Okay people, chapter 2 now. I don't believe that there's really anything I have to explain yet, but please PM me if you find anything confusing and I will be more than happy to answer all of your questions to the best of my ability and within a timely manner. Please note that i am working on changing the format to look more like my original file by getting rid of the double spacing. I use my spacing very deliberately and usually only use a double space when i want to indicate a shift in time, or when I want to ofset a particular moment from the rest within that particular scene. If the fact that it is all single spaced is going to bother you and make it difficult for you to read, please let me know and if there are enouugh complaints, I shall return it to its original format. Considering the fact that this format if not keeping any of my indentations however, I feel it may be necessary to return to the double spacing... Thank you very much, and I hope that you continue to enjoy my story.

Chapter two: Man in the Mask

The next day, Mina Harker sat in her hotel room, waiting for Christine. She glanced up at the clock, which read twelve thirty-five. A few seconds later, there came a knock at the door. Mina walked over and opened it. Christine Daaé stood there, still dressed in costume as Marguerite from the rehearsal of Charles Gounod's Faust.
"Sorry that I am late," panted Christine, "Monsieur Mercier had me stay after to practice one of the duets."
"It's alright," laughed Mina.
"So where is this trap-door?"
Mina motioned for Christine to follow and led her to the bed. She lifted the bed skirt to reveal a trap-door hidden beneath it.
"Here it is," said Mina, "Well, what are we waiting for?"
She lifted the trap-door. It screeched a little at first, but finally seemed to settle in an open position.
"I think that you should go first."
"Why is that?," asked Christine.
"It's alphabetical," Mina reasoned, " 'C' and 'D' come before 'M' and 'H'. It's only fair. Besides, you volunteered."
"Fine," said Christine. And she gave a groan.
Christine made her way over to the trap-door. She looked down into the darkness for a moment, wondering what they would see, and then dropped down into the darkness below.

She looked around and saw Mina follow her down into the abyss and without thinking first, close the door behind her. They had dropped down into a dark tunnel.
"I think that these tunnels run under the Opera," said Mina.
"That very well may be true, but how do you expect us to find out for sure, seeing as you have brought with us no light?," said Christine with a hint of anger in her voice.
Mina slapped her forehead, shocked that she could have forgotten something, which now seemed so obvious.
"I suppose I shall have to go back up and get a candle or something…"
She pushed up on the trap-door, but it did not budge.
"It's stuck," she exclaimed, "It must only be able to be opened from the outside."
"This is simply perfect," said Christine sarcastically, "Now how are we supposed to get out of here?"
Mina looked down the passage.
"I guess we start walking."
Christine heaved a sigh.
"Suddenly I am beginning to think that this was not such a good idea after all…"

