AN: I had to remove the lyrics so the full chapter can be found at this web page (remove the spaces):
www. geocities. com/ gerrysmistress/ index. html

Sara spent her days in the dormitories. Quite often, Meg and Christine had to bring food to her and force her to eat. Both girls thought that Sara was traumatized from being taken away by the Phantom. When she was alone, Sara often cried herself to sleep, her heart breaking.

Erik was in misery as well. He missed Sara's company and when ever he went to the dormitories to see her, there were traces of tears on her sleeping face. He took to locking himself away in his lair, waiting to see if they would follow his demands this time. He knew they had been rehearsing; he had been to listen to the rehearsals several times.

Christine sat down beside her friend and gently shook her awake. "Sara, I need you to do something for me."

Sara sat up, her head tilted to one side. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to the cemetery; I need to go to my father's grave. If Raoul asks where I've gone, please tell him that I'm safe."

Sara did not understand her friend's request, but she nodded anyway. Not long after Christine left, Sara heard Raoul jump to his feet. He bumped Sara's bed on the way to the window, and would not stop when Sara called out to him. Sara felt uneasy, and climbed out of bed and dressed to wait for Christine to return.

It was hours later when Christine returned. "Stay here, and for once listen to me!" Raoul said, leaving them alone.

Sara stood and crossed the room to Christine, sitting beside her. "Christine, what happened at the cemetery?"

Sara could feel Christine shaking. "He came there. The Phantom followed me." Christine said. "Oh Sara, will I ever escape him?"

Christine collapsed against her friend and sobbed into her shoulder. "What happened?" Sara asked, rubbing Christine's back.

"He and Raoul fought, Sara, I was so scared. They could have killed each other!"

Sara's hand froze in the middle of Christine back. "Did anything else happen? Was anyone hurt?"

"The Phantom stabbed Raoul's arm, but I don't know if anything happened to the Phantom." Christine said.

Sara released her friend and climbed to her feet. "I'm going to go check on Raoul for you."

Sara quickly left the room, but instead of heading to the manager's office, where she was sure Raoul would be, she headed for a door hidden in the wall. She made her way through the passage, tripping several times, but never falling. When she came to the end of the passage she could hear Erik throwing things around and growling in anger.

He turned, throwing a candle into the water when he saw Sara standing by his desk. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

Sara fidgeted nervously, "Christine told me what happened at the cemetery."

Erik froze, "And have you come to tell me 'I told you so'?"

Sara shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes. Erik stared at her, wondering what was going through her mind. Sara finally crossed the room in five large strides and threw her arms around his neck. Erik dropped the bust he had been prepared to throw.

"I was worried that something might have happened to you!" She whispered into the skin of his neck.

Erik's eyes closed, and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood embracing for several minutes. "They're performing my Opera tonight." He whispered into her ear.

Sara pulled back from him in shock. "But the rehearsals, they've been horrible."

Erik pulled away from her and walked to his desk. Once there he sat down and changed his mask. "They've improved."

Sara shook her head in confusion. "I don't think you've heard them properly. Christine and Signor Piangi are horrible together!"

Erik grabbed Sara's hand and led her back up to the surface. "Stay at the side of the stage. Then I know you'll be safe."

"Erik, what do you mean?" Sara asked. The only response she got was the closing of the door.

She nervously made her way down to the stage area. She did as Erik asked and picked a side of the stage, keeping to the back part. She didn't like the feeling of dread that felt like a dead weight in her stomach. She nervously played with her finger tips, listening to everyone take their places. She took several deep, calming breaths as Carlotta and the other took to the stage.

Sara winced as Carlotta's screeching soprano filled the auditorium. She continued to nervously fidget, turning at the sound of a man screaming, and couldn't remember if it was part of the play or not. Sara started to relax, thinking that maybe for once Erik would just sit back and enjoy the opera as he used to.

Sara's hands had been rising to brush a strand of hair off her face, but froze when she heard Erik's voice come from the stage. She knew he had been planning something, but she had never dreamt of this.

Sara felt something cold brush her arm and it snapped her out of the trance that Erik's voice had made her fall into.

"Well, so far the Viscomte's plan has failed." Carlotta muttered, stepping up beside Sara.

Sara's eyes widened and she turned to Carlotta. "Signora, what do you mean?

"First she seduces the Viscomte, now this." Carlotta said. "Why don't they just shoot him?

"Signora, please, what is going on?" Sara asked desperately.

"The Viscomte has police officers all around the theatre. They are to shoot this Phantom on sight, but he's standing on the stage, and no one has yet to shoot." Carlotta said.

"No." Sara whispered to herself.

Sara was about to move when the screams of everyone in the theatre and around her sounded in her ears. She froze on spot, remembering that Erik told her to stay where she was, and looked around helplessly, not understanding what was happening around her. She heard the sound of something being cut and then the loud sound of something tearing through the ceiling.

"He cut the chandelier!" Mme. Giry yelled. "Sara, run, get away from here."

"But he told me to stay here." Sara said.

"No, go find him, they will be coming for him and you must get him out." Mme. Giry said opening a door that Sara was surprised she knew about.

Sara moved down the tunnel, it was one of the ones that she was not used to so she had to go at a slower place. Somewhere above her she heard a clatter followed by the sound of machinery. She knew at once that someone had set off one of Erik's traps.

Sara cursed herself for not knowing the tunnels better, and hoped that she would get down to his lair in time to warn him of the pursuing mob.