Disclaimer.. La dee dah.
~Ch 3~
Diana sighed and put down her violin. She scooped up the pipes from the table and left the flat. Her wandering feet couldn't stand being in one space for too long, especially not that tiny room. She decided to poke around the Opera House in search for somewhere to practice. Meandering her way around the streets of Paris, she noticed a dark figure leave an alleyway. She pulled herself into the shadows, watching as the man strode by her. He passed under a street lamp, and she saw that his skin was the darker shade of an oriental, or an Indian. He was muttering something, but all she could catch was "stay.all alone." in a disgusted voice.
It piqued her curiosity. She glanced after him, and as soon as he turned the corner, she felt her way into the alleyway. To her surprise, the other side contained a gate. A huge, rusted gate that was pretty much immovable and most certainly locked. She eyed the keyhole with a professional eye. There was no lock that a Herreras couldn't pick. Particularly Diana. Had her father not taught her when she was a babe, to feel the tiny vibrations coming up from the tools? Hadn't she freed more than one animal---or man, her mind flitting back to the Angel from when she was seven---with her skills since age four?
The lock was not a challenge. Neither was sliding through the small opening that was all the rusted gate would allow. Not for the first time, Diana silently thanked her small frame. That which could sometimes be difficult had a great advantage.
The passageway was dark and twisted frequently. When there were turns, she knelt to the ground and felt for the other's footprints. She carefully tucked all information in her mind in an organized place. Finally the sounds of lapping water brought her up short. She was in front of a large lake. She saw that farther up the line was another passageway from which musical tones echoed. It must be connected to the opera house. A small boat rocked gently against the bank.
It was sound, and Diana anchored it firmly against the edge as she stepped out. A huge door stood in front of her. It had once been decorated, but it looked like it had taken a severe beating sometime soon. Boxes were laid next to the door, and when Diana peered through them she saw food--- most of it the kind that would last for weeks, such as canned and dried goods. Someone must be either living inside or planning to live inside. She laid her ear against the door, but didn't hear anything. She paused before continuing. Did she really have the right to break into this house, or whatever it was? Did she really need to invade someone's privacy? Where some of her family wouldn't have even considered it, it showed a measure of Diana's ethical code that she paused before shrugging and continuing on.
This door showed a little bit more guts---it was harder to break into, but most certainly not the hardest lock Diana had ever opened. Forcing it open, she peered inside. It was dark, very dark, but she could catch glimpses of light reflecting off things like candlesticks and lamps. "Hello? Hellooo?" It appeared no one was in. She moved the boxes inside the door and continued on. It was useless without light, however. Finally she struck a match and searched for a candle. Closest to the door, a small pile of round sticks touched her hand and she leant closer with the match. Her eyes widened as she read the words on the sticks. "Explo---"
"You little fool!!" shouted a voice, and she felt a weight hit her just as one of sticks of dynamite caught fire. There was a sharp rumble, and the world filled with light. Then it went black.
~
The first thing Diana felt when she woke up was a blinding headache. Then as she blinked, and the spots from her eyes cleared, she slowly became aware of a weight on her legs. She looked down, and saw a man sprawled on top of her. Without a doubt, it was the one who had pushed her out of the way when the dynamite went off. He was unconscious, and from the way he felt on her legs, he was very thin. She pushed him away from her and went to look at the rest of the place.
She found a real candle this time and managed to light most of the room. It was a huge common room, with an enormous pipe organ taking up almost all of one wall. She spotted a smaller kitchen off to one side, and noted two doors, one of them opened slightly, on another wall. Diana turned the way that she had come in and gasped. An entire section of the wall had collapsed. The door was entirely covered. Her heart began to race as she looked for another exit. She turned around and ran through the other rooms. Barely noting the coffin in one, she saw neither windows nor doors in either bedroom. She snatched up an empty vase and filled it with water in the kitchen. Racing back to where the man lay, she threw the water on his head. He sputtered and coughed, heaving himself up on his elbows. He turned around and sat up, and Diana fell to her knees and slapped him.
His body rocked backwards with the strength of the blow, and for a moment it looked like he was going to collapse again. He raised a hand to his face in shock, and stared at Diana. "Wha---"
"That was for calling me a fool," she said, her eyes still flickering around her anxiously. "Where can I get out of here?"
"The door, mademoiselle," the man said sarcastically, gesturing towards the collapsed wall, and then did a double-take. "You little---!"
Diana's eyes darted back to him briefly. "If you're going to start the insults again, you're heading the right way for another slap." Then her eyes connected with his face.
~
Erik realized that he wasn't wearing his mask the same time the girl's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. His hand was upon skin, and he glanced next to him. The ceramic mask, paper-thin, had shattered when he hit the floor. No wonder the girl wanted to get out of here so badly. His hand took a slightly more protective position on his face. He glanced up at the girl again. Her mouth was working silently. He tensed for the scream, but she apparently couldn't get anything out. Finally she said something.
