Yayy... this was fun. All the more intricate, eh? I was somewhat inspired when I was reading Phantom once more today (my second time) and I don't know what gave me over to the twisted thoughts of Erik today, but it felt good going through my fingers at midnight last night until whatever time it is now, (broken clock on the computer). Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let this arouse some suspicions. I love you all for reading and reviewing, it makes my day when I see one more number on the review thing, lets my heart race just a little and then the critique is the best! Cookies to you all!

~The Phantoms Flutist~

HAHA don't think you have a break from reviewing. Your reviews inspire me most of all. Tell me what you like and dislike, I'm always happy to hear. MERCI!

Chapter 4:

Vain Pleasure

And so, the time came when Erik left the house, giving me free will to the garden as if I cared. He bid me farewell, and left quickly and it made me think of what matters, exactly, that he is attending to... Well, right now I didn't care.

I walked down the stairs to meet the maid in the living room, who was joined by the same man who took in my bags all those days ago, who looked scared out of his mind, thus giving me the first clue of what Erik was like to them. But I couldn't bring myself to fear him just this minute, I made myself believe that I could find my cell phone easily, but as I came down the stairs, the looks in the expressions of the man and woman told me otherwise.

"He's suspicious, Christine," The maid began.

"Good for him," I shrugged it off, rolling my eyes, "I hope he's suspicious."

"Don't be so suicidal." I heard her murmur under her breath.

"I don't have much at risk." I replied hastily. "Now, where would the first place that we should look for it be?"

"You could check his upstairs office, he keeps many things up there." At that word, I almost immediately ran up the stairs and found myself opening doors that have been shut, and looking only quickly at the rooms until I reached the office that was described.

I guess I shouldn't be so stunned that the "office" really wasn't an office... it was more like... a step into something dark and twisted. There was books, of course, and there was a desk, and I could see why he meant for it to be an office, but that part of it wasn't touched. There was a nice layer of dust on top of the beautiful ebony desk, and the only light in the room was a lamp on the ground that was randomly connected to the wall.

"He doesn't really wanting us touching here, either." The maid said, sneaking up behind me, causing me to jump, and a hand clamped to my chest, as I gasped.

"Oh, pardon me," she said quietly, lifting a flashlight so that I could see. The glow of the flashlight revealed papers atop the desk, and from what I've seen, I believe they are blueprints to buildings. What I've learned from my dad, the blueprints looked very lavish, the intended buildings were to be brilliant... And I could expect nothing less from the man who claims to be my guardian, it was just a shame to see these fine things collecting dust. Curiously, I looked closer, to see the exact measurements, though I wouldn't know exactly what they were to be, but the handwriting was that of a child's, which indeed made me wonder.

"He did those when he was younger, I believe," The maid explained, resting her hand over them.

"Wow," I said quietly, raising my brows. I moved my hand over to find the drawers, and opened each and every one, finding only pencils and pens, rulers, compasses, and all the other sorts of tools that artists might use including stencils, paper, pastels...

What sort of architect keeps these sorts of things in his desk...? Unless... this was multi-purpose.

"Miss..." I began... "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"You may call me Anne." She replied, sounding as though she was smiling.

"Miss Anne, then, could you hand that flashlight to me? I'm curious."

"I don't think he'd like you seeing this room..." She said in such a hushed tone.

"He doesn't want me to do a lot of things, and that's not holding me back. Please?"

"I'm saying this for your own sake. On the contrary, I don't believe you really don't want to see these things."

"Anne, I don't want to be here."

"But-"

"Please!" I pleaded with as much finality as I could emphasize.

I heard her sigh loudly, "Don't say I didn't warn you, Christine..." She shakily handed me the flashlight and I took it in my victory, and held it firmly, snapping it on as I ran over the walls. They were bare, with the striped red and gold wallpaper that I've seen before in this house, except very deteriorated and worn... and I moved closer slowly, hearing by Anne's breathing that this may not be what I want to see. I let out a frightened shriek at what I came over...

It was my own belongings, and they were either put on the wall or on the floor, things that I thought I simply lost over time, and things that I held dear and they somehow disappeared. For instance, my golden watch that glimmered brightly in the light. One of which I know is mine because my father had my name put on it when I was six years old that disappeared a while ago and now, it's here. What the hell did he want with this? I almost dropped the flashlight as I backed away.

