"I told you to stay away from the rooms, Christine." Erik said hotly, but controlling himself.

He opened up a drawyer from his desk and set the hankerchief inside, then he slammed the drawyer shut.

"I'm sorry," I stammered. "I was just looking for you."

"Really? Well then why were you listening in on our-" He stopped. "My conversation? God, you probably think I'm crazy now, hmm? For now you find you are trapped in a house with a man that talks to himself."

"Erik, I'm terribly sorry! I just wanted to ask you something."

He sighed and then pointed to a chair in front of him. I walked inside the room and sat down in the chair. I looked around the room. I saw a coffin, which I knew was his bed. And then to my surprise, I saw many portraits of me! All over the wall hung pictures and paintings and sketches of myself. On the other side of the room was a piano, and next to it was a violin and a stand. Then at his desk were many piles of notes and papers.

"What is your question?" He asked sternly.

"What year is this?" I asked without hesitation.

"Paris 1870. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean, when you pulled me into this place I was just sort of confused. I wanted to know where I was."

Erik nodded and said, "I bet you are very confused."

"Yes," I said casually. "How in the world am I on the year of 1870?"

Erik stood up from his chair so abruptly that I almost fell back in mine. He said very coldy,

"And what if I don't want to tell you?"

I was getting a bit scared of Erik. Earlier he was so sweet, but now he was acting so cold and stern. His quick change in moods really confused me.

I looked down at the floor, not wanting to get smart with him. I simply said, "I'm sorry Erik. You don't have to tell me."

Erik rushed over to me and grasped my hand in his. He held my chin in his other hand and made me look into his eyes. He kissed my hand and then said,

"Christine, I'm very sorry for being so cold to you. Please excuse me, I am very tired and confused myself. Please go back to bed, I don't want you to be tired in the morning."

With one last kiss on my fingers, Erik led me back to my own room and offered to tuck me into bed. I felt like a little child when he did so. Once I was tucked in and I felt safe and warm, Erik brushed his index finger across my lips. I shivered at his touch.

Apparently he saw me, and he quickly pulled his hand away from me.

"Goodnight." He murmered, then stalked out of the room.

xxx

The next morning Erik was nowhere to be found. First I looked in the kitchen to see if any breakfast was prepared, but there was nothing. Then I ran over to the music room but to my disappointment I only saw Ayesha curled up on the organ bench. Again she hissed at me, and I quickly turned away.

Yesterday I couldn't find Erik anywhere, and he was actually in his room. Maybe the poor man was still sleeping? I walked into the dark hallway and found that his room door was wide open!

I looked inside but I could still see nothing. The coffin was also open all the way and he wasn't lying inside of it. I quietly stepped into the room, looking over my shoulder occasionally.

"Erik?" I whispered.

No reply. I looked around the whole room but I still couldn't find him. But then a thought came over me. Maybe I could learn more about Erik from this room? He probably had a journal or something like that. But I didn't want to snoop threw Erik's personal things. What if he caught me?

I pushed that last thought to the back of my mind and started to look at the pictures and portraits of me that flooded the room.

One portrait was of me when I was walking home with Meg. I was kicking a stone and he seemed to of captured that image perfectly. The picture was painted from watercolors and stencils, I believed. I looked over at the date in the right hand corner of the page and it read:

Erik
"Christine and the Stone"

June 5, 1870 (2005)

I wondered what the: (2005) thing was for. I thought in his year it was only 1870? But then I realized that he might of wanted to write the date of my own time there too.

I kept looking threw all of the portraits he had painted of me. They were all so beautiful and so real. But my favorite one was one of me where I was walking threw a park and leaves were blowing all around me. I thought I looked pretty in that portrait, because he made my cheeks pink so it looked as if I was blushing.

As I was looking at another portrait, something shiny caught my eye. I looked down to see a very small key, a bit smaller than my pinky. I held it up and wondered what it was for. It looked so much like a key to a journal.

I searched around the room to try and find some sort of book or journal that needed a lock. As I was looking near the piano, I spotted a black book with a gold ribbon tied around it. It had a lock and I stuffed the key inside of it, then twisted it around.

To my luck, the little black book opened. I untied the gold ribbon so it would open fully. Then I skimmed threw the pages.

To my surprise, only two pages were filled up. The first one read:

Journal. June 3, 1870

I have finally spoken to Christine threw the Ouija Board tonight. I have finally reached her. I hope so much that I didn't frighten the poor child. She was with her friend, little Meg Rae. Meg seemed more frightened then Christine, to my surprise. Soon I shall pull my dear Christine threw the board, and bring her into my world. She will be my bride, and we might even have a child together. I have already bought the ring, which she will wear. The wedding dress is already made, which took me six months and now it is perfect. I can't wait to see her in it.

Marriage? I gulped and re-read the entry several times before turning to the next one.

Journal. June 5, 1870

She is here. My angel is finally here with me. I have brought her into my world and she is sleeping soundly in the room I have prepared for her. I will soon show her around the Opera House. I hope so much that she is careful though, for there are spirits to be aware of. Soon I will give her the ring. Soon. Once she gains more trust in me.

I closed the journal and locked it, setting both the key and journal on the piano. I just hope that Erik doesn't notice that they were moved.

