Chapter 1- Your hand at the level of your eyes

I listened to the new chorus girl's job briefing with detached satisfaction. The Persian and Madame Giry were warning the girl not to enter any passages if they happened to trip one of my switches.

"...The Opera Ghost shows no mercy. You must keep your hand at the level of your eyes, or else his noose with wrap around your neck, and it would not take much for his powerful hands to snap your neck, Miss Aria. If, for any reason, you receive a letter from The Phantom, you should obey it without hesitation, because should you resist, terrible things will follow your unwise decision..." The daroga continued his speech. I was quickly losing interest. Madame Giry began the long-winded story about Christine and I. I was forced to leave. I could not listen...could not relive my past more than I always did.

None the less, I thought about what had happened in those few months after Christine had left me. The Opera House, luckily for all of us, had been saved from the chandelier's fire, and what had been destroyed was replaced and rebuilt. Those fools, Firmin Richard and Andre Moncharmin, had finally taken the hint and were putty in my hands now. They followed every order without a second thought. Fortunately, all my decisions were beneficial to the Opera House (except my 20,000 francs, of course). I let myself again feel the emotions I had when Christine was still under my control...before Raoul had invaded my dreams...taken my hopes...

¨¨

I watched with growing incredulity as two young girls made their way down my tunnel. I had no clue how they had found the switch, and I really didn't care. I fingered my Punjab lasso tenderly, having not used it since that fateful day on Piangi. I was surprised to realize that one of the girls was Meg Giry, who should know better than to enter my abyss. The other I did not recognize, so I assumed she was probably the new chorus girl, Aria. I nearly snickered. She had just started, only to die before she had even begun her new job. I snuck behind them, blending in with the shadows so as to conceal myself from Meg's nervously peering eyes. "Aria we really shouldn't be here," Meg pleaded. "He'll kill us! And if not him, Mama will."

"Fine, Meg, go ahead and go back. I want to meet this...Phantom. Does he have a name?" Aria said. I believed her, I could tell she was unafraid. Foolish girl.

I readied my rope silently, sneaking closer and closer to them.

"I...I don't know if he has a name." Meg admitted, as though she had never really thought about it before.

"I think this is exciting. Better than listening all the girls gossip." Aria said bitterly.

Meg sighed. "Aria...I'm sure they'll stop after a while."

"Yeah, whatever."

I made my move, throwing the noose over Aria's head. Meg screamed and Aria yelped. I jerked on the lasso, but instead of pulling tighter, the tables turned on me. Aria threw her hand up and the noose came over her head. How stupid of me. Her hand had been by her eyes. Aria twisted it so the rope wrapped around her hand and jerked it. I was unprepared and lurched pathetically from my shadows, snarling. Meg screamed again and fell to the floor, cowering and whimpering. Aria stared at me. I couldn't see much of her, as almost no light was in these tunnels, but I could see that she was neither angry nor afraid.

I, however, was much stronger than she was. I stepped towards her menacingly. Meg, beside herself, shrieked again. Aria stood still, observing me interestedly. But she looked down to Meg. "Meg, stop screaming." She said gently.

"Why should she?" I whispered in a soft, dangerous tone. "I am surely something to fear."

Aria's eyes glittered slightly in amusement. "Really? Can you go through walls, can you fly? You're a man, after all. Not a ghost."

"Aria!" Meg moaned.

I snarled again, lunged at her, and pinned her against the wall. "You, Ms. Giry, may go, as your mother will be needing you. NOW!"

Meg got up and sprinted away from us, throwing an apologetic glance to Aria.

Aria's eyes flashed in pain, and maybe some fear. But not nearly enough.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." she growled, emphasizing each word.

"And why should I? You have invaded my home with full knowledge that you are not to anger the Opera Ghost." I snapped. Her belligerent attitude was irking me.

"Because. I may be a woman, but don't underestimate me."

I knew she was correct. When I had grabbed her and pinned her, I had unconsciously lifted her into the air. Aria's knee was in perfect line with my groin, and being pummeled there hurts any man. I set her down, hating myself for obeying her.

"Thank you." She told me.

I snarled. "I'm not done with you yet. How did you find the opening to my passages?"

"It was an accident, of a sorts. I was putting my things away in the girl's dormitories, and my bed is against a wall. I found a tiny piece of metal sticking out from the wall. I pushed it."

I sneered at her. "Just what I thought. I didn't imagine you were intelligent enough to find it on purpose.'

Aria drew herself up indignantly. "No cause to be rude. After all, I don't think you are one to harp on intelligence. I'm not living under an Opera House."

I roared, in full fury mode, and finally saw a sufficient amount of fear grow in Aria's face. I grabbed her and flung her against the opposite wall. She let out a muffled cry and crumpled to the floor. "Do not speak of things you don't understand, girl!" I shrieked.

To my annoyance, Aria stood up, wincing slightly. "Well you always will be a ghost if you act like that!" She growled.

