You know what's kinda annoying? You write this awesome chapter… but hardly anyone reads it because it's an OC story, and that really makes me mad because it's a great OC story, and not all psycho like most. But, at least I have some faithful reviewers. (I'm not sure if I have faithful readers who just don't review)

I accept anonymous reviewers.

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The weeks following the curtain fire and the chandelier being completely destroyed were nerve-wracking.

Around every corner I turned I expected to see Erik, black faced with hate and eyes gleaming with madness. My only hope was to pray that he would stay hidden in his little cave. Unfortunately, my prayers were ignored, but only once, thankfully.

I was sneaking down to the kitchens to steal a late night snack for the girls and me, holding my breath all the while, and when I turned the last corner I thought I was safe, but a cloaked figure came out of nowhere and grabbed my shoulder.

I jumped, but refrained from screaming like I wanted to.

"Good evening." I said casually like I had done so many times before.

Erik glared at me.

I raised an eye brow. "My, my, my, don't we look particularly menacing tonight."

He changed expression only to add a scowl.

I longingly wanted to say 'what crawled up your butt and died?' but I knew that wasn't exactly the thing to say to a man who looked ready to kill.

"Now why are you ruining a perfectly good evening like this with all your frowns?" I said instead, recalling that Firmin and Andre put in an order for a new chandelier that was almost prettier than the previous one that was now being used for the making of new costume jewelry.

"You knew all along about Christine and that… that… idiotic little… fop!" he said, voice quiet, but deadly and shaking with rage.

"Well now, I can't say that I did, but I won't deny it either. And you can't say that you didn't see it coming." I said lightly.

"You can't think that I haven't worked everything out already. You know exactly what's going to happen, and when it happens." He grabbed my forearms and shook me; evidently thinking by doing so would make me tell all.

"Well now, I didn't expect this. If I did I would have stayed in the dormitories. Now stop shaking me, you're going to give me a headache."

"No. Not until you tell me how you know everything."

"Well if you can hardly blame me for not wanting to say! If I told you you'd likely not believe me and then kill me trying to get the 'real' reason out of me. Besides, what's in it for me?" I added shrewdly.

He let me go. "The satisfaction of knowing that I won't kill you out of annoyance." He said, answering my last question.

"Hummm, well you know that isn't much to offer." I said pursing my lips. "How about if I tell you, then you stop being such a little demon. You've been raising an awful load of Hell lately." My eyes widened in shock. I had just sworn aloud! My hands clamped about my mouth and I backed up, afraid. He and I both knew that even the foulest female in the opera house only swore if she was extremely hurt, and not in a casual sentence.

Erik seemed to not take notice, but if he did he didn't comment on it.

"I have been raising Hell, but only out of the rage about that little fop that you've taken a fancy to. And that, I can take advantage of. So here is my proposal; I won't question you how you seem to know every trick of mine, seeing as even my worst threats don't get me anywhere, but you must distract Christine away from that fop of which you care for. Now don't get your feathers ruffled about how that is a terrible collateral, because I would be blind not to see you chase after him so."

I opened my mouth in surprise that I was so obvious, but I set my lip firmly again.

"And what makes you think that I want 'the fop' of which you so ardently hate? And besides, how is that considered fair?"

He laughed rudely. "I overheard you talking with Madame Giry…"

I interrupted him angrily, raising my voice, not caring that anyone could have heard me shouting.

"You dirty little sneak! You filthy eavesdropper!" I began to continue on in that matter but he clamped my mouth shut with a hand hard as iron. He pricked up his ears like a cat, and I saw his eyes dart around almost, was it nervously? But I didn't take notice, I was furious that he could listen to any of my private conversations at anytime. And, more recently, that his hand was so firm on my mouth that I wasn't able to breathe.

I struggled against him, but he held firm, convinced that if he let me free I would start screaming at him again.

I felt lightheaded, and tried to fight off his arm, but he held fast.

I felt everything seem to go into slow motion, and a smoky darkness claimed my vision and I fell limp in Erik's arms. My last thought was of how any given Erik phangirl would kill me to be in my position.

I was brought sputtering like an angry cat to consciousness by an abrupt splash of water on my face.

I opened my eyes angrily and found Erik above me with a glass of water looking as though happy at dousing me with water.

'What was that for!" I said angrily, keeping my voice down, not wanting another fainting spell.

"Well, my dear" he said acidly, "you fell limp after I made you shut your loud little mouth."

I glared at him, remembering his cruel hands.

'Damn you." I said, not caring that I had sworn.

"Ah, so very feisty. Now before you get all worked up and start shouting again, you had best get back to your dormitory before the other ballet rats get worried and, God forbid, venture out to find you." He grabbed my arms and I aloud him to pull me to my feet, but while doing so I gave him my nastiest evil eye.

"Good night. I hope not to see you again." I said over my shoulder as I moodily made my way back to the dormitories, but for all my hatefulness Erik only laughed.

When I got back I was greeted with demands of what had taken so long, and why did I not have food, but I lied that I had been 'Afraid that the 'phantom' was there.' And the strange thing was that that they believed me.

'Oh how stupid we were for making you go out when he could have gotten you!" They simpered.

I inwardly laughed at them. They didn't know the half of it…

But at night when I was asleep wasn't much better. I kept dreaming about being in that hospital room, and every time I would hear someone say 'She's awake again!' or something of that sort.

Once I saw a red rose tied with a black satin ribbon on the little cheap table next to me and I managed to find my voice ask why it was next to me, and in Christine's dressing room, but the first time I tried I spoke in French out of habit, and so I had to ask again slowly, trying to remember English.

When I had gotten my question out I heard the people next to my bed laugh, and then when I fell back asleep I heard them ask the doctor why 'she', meaning me, had spoken in French.

The one thing that lightened up these weeks was that we were putting on a ballet, a little side show before the big masquerade on New Years Eve.

It was just a small little show, but I had managed to get the prima ballerina role, and was quite proud. Did Christine get a big role? Ha! She got landed with one of the smallest roles. She just did a little spin-twirl and that's it! And on the night we were performing I saw Raoul up in box five watching. So there!

Sure I hadn't spoken to him since the rooftop thing, and I was really trying to avoid him. I was a little embarrassed about how I had told Mme Giry that I 'loved him'. I couldn't tell whether it was because I had said it aloud, or whether Erik had heard it.

I knew that Raoul and Christine had to have already been engaged, but I had no clue as to how to find out. I couldn't just randomly walk up to her and say "Gee, lovely weather we're having! Have you been engaged lately?" No, that wasn't the way to go. So instead I had to stay quiet and seethe, all the while pretending to still be the girl I was when I first had come; the sweet mild-mannered person who was carefree and best friends with Meg and Christine.

It was truly annoying.

But I held my mask high and proud, partly because it would be just plain idiotic if I was mean to Christine for absolutely 'no' reason, and partly because even if it was terribly bothering to be around her, bad company is, after all, better than no company at all.

So I held my silence.

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Pretty please review nicely!

This was just a little short in-between chapter; I promise the next one'll be much better, and longer.