Bittersweet Intoxication

Sometime later, I awoke to total darkness. My captor had disappeared for the time being, and I was now left to my own devices. I could hear the faint sounds of an organ concerto, and since I felt rather curious, I decided to find out what this mysterious man was composing.

Raising my head slightly, I could see a small candelabrum on the table beside the bed, which provided the only light. I pushed the covers back quietly and picked up the candelabrum, making my way over to the door. It opened easily, and I crept down the hall silently. The organ concerto got louder and louder with each step I took until I finally reached what seemed to be the music hall. Just like before, my masked captor sat at his organ, and his long, graceful fingers flew over the keys as though he was in a trance.

I approached quietly and slowly – not wanting to frighten him – and as I did so, he turned from the organ and stared at me with an intense gaze. His eyes, I noticed, were mismatched; one being the color of freshly made honey and the other being a bright, clear blue. Furthermore, I would eventually admit to my husband that his eyes were one of my various weaknesses, but I did not realize it just then.

Wordlessly, my masked captor held out a slender hand. Lying across his palm was a single red rose tied with a length of silky black ribbon. I smiled softly, accepting the rose, but not daring to go much closer. This seemed to please him, for his eyes started to get a kind of glow about them. He had removed his cape and fedora, I observed, and was dressed in a simple-yet-elegant tuxedo, which was made of black satin. His dress shirt and bowtie were both made from a creamy, white silk that perfectly accentuated his porcelain half-mask.

~

I watched Christine for a few more minutes, and finally began to realize that my mask was intriguing her more than it should. I wondered if she would get curious enough to...

...but that was impossible, right? No woman could be that curious about me!