AN: yes I know it's been like two months. Yea I lied, summers not going to be any better when it comes to updates I'm afraid. But I've finally gotten around to another chapter…hopefully no one has lost their patience and given up on reading this story.

Chapter 5

Closing the doors behind me, Erik slowly stalked forward into the dark abyss off the giant hall. He didn't light a candle, but merely walked through the dark as if it was pure daylight. I had to keep very close to him or else I was afraid I would be lost. I was even very close to grabbing his hand when I accidentally bumped into a nearby table set against the wall. I was sure not to let that happen again. The fact that I was so close to him now made me very much want to stop and walk back the other direction. Marie was not lying about Erik's appearance when she had seen him in the woods. He was someone very different. Someone very sinister looking, yet there was power and even seduction in every part of him and every movement he made.

Even in the dark I observed him carefully. Taking small steps so not to get in his way, but still I forced myself to follow him through the dark path. The hairs on the back of my neck began to rise as I finally tore my eyes away from Erik and unto the dark hallways we walked through. I suddenly jumped as I heard a small cluttering noise in a nearby hallway. I caught a glimpse of Small movement in the dark. At that very moment I became very frightened and wanted badly to not go any further.

" Nothing more then a mere house cat I assure you…."

I jumped at the sound of Erik's newly acquainted voice. He didn't have to say much to put a whole number of emotions into ones self. He had a very low, rich and beautiful voice. Something very unique, but still, frightening.

I then suddenly noticed that I had stopped walking and that Erik was staring back at me, his head slightly turned just enough to look at me. I heard the low rumbling of thunder from outside. My breathing became a little shakier and fast as I stared once again down the hallway and then back at Erik. I swallowed hard and slowly walked back up to his side.

We continued once again down the hall until we finally came to a set of double doors. They weren't the same looking as the ones I had gone down before, but I knew they led to the same place.

Erik came to the door and slowly opened it. When he did, a large amount of light splashed out into the hall to melt away the shadows in the area surrounding us. The light at first made me squint my eyes a little, but then I finally able to see another hall except this one was just like the hall that I went down with the steps and…the trap.

My heart suddenly gave a great leap at that thought and I hesitated before finally reassuring myself that nothing would happen to me. I stepped into the hall, the doors closing behind me, but not by Erik. They must have had the same mechanism as the gate and the front door. Erik continued to walk at an increasingly fast pace not even noticing the doors.

I continued to follow close behind until we finally came to another set of double doors. Erik pushed them forward as if they were of little importance and strode forward into the area beyond. I stepped inside and then stopped as I tried to take in all that I was seeing.

This was the room…the room I was trying to get to all along. And I must say what a room! In fact it wasn't even a room. It was like a very large apartment. Where I stood, it seemed to be just a large space set with a Persian carpet and a pair of love seats set to the side, apparently being neglected by very little use.

There were a great number of shelves also set to the side filled with books and other objects and tables also piled high with papers, books and folders. As I looked on to the left of me, I saw a small set of steps leading up to a large platform with more stairs leading after it, flowing to the right, into an arched doorway to more rooms. To the right another doorway leading to what looked like a smaller room with a door, which I might have guessed, led to Erik's private rooms.

In front of me there was a curtain pulled back somewhat to reveal another door. Their where candles all different sizes spread all around and on top of the large platform was a beautiful and gigantic organ. I could tell it was a much older and more traditional looking organ, the kind used in some of the larger churches I've visited before.

I was struck by so much curiosity and fascination by the place that I hadn't noticed Erik still beside me. He took off the gleaming black cape he had been wearing and casually threw unto the love seat nearby. Under is cape he had worn a black dress jacket, which fit perfect to his figure. Everything he wore was black. He truly did, in some ways, resemble death. Or if not death, then maybe a phantom…

He started walking up towards the organ but then stopped and turned to look at me. I could see clearly now his true features. His mask, which covered the part around his eyes, forehead and cheekbones, was pure white over his black clothing. His eyes were striking and serious, but there was a hint of patience, gentleness and even sadness in them. Those where the only things that seemed to reveal his true face except for his mouth and jaw line.

"I hope I didn't startle you before…I have a tendency to show up unannounced at times around here… but then again, I would have to say I'm not the only one who makes a habit of that now do I?"

I didn't say anything in response to his words and at that he smiled and stepped towards the organ.

" And even if I do happen to come around without warning I would still have to say that I have more privilege in doing so then you do, seeing as I live here…maybe then I'm not the one who should be apologizing…"

It would seem that his words would be insulting, but they weren't. They were more joking if anything else, but, even so, I wasn't sure if I was about to apologize or not. Yes its true, I should. After all I came into this house without permission and at that, the polite thing to do would be to of course apologize. And yes, it was a child thing to do to just waltz into someone's house without his or her consent all for a stupid dare. But…to trap someone because of it? No, I was not about to apologize.

I knew now that he must have had something to do with the chamber of mirrors. The question was why? Why would he have such a thing here? Was there something that he was hiding? If so, its not like I was really trying to get to him or whatever it was. I just wanted to find the music and to tell the person playing it how beautiful it was.

Yes, its also true he had saved me from the very thing he made. But to taunt me and to tell me to apologize for trespassing and not even apologizing himself for what happen to me was not something I wanted to hear.

Even so, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I stood their silently looking around trying hard not to look at Erik and give myself away. But then suddenly a soft music began to play and I glanced up to find Erik sitting down playing the organ.

