I own nothing except Danielle.

WHERE'S THE PHANTOM?

Chapter. 2

Aghast, Christine stumbled forward, grabbing Danielle's shoulders and shaking the startled girl.

"Christine!" Danielle protested, "What the-?"

"Where did you hear that song?" Christine shrieked. Danielle's eyes widened.

"What do you mean? I don't know! I-!" Danielle went limp. Christine let go and the younger girl fell to the ground, curling up and beginning to cry. Sighing, Christine knelt next to her and stroked her back sympathetically.

"Hush. Hush. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Please stop crying." It took several minutes for Danielle to calm down.

"Why is everyone…yelling at me?" Danielle choked. Christine bit her lip guiltily. She supposed she was being unfair. Danielle had no idea about the singer of that song. Did she.

"I'm sorry, Danielle. I shouldn't have yelled, and neither should have Raoul." Christine apologized, "But would you please tell me where you heard that song?"

"I'm not sure, it just…come out of me, you know?" Christine did know.

"Well, that's how music is supposed to feel." Christine assured her.

"I know." Danielle said, nodding, "But this is different. I just… hear it…in my head. My sleep. I can't even explain it."

"You don't have to." Christine said mournfully. Danielle sniffed and looked up. Danielle didn't have to explain it. Christine knew exactly what she meant. Unfortunately, Christine didn't know what to do about it. So she did the first thing did was send Danielle to bed and run to Raoul.

"Raoul!" She shrieked as soon as he was in sight. He turned, startled as Christine ran straight to him, bending to rest her palms on her knees. "Raoul!" She panted. He took an automatic step back in alarm. "Raoul! I know the song! Danielle was singing his song, Raoul!"

"You remember now?" Raoul asked. Christine nodded, not sure why she couldn't remember in the first place.

"She doesn't know where she learned it. He's doing it to her, Raoul! He's singing them to her like he did for me! What's he doing? Why's he doing this? Why Danielle?" She collapsed into his arms, sobbing. Raoul held her as she cried, eyes hard. "I don't know what to do." Christine concluded miserably.

"Stay away from her." Raoul said immediately. Christine broke away from him, staring at him with wide eyes.

"I can't do that!" She whispered, her voice somewhere between mistification and terror.

"Why not?" Raoul demanded, startled by her reaction.

"Because….because how could I? She's my best friend and she looks up to me! How will she think of me if I abandon her? I just can't do that." Christine said.

"You have to she's…"

"She's what Raoul? What?" Christine interrupted.

"She's dangerous!" Raould snapped.

"It's only Danielle." She argued.

"Not anymore." Raoul said seriously, "It's not only Danielle. It's Danielle and him. Danielle under his wing. She isn't dangerous but we know that he is." Christine was silent, her eyes downcast. She took a step back.

"Why her?" She whispered again.

"I don't know." Raoul sighed.

"I'm not staying away from her." Christine ressumed coldly.

"You have to."

"I don't though. I can help her."

"How?" Raoul demanded.

"I…I…" Christine stammered, Raoul stood in front of her, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. Waiting for her to finish her sentence. She didn't. She slouched in front of him helplessly. "I know what it's like. Singing those songs and having those dreams. I'm the only other person who has heard him that way. In that way alone I can help. Maybe…maybe if I tell her about it…maybe if I tell her what happened we'll be able to keep it from happening again."

"I don't think that will stop him." Raoul said flatly.

"Maybe if I had known what was going on it wouldn't have gone so far last time." Christine whispered kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Raoul sighed, taking her hand and pulling her close to him.

"Alrgiht. For now, I'll let you do whatever you think will help her." He whispered. She nodded against his shirt, a few tears returning to her eyes and cheeks. "I love you." Raoul whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you too."

When Christine walked into the dormitory Danielle was sitting cross-legged on her bed. Danielle didn't even look up when Christine entered the room. She walked straight to Danielle's bed and sat on the end. Finally, slowly, Danielle looked up.

"You look guilty." Christine commented.

"I feel guilty." The younger girl admitted.

"Why?"

"I should have told you."

"Maybe." Christine said, "But I'm glad I know now."

"I should have told you." Danielle said ashamedly.

"Danielle, stop saying that. You don't know why you should have said something."

"Why, then?" Danielle asked, "What did I do wrong? It's only music but it makes everyone upset with me."

"Not with you." Christine contradicted.

"Then what?" Danielle demanded. Christine sighed and readjusted herself on the bed.

"Do you remember what you asked me last night? About the Opera House being haunted?" Christine asked. Danielle nodded shakily.

"You said it wasn't the OperaHouse."

"Well. It wasn't…exactly. You see…"

"Christine?" Danielle interrupted. Christine cut off, she'd never tell her the story if she kept getting interrupted.

"What?"

"Christine, I don't think I want to talk about it." Danielle said suddenly, flinching. Christine looked at her oddly.

"Don't want to talk about it?" She repeated blankly.

"I don't think I want to hear it. I don't think I want to hear the story."

"You don't…think so?" Christine said.

"Yeah." Danielle said, she sounded confused.

"I'll tell you in the morning okay?" Christine said, "I don't think I want to tell it right now either." Danielle nodded doubtfully. Still giving the younger girl a strange look, Christine retreated to her own bed.

That night Christine had a dream that she was running through a familiar tunnel. Dodging around dark puddles and rat on the stone floor. Christine felt her curly hair frizzing out around her face, her dressing gown flying out behind her. There were candles on the tunnel walls that extinguished as she ran past them, she was trying to find the light of day again, it was so dark. Behind her, someone was following her, she could feel them gaining on her. A looming, frightening shadow that she had to escape. Her life depended on it. Christine tripped, stumbling against the damp wall. Her hair fell around her face as her cheek was pushed against the grimy stone wall. He was right behind her, she could here his laughter as the darkness closed in around her. Christine closed her eyes, she'd never see the sun again.

Christine sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and wiping the sweat off her forehead. However, after only a few gasps she coughed, confused. Was she inhaling smoke? Dark, heavy smoke. Christine opened her eyes, blinking a few times. People were screaming around her, she heard the sounds of the women fleeing the dormitory. Through the stinging smoke Christine finally saw the flames. They nearly licked the ceiling and surrounded her.

"Danielle?" Christine called dazedly, jumping out of her bed and feeling her way around to Danielle's.

"Yes?" Danielle responded clearly. Christine reached the bed and saw Danielle sitting in the center of her bed, her chin leaning on her knees and her arms wrapped around legs, she was watching the flames with a blank expression. Christine frowned, watching the reflecrion of the merry flames dancing in Danielle's eyes. Christine leaned closer.

"Danielle we have to get out of here!" Christine wheezed.

"Why?" Danielle asked blankly. Christine's eyebrows shot up.

"What do you mean, why?" She shouted, Danielle didn't move, "The dormitory is on fire!"

"I know."

"You know?" Christine repeated blankly, Danielle still hadn't moved. "We have to leave!"

"No." Danielle said firmly.

"No?" Christine shrieked, "Danielle, if we don't leave now we'll be killed."

"It's only fire, Christine."

"Only fire!?! Danielle! What's wrong with you?"

"No. What's wrong with you?" Danielle retorted. Christine was panicking, Danielle hadn't moved a fraction of an inch.

"Danielle, why are you acting like this? You…" She looked very hard at Danielle's blank face, trying to read some emotion. "You…Like?…the fire?" She asked.

Finally, Danielle looked at her, and smiled.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!