Chapter 4

Il Muto

Isabella was still asleep when she heard the knock on the door. She opened her eyes and let them slowly focus. The person knocked again whoever it was seemed to be in some sort of hurry. She hopped off the bed and grabbed her robe that was hanging on her vanity chair. When she had it tied she opened the door. Raoul took one look at her tousled hair and sleep filled eyes and instantly knew that Elizabeth did not tell her about the early roll call for Il Muto. He smiled at her. "What is it Raoul I happen to be very tired. You didn't leave until last night."

"Now that wasn't all my fault you wouldn't stop talking to me. Now Isabella you must get changed there is a practice going on right now for Il Muto and they need you to be on stage. Didn't Elizabeth tell you?"

"Oh no. I have to get dressed." She flew away from her door and started to gather her practice tutu and tights. When she heard a cough behind her she stopped and looked back towards the door where Raoul stood. She then turned beet red and realized that she almost got dressed in front of him. "Please close the door Raoul." He did and waited outside the door for her. He and Jacques both decided that they would watch over the four friends. In less then two minutes Isabella came out of her room. Raoul grabbed her hand and they both ran to the stage. Madame Giry would be a little upset but when she realized that Elizabeth didn't tell her she wouldn't be too angry. "I can't believe that she didn't tell me." Raoul looked at her confusedly

"Who what?"

"Oh Elizabeth she seems to have been thinking about other things she must have something important on her mind." She said as they rushed to the stage.

Christine moved closer to the warmth that was next to her. She heard a groan and opened her eyes. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jacques she instantly became awake and jumped off the bed. She let out a little yelp when she hit the chair that was behind her. She put her hand up to her mouth and held her breath. When Jacques rolled over and realized that she was not next to him anymore he quickly opened her eyes at her frightened ones across the room. Two seconds later Carlotta burst into the room and started shouting at Christine. "What are you doing here in my dressing room? You were supposed to be on the stage practicing. Didn't that brown haired brat of a friend of yours tell you about the early morning call."

"No Miss Carlotta she did not."

"Get out of my room now I must get ready for my perfect show." Carlotta looked over to her bed and saw Jacques sitting on it. "We are not supposed to have men in here especially runts like him."

"I'm sorry Miss Carlotta we were just leaving." Jacques stood up and walked in front of Carlotta. To Carlotta he was a giant Greek god she silently shook.

"You will not talk to her that way Carlotta." He said so quietly that she could hear the venom of his voice. "Lets go." He gently grabbed Christine's hand and took her to her room so that she could get ready for the practice.

Elizabeth walked to the stage not paying attention to where she was walking. A couple of times she bumped into people not even feeling it. She couldn't stop thinking about the phantom ever since she had met him in the wings. She kept on walking until she bumped into something that grabbed onto her arms. She looked into the eyes of her mother. "Elizabeth are you okay."

"Yes mother I'm fine I have a lot on my mind."

"Well you better start getting it clear because your mind needs to focus on the way you dance."

"I know mother I'm trying but…"

"No more trying you must be the best because you and Isabella are the star dancers of this ballet you must do your best. No come follow me everyone is late."

Madame Giry grabbed her daughters hand and pulled her towards the stage. There was a movement above her head and Elizabeth looked up and saw a flash of a dark cape and a black rose fell to her feet. She pulled away from her mothers grasp and grabbed the rose. She put the flower to her nose and deeply breathed in the fragrance. She hurried back to her mother and the rest of the cast.

The Phantom watched her move through the people like a zombie she seemed to have something on her mind. For some reason he could not explain to himself why he cared what she was thinking about made her wonder around. He tossed his rose to her. The one that was meant for Christine. He went back to the box to watch the practice.

As Isabella rushed in being pulled by Raoul, Christine came in the door right across from her. They almost ran into each other but stopped. Elizabeth walked up to them. They all smiled at each other and hugged Isabella was overjoyed to see them both she hadn't seen Christine since the night of Hannibal. She looked over at Raoul and smiled as he kissed her cheek and went out to the audience to watch the practice. Jacques had followed him and sat next to him. Raoul nor Jacques were ready to let anything happen to the girls. All the girls gathered together to talk about nothing in particular. Then Madame Giry came over to them and started yelling at them for being late. That was when the other two girls rounded on Elizabeth. "She never told us" said Christine Elizabeth glared at her.