"Oh, my God..." I whispered, to the point of crying in terror.

"I told you..." Anne mocked, shaking her head. "You don't listen at all, do you?"

"Anne... why does he have my stuff?"

"He'll have to explain it to you on his own accord, I don't believe I bare the right to." She said quietly.

I started out of the room, wanting to leave right when I get the cell phone and call Raoul. I wanted to leave and never come back. I gripped the sides of my chest, trying hard not to break down just yet, for I needed to still work.

"Did he even say that he took your cell phone?" Anne asked trying hard to cheer me up.

"I guessed." I said quickly, walking to my room with her just in case.

"You may never know... maybe you simply lost it."

"I could have." I hoped that much wasn't true. I had to suffer through finding out that much, I don't think I want to go much further. I didn't want to suffer through it without reason, and part of me didn't want this to be true at all. That somehow, he's been stalking me though all this time... Well, Lord knows how long. And I am even more terrified to find out.

She searched the top of my dresser and vanity, and I looked through my writing desk and my drawers. The search was fruitless, unfortunately, even as we searched everywhere that I would want to find it in. It took a good deal of time, but it only lasted until noon, which was fine.

But the rejection that my cell phone was nowhere to be found, I could have almost collapsed right there... Instead, I went to my room, and shut the door, crying into the pillow, and shut my eyes really hard, so hard a headache almost started. I looked to the side as I cried in the pillow, and looked at my nightstand...

And there it was. On... my nightstand. I grabbed it into my hands greedily, not even noticing the note that fell to the ground in a small envelope. How stupid I was. I thought that I shouldn't even read the note, that maybe I didn't want to know, but a small part of me said to go on and read it... simply to see what he might have to say that is too innocent for all that he has done.

Dear Christine,

I long to please you in any way possible and make you comfortable. I do not wish for you to hate me. I can't go on without you speaking to me. Please, take this into consideration, for I want you to stay with me as long as possible, until you turn and meaningfully say that you despise me, after all I've done, w I let you go. You may have your cell phone back, but you may not leave this house. If you even bother,I will catch you and there will be strict punishment for you disobeyed me.

I crinkled the note in my hand and threw it to the small trash bin near my bed right when I read that last sentence. How hypocritical! He wanted me to be comfortable, yet he wouldn't let me see my best friend... What do I do now? I couldn't just sit here and fear him.

Anne picked up the crinkled note. "You should go anyway." She insisted quietly. "I'll have him blame it on me, he's being very stubborn."

"I suppose..." I replied slowly, and flipped open the phone, dialing Raoul's number. It rang once and he almost immediately picked it up.

"I don't want to talk to you, Christine." He said hurriedly.

"What? Why? Did I do something wrong?" I asked, feeling myself begin to nervously pace back and forth.

"First, you don't call me for four days, then you start sending my texts that... I didn't even know you had in you..."

"I didn't even have my phone! How could I text you without my phone?" I explained quickly, thinking of Erik.

It was silent on the other end for a while, and all I heard was his unsteady breathing. "I knew it wasn't you..." He said slowly.

"It wasn't! I swear! Listen, my guardian, he's very strange... He took my phone away because he didn't want me to see you. I'm trying to escape for a while, you see, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out to eat while I have my freedom. He's going to kill me, but I really want to see you."

He sighed, and I could almost feeling him debate. He would have always accepted it right away even if he had other plans... What was wrong? "You don't have to go around your other plans if you don't want to, Raoul..."

"No, I'll go. How about I pick you up and we'll go to that new Cafe Normandy?"

"So expensive..." I sighed knowing I didn't have any source of money except for Erik, and that was bad planning, on my part, to make Raoul pay for it.

"You know that I'll pay for all of it, Christine," he laughed lightly, just the sound that I wanted to hear.

"I don't... have any money so I'm dreadfully sorry and I could pay you back whenever I see you again?"

"You don't need to do that! It's fine." He responded with concern.

"Also, I don't know where this house is, so I'd just meet you there?"

"Is 6:30 alright with you?"

"6:30 is fine. I'll see you there." I smiled.

"Until then, love." He answered with that handsome tone that I always blushed with. I remember he once used it in front of my father, and he just shooed it off with his hand, not caring so much. He had high respects for Raoul...

