Twisted

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

He laid the girl in one of his twenty-something rooms in his secluded mansion hidden away in the forest, deep within the confines of gargantuan oak trees. He pulled the downy blanket around her and proceeded to examine her wounds. She had a concussion, that was for sure. The extent of the damage, however, lay unknown at the moment.

The first rays of dawn shone through the large, ornate window, illuminating her face for the first time. The man's breath caught in his throat as he saw how undeniably beautiful she was. The pale light danced across her features, revealing pale pink lips, defined cheekbones, and the natural auburn highlights in her dark brown curls. Her face shone with a naturally friendly glow, and her face was relaxed, a soft smile upon her lips as she slept.

The man cleaned her head while she was still unconscious, ensuring that infection would not set in. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw her stirring from her comatose-like state. Swiftly, he darted back into the hallway and closed her door softly. Humming to himself, he strode to his music room and sat down at his white grand piano. His long musician's hands brushed the ivory keys lovingly. Stretching his long arms, he steeled himself to playing a soft, sad tune, much contrasting to the usual angry notes he created. He closed his eyes, letting the music overtake him.

************

Alice blinked the sleep from her eyes, sitting up in her bed. She rolled over on her side to look at the clock next to her bed. It read that it was ten thirty on Saturday morning. Sunlight streamed through her curtain-laden windows. Turning her head back onto the pillow, Alice reached for her phone. Megan still hadn't called back. "That's odd." she thought. "She always calls back by now."

Alice pushed her worry to the back of her mind and got up out of bed. She walked into her kitchen and found her mother sipping coffee from a "#1 MOM" mug that Alice had made for her in first grade. Alice smiled, feeling somewhat nostalgic. She missed the carefree years of her childhood, when her parents were still together and everyone was happy. Her mom's voice startled Alice out of her reverie.

"Good morning, Alice. Would you like some toast or coffee?"

"No, thanks." came Alice's usual decline to the offer. Instead, she stood on the tip-toes of her small dancer's feet to reach the box of Fruit-Loops at the top. As Alice says, you're never too old for Fruit Loops.

The phone rang suddenly, and her mom stood to get it. She answered, and Alice watched her expressions carefully. "Yes, this is Marie Tabin." A pause. "I'm sorry, I don't understand..." her face paled at whatever the speaker had said. She knit her eyebrows together, and her face twisted into an expression of terror and helplessness. "Alright. Yes, yes. Thanks for calling. Bye." she hung up and stood still for a moment, shocked.

"Mother, what just happened?" asked a now worried Alice. Alice's mom turned to face her.

"That was Megan'a voice tutor..apparently, she was supposed to have her first lesson today, and she didn't show up. Megan is missing. They found her car in a ditch last night, but no one was in it." It was Alice's turn to be terrified. The worry for her best friend that had been so carelessly shoved to the back of her mind reappeared again ten-fold.

"But...are you sure? Do they know anything? Are they sure it was Megan's car? Where is she? When will they find her?" Alice's rapid-fire questions were increasing her rising level of hysteria and panic. Marie sat down at the kitchen table, holding her head in her hands. Alice hugged herself, her mind imagining all the possibilities that could involve Megan. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, and Alice prayed that her best friend would be all right.

*************

She ran. Megan ran until her legs ached and her lungs burned. The trees around her flew by in her haste to get away from the creature that was chasing her. She convinced herself that she could hear its howls and its warm breath lapping at her heels. Faster still, Megan hurtled through the forest. She burst into a clearing and, realizing she was trapped, prepared herself for the death she was sure would soon come.

Megan woke up gasping for air, and drenched in sweat. Thank God, it was only a dream. She leaned back onto her soft, downy feathered pillow and pulled the thick comforter to her chin. Wait...thick comforter? Her bed only had a blanket... The night came back to Megan in snatches. Her night shift at Petco. Felicity Anne. The car crash. Her eyes widened as she remembered that she had passed out on the side of the road...so where was she now?

Megan glanced around the unfamiliar room. It was very plain, and simple. The walls were a soft lavender, and the only other furniture in the room was a cream colored dresser. Above it lay a simple oval-shaped mirror, rimmed with a gold frame. Megan noted that a bathroom door lay open, and inside the walls were the same hue as the room. Her head perked up at a sound. Music? She listened closer. It was music! And beautiful music, at that. Megan's eyes closed involuntarily as she basked in the glorious sound. Surely that had to be a recording, for no mortal could possess the amount of skill it took to produce such beautiful noise. She couldn't even begin to describe it...It was sweet, she thought. Yet...almost sad, as if its creator were mourning a friend.

Megan shook herself. Since when had she started thinking all these deep thoughts? The music still held its trance on her, and Megan rose from the bed, although somewhat shakily, and stepped into the hall. She audibly gasped at how gorgeous this home was. The carpet, she noticed, was thick and had a Persian look to them, and felt amazing against her bare feet. Looking up, Megan saw an exquisite crystal chandilier that graced the high ceiling. She softly padded down the hallway, following the source of the music that had entranced her so. The music got closer and louder. Megan suddenly halted in front of a closed door. The sound seemed to be coming from behind the door in the room that lay beyond. Making up her mind, she pushed open the thick oaken doors and gaped at the scene before her.

***************

He hadn't even heard her come in, much less seen her. He was so enraptured by his music that he didn't notice her until after the song came to a close. A soft applause came from the direction of the door. The man stood up very quickly upon noticing who it was.

"Hello." said he.

"Hi." came her timid reply, a blush creeping toward her cheeks. He couldn't help but realize how adorable she was when she was shy. "Umm... was that you? Playing the piano just then?"

Somewhat amused by her simple question, he chuckled softly and replied, "Why, yes, it was me. Did you enjoy it?"

"Enjoy it? It was amazing!" she flushed at her sudden outburst. "I mean... I didn't recognize the piece. Who wrote it?"

"I did." came the man's reply with a graceful shrug of his shoulders. Megan finally brought her downcast eyes to his. She was shocked. His eyes were like nothing she had ever seen. They were deep pools of molten gold, extremely unusual, with little flecks of emerald that caught the light that was seeping through the window. Megan noticed how intimidating he looked, as he was about six feet five inches tall. He was very thin, but she could see the muscles hidden by his long cloak. He had very dark hair, almost black. He was also very handsome. Megan scolded herself for thinking that, as he appeared to be in his late twenties. She remembered that she didn't even know who "he" was.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" It was like he had read her mind and beat her to the question.

"My name is Megan Day." was her reply. "What's yours?" He hesitated for a second. "My name... is Erik." Megan noticed for the first time that he had a hint of a French accent, but it was well concealed. His voice was deep, and had a musical quality that suggested he was a singer as well. She also noticed that she still didn't know how she was here. "Er...How did I... get here, exactly?"