At the Opera House

Chapter 18: Raoul

"Christine!"

Christine, having finished a rehearsal and had been going to her dressing room, turned to see Raoul dashing down a hallway towards her, a grin displaying on his face.

He stopped in front of her, panting slightly.

"How are you?" Christine asked politely.

"Missing the sea." Raoul said wistfully. "That's where you see the best sunsets."

Christine nodded, pulling the edges if her costume up.

"Anyway, I was wondering-"

"No." Christine said shortly. "I will not go to dinner with you."

"Nooo. No no. Not to dinner." He shrugged. "I just want a tour of the Opera House."

"A tour? Surely you've had one already."

He flashed a wide grin, his arm reaching sheepishly to his neck. "Well, yeah." His blue stared intently at her. "Only the official one, and I bet you know where all the good spots are. The ones they don't show us." He gestured to himself. "The viscounts and things."

"Hmm." Christine watched him softly for a moment, then smiled gently. "Very well. However, I would be careful, they say there is a ghost."

Raoul chuckled warmly. "I've been hearing about him ever since I first came here." He glanced at Christine. "Do you think he's real?"

"I doubt it." Christine laughed. "Honestly, spirits coming from the grave to haunt an Opera House. This is a modern age of science, not legends and myths."

"Everyone seems quite convinced that he exists." Raoul said seriously. "They even say the new opera is his, what's it called, Don Yuan's trident?" He winked.

"Don Yuan Triumphant." Christine correct him. "Careful Monsieur, the Opera Ghost does not like insults."

"Ah yes." Raoul shrugged. "May we start the tour now?"

Christine schooled her face seriously. "First, we must visit the basements."

"The managers won't show me those." Raoul scowled. "Little twits, I bet they're just scared."

"Everyone is." Christine informed him. "I hear the seamstresses draw straws to gather the costumes down there."

"You don't seem afraid." He observed as they began walking down the hallway.

Christine shrugged. "As I said, I don't believe in ghosts. Especially the Opera kind."

"Fair point."

They turned down the stairs, Christine ignored the stares of a few actors and ballet girls, the lead singer accompanying patrons was nothing new.

"Do you know everyone here?" Raoul asked as they continued down.

Christine nodded. "Almost, but mostly everyone. And I don't, someone I know will."

"Do you know a chap named Boquet?" He asked, waving to a passing actor. "I've heard he's the man to talk to if you want information."

"No one knows where he is." Christine said smoothly. "He's been missing for weeks."

"Really?" They turned down another stairway and began down another hallway. "Has no one filed a report to the police?"