I didn't want to fool around anymore in Erik's room, so I strolled out and left the door open a crack like I had found it. Then I went over to the music room.

Ayesha was sitting on his organ bench, not asleep but just staring at something. I looked down and saw what she was looking at. It was a huge spider! I screamed and jumped back from it. I have always hated spiders. Ayesha jumped off the organ bench and landed on the spider, squashing it with her paw. It was totally disgusting how she did that. Then she licked the spider and eventually the spider stuck to her tongue, and to my disgust, swallowed it.

I felt like I was going to gag. That was so sick! I never had a pet before and I have never seen an animal eat a spider. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to forget that disgusting picture in my mind.

I went over and sat on a fluffy chair near the organ. Ayesha eyed me, and I eyed her back. Hey, if she hated me, I might as well hate her, right? But Ayesha didn't hiss at me, or scold me for sitting in Erik's chair. She simply walked up to me, bent down, then jumped upon my lap.

I was surprised that she didn't scratch my face again. She only moved around my lap in a circle, then when she was finished with that, she faced me. She meowed and then lifted her paw several times until it finally landed on my shoulder. Then she lifted her other paw and set it on my other shoulder. I giggled and pet her small head.

Ayesha, pleased with the attention, meowed again and licked my cheek. I smiled and pet her again, but then I remembered the spider that she had eaten.

Disgusting!

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to forget that she had ever done that. I didn't want to screw up with the relashionship Ayesha and I were developing now. She actually liked me! I didn't want to throw the cat on the ground now. Instead I opened my eyes and continued to pet her.

"I see you and Ayesha are getting along fine then?"

I looked towards the entrance and saw Erik there leaning against the wall, arms crossed, with a pleased smile on his face.

"Yes," I admitted. "She's such a sweetie, when you give her attention."

Erik chuckled and kneeled down on the floor, making a clicking noise with his tongue. Ayesha noticed the sound and jumped from my lap onto the floor. She darted for Erik, who caught her safely in his arms. Ayesha purred and laid down, her back on the floor. Erik rubbed her stomach and she meowed.

"Come, Christine." Erik motioned for me. I got up from the chair and kneeled down next to him.

"Rub her stomach, she loves it. Come along, don't be shy." He said casually.

I rubbed her stomach and smiled. Her fur was so soft, I could just pet it for hours! I giggled as I pet her fur. I never felt something so soft.

Just then, I noticed Erik squinting at my cheek. I noticed him and asked,

"What's wrong?"

He said looked at me and asked,

"Has Ayesha been eating spiders?"

Oh. My. God. I felt like I was going to puke right then and there. Instead I mumbled,

"Yes. I saw her eat one. What's wrong? What happened?"

Erik stopped rubbing Ayesha and plucked something from my cheek. He held it up and I wanted to gag.

It was the spider's leg.

I covered my mouth with my hand and closed my eyes. I said to Erik, my eyes still shut:

"She licked my face after she ate the spider. Oh god, this is gross!"

I opened my eyes just in time to see Ayesha notice the spider's leg and jump up for it. Once it was in her mouth, she swallowed it whole, smiled, and walked away.

"That's it, I'm going to be sick!" I wailed. I could still feel Ayesha's saliva on my cheek.

Before I could get up and go running to the bathroom, Erik pulled out a hankerchief from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and rubbed my cheek. Once I was sure it was off, Erik took her hankerchief and set it in the trash. Then he burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"Oh nothing," He said, stoping his laughter. "That was just hysterical!"

I let him laugh a little longer as I tapped my foot on the ground. He stopped laughing after a moment and took my hand. He kissed it softly then said,

"I'm sorry my dear, I truly am. It was just so funny."

I shot him a look so he knew when to stop laughing. He controlled himself and stood up straight, saying casually:

"Christine, I wanted to ask you something. Do you know how to sing?"

I nodded and then said airily, "Well yes, but I'm not that good."

"Well I can teach you, my angel. Would you like that? I could give you lessons, if you'd like."

"Oh Erik! You'd really do that? Yes, I'd love it!" I exclaimed. He smiled and asked me a few more questions of what I knew about singing, if I had any experience, etc., etc. I answered them happily and he sat down at the piano.

"Now, do you know the song 'Think of Me'?"

I nodded.

"Good. Then I would like you to sing that song first. Do you need the lyrics?"

I shook my head. I already knew every Phantom of the Opera song by heart. He started playing the piano, and when it was my turn to sing, I sang joyfully:

Think of me

Think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me

Once in a while

Please promise me you'll try

Then you find-

Before I could keep going, he stopped playing and faced me.

"Dear, that was good but you need to put more emotion into it. Now, sing it again, on a higher pitch."

For the rest of the day Erik and I sang. He was a very good teacher, but he was strict when he wanted to be. Twenty days have gone by and I believe I have improved so much on my singing. Erik is always smiling as I sing, and he doesn't even stop the piano, maybe only once or twice. Which is a good thing.

xxx

Hey sorry that chapter didn't have much a plot, but the next one will, I promise you! Sorry for not updating sooner, it's just that camp gets a little boring and I come home tired and well...bored. On Friday we have a performance so that should be really fun! I am working on Chap. 9 right now, so I might update that during the weekend or something. And thanks again to all my lovely reviewers! You all make me so happy and determined to keep on writing.