Chapter 4

Quick note, I am heavily into the supernatural because...well I just do for reasons I don't need to say. Anyway, this is something that I like and wanted to put into my story. The next thing I wanted you to know is that the txt message is read like this,

Hailey

Erica

So, here we go.

My heart stopped, I'm so dead, what's he going to do? I sighed, closing the door as I stomped back over to where Anthony was still sitting. I stopped directly in front of him, one hand on my hip as I demanded, "Prove it."

"Excuse me?" Anthony gulped, "I don't understand."

I rolled my eyes, "Unless you want me to push you off this roof I suggest you either tell me or show me how you know my secret."

Anthony jerked to a standing position then stuttered, "W-well it's a...a bit complicated, but I do have proof." Anthony held out his hand, "Hold my hand...just, please don't get scared."

"Okay," I said warily as I grasped Anthony's hand.

Anthony's eyes closed and what came out of his mouth made me jump and nearly let go of his hand,

Do you want to go to the movies tomorrow? If so what do you want to see?

We can go see that lesbian movie if you want.

Do. Not. Make. Fun. Of. Les Miserables! That is by far the greatest play ever written! Besides POTO of course.

I kid, I kid! You know once I read things from Tumblr I HAVE to make the joke, PLUS it's my job to piss you off, remember? And it's a damn easy job, at that

Hahaha! That's only because I make it easy. If I wanted to take up the language of smart ass your life would be hell as well. Anyway, so you want to see that?

Lmao. Yeah, sure it looks pretty cool!

Yay! I've been listening to the music and to be perfectly honest I think when the Epilogue comes on I'm going to cry. This story is VERY angst, morbid, and sad. Basically dark.

Yippee!

I forgot you liked dark. Remember in Sweeney Todd how he was sent away on a false crime? This guy, named Jean Valjean, was sent away for 19 years for stealing bread for his starving family. 5 years for stealing...14 for running.

Good Lord. That's terrible!

That's not even the tip of the iceberg, like I said this is dark and in a sense deep.

Sweeeeet. I can't wait

I can't either...

Anthony stopped and then slowly opened his eyes. I jerked my hand away from him wanting to scream when he begged, "Please don't scream!"

The words died in my mouth as I held onto my hand. Anthony took my moment of silence to explain, "I've been able to do this ever since I can remember, I know even a girl from the future would be scared when I say something like that but I can't help it, I just wish I could understand."

My foot began to bounce up and down then finally I blurted out, "Screw it, do you want to know what happened?"

Anthony looked at me a moment then nodded vigorously. I sighed, "First off, I'm not scared of what you can do, in my time some people who do that are famous. Plus, Erica could do something like that. She would dream things that would come true, she would get feelings when something bad was going to happen, sometimes she would even predict when we would see something. Not like you just did though, she would just say something like, 'do you remember this' or 'I haven't seen that in ages, I wish I could see it again' something along those lines."

Anthony smiled, probably because he didn't seem like a freak for once. I continued, "So here we go."

I began to tell Anthony everything that had happened between Erica and I seeing the movie, and now. "Well, the rest you know." I whispered as Anthony stared at me.

Before I even had time to register what was happening Anthony hugged me. He held on to me tightly, then constricted a bit more, and let me go with a sigh.

"Okay," I laughed.

"I'm sorry that you had to see her like that," Anthony whispered. "Hey, at least you know she's not dead now."

"How do you know?" I asked skeptically.

Anthony rubbed his neck, "Well, before the Opera started I was going out to fetch the bottles of wine I owed Buquet, for covering my shift, but I was arriving back late. I had stashed the bottles in our secret hideaway and I ran straight for the secret door. It's the quickest way back to the catwalks, and as I turned the corner I ran into a girl about your age. She hit the floor rather hard, and as I offered her my hand to help her up I saw images of the two of you together."

Anthony paused for a moment then continued, "You were wearing very strange clothing, a teal blue long sleeve knit top, pants, and black boots. She was wearing a brown and white striped jacket kind of top, pants, brown pirate looking boots, and a brown hat. When do women start to wear pants?"

I started to laugh, "Sorry Anthony, my History isn't the best."

He looked a bit disappointed then said, "I saw you two laughing, talking about the...movie?"

"It's like an Opera, only recorded like a photograph then displayed everywhere."

I laughed at his confused expression as he shrugged then continued, "Then your friend mentioned the Opera ghost, how do you know about him in America?"

