A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and supporting this story! I hope you enjoy this next chapter and aren't disappointed. I promise that there will be Phantomy goodness coming up soon (hopefully the next chapter)! See you all next time! PS - thanks to my anonymous reviewer M.B.

Chapter Six – Nightmares Alive

"Don't worry, you'll be great," Tom said encouragingly as he led Rose past Dolores and towards the others in their designated troop. "I heard from your brother that you're amazing."

"Ben's a proud brother, he likes to brag a little," she blushed. "I just hope I live up to his expectations."

"Hey, you'll blow them outta the water!" Tom grinned. "Just be yourself-"

"Tom!"

The two of them raised their heads to see four others approaching them, all wearing friendly smiles and shining eyes. "Yo, Adam! What's up?" Tom greeted them, shaking hands with the tall blonde boy whose blue eyes shone brightly. "Rose, meet Adam Chagny, Lili Stubenbaucker, Joelle Joubert, and Simon Castelot, some family friends. Everyone, this is Rose Bolton…or is it Rebecca? I heard your brother call you both names last time I saw him?" Tom asked, lightly running his fingers through his spiked black hair.

"Everyone calls me Rose, but I was named Rebecca Rose," she shrugged.

"Such a pretty name!" Joelle Joubert beamed, her jade eyes soft and welcoming, her voice as sweet as a nightingale. Her blond hair bobbed around her face, coming down to her shoulders. She reached over and embraced the girl, saying, "Welcome to Paris!"

Simon Castelot turn his turn and embraced her also, his violet eyes twinkling as he winked at her. "Let us know if Tom gives you any trouble now."

"Hey!" Tom frowned. "Since when I cause trouble?!" This only made Simon snicker, brushing his black side bangs out of his eyes.

"You may not start trouble, but you have an unusual tendency to end up in it," Lili Stubenbaucker laughed merrily, patting Rose on the back after tossing her long red hair over her shoulder. "Don't mind us, we like to tease Tom. He's really quite a sweetheart."

"Yes, I can tell," Rose agreed shyly, catching a glimpse her new friend as he blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "You're all in the US troop also-?"

"Oh no, we're in the French troop," Adam chuckled. "But we'll be close by should you need us."

"I can't thank you enough for being so welcoming-" Rose started, distracted by the sound of someone calling her sister's name. "What…?" Looking up, she saw Melody running away from Erik Chevalier as he stretched out his arm and called after her. "Melody?"

"Is everything ok?" Simon asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched the scene. "Isn't that the girl who Erik stood up for earlier?"

"She's my sister, Melody," Rose clarified, wanting to run after her elder sister. She had seemed so distraught…what could have happened to get her so upset?

"Let's get to work!" Anna Chevalier's voice rang out over their heads as she clapped her hands. "You will be given a prompt and song to perform if you haven't decided with the group already, ladies and gentlemen! Let's see if we can get started today!"

"That's our cue to get to work," Lili noted. Kissing Rose on both cheeks, she smiled affectionately, her blue eyes twinkling kindly. "Don't worry, you'll do great, and if you need anything at all, just talk to one of us or Tom. Ok?"

"Ok," she nodded, smiling brightly at each one of them. "Thank you!"

They all split off, returning to their respective groups and immediately discussing what they might consider as a possible presentation piece for the auditions. Dolores ignored Rose and spoke loudly, but after the little display she had started, many of the others gave her odd looks before turning their attention to Tom, who enthusiastically starts spewing out suggestions. Rose slowly grew comfortable with the other young men and women present, beginning to state her own opinions when suddenly, the lights began to flicker, and a sinister cackle echoed from the rafters above. "What is that?" Rose whispered, her eyes widening as a hooded figure wrestled with one of the stagehands and threw him down, laughing as the man screamed.

Erik Chevalier dove into position, able to catch the man's torso though the two of them fell into a heap upon the floor. The stagehand cried out in pain, gripping one of his legs as the mysterious figure vanished. Screams filled the air as the people saw what happened, shocked at the incident.

"It's him! The Phantom!" she heard one of the Garnier ballerinas gasp as she pointed skyward.

Before she could blink, Rose caught sight of the peculiar man Monique had identified as the Indian, who leapt onto the stage nimbly and hurried to Chevalier's side. Anna ran to the injured man and stayed with him while the two men ran off, both of them holding a look of angry determination as they vanished.

