Melanie quickly but gently pushed me behind her. She gave the shadowy figure a glare.

"You can't just leave me alone, can you? You have to follow me all the time."

The figure's laughter echoed ominously around the attic. Then, it spoke.

"Well, how could I not? When one is in love with such a beautiful young woman, it cannot be any sort of love but the truest."

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Oh, and I suppose that it mattered nothing to you that I was already engaged?"

From where I was standing, I could see its eyes flash. "Engaged to a simple country fool who could give you nothing! Melanie Ravenswood, I could give you everything, yet you don't think of giving me the slightest chance?"

Melanie shook her head defiantly.

"Is that your final answer? So be it. I can give you everything, but I can also take everything you love away. Just you wait Melanie! You will rue the day that you crossed the Phantom!"

Then, the lightening flashed and he laughed loudly again. He made his way to jump out the window, but before he could even go near it, I heard movement and angry muttering coming from the hallway outside the attic. A few minutes later, Madame Leota exploded into the room, knocking the door off its hinges.

"If all of you don't mind, I'm trying to have a séance!" she fumed. Then, she noticed the Phantom floating by the window. Her eyes widened, and she floated over to him.

"Hello there," she said silkily, a voice that I hadn't heard since she'd lured in Antoine and Etienne. "What brings you here?"

The Phantom warmed under her gaze. "Madame, I am already attempting to be spoken for." He tried to sound like he meant it, but it didn't sound genuine.

Madame Leota shook her head. I stared at the two of them, trying to get my legs to move so that Melanie and I could escape while our two enemies were being distracted by each other, but they didn't seem to want to move.

"I'm not trying to pick up a date, I just wondered, I heard you yelling from downstairs, and I gather that you want to make her miserable forever. Am I right?" Madame shifted her eyes towards Melanie.

The Phantom nodded his head yes. For the first time, I could see his full form. He was tall, wearing an even taller hat, and cape, and high black boots.

Leota smirked. "Well, you don't seem to be doing a really good job. Meanwhile, I'm the priestess of eternal punishment. Just ask the girl standing behind your Melanie. Her name is Christine Gracey. I killed off her mother, father, and stepmother. Now she's stuck here all alone. Beat that, genius!"

It was the Phantom's turn to snort. "Oh really? Well, if she's supposed to be all alone, then how come you have 998 other people living here? Answer that one Smarty!"

While they argued over who was more evil, Melanie and I made our escape. We headed out the door of the attic, and broke one of the hall windows to get out. When we were finally outside, we went through the cemetery, a bad decision which caused us to have a major delay because everyone wanted to talk to me, and see how I was and all that.

Finally, we were out of there, and the next place to go was the crypt. I walked in, and saw my cousin Gus, and Ezra and Phinneaus, two of his friends from the place where he'd been institutionalized. As we walked by, he jabbed me in the side.

"Christine," he whispered, "I hear that you're thinking of going to Thunder Mesa. Do you have any way to get there?"

"No," I whispered back. "Any suggestions?"

"Well…" here, he grinned. "There's always our way!" he gestured at Ezra, who had his thumb over his shoulder.

I shook my head. "No way. That's dangerous! That's taking unnecessary chances!"

"Christine, Christine, Christine. Let's think about this. Leota cursed you to be on earth forever. What could possibly happen to you?"

I sighed. "I guess you're right. Melanie, is that all right with you?"

She sighed at me, exasperated. "Christine, I died in 1860. I can't drive a car, and no one uses carriages anymore. I will try any way possible.

I nodded. "How'd you get here, anyway?"

"Oh, Daniel picked me up in the car."

Thanking Gus and his friends, Melanie and I continued on.

Just before we were off the Mansion grounds completely, I saw someone I didn't expect to see.

"Lettie?" I squealed. "Is that you?" I saw her perched on a ledge on the side of the house. She was no more then three feet tall.

"What in the world happened?"

Finally, she looked down at me. "Oh, so now you care. You leave for three years, and I'm stuck here with Mama. I'm glad you left, Christine. Mama showed me how life really is. People are just going to let you down, so you might as well stomp on them while you can. Oh, and by the way, Hellhound's dead. I suppose you could say I killed him."

I shook my head. "That is disgusting. You killed an innocent animal just to get back at me?"

"Well no, actually. I killed Asa, Eddy, and Daniel in the quicksand for snubbing me. Hellhound's death was just an added bonus."

I was about to go up and punch her, but Melanie grabbed my arm, and pulled me away. We walked out to the main road outside the house and stood there, hoping there would be at least one car willing to pick up two beautiful girls. We got lucky sooner then we thought. After about five minutes, a Packard pulled up with a very handsome boy in the front seat. He smiled at us and said "I'm Scott. You ladies need a ride?" Melanie nodded, and thanked him, hopping beside him in the front seat.

I didn't follow immediately though. Something told me that this guy was dangerous. Since we had no other way away from my house, I shrugged the feelings off. But all the way to Thunder Mesa, I tried to detect what was under that handsome smile.