Disclaimer: Once again I own nothing... man this is disheartening :`(

Yay two chapter in one day! I`ll save you from any lengthy specch and just shup up so you can enjoy it! Remember to review!

The next moring Erik observed the rehearsal as he always did. He still found many flaws. The lead Tenor was to loud and his voice drowned out the other`s. The dancers movements were sloppy and everywhere, but he would leave that for Madame Giry to fix. Another matter he had to deal with was the lack of his salary being paid. Had he not instructed those fools who call themselves mangers that his salary had been due two days ago? Was it that hard to just want to be paid when you ask for it? Really it isn`t hard at all. Erik did not reward laziness or disobedience. Come to think of it he truly didn`t reward anything…. But wasn`t keeping him at bay enough? As he silently raged on about the fools he stiffened as he felt someone watching him. He narrowed his eyes as he glanced down from his box to see if one of the dancers or chorus members had seen him, but there was nothing. He glared around him and frowned. Who in the hell was watching him? He shook his head, maybe he was getting paranoid. That was it! He returned his attention to the stage, ignoring the feeling of being watched, but as he did he heard a soft, yet haunting voice whisper his name. Phantom.

He whipped around and searched wildly around himself. Now he knew he was being watched. But by who?

Phantom.

There it was again! No matter he would lose his watcher soon enough. He hurriedly left his box and made his way through his passages, but no matter where he went he still felt as if he was being watched. This time when the voice spoke it seemed all around him as it let out a rather creepy feminine laugh. Run, run as fast as you can. You can`t lose me, dear little phantom. I`m everywhere.

Bloody likely! I`m the Phantom of the Opera Damn it! I do the stalking, the creepy laughing and messing with people! Erik thought to himself as he picked up the pace hurrying to his lair. The voice let out a laugh again as it sung rather creepily. Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies. Ashes, Ashes, We all fall down.

"Reveal yourself! The trick is up! You can`t scare me. I am the Phantom of the Opera!" Erik demanded or rather through a small tantrum like a child. The voice simply laughed again, pushing Erik to anger as he reached his lair and pulled out his Punjab swinging it around threatenly. As the voice laughed louder, he grew angrier." ARE YOU MOCKING ME?"

No, I`m simply laughing at your stupidity, my dear phantom… I am in the shadows, in the mist! You can`t kill me.

"Oh I beg to differ." Erik growled stomping around as he searched for this person or whatever was following him. The mystery voice laughed once more before it feel very silent and still. Erik looked around slowly as he slowly walked around. His paranoia being so high that when a rat scampered across some papers on the ground he jumped so high and swung around swinging his lasso menacingly. He grumbled angrily." Stupid rat, trying to give me a heart attack."

He shook his head and as he turned around he was startled so badly, the phantom, remember that Erik himself let out a rather impressive, loud and high scream ungracefully stumbling back words and stumbling into his organ flipping him over on the ground. And what was it that had scared him? None other than Echo dressed in a black cape with a blood red torn dress on, his red death mask on and fake blood smeared all over her face, her hair hidden by the cape hood, making her look like an angel of death. Echo of course broke out in laughter after she saw Erik`s reaction, she was rolling on the floor in laughter. Erik however was clenching his heart and breathing hard, speechlessly as he tried to come his pounding heart. Echo was laughing and gasping for air as tears of laughter ran down her face under the mask." Can-can`t st-stop laughing! You-your reaction was, was priceless."

Erik still trying to calm his heart down from having a heart attack was gasping in response. Echo giggled as she stood up removing the mask as she wiped her tears away smiling." I-I mean your scream… now that was impressive and very high. I-I don`t think even the fop could have matched that… Oh come on breath Erik breath. Don`t have a heart attack on me."

"Can-can`t br-breathe." Erik rasped as he clenched his heart. Echo bit her lip, she didn`t mean to give Erik a heart attack. She sighed and went to him and took his hands." IN and Out, In and out, calm down Erik. Man who knew that it was possible to scare the Phantom of the Opera so badly… I`m good, damn good."

Erik did as she instructed as he slowly but eventually calmed down enough to talk or rather glare at her with anger as he snarled with impressive anger." That was in no way funny."

'Not to you but to me it was!" Echo cheekily replied as she stands up. Erik slowly gets up, his heart still racing a bit as he clenches his teeth advancing towards her. Echo backed up a bit laughing nervously." Oh come on, It was a little funny you have to admit and my costume is pretty awesome!"

"Funny you say?" Erik growled as he had no intention of stopping. Echo put up her hands up in surrender." Look I was bored, I needed some way to entertain myself."

"And the Joke has run short." Erik hissed as he finally backed her into the corner. Echo decided to catch him off guard so she grabbed his face and pulled it so there lips were an inch apart seeming as if she was going to kiss him. She tried to look at him with all the seriousness in the world as she whispered." I. Love. You. You know that. I love you as much as a dog can love a cat."