"I'm sorry I had a lot on my mind girls." She looked at Isabella who gave her a knowing look. "Now that we are here lets begin to practice." Madame Giry nodded in agreement and took the hands of her daughters. Christine and Isabella followed. As they practiced Jacques watched Christine very closely ready to spring into action if needed. Raoul knew that Isabella was not in the same danger as Christine but she was still in danger. For she was a friend of Christine's and whoever was after Christine would stop at nothing to get to her. The practice went on for hours and when it was done the girls gathered up again and started to talk. Raoul came up to Isabella. "You did wonderful Isabella." She smiled at him and thanked him.

"Come girls get ready for tonight's performance" Madame Giry said she did not want them to be late for tonight's show. They all nodded said their goodbyes and went off in their separate directions.

Isabella went to her dressing room and thought Elizabeth was right behind her she turned around and did not see her behind her when she opened the door. So she walked into the room she lit some of the candles so she could see what she was doing. She smiled and began to think about Raoul some more. He was very handsome and his eyes were full of kindness. But then she came back to what she was supposed to be doing. She walked over to her wardrobe and found her costume for tonight. When she was done getting the costume on she went over to her mirror and put on the makeup for that night. She heard a bump above her she looked up but didn't see anything. She began to get scared she ran to the door and tried to open it but she couldn't. She began to panic, turned around and saw a figure in a black cape standing behind her. She started to scream but he covered her mouth with a gloved hand before anyone could hear her.

Elizabeth walked in the dressing room hoping to find Isabella, but she was not there. She began to look for a note but did not find one. She started to panic but then she thought she was out with Raoul and forgot to tell her where she was going. She began to get ready for the opera.

The performance was going well but Isabella seemed to be missing and they hadn't seen her since the rehearsal. Raoul was very nervous since no one had been able to find Isabella. In the middle of the song the door by the chandelier opened and the phantom came out leading Isabella. She felt very frightened. She looked around for someone to help her. She saw Raoul and not even thinking tried to run towards him but the phantom held on to her tightly. Raoul felt as if someone was watching him. He stood up and looked around the opera house and saw Isabella up near the chandelier with the phantom holding on to her tightly. He started towards where he could get up there but he saw a rapier held up to her neck. She whispered his name. He could see the fear in her eyes. "If I do not get my salary I will hurt this young woman and there will be more then one disaster." He yelled so that everyone looked up and saw them. A moment later they were gone. The crowd yelled. On stage Christine grabbed Elizabeth and they held on to each other. Their dear friend had been taken by the phantom. Elizabeth looked around for Raoul knowing that he would look for Firmin and André and immediately get the money paid so that their dear friend could come back to them. Elizabeth hated the phantom for doing this and yet some reason she didn't.

The phantom dragged Isabella behind him to his lair until he received his salary. He would only give Firmin and André a day before he would kill her. Isabella cried silently hoping that Raoul would come for her. The phantom shook her hard willing her to stop crying. He took her to an area close to the offices so that they would not know where his true lair was. As he pulled her along she left pieces of her costume behind for Raoul to find. "Please I beg you don't hurt me." Isabella said softly.

"Ah you are nothing like the brown haired one are you."

"Christine..?"

"It does not matter anyway. Just shut up I don't have time for your blubbering. You have only a few hours to live."

"You can't do this to me." He gave her a sinister laugh.

"Oh you are so naive I can and will kill you if I have to."

"I don't understand how she can feel anything for you." That stopped him in his tracks. Could it be? He thought.

"Who?" He asked not so gently.

"Elizabeth. How could she even wonder about you or think about you. You..." He put his hand over her mouth, pushing the thought of Elizabeth out of his mind, when he heard footsteps behind him.

Raoul saw the two girls on stage and nodded to them. He found Jacques and told him to go to the two girls and take them to Christine's room. He found a set of stairs and prayed to god that they were the right ones. When he got half way down the stairs he saw a piece of Isabella's costume and he knew he was on the right set of stair cases. As he got further down he could hear her talking to someone most likely the phantom. When he turned around a corner he saw the phantom had his hand over her mouth. Raoul took out his sword and put it to the phantom's neck. The Phantom let the girl go. She ran to Raoul and threw her arms around him. He kissed the top of her head not letting the phantom out of his sight. "The managers will be sending you the money soon phantom. Stay away from all of the girls or you will deal with me." The phantom smiled and then was gone. Raoul looked down at Isabella her face was ghostly white.

