AN: Just found out the first Ouija board was created in 1871 (right when Phantom ended). Unless of course, Wikipedia is lying, which it probably is. I don't know what month it was invented, or how widely spread it was, but let's assume our Victorian era characters can obtain one. It won't be the first thing they use, by the way.

CHAPTER 18

Nadir refused to be part of the séance circle that Madame Giry had created and had politely moved to a corner, just to watch the ridiculousness unfold. The ballet mistress closed the thick curtains and made sure no lights were lit aside from a candle in the middle of a small table. After they were all seated (Nadir excluded), she took one of Christine's and Gerry's hands. Hesitantly, they took each other's as well to complete the circle.

The older woman waited a long moment before speaking in a serious, low voice.

"Is there anyone here?"

The candle flickered. Madame Giry stared at it with wide eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Um…actually that was me, I yawned," Gerry said quietly, a bit embarrassed for the woman. She glared at him, then sighed and repeated herself.

"Is there anyone…here?"

At least a minute of absolute, boring silence passed. Nadir rolled his eyes. Just as he expected. Now, maybe they would see reason.

But then, Gerry heard a distant, echoing laugh. Even as level-headed as he normally was, he assumed it was just the creepy atmosphere getting to him. Then Christine heard it too, and looked at him and Antoinette for the affirmation that she wasn't going mad.

"Who is there?" Madame Giry asked, a little shakily as the laughter grew louder until they could all tell it was a man's laugh. It wasn't a happy chuckle, but it wasn't quite a menacing, blood curdling laugh that one would imagine a demon's would sound like. It could be best described as sounding like a lunatic having a fit.

Madame Giry repeated her question, but the laughing didn't cease.

"Tell us who you are!" Christine demanded. Gerry noticed she was gripping his hand rather tightly. Strangely, at her voice, the laughing stopped and the only sound that could be heard was everyone's breathing. Finally, the smooth voice hissed in all of their ears, as if whoever it was spoke right beside them.

"You shall not know who I am…" said the voice mysteriously, giving another chuckle. "That would be counterproductive, you see!"

Christine swallowed and bravely asked, "What do you want?"

There was another ghostly cackle. "Amusement!"

"So it is some smartass just screwing with us for fun…" Gerry muttered, and immediately got a glare from Madame Giry.

Right, probably shouldn't piss him off, he thought.

The voice mused, "What a strange era you are from, Mr. Butler! With your shiny screens and technology that acts like magic! Very strange indeed!"

"Why did you swap us?"

At this point, their eyes all widened as a different voice spoke. It was a man's voice, but more reasonable sounding and a bit deeper. "I've been wondering that myself, and as usual, he doesn't have much reason for anything. But it is rather funny, I must admit."

"As amusing as this is to you, it isn't to me and probably not to Erik either, so will you please swap us back?" Gerry snapped, the uncertainty and fear of the situation getting to him.

Yet another male voice, this one higher and nasally, spoke up. "Oh, we will once we get bored with you. Or if you swap yourselves back."

"How do we do that?" Christine asked. A kinder ghostly voice spoke up.

"Well, all you have to do is—" he started to say, but was cut off by a shriek from the first, insane sounding voice.

"DON'T TELL THEM!"

A small cough was heard, then the first voice said, "Sorry, my dear, I would love to swap your friend back into his own body, but the others want to see how this..eh…well, how it all plays out, you see."

"Will someone please at least say who you all are?" pleaded the soprano girl.

"Uh….Oh, look at the time, better go!"

"Yes, we are very busy…"

"So sorry, can't say…"

"Figure it out yourselves!"

With that, all of the voices were gone, and everyone in the room felt as if a presence had left. After a few moments of collecting their thoughts (and slowing their breathing) they glanced at Nadir, who looked confused.

"What?"

"Did you recognize their voices?" Christine asked.

"Recognize what voices, I didn't hear anything!"

Gerry groaned and slapped his palm to his forehead, knowing now for sure that he would never get out of this place. After panicking about this for a moment, he wondered if maybe this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

/

Erik had been left alone to his thoughts when Emmy was 'kidnapped' by her female coworkers (namely, Minnie and Jennifer) who hadn't talked to her much since he had arrived. He first thought of going back to his trailer, but had the urge to explore more of this world. After much thought on this, he decided to head to the parking lot and examine cars.

A bright red one caught his attention, naturally. Walking over to it, he stood a safe distance away at first, just looking at it, trying to figure out how it possibly worked.

A painted metal carriage that drives itself without the use of horses…

He had taken note of how one was driven, since he had been in a car with Emmy on more than one occasion, but he couldn't understand the technology behind it at all. Stepping closer, he curiously touched the vehicle. Bad decision.

It started blaring a horrible noise over and over while flashing lights, making Erik yelp and jump back, afraid the machine could somehow attack him. When it didn't move, it was only a small comfort. As he wondered what to do, he heard footsteps behind him, then the car made a high beep and went silent, no longer flashing.

Turning around, Erik saw Patrick looking at him suspiciously with keys in his hand.

"What were you doing?"

For one of the few times in his life, Erik was speechless. He glanced at the car with wide eyes and back at Patrick, sure that he had done something that would end horribly.

"I…I wasn't doing anything, I was just looking at it and I accidentally touched it…." he finally stammered, praying that his answer would make sense in this situation, since his touching it was what set it off.

Patrick relaxed immediately and smiled. "Oh…yeah, I understand, people do look at it a lot."

Nodding, Erik said, "Yes. It's…bright."

"Yep," Patrick chuckled, looking at his car as one would look at a beloved pet. "I know it's flashier than I would usually like, but it was a gift, so…"

"A gift? From who?" asked Erik, still trying to seem conversational and innocent.

"My fiancée."

Erik was shocked for two reasons: One, that a woman had bought something he assumed to be extremely expensive for a man, and two, that Patrick even had a fiancée.

"How very nice of her," he commented. Thinking a moment, he decided to ask, "What is her name?"

"Dagmara," said Patrick fondly, then elaborated. "She's Polish. Also an actress. We went to college together."

Women go to college now? Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, women seem to do everything men do in this era, thought Erik interestedly.

"Oh. Well, congratulations on your engagement," he said cordially.

"Thanks!"

And it appears I have little to no threat from him anymore in regards to Emmy. Unless, of course, he is the type to have affairs. But considering he is happily engaged, I doubt it.

"So," Patrick trailed off. "How have you been?"

"Good, I suppose."

"Has anything happened lately?"

Immediately tensing, Erik shook his head. "No…why?"

"I've just noticed you've been acting a little different this week. I mean, as a friend, I'm concerned."

As a FRIEND? thought Erik in horror. I've been here this long and I didn't know this? I knew we were supposedly on good terms, but he and Gerry are actually friends?

"Well, uh…" he struggled to come up with a reason. "I have just been under pressure about the whole filming process. It's a harder task than it appears."

"Yeah, that much I know," agreed Patrick, who then chuckled. "Like those water scenes and the bareback riding practically killed me!"

"Did it, now?" Erik remarked uninterestedly.

"Yeah, it was…quite an experience, let's put it that way," said the other man, then glanced back at the studio as if he had somewhere to be. "Well, good talk, Gerry."

With that, Erik was relieved to see the man go.

Strange. My job is acting, but I don't have to act because I'm playing myself, yet being 'myself' means I have to act.