Hey people. For anyone that liked my story "My love will go on", I'm sorry, but it no longer exists. Instead is this one. No abusive Raoul and I guess a better storyline – Lockley.
Whispers in the night
Chapter 1
"It has been a year since the Opera l'populaire burnt down. Tonight celebrates the re-opening of the building," Raoul looked at the audience's uneasy faces and sighed, "Don't worry my friends, the Opera house has been blessed by a priest, nothing bad will happen!" At this the audience relaxed, creating a more comfortable atmosphere. He spied Christine in the second row and grinned. His loving wife smiled back and gave a small wave.
He was escorted off the stage and into the hallway, where the audience was also heading. Tomorrow's performance would begin in the evening and the actors were ready to get in to rehearse a final time.
He soon found Christine, talking to Meg Giry, who was obviously in tomorrow's performance, though she looked slightly apprehensive and was clutching onto Christine's sleeve.
He had asked Christine a month ago if she wanted to be part of the Opera again, but she only replied with a moody look on her face and an uncomfortable silence.
She saw him and pulled Meg along with her to him. She kissed him on the cheek and re-introduced the patron to the dancer.
"Where is your mother, Meg? I hope she is well?" Raoul asked.
Meg wore an uncomfortable look.
"She is well monsieur – but insisted on not playing a part in the re-opening of the Opera." She said.
"Of course" he replied.
They made small talk with other people, before Raoul and Christine excused themselves from the building and made their way home. Christine had remained silent on the journey home, speaking only when spoken to, and when she arrived home, she went straight to bed without a word.
Raoul sat at the armchair and sighed, staring into the fire. After what seemed like barely a minute, the clock tolled midnight.
He decided he'd had enough of staring into the flames and went to make his way into the bedroom when he heard a noise coming from the empty dining room.
He stood still for a moment, straining to hear a further noise, but there was nothing. Still not satisfied, he walked into the dining room, without light. Nothing.
Fearing the safety of his wife, he went and fetched a lamp from the living room and went to turn around, but was stopped by two strong arms. One moved to cover his mouth before he screamed for help, the other wrapped around his waist.
He looked down and the hands, they were gloved in leather. Then the familiar scent that he had learned to associate with death wafted underneath his nose. The Phantom.
"Be quiet monsieur and you will not come to harm." He breathed into Raoul's ear.
Raoul gave a swift nod to show he understood.
"I will leave you an address sir, and you will go there tomorrow, in the cover of the night. You will seek a woman named Claire, and tell her to come to the opening night of the Opera's performance. Failure will result in death. Understood?" He asked.
Raoul nodded again. In a second he had been released from deaths grip and when he spun around there was nothing there.
What on Earth had that been about? Was he not supposed to be dead? Why find him of all people? Who was this Claire? And why was the Opera Ghost always so precise?
He sat down on the armchair again, to think things through, watching the flames. Watching the fire lick at the stone fireplace.
His head slumped onto his shoulder and his eyes fluttered and then closed. His brain could not handle the pressure of this encounter and he was soon dreaming of the wildest things in his imagination.
And yet the time of the first performance of the Opera was nearing…
To be continued…