I ran my fingers up and down the organ's keys appreciatively. My hand slipped and I winced as the resulting chord echoed throughout the cave. "What was that?" A deep voice thundered, making me shrink back and slowly find my way into a hiding place.

I lay curled up behind one of the many mirrors, barely breathing as I heard the sharp click of a boot against rock. Almost instinctively my hand shot up to the level of my eyes. I smiled and exhaled sharply in an attempt to not laugh. "I know you're here," he said, walking right by me, making me curl up even more.

"You can't hide forever." He walked by again, this time lingering for a moment before moving on. Want to bet? I thought before realizing how ridiculous that idea was. I couldn't just stand up now, though, it would be anticlimactic. Maybe I could give him a hint to where I was.

I felt along the floor for a loose piece of rock. I found one and gripped it tightly as he started playing a familiar song at the organ. I smiled as an idea came to me. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and started to sing. "Think of me. Think of me fondly. When we've said good-bye. Remember me, once in a while. Please promise me you'll try." I stepped out from behind the mirror, still singing, and walked slowly towards the dark haired man at the organ. The music stopped and I took a deep breath in anticipation of what he would do to me. I was tempted to raise my hand, but I couldn't see the Punjab, so I figured I was safe from being strangled.

In the time it took me to blink, he had me in his grasp. I looked into the blue eyes filled with anger and was torn between cowering in fear and bursting out in a giggle fit. "What are you doing here?" He growled at me.

"I was bored." I smiled apologetically.

"So you always spend your free time exploring the catacombs of Opera Houses?" He asked, his eyes boring into me.

"Not exactly, no." I replied. "I write."

Anger changed to confusion. "What?"

"Well," I started to explain. "This," I gestured around the cavern. "Is all part of a story. I'm just writing my version of it."

"So I'm one of your characters?" He asked, dropping his hands from my shoulders.

"No." I replied. "This is a fanfiction, or a phanfiction. It depends on who you talk to."

"What's a fanfiction?"

I thought about how to make my thoughts into words for a moment before I started explaining. "When you read do you ever think about what you would do in the same situation as the main character or how you would interact with the characters?" He nodded. "Well, writing that down is writing fanfiction."

He was silent for a moment. "So how do I fit into your fanfiction? Are you fixing one of my problems your own way or did you just want to interact with me?"

I smiled. "Both." He sunk deep into thought as I said that. After a few minutes I started to worry. "Um... Monsieur?" I tried. When there was no response I walked up to him and put my hand on his muscular shoulder. I held in a crazed giggle as I said, "Erik?"

He snapped out of it with a start. "How do you know my name?"

"I know everything," I replied, shrugging and trying to ignore the fact that I was still touching him.

"Everything?" Erik asked, raising his hand to his mask. I put my hand on his before I got a hold of the edge.

"Everything," I whispered taking the mask off.

His hand flew to his face and he whipped out of my grasp so hard I fell over. "Damn you!" He yelled. "You prying little Pandora! You little demon! Is-"

"This what you wanted to see? Curse you, you lying little Delilah." I finished for him in a bored monotone. "I know, I know." I stood up. "And, uh, for the record," I smiled sheepishly and grabbed Erik's hand off his face. "I don't mind so much."

Once again the anger melted out of his eyes, this time replaced with hope. "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah," I replied, looking away to hide my blushing. Erik put a finger under my chin and turned me back to him.

"Why do you look away, then?" A faint hint of the anger was back in his voice. I laughed, astonished.

"Because, Monsieur," I replied, letting go of his hand, bending down, and grabbing the mask I had dropped when he had pushed me. "I was trying to flirt." I gave him the white mask and there was silence as he put it on.

"I don't see how this," he gestured to the side of his face covered by mask, "makes it easier to 'flirt.'"

