Hi again!
Thankfully, I've had a bit more free time than I did before (along with my getting a little less lazy…). So I'm back! Yay!
And look how short my author's not was!It's a very nice change, in my opinion.Okay, then…I'll just get back to the review answering.
Mlle. Opez- Andrea! Hi! Oh yeah, you "found" me, surprisingly fast, might I add. I wasn't expecting for you to read my story so soon! But I'm really glad you like it so far! I told you that the beginning totally SUCKED. You could really tell how my writing improved within a year. And ha! You Spanish-French-and-English-speaking-person, you DID spell secrecy wrong! Lol. I suppose if I was brought up Spanish, English words would be a bit difficult for me, too. But next year, I really do want to read that French book you were going to lend me! I can't wait! See you in art class!
Fan of this Fic- You're welcome (for the acknowledging reviewers thing). I always loved it when writers would reply to my reviews, so I like returning the favor! I'm so happy you liked it! I'm going to be sad when this story ends, too, it's been so fun writing it!
Darkmoon44- Thank you! You're so nice! Your review made me feel extra special (don't know why, I guess you're just good at it), so thanks again!
TTHPfan- You actually thought of me while listening to Phantom music! I feel so honored! Well, I made you happy, I hope. You gave up junk food for Lent? I gave up ALL sweets (yes…cookies, cake, ice cream, candy, chocolate, sugary snacks, all of them…cries) and soda. This is my third year of giving these up, but I still get all the painful withdrawal symptoms. I'm glad your trip was fun! It sounded like you had like, the greatest time EVER. Do you know of my Hunchback of Notre Dame fetish? I'm guessing not. I LOVE Hunchback! So I totally envy you now! The last time I went to Disney World (which was a BLAST) was in the October of 2001 (sixth grade for me, I was really excited). That was seriously one of the best times of my life.
Strodgfrgf- I knew it was a joke…but it was so funny to hear. Quite a creative threat, if you ask me…teehee.
Swimmergirl642- Yay! You actually read the message! I find it very impressing when someone doesn't know why something's going on, so they look into it. That's what I was hoping would happen when my updating took so long. I'm glad it worked on some people! Oh, I don't get mad when people don't start reading until later chapters. It's usually much easier that way for most readers. I completely understand! As long as it's liked, I don't mind. To know what I think on the Christine/Phantom/Raul love triangle issue (aka: who she should be with) I have it said in my profile under: "Pairings I Like" and then there's a section for POTO. I'm quite controversial when it comes to who Christine likes better. All my friends are strict Phanton/Christine fans, so you can't say I don't know why he should get her. Lol. I'm happy you liked the last chapter!
Valda- Yes, sadly, my story's almost over. I really don't want it to end, either. It's so fun to write, and I just love POTO, it just never grows old! I'm glad I was able to help with the flaming issue. I just love "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again". It's so so pretty! Actually, a friend of mine just sang that song for her music exam! Weird, huh? I love hitting high notes too, that's my favorite part of being a Soprano! And I'm told I have an extremely operatic voice, so that's a fun bonus!
Hanbags- Hello again! I thought you'd be pleased with my update! Thank you!
GS Dragono- Your welcome (for the 'reassurance' chapter). You thought I had…gasps…given up! Oh, how dare thee! I would never give up on writing! Hee hee. I love it too much to just quit (and besides the fact that I'm ALMOST done with it, I mean, come on, I would be a complete idiot to quit now). But my homework has been getting much easier to bear! But I must say, the giant pencil remark had me rolling on the floor laughing!
Laurashrub- I knew you would love to sing it, anyone would. Ah, how I wish I could…but no, my choir gets stuck with all the slow songs because they're "just SO pretty". And we get a whole lot of a capella songs too. And spirituals. WHY don't we use any from musicals? WHY? Ahem…anyways, I didn't know that you got to see the production! I'm so happy for you! It certainly is amazing, isn't it? When did you see it? I'm going to be seeing it this summer, actually, in the middle of June. My friends and I are going to buy our tickets early, and we basically can choose whatever seats we want, if we get them early enough. And yes, I know that Steven's dead. I didn't exactly want to emphasize on that in the last chapter, because there would be too many subjects and emotions going on at once, and the total switch from one to another (at least the way my plot is going) would be…choppy, I think. So I put his death at the beginning of this chapter instead. The whole "Vic and Gar are ruined" thing I left out altogether. They just got swept up with the crowd.
