unable to tear her eyes
away from the boy. The cover was tossed back on the cage as Javert dealt with the crowd.
The golden eyes reappeared instantly, seeming to run together, they were so watery. Even
though he had replaced the mask, Marie was still scared. The thing in the cage with her
was a monster.
"What are you?" breathed Marie unsteadily.
"Go away!" whispered the boy. Javert evidently was listening and interposed.
"She can't. You're both locked in there. I suggest you two get acquainted. You're
both going to be spending some time in there together! She might even show you a good
time, corpse boy!" He laughed wickedly at his own joke and sauntered away.
It was now the boy's turn to stare at her.
Marie scowled. "It's not what you think. It's what that dog wishes. I tried to kill
him, but he's stronger than me," she lamented.
The golden eyes were wide.
"You did?" he asked incredulously.
"I just said I did, didn't I? But it'll just give me time to think of my escape."
"He'll just find you and bring you back. He always does," he answered, barely
above a whisper.
Marie gasped. "How many times have you run away?"
The boy stayed silent and Marie realised she wouldn't be able to make him answer
for anything.
"What's your name?" she tried.
He didn't answer.
"You have a name, everyone does."
"Corpse boy," he whispered hatefully.
Marie shook her head.
"No, it's not. That's Javert's name for you."
He paused and whispered, "Erik."
"Erik," Marie echoed. "I'm Marie LeFougueux."
Erik thought for a moment and then murmured, "Like fire?"
Marie laughed out loud. "Yes." She gave the cage a kick. "And if you're out
there, Javert, unlock the cage! You hear me?" And then to herself when she received no
answer, "Damn him! Damn him to hell!"
She felt Erik look at her as though she was a crazy woman, but almost seeming to
grin at her temper. She felt quite satisfied with herself.