Erik`s anger diminished as it was replaced with confusion. Echo pulled away and patted his shoulder as she shook her head in sympathy." Poor, poor Erik. I guess your mind is really inferior to the ways of mine. "

Once again Erik was stupidly confused as he watched Echo sit in a chair with her feet on the table playing with her butterfly knife smiling and humming. He silently cursed himself. She had done it again! Damn her! He was suppose to be getting his revenge and be very mad at her and instead he was now confused once again! It was no fair! He shook his head and sighed."So is this what you have being for the past four days?"

"Only some of it. I have many things in store for us Erik! This will be so fun!" Echo grinned. Erik narrowed his eyes. He couldn't let her get away with the little stunt she had pulled so easily so he held out his hand." You will give me and tell me every little prank or trick you have set up so far, for I am not so forgiving. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"Your such a party pooper… Whatever when you sleep tonight you may want to check under your covers for dead… bloody rats. Oh and do not put your spare mask on, it has super glue on it and will be a bitch to get off your face. Do not push the High E key on your organ or you`ll set of a stink bomb. And don`t \... just don`t go in the kitchen, believe me it won`t be pretty if you do. Uh just let me handle that… yeah I may have been a little homicidal crazy when I created that little trick. Sorry I have homicidal tendices, not healthy at all. Anyway that`s all I got for now."
"For now?" Erik growled. Echo shrugged getting up as she headed towards the kitchen." Erik hun, you can`t expect me not to play a trick on you. Your just to fun not to… mow Id rid of everything I told you before you forget, because I`m not liable for anything, since I`ve told you."

Erik stared after her as she went in the kitchen. He frowned as he heard a banging sound and grunting and his eyes got bigger as he saw Echo drag out a bag of god knows what, a couple jars of white paint and five swords. She smiled innocently as she dragged them into her room." Uh I'll just use them later."

Erik shook his head as he turned away from the crazy, demented little girl and took out what she had called a stink bomb from one of the pipes. He tossed it in the lake shaking his head as he left to get the other things. Echo watched him as she smirked a bit, still wearing her costume. Her smirk grew wider as she heard Erik yell. AH that`s the one… she knew she had forgotten one! She slowly walked to Erik`s room to see him hanging from the ceiling with a rope around his ankle. She tried to not laugh as Erik glared at her." Not a word."

"Did I say anything? I knew I was forgetting one." Echo snorted ." Who would have thought that I could spook the Phantom and cause him to get trapped! Someone is losing their touch!"

"Silence, you insolent child!" Erik growled snapping, struggling to untie his foot. Echo laughed shaking her head." Shush, Mr. Phantom, we don`t want anyone to hear us now do we, but wait we are underground so know one would… though I am sure they would all be amused to find their local Opera ghost in this position. I am enjoying it myself."

"Get me down!" Erik hissed lowly. Echo smirked." What is the magic word?"

"Please get me down, girl." Erik tried to lower his voice into a calmer tone. Echo shook her head." No the other magic word! Punjab Lasso, fail!"

"Echo!"

"Whoa calm down don`t get your cloak in a twist! No sense of humor… has anyone told you; you should really take anger management classes?" Echo tsked shaking her head, as she played with her hair ." Get me down woman!" Erik roared.

"SHHH! What do you want to do wake up the dead… interesting I went from being a child, to a girl, to a woman in this conversation. Man I grow fast! Hey do you know that by now the blood is rushing to your head and if you hang there long enough you`ll faint?" Echo kept her taunts up, knowing she would be in a world`s full of trouble once he got down. Erik groaned holding his head trying to focus.

" This is probably really good for your back, I mean seeing that back problems start for men of your age… it`s a sign that you are getting old." Echo smiled sweetly as Erik looked absolutely seething mad; she could even start seeing veins pop out. Erik glared at her with hard, cold, murderous eyes as he hissed dangerously." I am not old! And if you do not get me down right now you will be receiving unspeakable punishments."

"Only if one of the punishments means, sleeping with you in bed and you showing me what a bad girl I have been." Echo muttered quietly, but Erik`s eyes widened." What?"

"Nothing, nothing at all… oh well look at the time, I must be going." Echo quickly said starting to walk away."Echo!"

Echo glanced over her shoulder back at Erik, smiling." Don`t worry, after I got to the bathroom and get myself something to drink I`ll come back for you… that is if you haven`t fainted the time I get back, you look dizzy… wish me luck, oh masterly one!"

Erik cursed rather loudly at the damn girl as she skipped away. He growled in frustration, he was already feeling light headed and dizzy, he glared at the rope and began his work to get free. As Echo skipped into her room she locked it and laid on her bed. She may be crazy but she wasn`t suicidal. Locking the door was for the best. She waited until she heard a grunt and a moan before sighing and closing her eyes in a smile. That was going to hurt for a while.