Ok, I'm going to go into a different direction with this chapter. First, it's going to be in first person and it's going to center around Nicole, who I said had a bigger part to play in the story.

Thank you to all my readers who were so patient for this chapter. Now to inform you all, I'm going on vacation for about two weeks, but I'll be thinking about what to do with the next chapter and I should have it out sometime after I get back.

Chapter 9: Her Memories and Meeting Him

Nicole's POV

"Mama…Can I have a little brother or sister?" I asked my mother when I was six. All she did was smile at me and pat my head, sending me outside to play. I knew something was off, but being young and naïve I thought nothing of it.

"Darling, there is something you must know before you venture out on your own," my mother had said to me just a few weeks before I left to pursue my dancing career at the Opera Populaire. "Do you remember when you asked me for a sibling? Well, my daughter, I want you to know that you have one…an older brother, but he ran away from us when he was very young."

"Mama, how come you never told me about this?"

"Because I did not want you to worry about it at such a young age. You see sweetheart, there was something about your brother that was unnatural…the entire right side of his face was scarred…"

I was shaken out of my thoughts by Meg's hand on my shoulder. "Are you ok, Nicole? You seem a bit spaced out," Meg said quietly. We were lying on our beds in the dormitories and it was well past curfew, but I couldn't sleep. Turning to Meg, I nodded, "Yes, Meg, I'm just lost in thought." It wasn't really a lie, I just couldn't tell her exactly what I was thinking.

The Next Morning

After ballet rehearsal Meg ran up to me, "She's still missing. I'm really worried." Victoria had been missing for three days, she had been gone before, but never this long. "We have to find her, Meg. But where do we start?" All Meg did was look around us to make sure no one was looking and pulled me off to Victoria's dressing room.

"I have an idea about where she is…We just need to be careful," she said, locking the door once we were inside. "What are you talking about, Meg? How could you know where she is?" That was all I was able to say before Meg pulled open the mirror. I stood dumbfounded, How did she do that?

Meg grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the mirror into a dark, wet passage way. "How did you know about this place?" I asked her, looking behind us as the (now closed) mirror slowly slid from our sight. "A few years ago, there was a phantom that haunted the opera house. He brought my friend Christine, down to his lair through that mirror. And Victoria's disappearance gives me reason to believe that she has now been taken by the phantom. Her and Emily…"

The news of the Phantom stirred curious thoughts in my head. I had heard of him before; the other ballerinas would tell stories they've heard of him and how he was the one to burn down the opera house. Suddenly I found myself thinking nonstop about this man in dress clothes and a white mask. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why was he here? Though these questions didn't come close to my question about how Meg knew about this pathway.

I became so lost in thought as we walked that I did not realize when we stopped, where we were. Meg had led us to a stone dock on a lake. "Now where do we go?" I whispered to her, looking at the water. Meg lifted up her skirt and stepped into the water, and it proved that it was not that deep. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way in the water. I remember the way, do not worry, there's nothing in the water," she said, looking at me before she turned and started her way through the lake. I shuddered at the thought of having to walk through the water, but I swallowed my pride and followed Meg.

"What exactly lies at the end of this lake?" I asked Meg, coming up beside her. "His home…" was the only answer I got. "Are we not risking our lives by entering his domain?" I looked around at the dank walls and grimaced. "We might be, but I do not believe he would harm a woman, let alone two," she replied as we came across a gate. I stared up at it in awe and looked through it to see about a million candles everywhere and an organ. No way…This is absolutely amazing…

"How do we get in?" I asked Meg, but I found that she was no longer beside me, but at the far side of the gate. She pulled on a lever that seemed to form from the shadows, and slowly the gate began to rise. "WHO GOES THERE!" A voice boomed from what seemed like nowhere. I jumped what seemed like ten feet in the air and Meg ran over to me, putting her hand on my mouth. "Don't make a sound…" she whispered, and pulled me through the gate and into the shadows.

