-The Seance Room and the Ballroom-
Phantom Manor belongs to Disney
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You open your eyes.
You are lying on your back in yet another dark room. No light is in any range as your eyes try to adjust to the shadowy abyss that you are in. Your memory takes you back to what had only happened a few mere moments ago. You can still feel the Phantom's cold figure surging through you as if he entered you. Your body trembles in the cold for a minute before you sit up frantically to see that there's no Phantom and no eyes watching you.
Or so you think.
You rise as a few candles softly ignite themselves and the sound of a bell rings out. You spin your head to see a bell ringing in midair. It's soft chime seems to be a sign of something to happen in the upcoming future as it stops and sets itself down on a table. You wander over to the table where you see a few tarot cards. Them being the three swords, the Sun, and the Moon. A holder of some sort lies in the center of the table. It appears to be made of wrought iron and able to fit a ball of some sort. You also notice a black cat snuggled up on the chair next to the table. Your eyes get distracted by a floating harp as you look around the room again to see other instruments dancing on air. Sadly you are reminded of the angered piano player as you can still hear his voice in your head.
"What are you doing here?"
A female voice seems to shriek at you. With whatever bravery you have you turn to see a flying floating head of an eerie green. Her eyes glare at you as she sets herself in the holder on the table. More tarot cards float from their deck and onto the table. They reveal to be the Hanged Man, the Fool, and the Judgment. You explain that you wanted to explore the contents of the Manor and that you knew rain was coming and you desired not to get wet or sick. The head understands as she takes in your appearance for a moment and nods her head.
"I see you've met some of our inhabitants here. It appears that the Phantom wants you out of this Manor...but you do realize...you cannot go back the way you came in."
The grandfather clock you heard from your first encounter with the Phantom chimes out in all its horrible glory. It chimes thirteen times before it lowers its sound as if it were controlled by a pair of invisible hands. The cat you once saw sleeping cries out a pained meow and stares at you with it's witchcraft green eyes. It jumps up onto the table as one of it's paws lands on the Sun. It sits still as if in a trance and stares at you still.
"I am keeping you from the party...go..and do not look back. She awaits you and would dislike it..if you were late."
You nod your head in an understanding manner and run along. The darkness cloaks the floating head behind you as the cat cries again as if it were mourning your absence. Some of the instruments start to play but the one that rings out mostly, is the bell. You hear the chants again as they embed themselves into your head.
"Warlocks...and witches...answer this call your presence is wanted in this ghostly ball..."
The clock rings out again as you are left in the shrouded darkness. Your eyes search for a light as you keep walking. Your heart isn't beating as fast as you hope the party isn't too far from the room you just left. And that's when you hear the Phantom's voice again. Softer but still filled with malice as he seems to be near you, when in truth he is not.
"And she'll just die...if you're late."
Then you hear something. Not the Phantom, no he's waiting for you, you know that. It's something else. Something as pure as a swan's feather. It's her, the Bride. She sings sweetly throughout the party, over the noise, and to you. It feels as if a spirit has blessed your ears and relieved your soul from whatever mood it may be in. And that's when you know you have arrived at the party. You run ahead as you look over the balcony that holds you back.
Ghostly figures alive in their afterlife dangle from the chandelier brimming with dim light and cloaked in gossamer spider webs. Newly invited guests enter through the double doors and their hidden hearses as the lightning adds to the ballroom's lighting. The fireplace's flames roar with a neon green both unusual and strange as you look above the dancing fire to see something a bit shocking.
In a portrait, painted with the ever most care is the Manor. Beautifully white and glorious with red and green trimming the windows and the gutters. The front stairs and statues on the lawn are an angelic white. However, above the Manor lies a hint of horror in the baby blue skies. A cloud of white is stretched over the property, but the most peculiar thing about it is that it looks almost like the Phantom himself. You begin to ponder on how such a beautiful Manor could now be the house you're in.
The Phantom's sadistic laughter rings out through the ballroom as he invites you to see the results of the ill-fated wedding. A moldy wedding cake is being eaten by ghostly departed figures as you notice a headless man trying to drink some wine that looks like blood. You feel your bones jump as your eyes search for the source of the angelic voice that still sings. Your vision takes you throw the ghostly waltz of the deceased and the haunting music notes of the organ and that's when you see her.
Still wearing her wedding dress and holding her bouquet of roses, is the Bride. The air her voice carries along is as gentile as the wings of a turtle dove. You call out her name, a whisper at first, then louder. As if upon hearing you she glances in your direction as your eyes meet. Hers are filled with a dying hope and a sadness enough to blind the sun and murder the heart. But what heart was murdered? Hers.
She nods at you as you nod in return. She acknowledges what you will attempt to do.What is that? To free her from the Manor. But alas, you do not know the whole story of the tragic event. The Phantom's laughter bellows out into the despair as if it were blocking your gaze from the Bride's. She swiftly turns her head away and resumes her singing as if by force. You are almost entranced by her lovely vocals before you find yourself entering the next room. It's as if the Bride wanted you to go into it in a hurry and the organ's music itself seems to push you all the way in.