"We'll leave at 6:00 then?" Anne asked from the opposite side of the room, in the chair. "The master may be home shortly after, so grant, you must not have so much time before he starts looking for you."

I gulped... "You think he'd hunt me down like that?"

"I'm sure he'll do anything."

"Well, I can leave earlier, then. I just want to see him for a little while, and maybe we could be back in time before he is home."

"Then I wish you the best of luck..." She sighed. I looked at the worried expression on her face and sighed.

"Are you sure you can cover for me? I don't want him to harm you."

"He won't harm me, Christine. I've known him too long, I know almost everything about him and he's very much so a gentleman. He won't pull violence off in front of women. Now, men on the other hand..." She shivered, as if a sudden chill came into the room.

"Oh," I replied in a whisper.

"Don't let that stop you," She replied, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks," I said sincerely.

"Don't mention it... and I mean it... don't mention it." She laughed nervously.

"I won't." I assured her, looking back to her caring brow.

"I trust you have a proper outfit and all the things you need to get ready." She said opening the closet door as she walked by.

"I'm sure it's all good." I smiled and she left the room to my own thoughts. I went into the closet excitedly, looking through the assorted skirts and dresses all laid out in my closet. I picked out the one that was not too low-cut and not too short... obviously Erik thought I had that sort of self-preservation or lack-of.

I finally settled with a dark blue dress that had a halter top that went low on my back which wasn't too revealing, and went with dark blue sandals that had slightly a heel to make me feel somewhat taller. I smiled contentedly when I put the dress in front of me.

By the time I finished reading my book, taken a shower, and gotten dressed, it was near 6 o'clock and I began to worry out of nerves. Anne insisted to not even worry, and I did so anyway, trying to settle my thoughts on finally seeing Raoul.

The man who had greeted me evidently was named Thomas, with a French accent (evidently he's French as well) and we conversed in the language after I only took it for three years in high school, surprisingly remembering it. He helped me into the black sports car, and my father didn't have enough interest in cars to name off them to me, so I couldn't exactly put a name on it, just that it was expensive and looked fast.

I looked out the window, seeing how long Erik's driveway actually is, surrounded by trees and shrubbery that seemed to block out all the light of day, and drain it to all its worth. I watched out the window and it seemed like forever until we eventually reached the highway, to where the driveway was hidden to any unknown driver, almost as if it comes out of nowhere, in a way.

We drove for about a half hour down multiple highways and roads that were unknown to me. We reached the small town that the cafe was in, which, to me, was very cute and old. It was stationed next to a quaint harbor with petite boutiques and clothing stores, along with a good deal of small book stores and cafes, but the most were not as expensive looking as the one that had the sign that stated Cafe Normandy in the front.

He parked on the curb near the restaurant and promised to be there at 7:30, and I nodded and waved him off, looking over the heads of people to find a blond head.

He was there, in a dark blue button-up shirt and expensive-looking slacks, and his collar was primped up, looking aristocratic like his father and brother. He looked so much older than he was when I last saw him, his chin more defined and his cheekbones more prompt, but still with that boyish light in him.

"Raoul!" I exclaimed, and ran into his arms right when I saw him, catching him surprise by just barely running him over. "Oh, my God! You're so tall!" I said looking up, as he smiled down, his blue eyes were sparkling in the dim light of the afternoon.

"And you've grown up! Wow, look at you!" He said, his voice deeper and less high-pitched , pulling me close so my face was in his chest which smelt of cologne. I felt like I could cry, I was in so much exuberant joy and relief, being in his arms felt like nothing could harm me, just as I thought it would, his hands pulled my face closer to his.

"I'm so sorry about that whole... disconnection sort of thing. My guardian is sort of... well, 'sort of' being an improper word for it, but extremely overprotective and controlling. I basically escaped behind his back..." I sighed, shaking my head, my throat feeling swollen in my chest.

"I never actually believed it as much as I didn't want to. I've missed you lots, Christine," he said my name, though it wasn't as beautiful as when Erik says it, except it was with such sweetness that I would rather Erik say it like that.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you. Moving from house to house kills me inside... especially now when I have such a freaky guardian."

"He sounds like a creep." He noted, furrowing his brow with concern.

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes, and sighed heavily."Well, I haven't ate since breakfast, I've been too nervous that I wouldn't pull this off."

