AN: This is my first story and I hope you like it! I appreciate constructive criticisms and reviews. I am currently looking for a beta. I know this first chapter is very short but the others will be longer ~ EmilyCosette

Chapter 1

Raoul would come. I completely entrusted my life into the vicomte's soft hands and he if ever loved me he would come. Yet some inane part of mind , convinced my gullible self that he would never show up. I begged that voice to hush, pleading the same way I did to the disfigured Opera Ghost. Raoul,my dear Raoul, had to realize that our silly game at engagement is at a pause and this is real. He used me like a pawn in his game to entrap the phantom. Both men, though I wonder if the Opera Ghost truly is man for he looks like a corpse, passed me around like a child's game of catch , each getting their fill and then discarding me to the next player. But, my brave Vicomte would come to me, to save me from this hideous monster and hell.
" My dear, come with me" the Opera Ghost growled in my ear. I shivered and looked around but could not find the source of the frightening sound. I found him on the side of the lake bank next to the porcelain mannequin of myself. My heart beat sounded like the cane Madame Giry beats on the floor at ballet practice as he neared me with a dress remarkably similar to a wedding dress. He roughly pulled me out of the small boat and threw the wedding dress, for I now knew certainly that it was one, onto the ground in front of me.
" Put on the dress " he yelled. At my hesitation he pulled into the Louis-Phillipe room that i once occupied. He yanked my Amnita costume off of me at once not even bothering to unstring the tight corset and started pulling up my chemise.
I found my voice finally and said, " stop I will put on the dress myself, do not hurt me." Apparently he still had a shred of compassion left as his dreadfully thin body made its way out the room. Before he left he threw his voice into my right ear saying, " My child, do not try to escape, Erik will always find you."
Erik. Who was this Erik? Was it a new murderer I shall have to worry about? My god, how many dangerous people are lurking out in this world unnoticed by everyone? My sweet Raoul still had not come to save me from this hell. As, I paced around the room in the wedding dress I wondered if Raoul,or anyone, would come to find me. The door was yanked open by the crazed opera ghost. His yellow eyes blazed with a fire as he grabbed my arm. His touch was cold, even through the silk and cotton and I gasped. Was he truly dead as his face insinuated?
" Erik and Christine are to be married by midnight. Erik shall finally have a living bride" , the Opera Ghost murmured under his breath . The opera ghost is Erik? Ah , of course he must have a name. What was it he once told back in the days when I was a lonely chorus girl and he a disembodied voice?
' My child, I am a man of many names, but you may call me angel' he said to me the first time I met him. Erik must be one of his many names, this may be his christian name that his mother baptized him with.
" Erik" I cautiously said causing him to turn around, "what a lovely name". His deformity met my eyes as he glanced at me with a glint of hope in his eyes. The hope made me sick to my stomach as I knew I could eliminate that with a snap of my only I could distract him, for one second and I could escape out the Rue Scribe door.
"What nationality is it" I asked my voice feigning curiosity.
" Hmm...my child. I am not sure" he said , sitting down to ponder for a minute. Erik grabbed the hem of my dress as I walked past him.

" My dear your poor Erik adores you very much", he cried out, " are you very unhappy here. Do you not wish to stay with a old corpse like me?"

I nodded my head, averting my eyes from his sad face. My heart wrenched as I heard him choke back a sob.
" You may stay with Madame Giry until our wedding in two days my dear" he said regaining his harsh tone. He pointed to the Rue Scribe exit.
" You may leave from there, I presume you are able to leave yourself" he threw his voice right in front of me.

Before I could leave he talked one last time," If I see you with the boy ,my dear, do not think that I would hesitate to kill him within a fortnight.

Ah,my poor Raoul, what did he ever do wrong? Yes, I would go straight to Madame Giry for I would not want to risk my love's life .I took that as my chance to leave and ran to the clothed mirror that guarded the exit. I pushed the black cloth aside and stepped into the dim hallway. I picked my dress up and ran to the door praying to God that it was not locked. Pulling the heavy door open I came face to face with a red faced Persian.