Chapter 1
"Christine! It's two o'clock!" Raoul called.
No answer. He tried again, "Christine, I promised I would take you shopping, remember? Christine?" Frustrated, he knocked, then opened the door to his fiancé's room. No one was there. Only slightly confused, he headed off to the music room. Upon seeing that it, too, was empty, he made his way out to the garden. Again, there was no sign of Christine. Becoming increasingly paranoid, he searched the entire residence. Alas, the hapless young man's quest was to no avail, and he trudged into the kitchen.
"Has no one seen Christine today?" he asked a maid.
"No, sir. At least, I haven't."
Raoul sighed. "There's only one thing that could possibly have happened." he muttered.
"And what's that, if you don't mind me asking, sir?"
He stood up, looking rather determined. "I shall be gone for a while. You'll be able to handle things around here while I'm gone, Adelle?"
"Of course, sir!" the maid chirped, annoyed that the Vicomte didn't think she could manage in his absence.
"Very well," he sighed. Then, very solemnly, he said, "Goodbye," and trotted off.
As Raoul stood outside the Opera House, the rational part of his mind told him he had better come up with a plan before he tried to go rushing into the Opera Ghost's lair again. However, as he was certain that some truly horrible fate had befallen his beloved, he ignored that thought. Luckily for him, the Universe decided to compensate for his average intelligence by allowing in him into the underground house with only getting a tad wet. Besides, whoever is in charge of the universe didn't like hearing him whine in the torture chamber again.
Feeling very proud that he'd gotten himself this far, Raoul started pounding on Erik's door, demanding entrance. Erik, meanwhile, was quite disgusted that someone was interrupting his feelings of self-pity over loosing Christine. Eager to dispose of the intruder, he opened the door.
"You?" he asked, shocked.
"Where is she? Let her go, you monster!" Raoul shouted.
"Let who go? I've been alone since you dragged Christine away from me!"
"Liar! Let me see her!"
"You.think I've kidnapped Christine again?" Erik asked.
"You have.haven't you?"
Erik glared at him. "No."
"So.she's not here."
"Don't you think I'd be a bit more cheerful if she were here?"
"Well, if she's not with you, then where is she?"
"I don't know.Wait! You lost Christine?" Erik demanded.
"Well, I.No! She's disappeared! And if you haven't kidnapped her."
Erik was trying to remain calm. "You really have no idea where she is? You haven't just forgotten some detail of a conversation, have you?"
"No," Raoul muttered, indignant.
While Erik mentally calculated all the places Christine might have gone on her own, Raoul asked innocently, "Um.would you mind helping me find her?"
"You want my help, you pitiful little fop? You'd be better off going home and letting me search for her. Don't worry, I've learned my lesson; I won't force her to stay with me."
"She's my fiancé! I want to help!"
"You'd slow me down!"
"No, I wouldn't!"
Erik shook his head. "Fine! Just stop whining. Come on. We're going to pay a visit to the daroga."
"Who?"
"My God, boy! Are you really that oblivious?"
"Huh?"
Wisely deciding not to argue this any further, Erik motioned for Raoul to follow him out of the labyrinth.
"Christine! It's two o'clock!" Raoul called.
No answer. He tried again, "Christine, I promised I would take you shopping, remember? Christine?" Frustrated, he knocked, then opened the door to his fiancé's room. No one was there. Only slightly confused, he headed off to the music room. Upon seeing that it, too, was empty, he made his way out to the garden. Again, there was no sign of Christine. Becoming increasingly paranoid, he searched the entire residence. Alas, the hapless young man's quest was to no avail, and he trudged into the kitchen.
"Has no one seen Christine today?" he asked a maid.
"No, sir. At least, I haven't."
Raoul sighed. "There's only one thing that could possibly have happened." he muttered.
"And what's that, if you don't mind me asking, sir?"
He stood up, looking rather determined. "I shall be gone for a while. You'll be able to handle things around here while I'm gone, Adelle?"
"Of course, sir!" the maid chirped, annoyed that the Vicomte didn't think she could manage in his absence.
"Very well," he sighed. Then, very solemnly, he said, "Goodbye," and trotted off.
As Raoul stood outside the Opera House, the rational part of his mind told him he had better come up with a plan before he tried to go rushing into the Opera Ghost's lair again. However, as he was certain that some truly horrible fate had befallen his beloved, he ignored that thought. Luckily for him, the Universe decided to compensate for his average intelligence by allowing in him into the underground house with only getting a tad wet. Besides, whoever is in charge of the universe didn't like hearing him whine in the torture chamber again.
Feeling very proud that he'd gotten himself this far, Raoul started pounding on Erik's door, demanding entrance. Erik, meanwhile, was quite disgusted that someone was interrupting his feelings of self-pity over loosing Christine. Eager to dispose of the intruder, he opened the door.
"You?" he asked, shocked.
"Where is she? Let her go, you monster!" Raoul shouted.
"Let who go? I've been alone since you dragged Christine away from me!"
"Liar! Let me see her!"
"You.think I've kidnapped Christine again?" Erik asked.
"You have.haven't you?"
Erik glared at him. "No."
"So.she's not here."
"Don't you think I'd be a bit more cheerful if she were here?"
"Well, if she's not with you, then where is she?"
"I don't know.Wait! You lost Christine?" Erik demanded.
"Well, I.No! She's disappeared! And if you haven't kidnapped her."
Erik was trying to remain calm. "You really have no idea where she is? You haven't just forgotten some detail of a conversation, have you?"
"No," Raoul muttered, indignant.
While Erik mentally calculated all the places Christine might have gone on her own, Raoul asked innocently, "Um.would you mind helping me find her?"
"You want my help, you pitiful little fop? You'd be better off going home and letting me search for her. Don't worry, I've learned my lesson; I won't force her to stay with me."
"She's my fiancé! I want to help!"
"You'd slow me down!"
"No, I wouldn't!"
Erik shook his head. "Fine! Just stop whining. Come on. We're going to pay a visit to the daroga."
"Who?"
"My God, boy! Are you really that oblivious?"
"Huh?"
Wisely deciding not to argue this any further, Erik motioned for Raoul to follow him out of the labyrinth.
