Fatal Flaw

Chapter 5

Christine grabbed a candle and a match from the kitchen. She lit the candle and started walking into the blackness. It was a narrow passage, and then a staircase going downward. After what seemed like hours but had only been minutes, Christine arrived at a big, open room. It was very cold. She could only see what the candle lit, and this room was all dark, no windows. Underground, perhaps. Christine looked towards the ground. It was cobblestone, but with a slight red tint.

"Strange..." She thought.

She had barely taken her fourth step when she felt her foot being gripped and her body being pulled upside down! She screamed and accidentally dropped the candle she was holding, which luckily, lost its flame.

"A trap! This must be a dungeon... Why didn't I realize that earlier?" She thought.

She tried to free herself, but to no avail. Her head started hurting.

"Ugh...I hope Erik comes home soon..."

Christine eventually became unconscious.

Erik was soon home. He thought Christine was asleep in her room, so he didn't bother her. He decided to make himself some tea, and when he went to sit down, he noticed that the bookcase was moved.

"Oh no..." He thought.

He frantically called out her name, hoping that somehow, she hadn't gone down that dark pathway. No answer. Not even Erik had known that the hidden passage existed.

(Ehehe they say that women are better at seeing detail than men. That's why Erik didn't notice the passageway, but Christine did. XD)

"Just what could be down there?" He thought.

He lit a candle and rushed into the darkness. He entered the large room and felt the change in temperature. He used the candle to look around, making sure he checked the ground for traps. Erik was so focused on the ground that he startled himself when he walked into something. He looked up and saw Christine hanging upside-down from a snare! Her skirts were too fluffy for Erik to see anything underneath them, as she was wearing many lace layers.

"Christine?! Are you alright??" He asked.

No answer.

Erik knew she was unconscious. He quickly freed her from the trap and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes so he could hold the candle in his other hand. He quickly made his way back to the seating area and set Christine down on a couch. Erik checked to make sure she was breathing. She was, but her pulse was slow and her face was pale. Erik knew how to handle this sort of thing. He disliked the girl, but still cared about her. He didn't want her to die. Erik almost thought she was nice company, and he almost liked having her around.

Almost.

"I-I need to loosen her clothing... Around her neck and waist." Erik mumbled aloud.

He became red- faced at the thought. He saw that there was elastic around her neck... And guessed that there was elastic under her skirts as well.

"I'll have to cut the elastic..." Erik thought.

He went to get a blade and came back a few seconds later with serrated knife in hand. He cut the elastic on Christine's neck, making sure that the knife didn't dare to touch her flesh. He then realized that he would have to go up her skirts. He couldn't find any way around it. He had to do it.

"Oh no..." He thought.

One of his arms went under the skirts, traveling to her waist. Erik's guilt grew more and more with each passing moment, even though the only thing he was doing was saving this girl's life. He felt around her hip, his face as red as a tomato, and eventually found the elastic of her undergarment. With a flick of his wrist, the elastic was cut. He pulled his hand back out, and noticed that Christine's face had color once again.

"I gave her the dress she is wearing. I'm sure she won't mind if it's cut... She'll recover on her own... Hopefully." Erik thought.

He left her alone for 5 minutes, then came back to check on her. She was still unconscious, but Erik thought she looked quite peaceful.

"Please wake up, Christine.... Please..." Erik said.

"I'll stay here until she wakes up. Just to make sure she's okay." He thought.

A few minutes later, Erik finally heard Christine's voice again.

"Ooh...Erik...What happened?" She groaned.

"Christine! You're alright!!! I mean- *ahem* Christine, you've regained consciousness..." Said Erik.

"The last thing I remember is a dark passageway... Why does my head hurt so much?" Christine asked, sitting up.

"You went into that tunnel, and got caught in a trap. A snare, to be exact. I found you, freed you, and laid you down on this couch."

"Oh... Why does my dress feel so loose?"

"I had to cut the elastic to promote blood flow to the rest of your body."

"O-oh... But... My waistline is loose as well... Did you..." Stuttered Christine, blushing.

"All I did was cut the elastic, Christine. Nothing more." Replied Erik.

"Alright... Thank you, Erik. For saving my life."

"No problem. How bad does your head hurt? I have morphine if you need it..."

"I'll be fine, thank you Erik. I would just like to get some sleep..." Said Christine, already starting to drift off again.

"It's already evening... I suppose that means I'll see you in the morning then."

"Goodnight, Erik."

"Goodnight, Christine."