Melody In The Shadows(ON HOLD UNTIL JANUARY)

Chapter 8

Raoul scrambled to his feet immediately calling for Christine as he searched the room.

I searched as well, looking in closets, underneath the couch, and even behind the curtains, but there was no one there, no sign of Christine. She had simply vanished.

"Where did they go?" Raoul asked as his eyes darted around.

I only shook my head, not knowing what to say, my brain was even silent, no logical explanation could explain this.

"We have to get the police!" I said quickly.

"Oui, I'll get them, you stay here, just in case Christine returns." He told me, rushing towards the door.

I wanted to argue against this, not wanting to be left alone in this room, but I swallowed back my words, allowing him to leave me alone.

I looked around the room as I breathed heavily, my eyes landing on the mirror beside me and I remembered the words I had heard this Angel say, look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside.

I turned slowly towards the mirror seeing nothing but my own reflection, nothing out of place for a moment, then slowly I saw what looked to be fingerprints on the side. Which wouldn't be out of the ordinary if it weren't for them being on the inside.

I pressed my hands against the mirror and as I pushed against it I could feel the mirror slowly begin to open.

As it fully opened it brought in icy-cold air and revealed a dark, stone-made tunnel.

I grabbed a lit candelabra from the table beside the, now open, mirror.

I clutched it tightly in my hands as I took a deep, shaky breath as I stepped inside. As soon as I was in I heard the mirror close shut behind me.

I gazed into the mirror behind me, instead of my own reflection greeting me I saw the room in which I had originally been, giving me a shiver of discomfort as I turned back around.

Distantly I could hear voices echoing through the tunnel and as far as they were I could recognize Christine's.

I ignored the fear racing in my mind and heart as I followed the sound of their voices through the tunnel.

A rat scurried in front of me as I walked through the tunnel. I let out a yelp of fear as I jumped back, momentarily stopping to compose myself before continuing.

I could hear the voices getting closer as I went down, encouraging my feet to move forward, wanting to find Christine and get her out of here.

The path suddenly ended and I stumbled slightly, nearly falling into a wide lake that was before me.

"Shit," I swore as I placed my free hand on the wall for balance.

I looked over the lake seeing light up ahead, reflecting off the water in the distance. I knew I had to be close, Christine had to be close.

I stared into the water, wondering how deep it would be, and in the back of my mind thinking what could be underneath, more rats or something else.

I shook my head of the thoughts as I stepped into the water.

It was icy cold, going up to my stomach, stopping a couple of inches before it reached my chest. I cringed against the feeling of the water soaking through my clothes as I walked along the cement flooring below.

I could see what seemed to be candles up ahead and I stopped seeing Christine being helped out of the boat by a man, but not just any man he wore a white mask which concealed the right side of his face and my heart began to pound in realization. This was no angel, he was The Phantom Of The Opera.

I climbed up onto the wall ledge, peering over it as I watched them, hearing the Phantom speak.

"I have brought you to the seat of sweet music's throne, to this kingdom where all must pay homage to music." He guided her onto the platform, through rows of tall candelabras and I could see just how hypnotized Christine was by him as he spoke.

"You have come here, for one purpose and one alone, since the moment I first heard you sing I have needed you with me to serve me, to sing for my music."

He brought her to a piano, sitting her down on the seat beside him as he sat and began to play a soft tune.

"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation.....Darkness wakes and stirs imagination, silently the senses abandon their defenses, helpless to resist the notes I write for I compose the music of the night..."

I could feel myself begin to be mesmerized by his words, his voice being something I had never heard before.

"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor, grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Hearing is believing, music is deceiving, hard as lightning, soft as candlelight, dare you trust the music of the night.....Close your eyes for your eyes will only tell the truth and the truth isn't what you want to see, in the dark, it is easy to pretend that the truth is what it ought to be...."

My head was leaning up against the wall as I closed my eyes, feeling an odd sense of peace coming over me.

When I opened my eyes I could see him guiding Christine away again towards dark red curtains as he sang.

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you, hear it, fear it, secretly possess you....Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind in this darkness, which you know you cannot fight, the darkness of the music of the night....Close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world, leave all thoughts of the world you knew before, close your eyes and let music set you free...... Only then can you belong to me."

I watched as the Ghost touched her face, his hands as they lifted her face to his.

"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication, touch me, trust me, savor each sensation....Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in...To the power of the music that I write, the power of the music of the night!"

He swung open the curtain and my eyes widened as I could see, even from where I was, it was a life-like statue of Christine wearing a wedding dress.

She immediately fainted and the Phantom caught her in his arms before she could collide with the floor and I watched as he carried her over to the boat. She was laid gently down inside and covered with a dark blanket.

"You alone can make my song take flight, help me make the music of the night." I could hear him softly whisper as he slowly began to back away.

He really loves her, I thought to myself as I watched him move away from her disappearing behind a black curtain, that was in the far back. Angel or not, no one could deny that after seeing how beautifully he sang to her and truly listening to the lyrics, it was undeniable that he truly meant what he said.

At least I hope it was true and not just some sick, twisted act he was putting on.

I waited for a moment, watching the curtains cautiously, which he had disappeared through. Once I was satisfied that he wasn't going to walk back through them again I jumped off the ledge of the wall, splashing back into the cold water.

I froze for a moment, fearing that the Phantom might've heard it, but when I didn't see him appear I began to make my way towards Christine.

As I lifted myself out of the water and onto the land, I went beside the boat, Christine's eyes remained closed as I shook her shoulders, trying to get her to wake so that we could somehow get out of here.

"Christine, Christine," I called in a voice that was just enough where she could hear me, but the Opera Ghost, hopefully, could not.

She still didn't wake and I grew concerned as I shook her more and more.

This was not a normal sleep, any person would've woken up by now, but she remained in a sleep-like state.

I stared, not knowing what to do or what I could even do to wake her.

As my brain tried to come up with an idea I could feel a shiver go up my spine as I turned around to see a very pissed off Phantom making his way towards me.