Disclaimer:I own the four main characters. Not Erik. Not PotO. Just the girls and the storyline.

Sam

Chapter 3 – Of Weight and Imagination

Kendall set her violin on an old table behind us and I edged out of the way so Kayla wouldn't push me down the tunnel first. Therefore, I was totally surprised when she walked right through, still holding her book. Josie, Kendall and I clustered after her; none of us wanted to be last. I'm not into the whole 'Phantom craze' as much as they are, but I found myself thinking insane thoughts all the same, like 'OMG, what if he's behind us!'

I gasped when a drop of water hit my shoulder, and then I almost stepped on a rat. I'm not squeamish when it comes to rodents (I have a gerbil), but that was one big rat. I glanced at Josie's face for her reaction to this sewer-esque place, and realized that she was staring intently at everything, from the walls (lit with a few torches) to the ceiling, to the path ahead of us.

I tentatively put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Do you see something I don't see? 'Cause you're looking at this tunnel like it's the red carpet at the Oscars."

She stared at me for a moment.

"But Sam, how can you not see? All the torches, the opera posters, and the way everything seems to reflect and glitter…" she trailed off in a daze, but I shook her.

"What do you mean, 'glitter'? It's filthy down here! There are rats and dripping water, and there's not that many torches!"

Kayla heard my exclamation and turned around, a torch firmly clutched in the hand not carrying her precious novel.

"You guys are Phantom freaks, but why take the joke and make this creepy tunnel seem so pretty?" A look came over their faces like something had just dawned on them all at once. I stared at Kayla. "Well?"

"I get it…" she said with a slight frown.

"So?" I prompted.

"Well, I understand, I just… can't explain it to you," she finished.

How lame.

"That helps," I muttered.

"Okay, I'll try," Kendall volunteered. "Remember in the movie when Christine came in here and it was all –

"Weird?" I supplied. "With all the arms and torches, and everything glowing?"

She nodded.

"And then Meg came, and all she saw was rats and the dark and dripping water? The glowing bit was Christine's imagination. I bet if you just think of the movie you'll see it."

"What if I don't?"

"Then darn," said Kayla sourly. "That'd suck. Don't wanna be you –

"Okay, I get it," I said grumpily. I closed my eyes for a second and pictured the tunnel with torches held by people's arms sticking out of the walls. Then I opened my eyes and was almost blinded. ((Aargh – too many torches!))

Exactly like I'd remembered from the movie. This place was strange…

What the…? Oh. The boat. Haha – yeah right.

"You guys think it'll carry all of us?" Kayla asked.

"Well, each of us probably weighs around what Christine does," Josie calculated. "So two combined would maybe equal Erik –

"As long as Sam's one of the combined people; she weighs the least," Kayla (so helpfully) put in.

"So it's like adding another Christine," said Kendall. "Problem is, this thing doesn't look like it could hold another Christine…"

"Other question: Do any of you know how to get to that place from here?" I asked. "I mean, can you steer this thing?"

"There's no time like the present to find out," said Kayla happily, hopping in and seizing a skull-topped pole. "Or past, whichever way you look at it…"