The Search For a Phantom

Chapter 1

(up above was the music I listened to as I wrote this. Feel free to listen as you read)

Taking a deep breath, Evelyn opened the door and stepped into the dimly lit foyer, now only in ruins. The golden gleam that once graced the walls and ceiling were all but gone. Now tarnished and stripped of its beauty, only the imagination could seem to give the place the justice it once deserved. Her black flats clicked against the stone floors, now cracked and covered in dust.

She passed through the room, the silence of the abandoned opera house falling heavily against her shoulders. She flicked on the flashlight in her hand, moving the light up to observe the sculptures, reliefs carved into the pillars and arches. Faces of the carvings cast misshapen shadows, sending shivers down her spine. She quickly looked down, drawing her attention to the staircase before her, somehow still hauntingly alluring despite the blackened cracked stone and thick layers of dust.

She ascended the staircase, her steps echoing throughout the large space, and she trailed her hand along the stone banister, wiping the dust and soot away.

"This place must have been so beautiful over a century ago," She murmured to herself, turning around and looking back from where she walked in. "To think this place could have still been a glorious opera house if some phantom, some masked man, hadn't done what he did." She closed her eyes and sighed, the heavy silence now bringing a sense of sadness.

That silence faded quickly though, replaced by a haunting melody. Evelyn opened her eyes and turned to the door, the sound of a violin slowly building. It was strange; this place was abandoned for over a century. Heart beginning to race, Evelyn walked slowly to the door, the entrance to the auditorium. She felt fear and dread welling up within her, yet the music seemed to draw her towards it in a way she could not understand.

Hesitantly, Evelyn pushed the doors open, the music flooding her ears. What she saw before her was beyond belief. The auditorium was fully lit and in its full glory like so many years ago. She slowly walked down the aisle, her hands brushing against the velvet seats, and she gazed up above at the grandiose ceiling and chandelier, sparkling far above her head. The paintings and golden sculptures high above appeared almost to dance with the serene melody enveloping the room. Her heart fluttered and it all felt like a dream. She quickly reached the stage and crawled up, turning to look at the entirety of the auditorium. A vision of vibrant golds and reds, she didn't dare close her eyes for fear of what she saw vanishing.

No more fear was within her as she stood there upon the stage, taking in the sights, the sounds. She heard a faint, encouraging whisper, "sing." She did not recognize the voice, and she did not refuse. Without hesitation, Evelyn opened her mouth and let a melody flow from far within her, resonating and mingling with the violin. The two melodies danced and spun together, forming music not heard in the opera house since the fire that destroyed the building. Her voice soared as the violin echoed softly. The music then began to fade and, feeling weak, Evelyn closed her eyes, sinking to the ground.

She wasn't sure if she had passed out, or her eyes were closed for a mere second, but as she opened them, the velvet glamour and gilded beauty was gone. The once velvet red chairs were now torn, greyed with age and black, some barely remnants left from the fire. The high ceiling was no longer illuminated but instead a dark foreboding blackness above, silhouettes of the sculptures barely visible. The chandelier was gone; only some shattered remains were left, strewn about the auditorium.

Evelyn quickly stood up, the stage floor creaking beneath her. What happened to what she saw when she entered? Was it some vision? Some kind of mind trick? Her heart began to race. Someone, or something, was playing that violin, and she now felt watched. Dread reentered her body, the darkness and suffocating silence pressing ever closer around her. She didn't feel alone, and she didn't feel safe.

Something far back behind the stage fell with a large crash, causing her to spin about wildly with a loud gasp. Palms clammy, Evelyn flicked on her flashlight and pointed it in the direction of the noise.

"H-Hello," she called out, walking further behind the stage with much hesitation. She tried to rationalize with herself and grabbed a hold of the thick tattered curtain before her. Perhaps it was just an animal, a stray cat or something. Pulling the curtain aside, she shined her light forward, seeing no cat. In a flash, a figure passed by with the flurry of a black cape. Though only seeing a glimpse, the figure was tall and dark. The face held a sharp, noticeable contrast, being a ghostly white. That wasn't what frightened her though. She saw no eyes in that second on the stark white face, only inky black sockets.

She could utter no word, nor move. That figure, it ushered forth a cold, deep fear, a frigid chill that penetrated the deepest parts of her being. She felt frozen, her feet glued to the flooring. After a moment, she felt a chilling breeze and, feeling her body once again, she bolted off the stage, running up out of the auditorium and out through the foyer, not stopping till she burst through the doors and across the street in the fading light. She turned around and glanced back at the opera house, taking large breaths. The phone in her pocket vibrated.

"Hello?" She asked, answering the call.

"Evelyn, where are you? You said you'd be back at the hotel by now. Is everything okay? You sound like something scared you."

"There's something there, Jack. There's something in that opera house."

"Really?! What did you see? What happened?"

"I'll tell you when I get back," she shook her head and started to walk down the street. "It was so surreal though, Jack. It felt like a dream. I was scared several times, but it was like a dream..."

**********

Hello my fellow Phans! I bid you welcome to my new(ish) story, The Search For a Phantom. Going in a rather diferent direction from the first attempt, this is a new paranormal story I hope will be putting all of you on the edges of your seats. Now, I love comments, so please tell me what you think, things you especially enjoy, and I want to hear you all guess what could possibly occur next!

Your obedient Author,

Edhelin