A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry for the short hiatus. I've been busy with schoolwork that I hadn't had the time to work on any chapters. Try spending pretty much your whole week working on a mousetrap car with no instructions of how to do it. Yeah… it's loads of fun.

But I am so happy that many of you find this story scary and in some parts disturbing. And for a little self-promotion, if you find this entertaining then please go ahead and check out The Promise. That contains some lovely insanity in there as well.

And I haven't forgotten Trey. He makes an appearance in this chapter and the next so we will have to see what happens for our poor dear Emmy. I think out of all my characters, she is my favorite. And the fact that some of you can relate to her (ahem… the phan ideal) makes me overjoyed since it was my intention in the beginning. Now… this would be considered a warning if we were to meet Erik :laughs: Thank you for the comments and as always, my beta, Halley. Please don't forget to review!

Chapter Nineteen:

Seeking Raoul

Emmy chewed slowly, her eyes glued to her half-empty glass of orange juice. She was vaguely aware of the stares she was receiving from her parents, but didn't question it. Chomp, chomp.

Will frowned at his daughter and looked over to his wife. Tears were threatening to spill on Gloria's face as she watched Emmy devour her breakfast. Not a word was spoken only the soft whines of Phantom trapped in the dream world broke the tense silence.

The Sawyers had heard Emmy waking and spent a good part of the night, listening to the cries coming through the walls. Gloria was the first who wanted to go and comfort her baby girl, but Will told her to stay. Emmy was prone to push them away if they tried anything. Lately that's how it been. Whenever Emmy acted strangely and her parents try to talk about it, she would scream and run off. Her sudden unruly behavior terrified her mother and she was at a loss of what to do.

They thought, at first, it was some teenager phase. Emmy would eventually come to them about her problems and all will be well. But that wasn't the case. She kept to her own private council, locking herself in her bedroom. She had even demolished her collection of The Phantom of the Opera. That was all the evidence they needed to know this wasn't a "phase". It was something else. The question of the year: What to do?

It was obvious Emmy wasn't going to come to them like she's done in the past. This time they would have to be the forward ones. Yet, how should they approach her?

Gloria, the brave to try, swallowed thickly. "Amelia?"

Her daughter's head wearily turned to address her. "What?"

Gloria almost cried at the sight of the loss-glaze in Emmy's eyes. Somehow she found the courage to hold it in. "Honey, your father and I have been… worried. Don't interrupt me, sweetheart, but hear us out. We know something is going on with you, but we don't know what. You know that we love you very much and we would do anything to help, right?"

Emmy nodded. "I know Mom… it's nothing, okay? You're a girl you know what I go through."

Gloria bit the corner of her lip. "I'm afraid I don't. This isn't like that and you know it. Emmy, why can't you speak to us? Is someone at school bullying you? Are you in trouble? What!"

"Gloria," Will intervene, placing a hand on top of his wife's. "Amelia, your mother and I are upset. We don't know what's going in with our little girl anymore. You've been ignoring Maggie and at home you act as those you're not even present."

Emmy felt her own eyes well up with tears. She wanted to shout out she was possessed and she was stalked by the Phantom and she wanted it to end, to be safe. Yet, the words were lodged in her throat and she couldn't say them. She was holding back.

Her arm began to quiver and Emmy gazed down at her trembling hand. Something was happening. For a second, she was afraid it was her and she would do something violent towards her parents. But… all she thought was stop and the shaking ceased.

Blinking in disbelief, Emmy wondered if she won this round. Could she find the strength to tell?

Licking her chapped lips, Emmy cleared her throat and choked, "Help…"

It was so low that her parents missed what she said.

Bitter angry tears blinded her and she pushed herself away from the kitchen table. She was going to be late for school and she couldn't have it.

She muttered a "good-bye" and was gone.

xxXXxx

Her head was throbbing by the time she reached the choir room.

Something definitely was occurring inside her body.

On her walk to school, Emmy felt the stirrings of a cramp in her belly that grew to the headache. She checked herself in the mirror and was perplexed to see she looked fine. She couldn't find any traces of illness. Reluctantly, she left to go to class.

Now, she found herself seated in her section, contemplating why as soon as she sat the headache faded. What did this mean? Oddly, she hadn't spoken a word to her at all in the morning. Could it be she was failing to overcome Emmy?

She felt… normal.

Before the possession that is.

Could it be what she hoped? Or was this a false sense of security before the big finale?

Her brunette hair was curled as a newborn babe, that hadn't changed. What was going on?

"Hey."

Emmy looked up, her body giving a start as she saw Trey Michaels hovering near her. His crystal blue irises twinkled as he smiled. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," she mumbled, gazing with wide eyes.

"Well, I, uh…" He shot a lopsided grin and kicked his toe. "I just wanted to tell you I think you're a great singer. Have you thought about doing the Variety Show? I bet doing opera would be good. Seems like you have it running in your veins."

"You could say," Emmy replied meekly, blushing.

"Are you?" He asked.

"The Variety Show?" Emmy hadn't thought about it. Not like she could, not with everything that was running through her mind. "No… I'm not."

"Oh." His features dropped. "You sure? I think you might win."

"No. Thank you for thinking of me," Emmy whispered. "I don't think it would be wise for me."

"All right. Oh! There's something else I want to ask you. You know, concerning that day," Trey said, his voice lowered for only her to hear. "Could you meet me by the Media Center after school?"

Emmy's heart pounded. He wants to talk about that day! He must know I'm in horrible trouble… I knew I didn't imagine him at the auditorium!

She nodded. "I'll be there."

xxXXxx

Emmy spent the good part of the day wondering what Trey would say. She waited, tongue in cheek, for the final bell to ring so she could meet him. She was nervous as Hell, to say the least. But there was some hope that this could mean the end. The end for her and him. She was sure of it.

Trey would understand. She could count on him. He was there wasn't he when she sang? He was there wasn't he when she escaped the auditorium in tears? Yes he was. That's why he was seeking her out.

But wouldn't he have done so months ago? Her nagging conscience whispered. Why now? Why didn't he do something right away?

Shut up, she told the Conscience. He was probably thinking of a plan. It's never best to charge ahead blind.

So she waited. And waited.

Just like she did for him to first appear that night many moons ago.

Except she waited for freedom. She waited for love.

TBC…