A man stormed out of a room, a lasso in his hand, and he looked around furiously. I saw his eyes narrow at the open gate and he pulled a lever, causing the gate to close. "Well…whoever and where ever you are, you won't be leaving any time soon. You can try to prolong your death, but in the end, I will find you," he said, looking around the room. I sunk deeper into the shadows and cowered against a rock that was jabbing into my back, but I dared not move. Meg seemed to have other ideas. She tried to take a step toward him, but I grabbed the end of her skirt and pulled her back, whispering fiercely, "What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing! He will kill us!" She never looked at me, her eyes stayed focused on him as she shook her head, "I don't think he will…" She tugged her skirt from my grasp and stepped into the light, "Monsieur…?"

The man rounded on her, his gaze, penetrating and my eyes widened at the view of a bone-white mask on his face. Could he really be the Phantom? He spoke in a low voice filled with anger, "What do you wish for, Mlle. Giry? Why have you entered my home?" Meg didn't waver, she stood tall before him and unafraid, "I came to find someone. Someone I believe you may know. Her name is Victoria and she has a child of about a year old named Emily." I watched the two in silence, afraid for my life as well as Meg's. "I do not know who it is you speak of, Mlle. Giry. I know of no woman by that name," the man said in a cold tone.

I stood up and stepped to stand beside Meg, "Are you certain you haven't seen her, monsieur? It's very important we find her. She's a dear friend of both of ours and we're very worried about her." His eyes narrowed in my direction, "And who might you be, mademoiselle?" Chills from his voice ran up my spine and I rubbed my arms subconsciously, "My name is Nicole…Nicole Barye."

I saw his eyebrow rise in thought and then he began to advance on us, "I told you both before and I will say it again. I do not have any knowledge of where your friend is. Now if you would kindly leave my home, ma'amselles." He pulled the lever that opened the gate and I kept my eyes on him as it rose. "Nicole…Come on, we'll find some way to find Victoria…We must leave here," Meg whispered to me. She grabbed my sleeve and pulled me out of the gate.

I watched the man as we walked through the water, his eyes following our every move as his fingers ran along the rope in his hands. "Next time you venture down here ladies, keep your hand at the level of your eyes…" his voice called out as the gate lowered.

That was…interesting to say the least. I thought as we trudged our way through the water and up the stone steps. "Meg…Who was that man? Was he really the Phantom everyone talks about?" I asked her as we neared the mirror to Victoria's dressing room. All Meg did was nod, keeping her eyes forward. It was as if she wasn't really listening to me, so I proceeded to walk beside her in silence.

The Phantom of the Opera…They said that he had no nose; his skin was a yellow as parchment. But he looked nothing like they described…He looked somewhat familiar, though…I continued to reflect along this train of thought, not noticing that we had stepped back out of the mirror. I heard the click of the mirror closing behind me, and I came back to my senses. I felt Meg's hands on my shoulder as she turned me around, "Nicole, you must swear to me never to take this passage alone. It's dangerous down there if you get lost and the monsieur will get very angry if he should find you."

"What do you think I am, Meg? A nitwit? Of course I know that. By his words I would never go down there on my own," I said to her, rolling my eyes. She smiled at me and walked over to the door, peaking her head out to make sure no one was around before pulling me from the room.

We walked back to our dorms in silence. There was a glimmer of moonlight coming from one of the windows as we tiptoed into the room. "Had we really taken all day down there? It did not seem like it," I whispered, sitting down on my bed and undoing the buttons of my dress in the back.

"It seems as though we did," was her reply as she changed into her nightgown. She climbed into her bed and as soon as I had finished changed, I slipped into mine. How strange…"Meg…? What did he mean 'keep your hand at the level of your eyes?' "

She gave me a skeptical look and whispered, "I think that is a discussion best left for another day. Good night, Nicole." Turning on her side, I assume she went to sleep. "Night, Meg," I said back to her as I stared up at the ceiling. Perhaps she's right. It's best not to ask questions now. But what happened to Victoria if she's not with him…?

Hope you all liked it. Please review! No flames! I beg of you! I'll see you all in about 2 weeks! Happy Summer!