A/N: Well, this is up... About the author's note on the last chapter, well, I was writing it when I should have been asleep... So the part about "I beg your apologies"... That was meant to be "I apologize, and beg your forgiveness."... I'll leave it there so you can all go look at it. And because I'm too (cough) lazy to go change it.
This first scene... I don't know. It's weird. I wrote it before most of the story, so it might not really fit. Whatever... enjoy.
After dinner, Raoul went and knocked on Erik's door. After a while of knocking he tried it, but it was locked. Raoul decided that there was nothing further planned for the evening, and so he retired to his room. Raoul changed into his nightclothes, and got into bed. Then he got out of bed and checked to make sure his door was locked. That maid made him very nervous.
Either very early the next morning, or very late that evening, Raoul was awoken by Erik.
"Get up," Erik commanded. Raoul grumbled and rolled over. Erik jerked the blanket away from him. "Get up, now," he said, grabbing Raoul's shirt and pulling him out of bed. Raoul sleepily protested.
"What?" He said, rubbing his eyes. "Why?"
"I found something." Erik said.
"Huh? At this hour in the morning? Night? Whatever it is?" Raoul was slightly more awake now.
"Yes, get dressed now," Erik ordered. Raoul grumbled that he was supposed to be sleeping, but he did get out a shirt. Then he turned and looked at Erik.
"Well, may I get dressed now?" He asked. Erik gave a small mocking bow.
"Be my guest," he said. Raoul glared at him.
"There is no way that I am getting changed while you are here, leave." Erik grabbed Raoul.
"I am leaving," he said, "not because you tell me to, but because I choose to. Remember, master and servant." Raoul pulled away.
"Fine, just leave." He mumbled. Erik left and Raoul glared at the lock that had failed to keep him out.
After a few minutes Raoul emerged into the hall to find Erik waiting for him. He followed Erik down the stairs and out the back door of the inn. Erik started off down the street, walking so quickly that Raoul had to half run to keep up.
After a while they turned down a dark alley. Raoul could hardly see anything. Erik stopped abruptly and Raoul ran straight into him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Erik clamped his hand over it. He listened intently for a moment, then released Raoul and darted into the darkness. Raoul looked wildly around. Where had he gone? He heard a muffled cry and then a thud. Erik arrived back soon after that. Raoul glared at him.
"He's not dead," Erik said by way of an explanation before he started off again. Raoul hurried after him. Erik turned a corner and paused. Raoul managed to avoid running into him again, though it was a close call. Erik opened a door and peered inside. Then he turned to Raoul.
"I suspect that Christine is in this building," he said softly, "you go first."
Raoul hurried into the building which he quickly realized was abandoned. He looked with disgust at all of the dust and dirt that covered everything he could see. Which wasn't much. There was a bit of light shining in from the open door, but the room was mostly in shadows. He hurried forward, but Erik remained by the door, waiting.
Soon Erik heard a cry of surprise, and then a tremendous crash. He quickly lit the lantern he had brought with him, and looked about the room. About halfway across it, Raoul lay sprawled in the dust. A large, gruesome looking thing lay right next to him. It had missed him by less than an inch. Raoul pushed himself up, staring in shock at the thing which had fallen from the ceiling, nearly be-heading him.
Erik walked up and examined it. It was roughly round, much like a wheel, and had numerous spikes sticking out of it, all of which had been sharpened to deadly sharp points. Erik noted with wry amusement that it did look rather like a chandelier. A devil's chandelier, perhaps.
He peered at the wire Raoul had tripped over. It had obviously triggered the fall of this thing. Raoul had gotten to his feet and backed away a few paces.
"It nearly killed me!" He exclaimed loudly. Erik saw no reason to be quiet, the crash had already alerted others of their presence.
"Yes," he said, "quite a close call." He motioned across the room to the stairs on the other side. "After you," Raoul backed up another step.
"Oh, no, that's quite all right," he said, "you may go first this time." Erik glared at him.
"Up the stairs. Now." He ordered. Raoul glared right back.
"Oh, I see, you want me to be your tester. You want any more falling things," he gestured to the large object, "to hit me, not you." He accused. Erik smiled coldly.
"Better you than me," he said, "now go!" Raoul looked from Erik to the stairs, and made his choice in an instant. He moved toward the stairs. When he started cautiously up them, they creaked ominously underneath him.
"Are you sure these are safe?" He asked as he clutched the rail nervously.
"Not at all," Erik responded from the ground. "In fact, I'm quite sure that they might collapse at any moment." Raoul took a deep breath and bolted up the rest of the stairs. He sighed with relief as he reached the slightly firmer ground of the second story. Raoul turned as Erik made his way silently up the stairs.
He felt a twinge of unease. How could someone move so silently? On stairs as noisy as those? Was he really a man, or could he actually be a ghost?
"Let's go," Erik said, and Raoul once again took the lead, walking cautiously in case of more falling objects.