This chappie is going to leave you guys hanging again, but it'll give an... idea as to what the Ratcatcher's plans are... and I have a strange feeling that you guys aren't going to like it... anywayz, here ya go! Oh, and I'm sorry it's so short!

Disclaimer: I do not own PotO.

Jane came to an hour later. She groggily opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying on her side on a rough and torn chaise lounge, and she could feel someone running their fingers through her hair.

Where am I? she wondered, Who is that? Who's behind me? Is it Erik? Why is he touching my hair? Jane opened her eyes wider.

"Erik?" she breathed. The fingers paused, but only for a second, then they continued to weave themselves through Jane's dark hair. One of the hands brushed Jane's cheek, and she sat up with a surprised cry. The hand wasn't soft, like Erik's, but hard and rough, and severely calloused.

"Ah mademoiselle, you are awake," the Ratcatcher muttered. Jane spun around, her eyes wide with fear, but they narrowed when she saw him.

"You," she whispered, "Where have you brought me? Why am I here? Where's Erik?" Jane stood from the lounge and took a step backward, then another when the Ratcatcher stood also.

"Mademoiselle, you are now in my home. Where Erik is, I do not know, and quite frankly, I do not care." Jane felt her back bump against the stone wall behind her, but still the Ratcatcher advanced, until he was but centimeters away from her. He extended a hand and ran it through Jane's hair again, and she deftly moved away.

"Are you hungry, mademoiselle?" the Ratcatcher asked, and Jane shook her head. He reached behind his back and produced a wine bottle, and held it out to her.

"Are you... thirsty, mademoiselle?" he questioned, his eyes twinkling in a menacing way. Jane shook her head, but he did not lower the wine. He took her hand and curled her delicate fingers around the neck of the glass, then let her go. Jane looked at the bottle she was holding.

"It could be poisoned," Jane reasoned, glancing at the Ratcatcher.

"True, it could be," he agreed, taking the wine back and popping off the cork, "But you have no way of knowing that, do you?" He smiled wickedly at Jane. "Well actually, mademoiselle, you do."

The Ratcatcher disappeared through a doorway while Jane looked after him, confused. He came back carrying two glasses, and he filled them. Handing one to Jane, he made a big show of emptying his own glass.

"There," he grunted when he was finished, "I drank some. Would I drink it if it was poisoned?"

Jane glanced at her own cup, the red wine inside looking to her almost like blood. Well, if he drank some, it must be okay... Hesitating for only a second, Jane raised the glass to her lips and took a drink.

For a second, nothing happened. Jane stood and stared at the Ratcatcher with what (she hoped) looked like cold, hard eyes, and he in turn stared at her, as though waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, and burning sensation could be felt in her throat, as though she had swallowed fire. Jane began to cough violently as the feeling grew stronger, and breathing became hard. Finally, the Ratcatcher strode up to her and hit her hard in the face, and she stopped. As soon as it had come, the burning feeling was gone, but now Jane's cheek throbbed with a dull, excruciating pain.

"Were you trying to kill me?" Jane whispered hoarsely. She gasped, for she had tried to scream those words. Over and over she tried to yell, to make any loud sounds using her voice, but she could only whisper. The Ratcatcher smiled evilly and began to walk toward her.

"No, mademoiselle, I wasn't trying to kill you, but let's just say that you won't be doing anything loud for a few days, shall we?" He took her hand, but Jane jerked out of his grasp.

"No! Get away!" she coughed, and she turned and tried to run. A large group of rats blocked her path, and she tried to scream, though she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. Jane had had nightmares like this, where a monster of some kind chased her, yet she couldn't cry out for help, but this was no nightmare. This was real. Jane stumbled backward in her desperate attempt to get away from the rats, but her fall was broken by the Ratcatcher.

Is this a choice between evils? she wondered frantically, The Ratcatcher or the rats? The Ratcatcher held Jane tightly, and she knew, as he dragged her toward his bedroom, that she should have chosen to brave the rats.

"Jane, I'm back!" Erik yelled as he poled his boat up to the miniature dock. He held a small box in his hand, and walked down the hallway to Jane's room.

"Jane?" he called, and he tapped on her door, "Jane, are you decent?" When no answer came, he pushed the door open slowly. His eyes scanned the room, but Jane wasn't there.

Strange... he thought to himself as he set the box down on a chair in Jane's room. "Jane, if this is a joke, I'm not amused! ...Jane, where are you?"

Erik called Jane's name over and over again, but he heard no answer. The note was still on his organ, and he realized with shock that Jane couldn't have read it. With shaky breath, he searched his home for any hints as to where Jane might be, but found nothing, until he chose to search the entryway to the labyrinth.

"Oh, god," Erik murmured as he knelt to pick up the crimson strip of material that he knew had come from Jane's costume. He stood in the corridor that Jane had run down in her haste to (as she though) help him. He slid the material through his fingers, thinking that Jane must be lost in the labyrinth somewhere, but suddenly, something caught his attention.

The labyrinth was primarily made up of rock, though a thin layer of dirt did cover some areas of the ground, and where Erik was just happened to be one of those places. Erik bent low to the ground to examine the dirt, and was able to make out Jane's tiny footprints. The thing that caught Erik's attention was the sight of the larger, deeper footprints right behind them. The footprints of a man.

"The Ratcatcher," Erik breathed as he pieced together what must have happened, "Oh god, Jane!" He stood up and began to run down the passageways, heading for the Ratcatcher's home.

Don't hurt me! -cowers- I know! I know, I didn't like having to write it, either, but it's necessary for the plot! Don't hurt me! You guys can probably guess what happened -or will happen- with Jane, and you guys probably don't like it, right? Well, I didn't like having to write it, so don't hurt me! And please don't flame me, either... things will get better, and lots of action in the next chappie (but what kind of action? Not telling!)

Review, peoples! The more reviews, the faster I update!

And again, sorry it's so short!