I put my head in my hands then sighed, "Okay, how to explain this...the Phantom of the Opera was a book, written by this French guy after the Opera Garnier was created. He renamed the opera house, added a love triangle, and it became one of the most popular books ever written. It's so popular that it was made into a real Opera, countless movies, and a few new book adaptations."

"Wow." Anthony breathed, "Am I in there anywhere?"

I smiled sadly then shook my head, "Maybe a background character, but no, you were never mentioned specifically."

Anthony laughed, "Your friend was quite obsessed wasn't she?"

"Oh God," I said quickly looking from side to side. "Erica was so obsessed that I think she would marry the Phantom if she could."

Anthony's eyes went wide, "You must be joking, doesn't he have a deformity?"

"Yes, but have you ever heard him sing? Even I have to admit he has an Angelic voice."

"He can sing that well?" Anthony beamed.

"Apparently." I shrugged, "I've never heard him, but every adaption says he can."

I stopped for a few beats then continued, "Anthony, the girl that you said was Erica, what did she look like?"

Anthony thought about it for a moment then replied, "She had blonde but brown hair, a mix of the two really. Her eyes were dark brown, she was a few inches taller than you, and she seemed to be just fine when I helped her up. She even went as far as to say she didn't feel it, and I swear I heard her bones hit the tile so hard it echoed."

At hearing that, I have to admit I lost my cool, "That's her! Oh my God, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you; my best friend is alive! I have to see her, did you see who she was with?"

I grabbed Anthony's shoulders and held them tightly, waiting desperately for him to answer. He shook his head to my disappointment, "I'm sorry Hailey."

I sighed, "She'll be back, if anything she'll come back just to try and see the Phantom."

"True, but do you know how long that's going to be?" Anthony asked concerned.

"What do you mean, ll Muto is in a few days, right?"

"Hailey, you must be joking," Anthony smiled, thinking I was joking. My face stayed placid as he said, "It takes months to put on one Opera, it takes money, and it takes time for singers and dancers to learn their lines and moves. I didn't even know ll Muto was our next production."

My eyes narrowed and I muttered, "Damn Hollywood, skipping ahead in time."

"Excuse me?" Anthony asked confused.

I shook my head, "Nothing, just a future thing. Let's go back in, it's getting really cold out here."

Anthony nodded, throwing an arm around me and rubbing my shoulder to restore the heat. As we walked back down the staircase I thought about what the next month had in store for me, Hannibal still had a few more shows before we had a week's break then began the new production. A month, a month...A MONTH?!

(Two Weeks Later)

Finally! Hannibal was over, we had our week or so off and now we could start on the new production, ll Muto. A few more weeks and I can find Erica, and hopefully afterward we can find a way back home...if there is one. Madame Giry had graciously been paying for my board and food until I began work today, I could never thank her enough.

I have to admit, I'm a little excited about my job; painting, designing, drawing, etc. Unfortunately for me though, the first thing they were having me create was the canopy part of the bed in Act 1. Now, you may ask why this is unfortunate. Well, I have to be suspended in the air to map it out, get the measurements, and then draw it. That's not the bad part though; the bad part is that the two people holding me up are Anthony and Joseph Buquet.

I trust Anthony, but I wouldn't trust Buquet further than I could throw him. Anthony holds up my left side, and Buquet holds up my right side, my drawing side. Fan-freakin-tastic!

"Ready to fly, Hailey?" Anthony asked with a smirk.

"Not really." I said, "been there done that, four times in fact."

At that moment Joseph walked past me cackling like the drunk he was, "The day man flies, or you for the matter, is the day I shake hands with the Phantom himself."

I grinned wickedly, "Buquet if you really want to fly I'm sure the Phantom would lend you his 'magical lasso', and I'm sure he'd be gracious enough to pull the switch on the trap door."

Joseph stood there staring at me, his mouth agape, and Anthony was about to burst at the seams holding in his laughter at the sight of Buquet. Suddenly he glared at me and spat, "We'll see who's flying by the Phantom's 'magical lasso' once I capture him."

At that, a scene from the movie flashed across my eyes. Joseph dangling limp from the rafters, his neck broken. Did he deserve it? It wasn't for me to decide, but as he walked away to hook up the ropes and rigging for me to sit on I gave him the three finger salute from The Hunger Games. Anthony didn't seem to notice and we walked to the stage in silence, feeling a pair of eyes on us all of a sudden.

Anthony had me stand in front of a wooden board and showed me how to stand that way when they hoisted me up I would twist into a sitting position. Buquet had set up the ropes in record time calling out, "All right lad, send her up."