"Wait 'til the OG gets him," she heard Tom snarled, her eyes flashing over to meet his gaze.

"The OG? You mean the Opera Ghost?" she asked, her brows knitting together in confusion. "I thought 'Opera Ghost' and 'Phantom' were one in the same. Are there two ghosts then?"

Tom looked away, chewing his lip before facing her once more. "I really shouldn't say, Rose…believe me, I want to tell you, it's no fair being in the dark…but it's better this way."

She stared at him in disbelief, stunned by his response. What on earth was he talking about?!

~OG~

"So, what did you think of the tryouts?" Ben asked as they washed the dishes, exhausted and ready for bed. He hadn't expected so much to be done in just one day, but with that strange fiasco that took place with the fallen stagehand and the 'ghost' people saw, they had even more issues to deal with in the short amount of time he had begun working there.

"It was great," Rose answered, drying the plates and putting them away while Melody washed. She glanced at Riley and smiled as she watched him wipe down the table, making it shine in the lamplight. "I've met a lot of wonderful and talented people. I can't wait to audition…and I can't wait to start singing!"

"Erik told me he wants to start tomorrow on your first lesson," Ben beamed, winking at his little sister. His eyes darted to Melody, who said nothing and continued to work diligently. "…I take it you still don't want to try, huh?"

"You know the answer already, so why do you bother asking?" she answered coldly, rinsing her hands clean before snatching a hand towel. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed." Not waiting for another word from anyone, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and took off, running up the stairs into her room before shutting the door and covering her eyes with her palm. "Seriously, Ben? Seriously?" Heaving a heavy sigh, she forced herself to move onward, grabbing a set of clean clothes before entering her private bathroom and turning on the hot water. Shedding herself free of her clothes, she stepped into the tub and let the warm water pelt onto her skin and hair, closing her eyes as she took in a deep breath. The faces of the two strange specters and Erik Chevalier flashed through her mind, making her shiver despite the heat she felt on her skin. "This whole arrangement is something out of a mystery novel…how are there two ghosts? How is Chevalier connected to all this? The flashbacks that I keep getting are from the 'Phantom' story by Leroux, I know it! But it's just a story…it's got to be…"

Erik Chevalier's eyes haunted her constantly, his melodic voice tickling her ears even when he didn't speak. There was something about him that made her knees go weak and her heart pound madly…she didn't like feeling like this. Every time he looked at her, she was frightened she would receive another flashback, or blush just by looking into his eyes. She had never felt emotions this strongly, and it scared her. The last time she let herself get involved with someone it turned out that he betrayed her for her enemy…who was to say it wouldn't happen again?

Running her hand over her left shoulder, she paused, glancing down at her body. Her shoulder had been discolored a harsh brown hue since she was six, always making her self-conscious whenever she wore outfits that exposed her shoulders or neck. She only remembered bits and pieces of what happened, really, but it still hurt her as if it had happened at that moment. Her mother and father fought a lot, he was abusive and her mother was always headstrong. One day, she walked in on an argument, crying at them to stop. He wouldn't listen to his wife or daughter – he never did – and waved his arm angrily at Hailey to smack her. Instead, he smacked the pot of boiling water meant for their spaghetti. She remembered seeing the pot slide off the stove, the water spilling out at her with the steam floating skyward…she remembered a searing pain, crying and screaming…and then, she was in the hospital.

Wiping her face free of tears, Melody shook her head and bit back a sob. She forgave her father for what he did to them, especially when he left them two years later, deserting them permanently…still, she was certain that it was part of his influence that affected her as a person as she grew older, making her wary of men.

At long last, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, taking her time as she dried off and got dressed. As she began to brush her teeth, she heard a knock at her door. "Yeah?" she called out, her mouth full of toothpaste and saliva.

"Hi Aunt Mel!" Riley called out, hopping onto her bed.

"Melody, can we talk?" Rose asked, shutting the door after her before approaching the bathroom.

"Uh-huh," she answered, motioning for her sister to enter.

Leaning against the wall, Rose checked back on Riley before facing Melody once more and whispering, "You saw what happened today with that hooded man didn't you?"

"Mm-hmm," Melody answered, rinsing her mouth out quickly before looking to her sister. "I got a picture of him. What's wrong?"

