ERIK IS IN THE BUILDING! Or rather the Opera House. Woo! Yeah...read on...

Chapter 9

Cossette

After several minutes of awkwardly tense silence, Cossette mustered up enough courage-- more or less curiosity to move slightly from her cowering position behind Raine so that she was standing almost beside her, but at a safe distance from the phantom. She watched as the phantom's intense and confused eyes flickered to her; they lingered there for a moment then went back to Raine.

Cossette found herself staring at the mysterious masked man. She couldn't help her roaming eyes as the wandered over his person from sheer curiosity. He was clad in an elegant black suit with a black cravat. A black cape hung from his shoulders and seemed to flow dramatically from behind him even though there was not even a smallest draft of wind. She noted that he had a rather strong and towering build, which made her uneasy.

She watched as indifference settled in on his visible features; the right side of his face was concealed by a strange white mask. There was something about those blue-green eyes of his that was so…alluring and dangerous. Cossette found herself lost staring at him and was unable to think, speak, let alone barely breathe. She had never been so frightened. She wanted to run, but curiosity and Raine kept her there.

The phantom did not reply for a long time, and when Raine was about to speak he shook his head slightly. "Don't speak such trivialities." His voice was low and crisp. "You are here with death," he replied.

The way his voice echoed off the walls caused Cossette to flinch. She stared at him again. Death? Cossette opened her mouth to speak, but Raine cut her off.

"O.G.?" Raine asked again. She seemed to completely have missed the whole "you are here with death" thing that he had just said. Cossette didn't understand how Raine wasn't afraid of the mysterious masked man. If she was, she was good at concealing it.

A frown creased his features and Cossette thought she heard him sigh. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully with a hand incased in black leather. "Opera Ghost," he replied simply in his baritone voice and stared at the girls.

Raine laughed nervously. "I should have known that!" she exclaimed rather loudly which caused the phantom to jump.

He glared at Raine after he gathered himself. Cossette guessed Raine took the hint as she became silent once more. His eyes found their way back to Cossette and his features seemed to soften some, but somehow they remained intimidating.

Cossette felt his intense eyes burning into her and it felt as though he was peering into the depths of her soul. She watched as a odd contortion of expressions passed over his face; pain, confusion, and then more indifference. That confused her all the more.

"Monsieur Opera Ghost?" Rained questioned quietly.

The phantom's attention went back to Raine. Cossette let go off a quiet sigh of relief. If she had remained under his gaze any longer she thought she might have…fainted. The phantom's brow furrowed as he observed Raine.

"Merci for…well you know--saving us," Raine managed to get out.

Cossette nodded in agreement with her friend unable to speak.

The phantom seemed to ponder her words for a moment. He then nodded solemnly. "I suppose you've learned not to be sneaking about after dark," he said bluntly. He paused for a moment. "Dare I ask, what you were doing running about my theatre?" he asked in sudden anger.

"Your theatre?" Raine questioned.

The phantom sighed heavily. "Indeed," he confirmed. He glared at Raine with a basically you-answer-my-question-or-else look.

Raine and Cossette flinched under his gaze. "Er, nothing," Raine said quickly, apparently too quickly for the phantom's liking.

"I dare you to lie to me," he growled as he crossed his arms over his strong chest.

"Well…we were…um…" Raine's voice drifted off. She glanced at Cossette for help.

Cossette took a small step forward and fidgeted nervously with the hem of her dress. She watched as the phantom's eyes sparkled with amusement. "We found--

Raine elbowed Cossette. "Don't," she whispered.

Cossette winced. "He will find out sooner or later," she whispered back to Raine.

"But he'll be really peeved at us."

"Well…I don't want him--"

"He'll be mad."

"He probably already knows…"

The phantom stood watching the two girls bicker in hushed tones with his brow furrowed. He shook his head and was going to interrupt, but dismissed the thought.

Cossette hadn't realized that she had become distracted and looked back to where the phantom had been standing. He had obviously disappeared into the shadows. She looked back at Raine and her face fell.

"Great, Coss! Now he's gone," Raine said angrily.

"Well, if you wouldn't have interrupted me!" Cossette shot back.

"Oh, now this is my fault?"

"Yes, it is."

"You didn't even want to come! And it didn't help that you hid behind me like a frightened child," Raine barked. "And now he's gone."

"I was scared," Cossette replied quietly and searched the shadows for a possible glimpse of the phantom.

"And I wasn't?" Raine placed her hands on her hips.

Just as Cossette mimicked Rain's body language, a sinister and dark laugh echoed throughout the walls. Cossette jumped and grabbed onto Raine's hand. "Let's go, Raine," she said quietly.

"Agreed," Raine said. The made their way hastily back to the safety of their dormitory.

Hehehe. That was fun. I feel bad for Erik already. He has no idea what is in store for himself. Hahaha. Well...Reccie is up next! Thanks as always!