Back to the story now…
In the dark hallway of Jump City High, a slapping of metal echoed throughout as an unknown door violently flew open. Raven swung her head left and right, sifting her dark eyes up and down the hallway. Half of the school's power had gone out. The hallway in which she stood had been put into complete darkness. She tightened her grip on the flashlight, springing its rays before her. She cautiously made her way back to the auditorium, her sharp heels making a vibrant click with each of her quickened steps.
Upon reaching the hall nearest the auditorium, where people still ran about, some of which who didn't know what to do. She found Gar alone.
"What's going on?" she asked lowly.
The junior's eyes widened upon seeing her.
"Rae! Thank God," he heaved, "I had no idea where you were! Oh, God…"
"You were," Raven mouthed, "worried? About me?"
"I…uh…well," Gar shifted his eyes quickly, "that's not the point, okay, the entire show is a disaster! We're ruined, Raven!"
"Where's Victor?" She said, darting her eyes about, "He was supposed to be with you."
"I totally lost him! First everyone started screaming, and then this gi-normous group of people started going off somewhere, and Vic went with them. They sounded really mad…"
"Why didn't you follow him? It's safer than just standing in the middle of this mess alone…"
"Safer?" Gar cocked an eyebrow.
"Is there something you know about that we don't, Raven?"
"No." she flattened her voice warily. "But…do you have any idea what's going on?"
He changed his features, as if he had just then remembered why chaos surrounded them.
"But Raven, nobody knows what's going on! The stars of the play fell through a giant hole in the floor, the chandelier is kibble, and everybody's going crazy! And Rae" he stuttered, "Steven's…missing."
"Missing?" Raven gulped, though her deadpanned tone held a ring of panic.
"Some've the crew have tried looking for him, since, y'know, we kind of figured out that the dude playing Don Juan totally wasn't Steven, and…"
"And what?"
"And…we can't find any traces of him. None. Zip."
Raven, seemed to lose insight that anyone else existed at that moment. She stared into space, eyes wide; she looked lost in her own thoughts. Gar looked at her strangely. As he was about to wave his arm in front of her face, she snatched it in mid air. She blinked and looked toward the auditorium doors.
"Follow me." She said shortly. Gar had no other choice but to comply.
She dragged him down the red aisles, around the shattered chandelier, and up towards the stage. She walked up the side steps that led to the stage platform, and draped behind the velvety curtain, slipping backstage through stage left. Gar would have protested if he hadn't felt so content in her grip. To his disappointment, she released her hold on his arm, and beckoned him to follow her further.
Raven looked around the dark backstage, eyeing every nook, cranny and corner there was. She drew out her flashlight and as she held it up, it flickered on.
"How did you…" Gar began to stutter.
"Shhh!" she whispered viciously.
She drew the light across the floor, moving it back and forth as they gazed about, looking for any remnants of the boy.Suddenly, a high ear-splitting scream flew from the floors below. It was Kiona's voice.
"No..." Raven whispered.
"Come on!" she said shakily. She ran down the steps with an agility unknown to Gar as he leapt after her.
They flew down the steps, down further and further. There were two levels below the auditorium, and the scream had come from the very bottom, in the boiler room. Upon finally reaching the end of the winding stairwell Raven swung into the door that stood in their way, blasting it open.
The room was dark. Not all of its electricity had gone out, but a few lights flickered dimly in the distant areas of the room. The entire place had an eerie orangish-red tint to it, with black markings on the walls, masses of dried paint strewn about; the black furnace entangling itself across the dirty walls. Any student would tell you it was haunted, no matter how commonly it was used.
Raven and Gar spilled into the negative room, and saw Kiona hunched over something in a far corner. Her dress was ripped, her hair was a giant black mess, and she held something feebly in her arms, which she was shaking strangely. She let out a low cry, as tears spilled down her face.
"Oh my God…" Gar gasped.
"No. This can't be happening. No." Gar shook his head at Raven, "He's not…"
"Steven…" Kiona sobbed sadly, "No…why...? Steven…"
"Yes." Raven stuttered, almost choking on her words, "he is."
"Oh my God…" Gar breathed.
The two ran over to Kiona, to find the missing boy held limply in her arms. Raven gasped and Gar shuddered upon what they saw.
A rough twined rope was tied around his neck. His skin was white, his fingertips were purple. His lifeless eyes were wide open, and had rolled to the back of his head. His ginger hair was brittle, faded. Blood dripped venomously from his open mouth and trailed onto his white shirt.