His long skeleton like fingers moved gracefully upon the keys with great rhythm and connection as the music softly swept through the room like a light breeze. I found myself transfixed in it and something happened to me that I couldn't explain. I began to illusion things. The very shadows of the room seem to dance as the candles flickered all around. I closed my eyes and suddenly could here the faintest sound of someone singing. It seemed to come all over the room. In the candles and the walls. It was like they were singing to Erik's music. This fascinated me and just when I almost began to believe the music was coming from the objects around me, the music stopped abruptly and there was no more singing.

I opened my eyes and looked up around me in confusion as if I had woken from a dream and did not know where I was. The music was like nothing I heard before. Even though it came so faint it was very deep and emotionally connected with me that when it stopped I thought my heart would rip apart. I noticed then that I was breathing hard and tried to take deep breaths so to not show my sudden disturbance in front of Erik. I looked up at him and noticed he was looking down at me in nonchalant manner as if nothing had happened at all.

" What…. what was that?" I heard myself say.

Erik turned his body around on the organ seat. " A musical illusion." He said to me as if I should know better.

" You mean…. that was you? You were the one singing?" I asked and when he nodded his head, I gasped. " But…it sounded like…"

" Something else? Yes I know. A musical illusion, Christine, called ventriloquism. It is an illusion made to making the one hearing the sound or music think it's coming from somewhere else instead of the real place. You thought it was coming from the candles and the walls, but it was actually coming from me." As he said this he turned around again in is chair to face to organ.

" So then it was you in the ballroom who was singing. " I whispered. " But why?"

Erik hesitated for a moment, looking down at the organ's keys and placing his fingers on top of them. Then he lifted his head. " A test I suppose… I was walking down the hall and when I stalked into the ballroom to find you dancing there, I became somewhat more then curious. I then began to sing to see how you would react. I thought that you would most likely stop dancing and become frightened like many others have before, but instead you started to sing. That was something I was not expecting let me tell you." He laughed.

" I have to say though, Christine, that if it weren't my great fascination with your reaction to my music I would have left right then and there with my hands covering my ears in agony. Your voice to me is…almost torturing. It is almost perfect in clarity and so pure, but…there is nothing there. There's no excitement or spirit in it. Your like a dove with its wings not fully grown. You have a beautiful voice, but it is so poorly taught that it has no musical voice to it. Your not yet able to soar…"

I didn't know whether to be angry, embarrassed, or ashamed. He had walked into the ballroom and found me there dancing by myself. So did he sing to me as a cruel joke to scare me off? Or did he do it because he wanted to here me sing? I then remembered the reason why I had started dancing in the first place. I could here the organ being played. So how is it that he was able to watch and sing to me while playing on the organ?

As if reading my thoughts, Erik looked over to me and smiled slightly. "Another illusion you could call it." He said then putting his hand below the keys he seem to flip a switch of some sort and at the he got up from the organ chair and stood beside the organ as it began to play by itself. This almost frightened me as I thought it was one of Erik's illusions or tricks. But then he smiled slightly again to see the look of bewilderment on my face. " A switch…. A mechanism that plays the piano without a pianist."

I then started to walk up towards the organ and looked down as the keys were jerked down by an invisible force. I was completely astounded. I had never seen something like that before. I then realized something. " So then you made this mechanism. Just like the doors and the gate."

He nodded. " I have a lot of time on my hands."

Clearly. This man was more then just a beautiful pianist and singer. He was a genius! I took a step backwards as he walked past me and turned of the switched. The music stopped and the keys laid still. For a moment there was silence and I begun to wonder why he had brought me here in the first place. Did he do it to just show me what he could do? Or to give me some big lecture on how bad my singing was?

But he then told me his reason and a whole lot more. " I brought you here, Christine, for one purpose. I cannot let you go now with the voice you have. You have the talent, but I believe it needs work. I now am dedicated to shaping out your voice until I believe it succeeds perfection. And believe me I will. I don't know who has been teaching you, but if I ever meet them I will surely beat them down for such neglect." His voice was low like thunder. "I also believe that what happened to here was entirely my fault and I plan to make it up by this task."

I understood that he was talking about my incident in the chamber. So he planned to make it up how? By working on my voice? Well, I guess that wouldn't be so bad.

" Six o'clock I think should be good." He said stepping down from the platform and to a nearby desk filled with papers. " Everyday at that time you will come here for your one hour lesson understood?" Talking to me as if I were a mere child who must obey the rules. " And do not be late for I will not tolerate it." He then stepped over to the doors I had entered before and opened them. I stepped down from the platform, but before I left I remembered what Cathy said and panicked.

" But wait! Your servant, Cathy, she…" I didn't want to get her in trouble by saying that she told me he was dangerous and to stay away from him, but I knew I had to tell him something about the fact I wasn't supposed to come here again. I had made that promise to Cathy.

But Erik talked before I had a chance. "Do not worry about her or the others. I will talk to them."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say and not able to believe that he expected and actually wanted me here everyday. The thought of being around him just now was hard enough. Would I be able to cope with him everyday?

He was different. Scary even, but yet so fascinating that it kept me from wanting to stay away from him. I glanced up at him, a sudden jolt in my chest and then, quickly looking away to stare out into the hallway beyond.

I walked out into it and was about to say something like "I'll see you tomorrow then" but stopped when I suddenly felt something move against my leg and when I looked down I saw yet another cat. But instead of the Persian one, this one was all black with thick fur. It mewed and looked up at my then started trotting down the hall. I looked back behind but found Erik gone and the door closed.

I let out the air I felt I had been holding the whole time and began to follow the cat down the hall wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into.

An: thanks once again for reviews and to the nice comments it makes me want to keep writing. I will try to update earlier.