I snorted and covered it up with a cough. I couldn't exactly tell him it was because he was a sexy beast. Even without the mask he was one, but he was a sexy beast with a unique face. "Because, when you wear your mask it makes you more mysterious and," I tried to think of how to explain. "Less human. But without it, it shows you have flaws, just like everyone else. It makes you seem more down to earth."

Erik laughed with disbelief. "Showing my inhuman face makes me imore/i human?"

I sighed. What was going on? I was the author, shouldn't I have seen this coming, or be able to stop it? I know how Cassie feels when Mitch takes over, now. "Okay," I said taking a deep breath. "I don't want to fight about why. I'm a girl. A iteenage/i girl. Is that a good enough of an explanation?"

A smirk appeared on his face. "Yes, but you are hardly dressed like a girl."

I rolled my tongue in my cheek then said, "hand me your cape."

"What?"

"Your cape, please, Monsieur," I said again, holding my hand out expectantly. He looked between my face and my hand, then whipped off his cape in a twirling motion and I held back a giggle. He placed it in my outstretched hand. "Want to see a magic trick?" Erik raised his eyebrow in response. I smirked and started to wad up the black silk cape. When it was as small as it could be, I lifted it to my mouth, keeping eye contact with Erik, blew on it, and shook it out to reveal a dress. His eyes widened in surprise. "How?" He asked. I smiled.

"I'm writing this, remember?" I replied. "I can do anything."

I stood in the bedroom with a dilemma. "Uh, Erik?" I called. "Can you help me with something?"

"What?" He replied, probably from the organ.

"I need your help with my corset." I mumbled. Unfortunately, because of the acoustics of the cave, Erik heard every word crystal clear. For the same reason I could practically hear him smirk. I heard him walk in and stand there for a minute before he came over to me. My back was to him, so when I felt the warm tips of his fingers skin across my back as he moved my hair out of the way, I obviously didn't expect it and had to hold back a little scream. It escaped, however, as Erik started to tighten the corset. "I can do anything," He mimicked my voice.

"Up thee shut," I replied in between shallow breaths.

He had finished tightening my corset, but he wasn't done with me yet. He was running his fingers through my hair, before he started to pull it back. Shortly after, he put his hands over my eyes and started to guide me. "Erik!" I complained. "I am such a klutz. I'm going to trip and fall and d-" In a single movement one hand dropped down to cover my mouth and the other slid over both of my eyes.

"I won't let you fall," he said as I lost my balance on a stair. I let out a squeak and Erik laughed as he stabilized me.

"Told you," I mumbled.

He laughed again. "Yes. The Opera Ghost bested by a teenage girl."

"A teenage girl who can do anything," I reminded him.

"Oh, yes. Anything. Except walk down stairs and put on a corset."

"You try wearing a corset sometime," I replied, smiling at the thought. "Ah, just picture it. The Phantom of the Opera in a corset."

"Quite menacing," he agreed, guiding me down the stairs before covering my eyes again. I took timid steps in the direction Erik was leading me because the floor wasn't exactly even.

We stopped and Erik slowly took his hands off of my eyes. I kept them closed for a moment before hesitantly opening them to see I was standing in front of a mirror. I gasped. Apart from the accursed corset, the dress flowed beautifully around me, showing off my curves. Then again, the corset was forcing me to curve, so I didn't think it counted. I was surprised how my pale skin didn't look sickly compared to the black, but porcelain instead. I didn't know how he did it, but somehow Erik had taken the frizz out of my hair so it fell in smooth waves down my back and into a half ponytail tied with a black ribbon.

I didn't realize I was smiling until Erik asked, "I take it you like it, then?" I nodded, still grinning. "Good. I had hoped you would. I also hoped you would join me in Box 5 for the Gala tonight, mademoiselle...?" He trailed off and I realized I still hadn't told him my name.

"Anna. You can call me Anna. Or Rosie. Or The Supreme Overlord of Awesome. Or, as the case may be, Big Red Worm." I started to ramble.

"Anna will do just fine," Erik interrupted, saving me from talking about unicorns, which tended to happen a lot.