Kiona continued to shake him awkwardly, crying into his hair, her mind slipping from normality. Raven could not stop the tear that slid down her pale cheek. She approached the girl and her lost.
"Kiona," she whispered.
Kiona snapped her head up, her bloodshot eyes drained into the newcomers. She tried to speak.
"He's…he's…"
"Kiona," Raven choked, "you have to come with us. We need to take his body to the authorities…"
"Who did this?" she shook with sobs, "Who has done this to him?"
"Kiona, we need to get him to a stretcher or…something. We need to bring him upstairs…"
"Who has done this to him?" she wailed, "Who?"
Hysteria seemed to be barely restraining itself from her. She leaned on the edge of it, threatening to collide. When Raven didn't respond, Kiona gulped back her tears for a split second and yelled at her bitterly.
"I know you know, don't act like you don't!"
Raven said nothing. She looked at Steven, then back at the senior.
"Kiona, listen to me, we need help. We need to get him out of here; we need to get you out of here…"
Before Raven could finish, Kiona's sense abandoned her. The confused hysteria flooded, her tears fell, and she let go of her boyfriend. She stood up and rushed upon Gar.
"You!" she shrieked, "It's all your fault!" she tried to attack him, but Raven held her back.
"How could you let this happen?" she cried furiously, "Both of you! It's all your fault that he's dead!" she screamed, "He's dead!"
She suddenly stopped thrashing at Gar, and Raven loosened her hold. Kiona's energy level dropped, almost leaving her without movement. Her eyes dropped to the floor, back to where the boy lay. Raven let go of her, and Kiona dropped to the stone floor. She slumped over Steven's body, the sobs racking her system.
"He's dead…" she cried, getting softer with every word.
"He's dead…"
Raven didn't move. Gar stood stiff behind her. Minutes seemed hours, as the two let her cry, terrified to touch her. After a few minutes, Raven had seen a difference in her persona after her outburst. The life had seemed to leave her, as well as the boy she loved. She sat motionless; and from the sound of it, she had even stopped crying.
Raven approached her, and set a cold hand on her shoulder. The heart-wrenched girl looked up at Raven, as the tears threatened to return.
"We have to…" Raven whispered.
Kiona merely nodded. She was tired of fighting. To Raven, she had seemingly given up trying. She stood up, and let Raven and Gar gingerly pick up Steven's body, as the three slowly ascended the blackened stairway, darkness looming within and throughout them.
Far below the surface, Kori had been left alone temporarily. The Phantom had disappeared behind his draped and candlelit barricade, and she had been alone for several minutes before getting the inkling of an instinct that something was wrong. She had decided long ago that this had been planned, but what the plan exactly was; that was what made her nervous. His absence had thus far only increased her worry, for she was in no place to be making any sort of escape.
During her time alone she had been able to stabilize her thoughts about him. Fear was still her dominating emotion, but a growing anger with his actions gave her a small amount of courage to be able to face him when he returned. She decided to talk to him with a more demanding air; to state then and there that he would not win her over as easy. She practiced in her mind how she would act, what to say, and how to say it.
Before she could sort out how this would end up, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, a little shakier than she wished she had. He held two things in his hand: One was something small, clutched in between his fingers, she could not see it. He quickly stowed it away in his pocket. The other was a wedding veil.
Kori abruptly stumbled to her feet. He had surprised her, but upon catching a glimpse of the veil, she knew his intention; and it lit a flame inside her that threatened to lash. She would never marry him, especially after what he did. He was a murderer. She would not forgive him for that. Stealing, deceiving, scaring people, she could even look past him kidnapping her. But murder was something she would never forgive. She was just beginning to get close to Steven, to actually see him as a person and as a friend. But now she'll never know him, and tears welled in her eyes as she thought of how long it would take her sister to heal. No, she would not. She would not marry him. Never. Her anger rose, but she held it in. She approached him slowly, but carefully, with her voice deathly low.
"Have you gorged yourself, at last,
In your lust for blood?"
He did not look at her, as if he didn't want to face what she was asking of him. He did not look ashamed, nor did he seem to regret anything he had done up to this point. His barriers were gone, the mask wasn't needed now. He did not reply.
This unnerved Kori. Did this mean that he was prepared to kill again, merely to forsake someone who was 'in his way'? She felt her veins suddenly freeze. What was he going to do with her, if she did not comply? What would he do if she did?