Rose curled a strand of her hair on her finger, her hand curling into a fist anxiously. "…I heard Tom say something today...he said, 'The Opera Ghost will get him'. When I asked him what that meant, he hesitated and said 'it's best if you don't know'."

Melody's brows furrowed at this. "Weird…I didn't want to say anything but…I kinda saw another 'ghost'…he was in a secret passage-"

"A what?!" Rose gasped, only to be hushed.

"Look, I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid I might be called crazy," she confessed. "But there's really two 'ghosts'. One has a hat and full mask and cape, that one must be 'the Opera Ghost'. The other has a half mask and hooded cape, he must be 'the Phantom'. The Chevalier family's tangled up in this somehow, I know it."

"Just like the real story of the Phantom!" Riley butted in, grinning like a fool.

"Riley!" the girls yelped as he made his presence known.

"Real ghosts at the opera house – that's great!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"Hold it," Melody warned him. "There are no 'ghosts' involved. The only thing that's ghostly here is their names. I'm ninety-nine percent sure that they're men dressed in capes and masks, meant to scare everyone. And Riley, you can't tell your dad-!"

"My lips are sealed!" he vowed, making a motion as if he were zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key.

"What do you think's going on, Mel?" Rose asked, her brown eyes full of concern and worry.

Shaking her head, Melody shrugged. "I'm not sure…but I plan to find out, one way or another."

"Melody, we ought to contact the police-" Rose started.

"I doubt the police would even consider looking into a case based on a novel, Rose. I need to know what's going on, though…ever since we got here, I've had this weird feeling that…I don't know, something isn't right…like something is incomplete," Melody said, hugging her arms as she thought of the strange memories that constantly bombarded her. "…listen, I'm beat. Can we get some sleep and talk more about it tomorrow?"

"…ok," Rose nodded, embracing her sister. "Please be careful," she whispered, kissing her cheek before walking out.

"If you plan on snooping, count on me!" Riley grinned, earning a tight hug and kiss from his aunt.

"I'll keep that in mind," she answered wryly, ruffling his hair. "Get some sleep, kiddo." Sending the boy off, she turned out the lights and waited until he had left the room before reaching over and taking out her camera, switching back and forth from the two photos of the two "ghosts". "Hmm…" Strumming her fingers upon her knee, she pondered a moment who the two figures could be. Chevalier couldn't be the Phantom…and the Opera Ghost had golden eyes and a mask that covered most of his face. Still, it wouldn't be impossible for Erik to be the Opera Ghost…he wasn't around when the Ghost was present and vice versa…but even if that was true, then who was the Phantom…?

Turning the device off, she placed the item on her nightstand and sighed, slipping under the covers and grabbing her iPod. Wary of the "Phantom of the Opera" soundtracks she ha, she instead selected an album by one of her favorite artists, Ramin Karimloo. Setting it on shuffle, she pushed the earphones into place and closed her eyes, sinking into the pillow. Music had always had a soothing effect on her since she was little, and it only grew stronger as she had gotten older…it was part of the reason why she had wanted to sing…

Gripping the coverlet, she focused on the artist's voice and her breathing, lulling herself to sleep.

It was dark in the tunnels, so dark that she could scarcely see in front of her. Melody could feel the monster behind her, his laughter echoing around her as she ran for her life in the darkness, but no matter how fast she forced her legs to move, it was as though she were trudging through molasses. She dared to glance back, knowing full well that she shouldn't. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to scream, but her throat was dry. The hooded madman trailed behind her, his golden eyes on fire as he reached out to grab her. "NO!" she wanted to scream, yet she was silent. "HELP!" she wanted to shout, tears streaming down her face as the sinister figure's fingers reached for her throat, his fingernails like knives.

A soft whistle came from behind, a shining loop moving so quickly that she didn't notice until it was too late for her perpetrator. The hooded man gasped for breath as he was caught in the unforgiving hold of a thin Punjab lasso. Tripping over her own two feet, Melody glanced down and gasped as she noticed she wore a delicate, flattering nightgown that women might have worn centuries ago. Around her neck dangled a golden locket that she had never seen before, a rose in full bloom engraved on the front. No sooner had she started to contemplate what she was doing in this outfit, another strangled gasp snapped her attention away. Spinning around, she was stunned to see the man in the wide-brimmed fedora and full face mask strangling the hooded man.