Anthony gave him a thumbs up, but before he could leave I grabbed his sleeve saying, "Don't let him drop me."

Anthony smiled patting me on the back, "Just do what you do and let me worry about him."

Anthony was up in the catwalks in about a minute then called down, "On three, hold on! One, two, three!"

I held on with all my might then was jerked five feet in the air, and climbing still. The way the wooden board under me was hung reminded me of one of the old swings you would hang on a tree, I smiled at this slightly. When the rope finally stopped I waited till I heard the two men give me the okay before I gave a quick tug to each side to make sure it was secure. Now here's the fun part, time to work.

(Two and a Half Hours Later)

"Okay boys," I sang joyfully. "Bring me down; I think we are officially done with the canopy!"

Anthony laughed, "'Bout time! How long have you been at that?"

I wiped my brow, man it's hot up here, "Sorry, I'm a perfectionist. I do it right the first time."

As Anthony slowly began to untie his side I heard Joseph scream, "No!"

The whoosh of rope dropping greeted my ears, then gravity quickly caught up with me, and I was falling. I threw my hands out as I fell but before a scream could leave my mouth something tightened around my waist; I grunted as a rope stopped me three feet away from hitting the stage.

I was suspended in the air, my hands spread ready to catch myself while the rope twisted a bit. I let out the air I had been holding in a harsh breath and suddenly heard the thump of Anthony's feet rushing down the stairs. He burst through the door, and when he saw me suspended as I was his whole body sighed in relief.

He ran over and untied the knot quickly and I fell to the ground on my hands and knees. I stood swiftly, staring at the rope that was hanging in front of me. My eyes followed the rope to the end, it was tied right between the two ropes that were originally holding me up.

Buquet stumbled down the stairs Anthony had just came from saying, "I'm sorry, the rope...I swear I didn't know the knot was that loose. Good job lad, tying that extra one around her waist."

Anthony glanced at me saying, "I didn't."

I gulped, there was only one other person who could have, but how did he get that close?

"Excuse me," I said as I began to race out of there. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Anthony let me go while he reprimanded Buquet which, in my opinion, was pretty funny. I ran as fast as I could down the corridors, I had to speak with the Opera Ghost. I came to the fork in the hallways and stopped, one way took me to Christine's dressing room, and the other took me to the Chapel. I had to be smart about this. If I managed to open the mirror I would be in the Phantom's domain, meaning I would be up a creek without a paddle if he decided to get angry. The chapel however, well the only downside would be I don't know if he would be there.

I took the right hallway and walked swiftly towards the chapel, please let him be there! I walked in and was met with only a few lit candles and typical silence. I decided to risk looking like an idiot and yelled, "Erik!"

I waited a few seconds and was about to scream again, filling my lungs to the brim, when a booming voice said, "I heard you the first time."

I took a step back, boy there's a lot of bite in his voice.

"Okay," I said, my foot bouncing once again.

I heard him sigh loudly, "What do you want? I am the Opera Ghost after all; I am very busy with the new production."

I shook my head, pretty sure he could see it, "I know you are, you're job is to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. Right?"

"Correct, now I'll ask you again," I saw him open one of the stain glass windows as if it were a door. He closed it then glared at me, "What do you want?"

That was pretty cool, I thought before answering, "Just this."

"What?" Erik asked utterly confused...for once.

"I wanted to talk to you face to face," I continued. "It's a bit more appropriate now don't you think? I wanted to tell you..."

I trailed off. Crap! When did I become a freakin' chicken?!

"What? Tell me what? Spit it out girl!" Erik snarled.

"Thank you," I spat.

Like I said, short fuse, don't bite me or I'll bite back. "Thank you," I stated once again, a little more evenly though. "Thank you for not sending me away, I know you could have if you wanted to, and thank you for saving me today."

The Phantom looked at me curiously, his brow furrowed, "You're thanking me?"

I took a deep breath then let a small smile come onto my face, "Yes."

So, that's chapter 4. Erica isn't back yet, but she will be...sooner or later. Okay so my friend and I were checking the Traffic status for this story and noticed that two days in a row there were over 121 viewers and we only have 2 reviews? :o Really? Okay so I hope you guys will review since I can honestly say that this story is here to stay till the very end. Oh, and my last two chapters I would like dedicate to one of my Phan friends 'GiNgErPhAn' and 'Princess Kassie'! Thanks for the support and Erik chats ;D Well, for the first time I'm going to say,

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!