"Am I now to be prey
To your lust for flesh?"
Her voice shook, her body quivered. From the minute she had begun practicing for Don Juan, she had been afraid that rape would be his intention. She blocked it out as much as she could, but now her situation proved that if he would, she could do nothing to stop him. She felt her tearful eyes sear with blurs as she looked away from him. Even though she feared it, she knew he was capable. Very capable. And if anyone would attempt to save her from such a thing, he would kill them. And he would feel no remorse.
She looked back up to see him staring at her dead on. She was startled, but did not jump. He suddenly spoke, his voice ringing coldly from his throat.
"That fate which condemns me
To wallow in blood,
Has also denied me
The joys of the flesh…"
The coldness in his breath softened, but did not yield, as he reached out to stroke her neck. She shrunk from his touch, backing away by only a step, but enough to show him her silent defiance. He, in action, tried to silently reconcile her anger by calming himself down. He touched her shoulder gently, moving her closer to him.
"This face,
The infection,
Which poisons our love…"
She shoved her shoulder out of his light grasp and turned away from him. After stepping a few feet forward and giving him a cold shoulder, he realized that she wasn't going to be won over easily. Gentleness would bring her back to reason, back to affection. He knew his tone was apologetic, and he hoped she would know it too. With her back to him, he slowly stepped up to her, still speaking softly.
"This face,
Which earned
A mother's fear and loathing…
A mask,
My first
Unfeeling scrap of clothing…"
She turned her head slightly around to look at him, but quickly spun it back around to pout in her general direction. She now fiercely felt the strength she needed to refuse him.
The Phantom's expression hardened into the one that had brought them here. The furious and impatient man who threatened to kill returned and he roughly grabbed her shoulder with one hand. With the other he yanked the veil onto her fragile head, letting the sheer cloth spill over her vibrant red locks, which had long lost its tight curl.
"Pity comes too late,"
Kori's eyes widened in fear as she felt the veil on her head. As fear began to settle in her nerves she started to struggle. But before she could move, he roughly spun her around to face him.
"Turn around
And face your fate:"
He pushed her backwards before her back made hard contact with a cold stone wall.
"An eternity of this"
Holding onto her shoulders, he raised her body upward, lifting her off the ground. He bent his right knee against the wall beneath her, and lifted her high above him. Her only support beneath was to lean her knee against his and to let her other leg dangle above the ground. Panic gripped at her stomach as she shivered at the coldness of the stone behind her. Her head was not supported, so it hung downward, into direct view of the Phantom's face. Her hair fell onto one side as her drooped head stared avidly, knowingly, in his direction.
He shook her shoulders angrily, causing her balance to weaken all the more, and her knee's dependence on his to greaten. His glistening eyes were alit with what Kori could only identify with madness. But what frightened her was that he wasn't mad; he knew exactly what he was doing. A stifled tear ran down her cheek and onto the dull floor. He disregarded it. He forced her to look him in the eye, and she could hardly do it.
"…Before your eyes…"
With the small amount of courage that she possessed, Kori wildly collected her emotions together, and stiffened her face into one just as cold as his. The stone seemed to slip behind her, but she remained above the ground, his tightened grip did not falter. He was waiting for a response, and she was ready to give it. She hung her head down, and her eyes ran cold. She stared into his orbs like they were a black void, as if she had been chained to the wall by his grasp. With all the strength she owned, the trembling girl looked down at the man before her, who had held her captive for years.
"This haunted face
Holds no horror
For me now…
It's in your soul
That the true distortion lies…"
She said no more. Her eyes no longer expressed her fear. They showed only sadness, distance, betrayal. She stared him down as he did her. His expression had not changed. The same hurt fury inked through his eyes and into her heart, stinging it with an intensity that made her squirm. Suddenly, a whisper, no louder than a soft wave of water, enveloped from his lips.
"Wait…"
Suddenly his face changed. He had seemed to slightly calm in the split second that their eye contact had broken. He dropped his deadly hold on that of the wall, gracefully gliding her body back down to the ground. He looked her in the eye again, but this time a mischievous look played upon the windows of his soul. He deepened his gaze, then his lips quirked upward, into a slight sly smile.
"I think, my dear,
We have a guest…"
Yay! Aren't you glad I was so quick in updating? Aren't you? Okay, okay, this chapter wasn't uber long, but, we all know it was longer than the last one!