Disclaimer- I don't own the phantom...

Chapter 19

Orianna and Raoul didn't speak of what happened in the cemetery. Plus, Orianna was swamped with work on the new opera. The managers had decided to go along with this new opera. There were extremely scared of another "accident", so instead of protesting everyone seemed to just keep quiet and pretend it was just another opera. They had been practicing for about 2 weeks and only a couple of strange incidents had happened.

As they were all singing and Carlotta was once again complaining she didn't have enough singing time the piano began to play by itself. It scared everyone in the room and the entire rehearsal went on without anymore complaints. There had been several notes complaining of a terrible member of the pit orchestra, a singer who couldn't match pitch and of course, the terrible dancing of the ballet rats.

Her mind had been so occupied by the play she didn't have any time to think of how she was going to get out of this mess. It was destroying her mind. She had become so emotionally weak over this whole thing. She was breaking down in tears almost every day. She hated crying! All of this had turned her whole world completely upside down. And she knew that all this was building up and soon it was going to explode.

After one of the dress rehearsals had broken for lunch, Orianna decided to sit in one the wings hidden by the curtain. She needed to be away from the rest of the girls plus she wasn't hungry. She could hear raised voices and peeked out onto the stage.

"…sorry Raoul but I do not completely understand." It was Firmin with Andre following behind him.

"Gentlemen, we have all been blind yet the answer is staring us in the face. This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend."

"We're listening."

"Go on!"

Raoul continued, "We shall play his game perform his work, but remember we hold the ace. For is Miss Daae sings, he is certain to attend."

"We are certain the doors are barred."

"We are certain the police are the there."

"We are certain their armed! The curtain falls his reign will end!"

She waited until they left and she got up and walked onto the stage. She felt the anger rising up inside of her. What kind of plan was that? She was going to be used as a decoy! They were trying to "fool" the phantom into coming to the performance. Did they actually think it would work? The phantom had outwitted them before, what makes them think he won't do it again? And to involve her in all this without her consent, it was insanity. She wanted to be left out of it.

She avoided Raoul for the next couple of days but the day before the performance she was having doubts. What if it worked? What if they really hurt him? But, what type of guy or thing was she standing up for? He had murdered someone, probably more, who knew? She wasn't sure of anything anymore. All she wanted to do was go home and live in peace. No operas, no ghosts, no drama! She just wanted a normal life. She was also afraid of what might happen to her. She sat at the edge of the stage in her tango-dancing outfit for Don Juan, just thinking; suddenly felt someone watching her. She turned her head and saw Raoul walking towards her.

"Christine…"

"What do you want?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

She stood up and let all her frustrations out on him.

"I heard your plan. Use me as a trap for him. How dare you? What do you think I am?"

"Not a trap."

"Then, what?"

"A decoy. Don't you want t be rid of him? So that you and I can live in peace together?"

She sighed and sat down on one of the prop benches. "I don't know anymore." He came and sat down beside her.

"Christine, I think you're nervous of the next performance."

"Raoul, I'm frightened! Please don't make me do this. It scares me. Don't put me through this ordeal by fire…he'll take me I know! We'll be parted forever!" He grabbed her head and shook his head but she knew it in her heart. This was the performance the lady in the flower shop was talking about; the phantom was going to take her no matter what she did. "He won't let me go!" She stood up and walked forward. "What I once used to dream I now dread, if he finds me it won't ever end! And he'll always be there singing songs in my head; he'll always be there singing songs in my head…"

Raoul got up and put his hand on her shoulder, she slightly turned to him.

"You said yourself he was nothing but a man, yet while he lives he will haunt us 'til we're dead."

"Twisted every way what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Do I become his prey...do I have any choice? He kills without a thought he murders all that's good...I know I can't refuse and yet I wish I could." She put her hands together as if she was praying. "Oh god if I agree what horrors wait for me in this the phantom's opera?" She looked down at her costume and closed her eyes.

"Christine, Christine..." He put his hand under her chin and pushed it up so that she would look at him. She full turned to him and bit her lip. "…don't think that I don't care, but every thought and every prayer rests on you now." He pulled her into a hug and she let him. Raoul was semi-comforting. All she wanted to do was relax. She didn't even want to think about the opera. She knew what she had to do but that didn't mean she wanted to do it.

((Sry for the long wait! It's almost time for graduation and I had AP exams and such! I'm sry I couldn't update but I promise, promise, promise to update ASAP! I've just been extremely busy! This chapter isn't that good but the next one should be better! No more crying…well except for the whole her getting taken down to the lair and Raoul almost dying then there will be crying! Keep R&Ring!))