Belle Nuit Chapter 2: Obsessions, a phantom of the opera fanfic

Belle Nuit

Part two: Obsessions

Nuit laughed. How could I ever think I'm alone? I have the entire Opera Populaire above me. Without a sound, she slipped upstairs to see what was going on.

La Carlotta was screaming at two men Nuit supposed were the new managers. Something about a dress not being finished..? Sheepishly, she recalled the tricks she had played on the seamstresses the previous week.

They had walked in one morning to notice that every fabric that wasn't colored red or black had been stolen. Much to Nuit's amusement, they had run aimlessly around, screaming that the Opera Ghost had stolen the dresses. It had taken nigh two hours for anyone else to even bother checking the room, which had been plenty of time for the wily girl to return the clothes to the exact places they were left. Her little ruse had set them back in their work, however, and now the grand diva was fuming.

Somehow, the new managers had convinced her to calm down and sing the aria from act three. Nuit had to admit that Carlotta had a very good voice, but it was simply not suited for the lightness of the aria. She smiled as she watched the maids down below stuff cotton in their ears, and then jerked up, alarmed, and hid. She had heard quiet footsteps in the loft to her right. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Erik. He always tended to show up whenever something new was happening. Swiftly, he released the rope holding up the backdrop and let it fall, knocking the gaudy soprano down. His cape trailed behind him as he stalked off, but not before letting a letter fall to the stage floor.

Nuit rolled her eyes in exasperation. Erik was a musical genius, but he had an obsession for the dramatics. She had snuck down to his lair more than once, lured by his majestic organ. It was a beautiful cavern, much larger than her own, lit by a thousand candles. It seemed that no matter what, there was always a melody lingering on the fingertips of the cave. There were scores and scripts cascading onto the floor. His obsessions extended to the girl, Christine. He had been in love with her since before Nuit could remember, and had even constructed an intricately detailed and life-size replica or her. He would often go to her room at night and sing to her in her sleep. His deep, rich voice lightly lulling both Christine and Nuit softly through pleasant dreams. Unlike Christine, though, he didn't know Nuit existed, and knowing his tendency to strangle people, Nuit wasn't about to be discovered now. When he wasn't writing music or fawning over Christine, he was strutting through the passageways under "his" theater and leaving bossy notes referring to himself as the Opera Ghost. Somehow he had also convinced the previous manager, M. le Favres, to pay him twenty thousand francs every month and to leave a box open for every performance. Nuit sometimes wondered how many people were injured or killed before le Favres caved in.

She cautiously peeked out, and when she was sure no one was there, she resumed her place overlooking the stage and froze. Carlotta had run off and Christine Daae was singing her part. Suddenly frightened, Nuit rapidly made her way back to her cot. If Christine had landed the leading role, Erik was sure to be lingering nearby. The coming night was the premere, and with every step,something became clearer and clearer. The phantom had plans, and Nuit knew better than to get in the way of them.

A/N: Second chapter! I was hoping to have read HBP before i put this up, but seeing as hasn't even shipped it yet... I know they've both been pretty short, but that's just kind of how it happened. By the way, Nuit is in absolute awe of Eric, but she's also a little scared. I don't know how well that was portrayed.

Next time is the play, we meet Raoul, and Nuit hears a strange voice passing by her cot. I'll try to get it written, but I'm leaving for camp for a month on Sunday, so I don't know.

Please review!