All at once, light filled the foyer. Christine blinked furiously
against the abrupt change in brightness. She pulled her hand away from
Erik's in order to shield her eyes. Erik swore loudly and started running.
Halfway down the hall he ran into someone. The person screamed as she fell.
Erik stumbled as her body fell into his path. He jumped back up and kept
running. He knew he was still in plain sight of anyone in the hall.
Christine looked around the foyer for her Angel. She couldn't see him anywhere. "Angel?!" she called. "Angel where are you?!" She looked around once again when all of a sudden she heard a piercing scream.
"It's the Ghost!" a woman shrieked. Several people screamed and pointed at a black clad figure running down the hall. "Oh God help us!!"
Christine could only watch in horror as someone tried to stop the Ghost. He stepped out in front of the Ghost and said something to him. The Ghost grabbed the man's neck and, lifting him off the ground, threw him against a wall. The man slid down, blood trickling from his head. The Ghost turned briefly and stared right at Christine. He touched the rim of his black fedora before turning quickly and sprinting down the hall. A few moments later, Christine heard someone come up behind her.
"Christine, my God, are you alright?" Raoul asked gripping her shoulders.
"Yes," she breathed. "Yes, I'm fine."
Raoul pulled Christine into a tight hug. "Oh thank God," he replied. Christine wrapped her arms around him and began to cry. Raoul stepped back from her. "Christine, what's wrong dear?" he asked.
"Oh, it was horrible! That man over there, I think he might have killed him!" she cried.
Raoul turned to where the man was lying on the ground. "Good Lord," he muttered. He looked around at the crowd of people just standing in the hall. "Someone fetch a doctor!" he shouted.
"I'll do it!" a man offered and ran out the front door.
Raoul nodded and went to the man on the ground. "Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" he asked, shaking the man gently. Raoul took the man's pulse. "He's not dead," he informed the crowd. "He's breathing but only just." Just then, the man came back with the doctor.
"What happened here?" snapped the doctor.
"It was the Ghost," Raoul replied.
"Ghost," the doctor scoffed. "I don't want to hear about a Ghost! I need facts so that I can help this man!"
Everyone began talking at once, eager to have their overdramatic versions of the story heard. Finally, Raoul's voice broke through the babble.
"QUIET!" he roared. Everyone was. "Christine, tell the good doctor what you saw."
Christine stepped timidly from the crowd. Everyone looked at her, waiting to hear her story. "I was wi-I was walking. I was walking down the hall and then someone cried out saying that they had seen the Ghost. I looked and." she trailed off.
"And what woman?! What did you see?!" the doctor barked.
"What did you see Christine?" Raoul asked softly, giving the doctor a stern look.
"I saw.I saw him; the Ghost. Then a man, this man, tried to stop him because he was running. He said something to him, I don't know what. Then the Ghost grabbed the man by the neck and threw him against this wall and now here you have him as he is." She finished her story and looked around at the sea of faces staring at her. Everyone was very pale and frightened looking.
"Very well, I hardly believe this "Ghost" of yours really exists but I will accept the rest of your story. Someone help me get this man out of here!" the doctor instructed. Two men stepped forward and helped carry the unconscious man out of the building, the doctor following behind, and Erik, unseen by anyone, listened in disgust.
Christine looked around the foyer for her Angel. She couldn't see him anywhere. "Angel?!" she called. "Angel where are you?!" She looked around once again when all of a sudden she heard a piercing scream.
"It's the Ghost!" a woman shrieked. Several people screamed and pointed at a black clad figure running down the hall. "Oh God help us!!"
Christine could only watch in horror as someone tried to stop the Ghost. He stepped out in front of the Ghost and said something to him. The Ghost grabbed the man's neck and, lifting him off the ground, threw him against a wall. The man slid down, blood trickling from his head. The Ghost turned briefly and stared right at Christine. He touched the rim of his black fedora before turning quickly and sprinting down the hall. A few moments later, Christine heard someone come up behind her.
"Christine, my God, are you alright?" Raoul asked gripping her shoulders.
"Yes," she breathed. "Yes, I'm fine."
Raoul pulled Christine into a tight hug. "Oh thank God," he replied. Christine wrapped her arms around him and began to cry. Raoul stepped back from her. "Christine, what's wrong dear?" he asked.
"Oh, it was horrible! That man over there, I think he might have killed him!" she cried.
Raoul turned to where the man was lying on the ground. "Good Lord," he muttered. He looked around at the crowd of people just standing in the hall. "Someone fetch a doctor!" he shouted.
"I'll do it!" a man offered and ran out the front door.
Raoul nodded and went to the man on the ground. "Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" he asked, shaking the man gently. Raoul took the man's pulse. "He's not dead," he informed the crowd. "He's breathing but only just." Just then, the man came back with the doctor.
"What happened here?" snapped the doctor.
"It was the Ghost," Raoul replied.
"Ghost," the doctor scoffed. "I don't want to hear about a Ghost! I need facts so that I can help this man!"
Everyone began talking at once, eager to have their overdramatic versions of the story heard. Finally, Raoul's voice broke through the babble.
"QUIET!" he roared. Everyone was. "Christine, tell the good doctor what you saw."
Christine stepped timidly from the crowd. Everyone looked at her, waiting to hear her story. "I was wi-I was walking. I was walking down the hall and then someone cried out saying that they had seen the Ghost. I looked and." she trailed off.
"And what woman?! What did you see?!" the doctor barked.
"What did you see Christine?" Raoul asked softly, giving the doctor a stern look.
"I saw.I saw him; the Ghost. Then a man, this man, tried to stop him because he was running. He said something to him, I don't know what. Then the Ghost grabbed the man by the neck and threw him against this wall and now here you have him as he is." She finished her story and looked around at the sea of faces staring at her. Everyone was very pale and frightened looking.
"Very well, I hardly believe this "Ghost" of yours really exists but I will accept the rest of your story. Someone help me get this man out of here!" the doctor instructed. Two men stepped forward and helped carry the unconscious man out of the building, the doctor following behind, and Erik, unseen by anyone, listened in disgust.