Curiosity Kills
This was written for the Featuring Luciana challenge. The challenge: Write a oneshot story describing Luciana's thoughs on Erik, shortly before her death.
“I want you to take off the mask. Please take off the mask.”
I am standing in front of Erik, begging him to remove the mask that hides his face from me. I want to know his face, to see him.
“You must excuse me, mademoiselle. I have work to finish.”
The nerve of him! “I will not excuse you! You don’t have work to finish! I want you to take off the mask; do you hear me, Erik? I want you to take it off right now!” Please, Erik, I add silently. Let me see your face, that’s all I ask.
My father blocks his path as he attempts to go up the stairs.
“Erik, we’ve gone beyond the question of choice.”
“I’m sorry…I don’t quite-“
“I think it would be best if you simply did as my daughter asked.” He simply stands there, staring at my father and me in utter disbelief.
“You are asking me to do this thing? You are ordering me?”
“If an order is what it takes, then I am ordering you. God Almighty, boy, you must see this can’t go on any longer.”
“You want to see?” This time he is addressing me, not my father. He begins to walk toward me. “You want to see? Then look!”
As he rips off his mask, it is as though all the demons in the world, every creature of my nightmares had somehow come to life in the form of that boy’s face. I try to scream, but I can’t make a sound. I fling my arms up trying to defend myself. He reaches out, trying to pull me closer…closer to that horror.
All I know is that I must escape. I must get away from this monster.
I am running across the rooftop. It is so high…so high up. I know I will die if I fall. Maybe I want to die now…maybe I have nothing to life for, now that I know what Erik’s face is really like.
The stones are giving way and I am falling…falling slowly into the darkness below. Oh Erik, forgive me! The foolish girl who wanted to see your face…she’ll be gone soon enough and you can forget her. Dear God, why did I ever want to see your face?
This was written for the Featuring Luciana challenge. The challenge: Write a oneshot story describing Luciana's thoughs on Erik, shortly before her death.
“I want you to take off the mask. Please take off the mask.”
I am standing in front of Erik, begging him to remove the mask that hides his face from me. I want to know his face, to see him.
“You must excuse me, mademoiselle. I have work to finish.”
The nerve of him! “I will not excuse you! You don’t have work to finish! I want you to take off the mask; do you hear me, Erik? I want you to take it off right now!” Please, Erik, I add silently. Let me see your face, that’s all I ask.
My father blocks his path as he attempts to go up the stairs.
“Erik, we’ve gone beyond the question of choice.”
“I’m sorry…I don’t quite-“
“I think it would be best if you simply did as my daughter asked.” He simply stands there, staring at my father and me in utter disbelief.
“You are asking me to do this thing? You are ordering me?”
“If an order is what it takes, then I am ordering you. God Almighty, boy, you must see this can’t go on any longer.”
“You want to see?” This time he is addressing me, not my father. He begins to walk toward me. “You want to see? Then look!”
As he rips off his mask, it is as though all the demons in the world, every creature of my nightmares had somehow come to life in the form of that boy’s face. I try to scream, but I can’t make a sound. I fling my arms up trying to defend myself. He reaches out, trying to pull me closer…closer to that horror.
All I know is that I must escape. I must get away from this monster.
I am running across the rooftop. It is so high…so high up. I know I will die if I fall. Maybe I want to die now…maybe I have nothing to life for, now that I know what Erik’s face is really like.
The stones are giving way and I am falling…falling slowly into the darkness below. Oh Erik, forgive me! The foolish girl who wanted to see your face…she’ll be gone soon enough and you can forget her. Dear God, why did I ever want to see your face?
