You get to meet Erik today readers!

The resounding silence in the room hung heavy in the air. Alone. Christine had always cherished her alone time at home, between work and taking care of Mama, there was little alone time to be found. But here, in this expansive room, the aloneness crept under her skin. With a quick exhale Christine rose from the plush breakfast chair and approached the bathroom. Pushing the door open and stepping onto the cool marble floor, Christine approached the bath and turned the water on. Carefully removing her shirt and underwear, she lowered herself into the warm water. The after-effects of the chloroform seemed to melt away in the hot steam. A bottle of shampoo sat on the rim of the tub and Christine massaged the rose scented liquid into her messy hair.

Even the shampoo smells expensive. Slowly sliding under the water, Christine held her breath. What would happen if I didn't come up? Her pale face surrounded by willowing hair was just below the surface. Her lungs began to protest, and still she held her breath. After what felt like a minute, she sat up and gasped for air. When she opened her eyes there was no sense of clarity, just the same bathroom as before. More importantly, the same question burned in her chest, why am I here. After conditioning Christine stepped out of the bath and stepped on the drain watching the water swirl away. A towel rack hung on the wall, so she quickly grabbed fluffy white towel and wrapped herself tightly. Walking towards the white marble counter, Christine grabbed the hairbrush. Engraved on the top of the brush was a beautiful C surrounded by roses. The brush made her nauseous to look at, as a reminder of the care and preparation of her kidnapper. When she thought about her kidnapper curiosity mixed with fear permeated from her core. The master. That's what Simon had called him anyway. What kind of man was he? What does he want from me? Part of Christine was anxious to meet him in order to find answers, but the other part of her was filled with dread. She wasn't sure which emotion was more powerful.

Christine refused to go to the closet after her hair was brushed. She felt like Persephone, the pomegranate seeds were the luxurious clothing in the closet, and if she slipped them on she would be here forever. So, she pulled on her old pajama shirt, and began to braid her hair.

Weeks passed in the same routine. Christine would wake up and be fed breakfast by Simon, who would still not answer many questions, then she would take a bath, find a book, Simon would return with lunch, she would continue to read her book, Simon would return with dinner, and then she would sleep. Christine had begun her fourteenth book since she got here, when Simon walked in with her lunch.

"Miss Daae."

"I think I'm starting to go mad," Christine plainly stated in response.

Shooting her an exasperated look, Simon asked "And, pray tell me, why is that?"

"Let's see shall we. I have started talking to myself, been locked in the same room for weeks, and have only talked to one other person the entire time I've been prisoner here."

"Well then Miss Daae, I have excellent news for you."

Christine held her breath.

"You will not only leave this room today, but you will talk to another person as well." Simon announced.

"When?" Christine was sitting at the edge of her seat, with excitement in her eyes.

"Tonight after dinner. So please put on something other than the t-shirt you came here in that you insist I keep washing and return to you." Simon said in a taunting voice.

"Am I meeting him?"

"Yes, Miss Daae."

Christine quickly ate, and practically ran to her closet. She was terrified of meeting the man who kidnapped her, but the excitement of leaving the room was almost too much to handle. Running her hands of the soft clothes, she settled on an ivory sundress. The dress was simple, but she figured it would be deemed appropriate over her pajama shirt. She slipped on some brown sandals and began to unbraid her hair. The chocolate locks fell wavy over her shoulders and ended just below her breasts. Christine took this moment to examine herself in the mirror. Her soft pink lips were still full and her blue eyes were framed by long, black lashes. The only difference from her usual looks was her skin. It had become almost translucent after her weeks inside. Turning away from the mirror, she returned out to her bedroom and began to pace. She couldn't possibly read with the excitement and trepidation mixing in her stomach.

She had spent many hours envisioning her captor. In her mind he was stocky and well-built with brown hair, and a permanent scowl on his lips, maybe even a scar on his cheek. When the door opened at six for dinner, she was still pacing.

"You will wear a hole through the floor if you continue so Miss Daae." Simon's condescending voice caused Christine's head to turn in his direction.

A nervous laugh bubbled from Christine's lips.

Simon set down the tray of food, but Christine waved her hand and refused to eat.

"We won't leave until you eat, so…" Simon stopped talking as Christine flew into her seat and shoved food into her mouth at an alarming rate.

"Miss Daae, please follow me." Simon opened the door and escorted Christine into the hallway. Everything was exactly as Christine remembered from her brief escape stint. Expansive white walls with ornate sculptures and paintings all around. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent area. They approached the heavy double doors Christine had run to earlier, and Simon slowly turned the handle and opened the door for her.

Christine stepped inside and her mouth opened in awe. The most impressive library lay before her with 3 stories of books, a domed skylight, and antique furniture all around. Her eyes trained above on the books, Christine continued to walk forward on the dark green carpet in the room. The door closed with a small thud, and Christine was alone.

"Hello Christine." A powerful, rich tenor echoed across the room.