She still wasn't afraid, but her anger was up, and it amused me. But her words struck truth deep inside my mind, although I refused to give it thought.

"Get out of my tunnels." I sneered.

Aria curtsied to me, neither mocking nor anxious. "Good bye, Opera Ghost. I hope we meet again."

I sure didn't. If I had to put up with another of her on-the-mark comments I would kill something.

Aria turned suddenly, right at the corner. "What is your name?"

Not expecting the question, I answered without thinking. "Erik."

Aria nodded, then rolled the name around on her tongue.

"But- but you are not to call me Erik!" I sputtered, trying to regain control.

"I won't tell anyone else, silly. Bye, Erik." Aria replied in a laughing tone.

I growled, and followed her silently, seeing what she would and wouldn't tell.

When she had worked her way back to the girl's dormitories, I could see her no more. To my immense amazement and relief, Aria listened to see if anyone was in the room before searching for-and finding- the opening switch. Not two minutes after the panel had groaned shut, I heard the dormitory door open and 3 or 4 young girls and women enter.

One shrieked, and I recognized Meg Giry. "You survived! He didn't kill you!"

My sensitive ears heard Meg's body slamming into Aria's for a hug. "I was just getting ready to tell Jammes and Cecile and Marianne about our adventure!"

I listened to Aria protest, to my surprise, but Meg ignored her and began telling their tale of woe.

"...So the Ghost's lasso got thrown around Aria's neck! But she had vigilantly kept her hand up so she didn't get choked! I've never seen the Ghost bested like she did!..."

Bested? Aria did not best me! But I listened, rather amused at Meg's description of me.

"...oh, those hollow eyes! And his skin- just like old Buquet said! Yellow! And he had no nose-"

I don't know why she thought I didn't have a nose. She really couldn't see me.

"Oh Meg, he did not look so awful! Don't be so heartless!" Aria broke in. "I could barely see him anyway, but his eyes were green. And his skin was pale but not yellow. I'm very sure he had a nose."

I felt my eyebrow lift. Aria was defending me? After I had threatened her, yelled at her, injured her? Whatever. Her choice. I thought.

One of the girls snickered, one who I did not know. "So you think he was handsome, Aria?"

Aria cried out something indignant, but she was again cut off by another girl who had a cruel, shrill voice. "Yeah, does he attend your 'meetings' on Wednesday? When are you taking the Opera Ghost to-"

Meg cut the girls off. "Cecile! Don't be so cruel! It's not like that..."

Cecile sniffed. "I was asking Aria.'

I heard a muffled sort of sob. "Its NOT like that!" Aria cried. She leapt to her feet and I followed the sounds of her footsteps to a different room, still astonished that she had defended me and feeling I should say something. Aria hurried all the way to the small Chaplet in the Opera House. During her run she had composed her self, and merely sat down in a corner and sighed.

I hesitated, then said in a fatherly, deeper voice. "That was a kind thing to say about the Opera Ghost, young one."

Her head jerked up, but she was not fooled with my voice as Christine had been. Christine. I remembered the first time I spoke with her, when I found out she thought that I was the Angel of Music. I had immediately calmed my voice to sound more divine, more guardian-like. She had not given my true identity another thought.

But Aria's voice brought me reluctantly back from my bittersweet memories.

"Erik. I'm not a simpleton."

I growled. "Fine."

"So you were listening?"

"Of course. I am everywhere." That line usually made the proudest man cower in fear.

"It's impossible to be everywhere. You were listening in on our conversation only."

"Fine. I wanted to see if you told anything those girls didn't need to know."

"I don't know what's wrong with them. 'Death warmed over?' How can a man look dead?" Aria snorted.

I shook my head, still unbelieving. "What where they talking about, that bit before you ran off?"

"Nothing!" Aria snapped, her voice filled with a mix of bitterness, resentment, and shame.

"Are you a-"

"No. I AM NOT a prostitute." Her voice rang true.

I could feel myself flush. "Sorry."

"You should be..." She growled.

"Now really," I said in irritation, "No need for-"

"Why shouldn't I argue with you? What should stop me?"

I glared furiously and put my ventriloquism to work. I made my voice sound as if it was right next to her and shouted. "Show some respect, foolish girl."

With wicked satisfaction I watched her leap to her feet and shriek. "Where are you?"

"I am everywhere!" I cried out in a tremendous voice. That was a mistake.

The fear in Aria's eyes instantly dissipated. Her berry- red lips opened and her eyes shimmered. "Haven't we already talked about how you can't be everywhere?" She said, laughter trickling from her mouth. I have not heard many people laughing, and never to me, so it came rather a surprise. But my hotheaded temper quickly returned.

"What is the matter with you! No one ever talks to The Opera Ghost like this!"

Aria's eyes, still bubbling in mirth, turned and left the room.

"I believe anything's possible. Thank you for cheering me up, Erik." She called over her shoulder.

I stood in bewildered disbelief. Thank you? I fumed silently. What was with her!