"Are you ok?"

"I am fine I just don't think that I can walk I am so scared." He kissed the top of her head.

"I'll carry you back to your room." She smiled at him softly and kissed him under his chin.

"Thank You." He gently lifted her up in his arms and carried her through the corridor to her room. "Raoul?" he glanced down at her.

"Yes Isabella."

"Will you stay with me tonight. Not like sleeping in my bed but watching me sleep so that he won't come and take me again."

"Yes I will stay with you tonight."

"Thank you." She said again softly resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes feeling safe for the moment being in his arms. When they got to the room Elizabeth was sitting on her bed waiting for them to come back. As soon as the couple walked into the room she immediately went to them.

"I am glad that both of you are ok" She said softly when she noticed that Isabella was asleep. "Well I think I will go and stay with my mother tonight. Jacques is staying with Christine and I am going to assume that you are staying here with Isabella."
"Yes but you don't have to leave."

"No no that's okay I'd like to see my mother anyway."
"Good night Elizabeth."

"Good night Raoul." Elizabeth quietly left the room and headed to her mothers rooms. Raoul gently laid Isabella on her bed tucking her under the covers, grabbing a chair so that he could hold her hand and watch over her. After an hour of watching her sleep Raoul himself fell asleep.

Elizabeth walked through the wings of the opera house trying to be quiet as not to disturb anyone else. She heard her name being called from behind her. Elizabeth turned around and smiled at the sight that she saw. Her good friend Dominic was running up to her. He was as tall as a giant and had dark black hair and piercing green eyes. He was built right for being a member of the stage crew. Dominic gathered her into his arms and gave her a big loose your breath hug. She loved him like a brother and this he knew but he would always love her more then just a sister or friend.

"Are you okay Elizabeth I saw what happened today. I was so scared for you." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"There was no reason for you to be scared for me. I was safe on the stage the one you should have been scared for was Isabella. She was the one that was taken by the Phantom not me."

"I have a feeling that she is not really the one that he is after." For a moment he thought that her face went a pale color but then it was back to her normal caramel color. Elizabeth felt as if someone was watching them from the rafters.
"Come Dominic lets go up to the rooftop I feel as if we are being watched." He nodded and then they both walked towards the rooftop.

The winding staircase that they took were old and rickety. Once in a while Dominic would grab onto her elbow and help her when she would slip. He looked down at her and noticed that she looked really tired.

"If you are not up to this we can go back down and you could go to your room."

"No I need someone to talk to lets keep going. Besides I am staying with my mother." A few minutes later they made it up to the roof top. It was very cold and snow was falling down around them. It would have been more romantic if she was there with someone else. Someone like the Phantom. She gently shivered and Dominic was there wrapping his arms around her to warm her up.

"I am so scared for Christine. He is a good man but hey just don't understand. He really wouldn't hurt anyone if he had been treated differently."

"What are you talking about? Don't you know that he is not just after her he's after you too." She looked up at him

"No Dominic he's not he doesn't want me. I could do nothing for him." They were quiet for a moment each looking out to the city watching the stars and not seeing the dark man with the mask hiding behind the gargoyle.

"I have missed you Dominic. It has been a while since I have seen you."

"I know sweetheart. I have tried to come and visit you but I can't get away Firmin has me working non stop at the stables."

"What but I thought..."
"I know I am supposed to be working along with Buquet. But Firmin has me at the stables. Did you know that we are missing one of the show horses."

"Oh I see maybe one of these days you and I can get together and have a small dinner."

"I would like that. Elizabeth please do be careful that man is out there hunting you." She laughed.

"Oh I love you Dominic." The Phantom stuck his head out from behind the statue and watched them. Staring at Dominic with death in his eyes. As if feeling his burning eyes she shivered once again.

"I love you too now why don't we get you back inside your mother would have a fit if you got sick. You are one of the best dancers." She smiled at that.

"Yes I should get back to her." Dominic kissed the top of her head grabbed her elbow and walked with her through the door taking her to her mothers rooms. The Phantom saw the kiss and immediately, for no reason known to him, wanted to kill the man. He at the moment realized that a part of him loved the strange dark haired woman who had shown him defiance. He would have to think of a way to get her alone without anyone knowing. He went back to his lair and began to plan.