Disclaimer: I do not 'The Phantom of the Opera,' I sold him to Maidenhair for twelve sous.
Christine shivered. The cold air nipped at her,
"Come my angle, don't be afraid," the coaxing male voice continued. Christine felt out into the darkness behind her mirror,
"But I am afraid," she answered her insides quaking,
"Don't be," he said again, abruptly out of the darkness a skeletally thin hand appeared, and took her shoulder, lowering her into the midnight light. An indistinguishable face peered at her. Christine's mind went up in flames, and she tumbled to the floor.
"Where am I?" Christine muttered half asleep. She could feel soft covering over her, and quivered. Daring herself she opened her eyes. She lay in a room; the walls were covered with tapestry, which covered the unpainted wall beneath. The door was rounded in the far night of the room, and a large vanity covered the wall in front of her. it took her a moment to realize there was a man in the room, she started.
He was wearing a black suit, with a dark cape. A black velvet silken mask covered his face all except head, where a few dark locks fell, his yellow eyes scrutinized her.
Christine's breath came in frightened gasps,
"Don't be afraid Christine," the persuading voice continued, as he advanced towards her.
Christine suddenly felt very much at peace, "I'm not," she answered in all honesty, just as the masked man was about to lift her from the bed, and take her somewhere a vile noise screeched through the house.
The man pricked his face up listening; the sound increased sounding as if a thousand nails were being uprooted. The man dropped Christine's hand, and rushed from the room.
"Oui?" he called out into the unbearable clamor as he opened the round door, the only answer was a boost of the resonance followed by heavy thumping.
Christine's heart was in her throat, the man exited the room. The sound vanished.
Christine could hear the man negotiating with someone faintly in the next room. Yet suddenly an explosion occurred, and Christine leapt to her feet.
Dashing to the door she flung it open. Smoke filled her eyes, gagging she fell to the floor searching for air, there was none, she tried to scream, but the smoke only filled her lungs. Christine crawled forward along the floor until her hand touched something, holding it close to her face she realized it was a piece of black silk, and on further observation she saw it was a mask, and not any mask, it was the mask. Blood covered the inside, and began to slide onto her hands as well.
Tears blinded her eyes as she looked at the fire, and smoke. The whole room began to spin, and she plummeted into darkness.
TBC