Search for the Opera Ghost: Rewrite

VI.

Madame Giry knocked firmly on Zuri's door and waited to hear an answer or hear the door open. "Zuri?" She ventured. "Are you in there?"

"Yes Madame Giry." Zuri replied on the other side.

"I have your breakfast. Open the door so I may come in."

"I would rather not have breakfast Madame. I do not feel well."

She thought this rather odd seeing as she had eaten every morning since she had come and had not shown any signs of illness. "Come and get me then when you feel like eating." She paused before leaving, "Zuri...are you alright?"

"Yes Madame."

xxxx

Erik entered Antoinette's room and watched as she turned towards him. "You called for me Madame."

"What did you do?" She questioned him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Zuri. What did you do to her?"

"I did nothing that was not necessary." He replied as she glared at him.

"Define necessary for me Erik."

"I have nothing to tell you Madame."

"What did you do to her? I want to know now."

Erik turned his head to glare back at her. "I do not have to tell you anything."

"When a guest is in danger then it is my business."

"She is not a guest. She is an intruder and what I did to her was nothing short of what she deserved."

"So you admit to doing something to her!"

"I admit nothing to you Antoinette."

"I have no choice then. Erik, if you do not tell me what you did to her then I will tell her all about you."

Erik growled loudly, "You had better not. That...twit does not need to know anything about me."

"Did you ever think that Zuri might want to be a friend?"

"I have no need for a friend. At least one like her."

"You may be a genius when it comes to the arts Erik, but you can't be farther from it when socializing. Did you ever think that if you sat down with her and explained why you did not want to talk with her about the past that maybe she would have left you alone?"

"I doubt she would have since she is so annoying."

Antoinette finally threw her hands in the air. "You are acting like a spoilt brat Erik. If you do not get your way then you do whatever you think is necessary to get it. Even if that means hurting others. I swear to you, if you have done anything detrimental to Zuri then I will tell her everything I know and don't you dare think that I would not."

"I warn you Madame, don't you dare intervene on my punishments." Erik snarled then turned around and left her.

xxxx

Wednesday, September 6th

Why did I ever come to this place? I was a fool to think that I could be any kind of friend to the Opera Ghost. I should have never come. I thought that maybe he was different than what everyone had told me, but I was wrong. I suppose it is partially my fault for badgering him, but all I wanted was to understand him and maybe be a friend. It is plain that he does not want to leave his home and I am an intruder.

Zuri paused as a tear slid down her cheek.

However, that does not give him any excuse to rape me. What will I do now that I am no longer a virgin? Maybe he was right when he said that no man would ever want me. I don't know what I will tell the Baron on our wedding night. I know father is intending on having me wed him. What will I do then? I can't tell him about the Opera Ghost. They think I am in Bordeaux at this moment. Oh, what will I do?

Zuri

Zuri put her pen down and slid her journal into the stack of papers then climbed into bed. Her stomach growled but she refused to acknowledge it. What had she done to deserve rape? She tried to rationalize why he had done what he had done. What had she done to cause it? She reached her her handkerchief on the nightstand and began to blot at the tears that were leaking from her eyes.

A knock on the door interrupted her tears. "Zuri, are you alright?" Madame Giry's voice wafted through the door.

Zuri wiped at her tears. "Yes Madame Giry. I am fine."

"I brought you lunch. Please do not refuse me."

Zuri stood from the bed and slowly walked to the door. She sighed softly as she opened it. "Come in Madame Giry." She watched as the older woman entered and set the tray of food on her desk.

"What did he do to you Zuri?"

Zuri look at her in shock. "I do not want to talk about it."

"Zuri if he did something detrimental to you then you need to tell me."

"It is nothing." She replied sadly.

"It is more than nothing. I can see it in your eyes. Zuri, I should have rejected the idea of you coming here more. If he has hurt you in any way, now is the time to say it. Tell me what he has done."

"I can't."

"Zuri, you and I both know that he has wronged you. Tell me what he has done." Zuri remained silent and Antoinette sighed softly. "Fine then. Did he beat you?"

"No."

"Did he slap you?"

"No."

"Did he threaten you?"

"No."

"Did he rape you?" Silence met her as Zuri turned her head away from her. "Zuri...tell me that he did not rape you."

"It was my own fault Madame Giry. I should have never come here. You were right. I was a fool and I suppose I got what I deserved." Zuri replied as a tear fell down her cheek.

Antoinette grabbed Zuri by the shoulders and shook her hard. "No you didn't. He should have never hurt you in that way."

"Please Madame. I realize my mistake in coming here. I should have never thought that I could make a difference. I should have never thought that I would be a friend to him." She paused then said, "What a fool I am for thinking that I could do anything right." She walked over to her desk and picked up the stack of papers on her desk and handed them to Madame Giry. "Please give these to him if you can find him. Tell him that he may do whatever he wishes with them. I will leave tomorrow so he does not have to deal with me ever again."

Antoinette took the papers then said, "But Zuri, it is not your fault."

Zuri held up her hand as she sat on the chair in front of the desk. "Please leave me so I may pack." Antoinette turned to leave then heard Zuri's voice, "Oh and thank you for letting me stay...even if I did mess everything up."

"You are welcome." Antoinette replied with a sigh then opened the door and left. She clutched the papers in an angered grip. Erik had a lot of explaining to do to her. She would make him apologize whether he liked it or not. With that thought in her mind she stalked off to find him.