The two walked down the long, dark passage-way. Mina glanced over at Christine and saw that she seemed a bit uneasy.
"What's wrong? You're not afraid of the dark, are you?," asked Mina jokingly.
"What would make you think a crazy thing like that?"
"You're trembling."
"Alright, I will admit it! I am afraid of the dark! There, I have said it! Are you happy now? What is wrong with that?"
"Nothing. It's just that… well… you seem a bit young for the opera business. Just exactly how old are you anyway?"
"Sixteen."
"Sixteen! Why that's a whole year younger than I!"
"Wait, what's that?"
Christine pointed down the passage at the faint glow of a light in the distance.
"It looks like a lantern," said Mina, squinting to see.
"We are saved! Monsieur…," Christine began to say, but Mina abruptly placed a hand over her mouth. Christine struggled, trying to free herself from Mina's grasp and at last, Mina removed her hand from Christine's mouth. Christine glared angrily at Mina.
"What was that for? A light means that there is somebody there. And chances are that if there is somebody there, they can help us to get out of here."
"Will you just calm down? We don't know to whom the light belongs. It could a kidnapper, or rapist, or a murderer, or any combination of the three for all that we know. We're two young women, lost and stranded in the dark. Face it, we're easy prey."
"Well then, what do you propose that we do?"
Mina thought for a moment.
"I suppose that it couldn't hurt to follow the light. It seems to be headed in the opposite direction. Perhaps it will lead us to an exit. But we must remain silent."
Christine and Mina began to follow the light from a distance. Periodically, Christine looked around. It almost seemed that she was listening to something until without warning, she tripped and fell to the ground. She couldn't help but to give out a cry of pain. As Mina bent down to help Christine off of the ground, the light ahead of them stopped moving.
"Christine! Are you alright?"
"I think so…," said Christine as she tried to get up again. And she gave another cry. She soon noticed that the dim red glow of the light had begun to move again. Only this time, it was headed straight toward them.
"It is coming this way," she said in a trembling voice.
"Stay calm, Christine. If they know that you're hurt, it makes us even easier prey."
"I cannot help it, Mina. I am frightened…"
Suddenly, the light went out and again, they were surrounded by darkness.
"It's gone," murmured Mina. She suddenly heard Christine's scream. "Christine! Are you alright?"
More muffled screams. Christine was struggling to free herself from the grasp of someone- or something. She made one last effort to scream, but a hand was placed over her mouth and she fainted away.
"Christine, where are you?"
The same hand that grabbed Christine took hold of Mina's wrist and placed a hand over her mouth.
"Quiet," came the voice of a man, "You might wake her. Now come."
The man lifted Mina onto a large white horse, then got onto the horse himself carrying the limp Christine. He gave the horse a little nudge and it trotted down the passage-way.
Mina watched everything that they passed, awestricken at the sight of this underground labyrinth. Then she noticed the man. He seemed to gaze upon Christine with a certain air about him that Mina couldn't quite put her finger on.
They soon reached a well at which the man stopped the horse and took Christine off.
"Who are you and what do you want with us?"
"You will know soon enough."
Mina looked down at the unconscious Christine.
"Is she…," Mina stopped, afraid to finish her sentence.
"She'll be fine. She just fainted. Might have sprained her ankle when she fell, but nothing too serious. Keep quiet. I am going to try to wake her."
The man sat down beside the well and laid Christine with her head resting on his lap. He took a handkerchief from his coat pocket, soaked it in some water from the well, rang it out, and began to gently sponge Christine's face. Mina watched him intently. Soon, Christine began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself face-to-face with a man in a death's-head mask starring down at her. She trembled.
"Who are you? Where is the voice?," she asked in a voice that was no stronger than a whisper.
"Voice? What voice?," asked Mina, confused. What could Christine possibly be talking about?
The man gave a quiet moan. Christine felt a hot breath on her face and perceived the white figure of the white horse in the shadows that nuzzled her side.
"César?," She asked softly.
She drifted back into a peaceful sleep.
"There. See?," said the man, "She's fine. Just a bit tired is all."
Laying Christine gently beside the well, he turned to Mina and helped her back onto the horse, then returning to Christine's sleeping shilluette, picked her up and got back onto the horse himself. They continued to pass through the underground labyrinth.

During their journey, Christine began to awaken again, but one look at that horrid mask and again, she fainted.
"How much longer?," asked Mina, beginning to grow impatient with the masked man.
Almost as soon as she said this, the horse came to a complete stop. The man, still carrying Christine, got off of the horse, motioned for Mina to follow him, and walked to the edge of a vast lake where there was a small boat awaiting them. He and Mina got into the boat and he laid Christine in the bottom. The man picked up the oars and began to row. He rowed the boat across the lake, which seemed to glow an eerie blue from beneath its surface, until they reached a house, which seemed to stand on the water as gracefully as a ballerina on a single toe.
When they reached the house, the man lifted Christine and exited the boat. He opened the door of the house and walked in followed closely by Mina. He entered a cozy-looking bedroom and laid Christine on the bed. He stroked her cheek, gently, then turned to Mina.
"State your name, girl."
"But why?"
"Do not question. State your name."
"It's Mina. And this is…"
"Christine," said the man in a murmured voice, "I already know."
And with this, he left the room.