Chapter 5
A Frightful Encounter

Eloise didn't know much of the opera house, but she was very aware of the man that played a great part in owning it. A man even his mother had known, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. It was a lazy Sunday for the rest of the girls at the academy, but Eloise decided her time was better spent searching for somebody to confide in about this ghost. She recalled what Geneva had once said about them.
"Ghosts just want to be at peace, no ghost wants to live forever."
"I do."
"But what if you didn't have your family with you Eloise; you wouldn't want to be all alone, would you?"
Eloise shook her head, "A ghost just needs a friend." Geneva laughed. Eloise shuddered at remembering what her mother sounded like.

"What are you doing?" Brigitte asked Eloise waltzing into their room.
"I'm going out to find the Vicomte de Chagny."
"What on Earth would you want with him?"
"My mother talked of him regularly, I know he had a lot to do with the theatre…"
"If this is about that ghost –"
"No, Brigitte. It's not." Eloise snapped.
"How did the studying go yesterday?"
"Great." Eloise began to demonstrate, "Je peux parler en Francais maintenant."
"How did you learn so quickly?"
"I have a great tutor." Brigitte smiled thinking Eloise had referenced her.
"I'm not even that great yet… Eloise, are you hiding something?" She asked suddenly. Trying not to make eye contact, Eloise shook her head, for Brigitte would surely find out if she saw the guilt in her eyes.
"I'm worried about you Eloise."
"Well don't be," Eloise sighed, "Look, I need to look for the Vicomte. Will you help me?"
Brigitte hesitated but nodded, "I'll lead you there, but he's not the kindest person Eloise."
"Why not?" Eloise asked following Brigitte down the winding staircase. Nearly slipping, Brigitte tugged open the door and ran outside into the cold.
"Follow me." She whispered ominously.
"What's wrong with you?" Eloise asked for a change, trying to keep up with an anxious Brigitte.
"My mother fancied the Vicomte for a while, I never really saw it going anywhere and it didn't. But I met him once." Brigitte finally steadied into a normal walking pace. Eloise caught her breath and walked alongside her.
"What happened?"
"The Vicomte lost his wife a few years ago, and he found that his child – wasn't his own."
"What?!" Eloise covered her mouth in fear the ghost was watching over them. She winced at the pain of even thinking of what the ghost would do to her. Terrified, she grabbed Brigitte's arm and yanked her forward a bit, to hurry the journey.
"I'm not sure how, but Christine Daae was pregnant before she married the Vicomte, Raoul." Brigitte covered her mouth, "Don't call him Raoul, by the way. He was quite famous back in his time, such a gentleman, but now he's just bitter."
"Christine Daae?" Eloise nearly choked, "She was married the Vicomte?"
"Yes, I thought you knew with your daily visits to the Opera house…"
"No, I didn't." Eloise looked around for any sign of the ghost and continued, "My mother used to tell me of how she used to speak to the phantom. I don't think it's true but –"
"She did. My mother was a ballet girl, and before she met my father, she recalled having spoken to Christine of something supernatural watching over her."
"You mean an angel?"
"Yes. There are no angels in that opera house though, too much tragedy for something good to be watching over that theatre…"
Too much tragedy, Eloise thought briefly. No good could come from her daily visits then…
"There." Brigitte pointed across the street to a small, tight cluster of older businesses and shops with garrets above them. "You'll be able to see him in the winery almost every day. Try to find him, he looks just as he used to." Eloise raised an eyebrow and Brigitte laughed. "He aged well." Eloise nodded and headed off.

There weren't many people on the block, adding a sense of urgency to Eloise's visit. Would the Vicomte be as bitter as Eloise thought? Would he barely give a second thought to her visit? In the midst of these thoughts, Eloise caught sight of a tall, handsome man with sullen eyes and thick blonde hair, only a few gray streaks in between. He wore a tan shirt underneath a corduroy vest.
"Vicomte, what brings you here today?"
"Have you caught sight of him?"
"Gustave?" Raoul nodded but the man shook his head sadly, "No…"
Gustave? What did Raoul know of a Gustave? Did this ghost haunt the town too? A shudder of fear ran up Eloise's spine.
"Raoul, if you ask me, it's been eleven years since Christine died… it's time to move on."
"I wouldn't have to if that idiot didn't take her from me. Take him from me. He was mine…"
"There's no use in this Raoul. I say it because I care, you're growing old from the worry."
"I wish I knew what had happened to him, because he haunts the opera no longer."
"Yes he does." Eloise spoke gently, walking up slowly to the Vicomte, who was leaning lifelessly over the counter.
"Excuse me?"
"The Phantom of the Opera – he's the ghost that haunts the theatre now, is he not?"
"And who are you?" Raoul began. He scratched his head, searching for a memory of who this child was.
"My name is Eloise Dian. I study at the St. Marie academy yonder, but something terrible has happened."
"Terrible?" Raoul raised an eyebrow.
Eloise nodded fearfully, "I've been visited by this ghost. He seems troubled and I heard," she stopped herself.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Raoul chuckled rudely, "That I knew of this ghost."
Eloise nodded, "Monsieur, I apologize if I offended you."
Raoul smiled falsely and kicked a broken bottle nearby viciously. Eloise fell to the floor in fear raised her hands above her head.
"What do you know of this ghost? Because he isn't a joke to me – do you understand?"
"I understand…" Eloise murmured. "I shouldn't have come." Before Raoul could catch this girl, Eloise began to run for her life, constantly checking to see if Raoul was close behind her. She ran to the academy, only to find that the doors had been locked.
"Brigitte!" She screamed into the night, only to find no answer. After several minutes, Brigitte opened the window to their room.
"What are you doing down there!?"
"I've been locked out!"
"Madame won't let me out! It's past curfew!"
"Brigitte, I'm stuck! Where am I to go?"
"Go to my brother's home! He will keep you safe there!"
How could I ever go there, Eloise thought, Gustave would have me killed.
"Go! I hear Madame coming!" With that, the window shut, leaving Eloise now completely alone in the streets of Paris.
"ELOISE!" Raoul called out into the night. Tightening her black cloak, Eloise began to search for the voice. "Where are you?!" He called out again.
"Go away!" She screamed. Instead of hearing his voice now, she only heard his footsteps. Knowing she couldn't make it to Etienne's house on time, she began to head across the street to the Opera house. Frightened beyond belief, Eloise threw her body against the door and continued to knock and knock.
"GHOST!" She screamed frantically knocking. Before she could raise her voice once more, she felt the floor fall beneath her feet and she was beginning to fall and fall. Oh God, Eloise thought, this is the end.
"Eloise!" Gustave cried as she fell into the waters that guarded his lair.
"I can't swim!" She shout, feeling the water suck her down. A large cage was beginning to sink lower and lower, blocking any source for air. Eloise was Gustave's only hope for finding out his parents past, he couldn't let her die infront of him.
"Here goes nothing," Gustave muttered as he dived into the murky waters below, searching for Eloise and evidently, losing his mask.