Feeling her heeled boots once again touch the paved stones of the street, Hayley released Christobal's hand and took his offered arm, groaning lightly in her head. All this properness made her quite sick to her stomach. Sometimes she thought back to...before and wished, praying to return to that time. A line from a poem she couldn't name came to her mind, 'You ain't ruined, said she'.

Ruined, that was what she was now. Ruined. Sighing as she entered the opera doors after Christobal, Hayley pushed the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't return home now, or ever, might as well attempt to...enjoy this. Releasing Christobal's arm so he could move over to talk to the workers, Hayley plopped herself down ungracefully into one of the new plush chairs that had been delivered before her arrival, testing the softness. After many hours, she felt her eyelids drooping.

Nothing interesting had happened, she had truely stopped watching the workers a few hours ago. She lacked the understanding for most of the working going on, and, with nothing to occupy her time, she had played mindless games with herself, sang songs in her head, and, when that fun had run dry, she had counted every single last bouble and sequin on her dress. Looking at the aging clock on the wall, she discovered to her dismay that it was not even noon. Pouting lightly, she thought back again to a comment her mother used to make to her, "Hayley! Don't make that face! What if it was to get stuck that way Mon menue l'un?".

Shaking her head, Hayley inwardly cursed. Why today was she thinking about her family? Her past life? She had left it all years ago! Still mentally baratting herself, she climbed from her chair, determined to find something that would cure her boredom, and return those thoughts to the back of her mind.

Carefully looking around to make sure that no one would notice her departure and inform Christobal that she had wandered off, Hayley then quickly and lightly pranced away aroud the back of a staircase, struggled to quiet her heels as they echoed down the long, badly damaged hallway she was now tresspassing upon. A light casting off something caused her jump, and take in a quick breath, her confidence beginning to wain away as the light flashed again, causing her to stop in her tracks, her breathing now much faster then before. Peering into the gloom, Hayley struggled to see what had frightened her so...and was surprised to see a woman staring back at her. A quick scream later, Hayley relized, she was staring at her own reflection in a large ornate mirror that dominated most of the wall. It was trimmed in what appeared to have once been gold, but now only the burnt brass undermakings remained, the fine metal having all evaporated in the heat of the fire. Moving closer, Hayley started to make rediculious faces at herself, laughing at her earlier fright and flightyness until her reflection shifted and another appeared.

Freezing Hayley stared at herself once again, there was nothing different this time. She could have sworn upon her soul that she had seen a man there, a stark white mask upon his face. Shaking her head and lightly rubbing at her eyes, Hayley decided it must have been her lack of sleep, and active imagination that had produced what she had seen. Or better, what she thought she had seen. The Phantom would likely be elsewhere, keeping an eye on the man repairing his opera house. Turning from the mirror, but giving it one last look over shoulder, hoping once again to see something instead of her blonde curls and purple dress, Hayley sighed and then, cocking her head lightly to one side, decided to take the first corrider on her right, heading down deep into the back passageways of the Opera House.

-

Watching the young woman dissapear from his line of vision, the Phantom moved back slightly from the mirror. One of his many that he would use to get around the Opera House. He was working on the switch when she had appeared before him. A soft scream had come from her lips, quickly quelmed with nervous laughter as Hayley had relized it was only her reflection in a mirror staring back at her...except the Phantom knew better. He watched her every move as she had proceeded to make faces at her reflection, the lack of maturity and ladylike qualities shocked the Phantom.

Christobal was a man of high ranking status, or so the Phantom had read. Granted, he was no relation to the Royalty, having come from England to France, but that made him none the less powerful and aristocratic. Watching what he assumed to be this man's young wife shocked Erik. Young ladies of status did not behave this way. Her soft musical laughter continuing until the Phantom has moved closer to the mirror, intending to frighten her back a bit, his attention noting that the mirror wasn't fully closed. Hayley's naturally inquisitive nature would prove a problem, he relized. This slip of a woman would keep him on his toes. Giving the switch one final knock, Erik lightly pressed the button as the mirror slid open silently. Climbing through, the Phantom lightly straitened his cloak, waiting until the mirror closed behind him to turn around and check his reflection. Satisfied everything was in order, he turned once again from the mirror, setting his course along the corrider Hayley had headed down, a soft smile gracing the handsome side of his face. She was too prone to mischieve to be left alone. Far too curious indeed.

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