"..An-Angelo?"
~Ch 3~
Diana sighed and put down her violin. She scooped up the pipes from the table and left the flat. Her wandering feet couldn't stand being in one space for too long, especially not that tiny room. She decided to poke around the Opera House in search for somewhere to practice. Meandering her way around the streets of Paris, she noticed a dark figure leave an alleyway. She pulled herself into the shadows, watching as the man strode by her. He passed under a street lamp, and she saw that his skin was the darker shade of an oriental, or an Indian. He was muttering something, but all she could catch was "stay.all alone." in a disgusted voice.
It piqued her curiosity. She glanced after him, and as soon as he turned the corner, she felt her way into the alleyway. To her surprise, the other side contained a gate. A huge, rusted gate that was pretty much immovable and most certainly locked. She eyed the keyhole with a professional eye. There was no lock that a Herreras couldn't pick. Particularly Diana. Had her father not taught her when she was a babe, to feel the tiny vibrations coming up from the tools? Hadn't she freed more than one animal---or man, her mind flitting back to the Angel from when she was seven---with her skills since age four?
The lock was not a challenge. Neither was sliding through the small opening that was all the rusted gate would allow. Not for the first time, Diana silently thanked her small frame. That which could sometimes be difficult had a great advantage.
The passageway was dark and twisted frequently. When there were turns, she knelt to the ground and felt for the other's footprints. She carefully tucked all information in her mind in an organized place. Finally the sounds of lapping water brought her up short. She was in front of a large lake. She saw that farther up the line was another passageway from which musical tones echoed. It must be connected to the opera house. A small boat rocked gently against the bank.
It was sound, and Diana anchored it firmly against the edge as she stepped out. A huge door stood in front of her. It had once been decorated, but it looked like it had taken a severe beating sometime soon. Boxes were laid next to the door, and when Diana peered through them she saw food--- most of it the kind that would last for weeks, such as canned and dried goods. Someone must be either living inside or planning to live inside. She laid her ear against the door, but didn't hear anything. She paused before continuing. Did she really have the right to break into this house, or whatever it was? Did she really need to invade someone's privacy? Where some of her family wouldn't have even considered it, it showed a measure of Diana's ethical code that she paused before shrugging and continuing on.
This door showed a little bit more guts---it was harder to break into, but most certainly not the hardest lock Diana had ever opened. Forcing it open, she peered inside. It was dark, very dark, but she could catch glimpses of light reflecting off things like candlesticks and lamps. "Hello? Hellooo?" It appeared no one was in. She moved the boxes inside the door and continued on. It was useless without light, however. Finally she struck a match and searched for a candle. Closest to the door, a small pile of round sticks touched her hand and she leant closer with the match. Her eyes widened as she read the words on the sticks. "Explo---"
"You little fool!!" shouted a voice, and she felt a weight hit her just as one of sticks of dynamite caught fire. There was a sharp rumble, and the world filled with light. Then it went black.
~
The first thing Diana felt when she woke up was a blinding headache. Then as she blinked, and the spots from her eyes cleared, she slowly became aware of a weight on her legs. She looked down, and saw a man sprawled on top of her. Without a doubt, it was the one who had pushed her out of the way when the dynamite went off. He was unconscious, and from the way he felt on her legs, he was very thin. She pushed him away from her and went to look at the rest of the place.
She found a real candle this time and managed to light most of the room. It was a huge common room, with an enormous pipe organ taking up almost all of one wall. She spotted a smaller kitchen off to one side, and noted two doors, one of them opened slightly, on another wall. Diana turned the way that she had come in and gasped. An entire section of the wall had collapsed. The door was entirely covered. Her heart began to race as she looked for another exit. She turned around and ran through the other rooms. Barely noting the coffin in one, she saw neither windows nor doors in either bedroom. She snatched up an empty vase and filled it with water in the kitchen. Racing back to where the man lay, she threw the water on his head. He sputtered and coughed, heaving himself up on his elbows. He turned around and sat up, and Diana fell to her knees and slapped him.
His body rocked backwards with the strength of the blow, and for a moment it looked like he was going to collapse again. He raised a hand to his face in shock, and stared at Diana. "Wha---"
"That was for calling me a fool," she said, her eyes still flickering around her anxiously. "Where can I get out of here?"
"The door, mademoiselle," the man said sarcastically, gesturing towards the collapsed wall, and then did a double-take. "You little---!"
Diana's eyes darted back to him briefly. "If you're going to start the insults again, you're heading the right way for another slap." Then her eyes connected with his face.
~
Erik realized that he wasn't wearing his mask the same time the girl's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. His hand was upon skin, and he glanced next to him. The ceramic mask, paper-thin, had shattered when he hit the floor. No wonder the girl wanted to get out of here so badly. His hand took a slightly more protective position on his face. He glanced up at the girl again. Her mouth was working silently. He tensed for the scream, but she apparently couldn't get anything out. Finally she said something.
"..An-Angelo?"