"The Opera Ghost and the Phantom!" she realized quickly.

The Opera Ghost raised his golden eyes at her, startling her so much that she took a step back. The floor seemed to give way beneath her, crumbling and sending her falling into an abyss. This time, her scream ran all around her as she raised her hands, praying that she would grab something. Another scream escaped her as she felt a bony hand grab her own, her head turning to see the Opera Ghost grabbing onto the ledge with one hand while he used the other to hold her up. His mouth and chin exposed, he grunted and grimaced as he struggled to keep them up.

Melody panicked as she saw the Phantom's shadow fall over them, crying out, "No!"

With another cruel cackle, the Phantom reached down and snatched the Opera Ghost's mask off, displaying the face of Erik Chevalier to her.

"Erik?!" she gasped, watching him as his golden eyes widened with fear.

"Stop-!" Erik demanded as the Phantom reached down once more. This time, his nails raked across Erik's skin, ripping his flesh off to expose a rotting corpse.

Melody watched on in horror as the Phantom sneered, "Die," crushing Erik's hand under his boot, sending the two of them falling to their dooms…

"Oh God!" Melody choked, her eyelids snapping open as tears poured down her face, her body shaking as she recovered from the nightmare she had just had. "Oh my God!" she wept, clutching her head in her hands as the morning sun trickled into her room through the curtains. She let herself cry, jumping at the sound of her alarm going off. Inhaling deeply, she took her earphones out and tossed her iPod to the foot of her bed, pressing her fingertips to her eyes. "What does it mean? What does all this mean?!"

~OG~

"You'll stay out of trouble, right?" Ben asked, giving Riley a scolding look.

"Duh," Riley rolled his eyes, though he crossed his fingers behind his back.

Melody cracked a smile at this, though she was still shaken by her nightmare. As they walked towards the manager's office, she hoped she would be able to sneak out and take her pictures like she planned to. If she had to listen to another syllable about her going for lessons…

"Good morning," Erik Chevalier said graciously as he stepped out of the office to greet them. "I take it you slept well?"

"Yup!" Riley answered back, earning a chuckle out of the two men present. "Can I go and explore?"

"Not right now, I'm afraid," Erik shook his head. "There's going to be too much movement with the troops practicing for the auditions…however, the stagehands and tailors could use some help. They have a lot of painting and sorting to do, Riley. I don't suppose you'd be willing to help out, at least for an hour or so?"

"I guess so," the boy shrugged, receiving a pat on the head from Erik.

"Thanks, Riley," Erik smiled. Turning his attention to Ben, he said, "Monique is already on stage with my mother. She wanted to discuss the schedule in which we'll have the auditions and a possible timeframe for the Showcase finalists."

"Right, I'll go now," he nodded, shaking hands with his friend before taking his son and wishing the girls well.

"Ladies," Erik greeted them once more. With a wave of his hand, he gestured for them to follow him. "This way, please."

Rose showed no hesitation as she followed through the halls, letting him guide her past the dressing rooms until they arrived at an open door, a piano settled at the middle of the room. Melody straggled behind, toying with her camera and snapping a photo of the open dormitories where some ballerina giggled and gossiped that early morning.

"Mademoiselle Melody."

Facing Chevalier, she felt her stomach turn as she remembered the dream last night, the one where he tried to save her…the one where he was the Opera Ghost. "Yes?" she asked innocently, looking him in the eye.

"We're waiting for you," he said patiently, gesturing once more to the room, where Rose now wandered about as she waited for them to join her.

Biting her tongue, Melody shook her head at him. "I thought I made myself clear, Monsieur. I'm only here to take photos to promote this event. I'm not going to audition, much less perform here."

"I understand this must be difficult for you, Miss," he said sympathetically, earning a frown from the girl as she looked away. "But I'm afraid you don't understand my terms."

"What terms?" she asked, her eyes darting back to his face to see his sea-colored eyes were dark and serious.

"It's a package deal," he explained, quickly glancing back at Rose before checking Melody's face. His voice had lowered to a soft whisper as he neared her face, making her heartbeat accelerate. "You see, your brother promised me two sisters to train. If you choose not to at least attend the lessons, then I'm afraid your sister will not receive any lessons either...and it may weaken her chances of making it into the Showcase."