"Shall we?" He asked and outstretched his arm for me to take, and I nodded, letting him link our arms as he opened the door and let me in. I wanted to forget what's happened to me this last week, what I've seen today, and the masked man and the big mansion just for a little while and be an actual teenager going out with her boyfriend because it seems that I skipped every part of being a teenager. Including high school, and friends and having a mother I could look up to and follow and go shopping with. A tear fell down my cheek, and I wiped it away before it smudged my eyeliner and mascara.

"How many?" The young waitress asked.

"Table for two, please." Raoul answered, smiling down to me.

"Follow me," The waitress replied and waved us over and I followed Raoul to a table near the window that was adorned with flowers and a vine that grew over the window with satin curtains. Raoul raised his eyebrows at me as he sat me down at the bench, and sat on the chair across from me, he kept his hands in mine.

"I think you became more beautiful over these too-long years," He said lightly, looking into my eyes with his bright blue eyes that stun me every time I look at them.

I blushed vibrantly, not able to peel my eyes away.

"What can I get you to drink?" The waitress, breaking up our moment, and it only caused me to blush even more.

"I'll have hot tea." I said, and looked to Raoul.

"Water," he replied, and the waitress nodded and went off.

"So... how's your family company going along? Are you still working with your brother as a mentor?"

"It's been rough working with family, but yes, we've pulled along. I've been studying economics in senior year so that's helped as well."

"That's great!" I replied enthusiastically. "How's Philippe, though? Still just as geeky as always?"

He laughed lightly, "Yes, possibly more. He's walking in our father's steps, and everything is good in our family... I seem to be the outcast."

"Aw, don't say that..." I smiled.

"No, it's true. I'm the youngest, so it's all 'natural' as my mom said." He made little air quotes, looking silly and I couldn't help but laugh because it felt good.

The waitress brought around our drinks and I felt stupid because I didn't even begin to look at the menu underneath my arm, I was too distracted and flustered with so many things running through my mind. It was fine, I guess, because Raoul did the same thing, laughing under his breath, noticing the same thing.

"I suppose you two need more time to decide on your meal. Would you like an appetizer?"

"No, thanks, we'll... decide," he looked at me and laughed again, and I smiled, picking up the menu and leaned into my chair. The waitress let out a disgruntled sigh and walked away briskly.

"You distract me," I sighed.

"And you don't distract me?" He laughed once more.

"I wouldn't think that." I noted, looking through the list of foods except that I wasn't actually looking at it. I picked something at random without looking at it... some version of fillet mignon, I supposed, I really couldn't care less about fish, for it was something I was craving for no particular reason, and he placed his menu down at almost the same time, smiling dumbly.

"What?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, and he shook his head, still smiling like that, about to crack up laughing.

"Nothing."

"Raoul..." I whined, tapping his hand, annoyed.

"It's just that you're as fickle as ever..."

"Fickle, am I?" I batted my lashes playfully.

"In the most strangest way, yes." He shrugged, and then looked to me with more sincerity. "By the way, tell me more of this guardian of yours..."

I shrugged, thinking it best not to have him worry too much over me, though I was worried. I felt choked up for the first time with him, pretending I was looking at the menu again so he wouldn't see my expression.

"He's... strange, as I said. Rich and overprotective."

"You say this like it's a bad thing."

"You saw what he did with my phone! Coming in with my privacy for that... there should be some rules or something over this whole thing, at least on the contract." I sighed, shaking my head, bringing my forehead into my hands.

"You look uncomfortable talking about him." He noted suspiciously.

"I am... It's like he's right there when he said he went out for errands today, and Lord know what he's doing right now that include in the word errand. It's like he's always watching

"That's really frightening."

I nodded, as the waitress came by, and looked at us expectantly. "Are you ready to order?"

"I'll have the ratatouille." Raoul said, handing her the menu.

"Coq au vin, s'il vous plait," I smiled and handed the menu to the waitress as she took the menus.

"Still into French, are we?" He a

"Opera, actually. A French opera. Faust to be exact, therefore it's only wise to add some prior knowledge to the aria." I noted quickly, forgetting to add that one detail. "Oh... my guardian gives me voice lessons. He's a brilliant musician, actually, extremely beautiful." I emphasized.

"Is that why you're staying there out of all of it? Five houses and you stay in this one?"

"I don't think I'd stay only because of lessons, Raoul, it's just that I'll be forced to move to a foster home with all the other teen rejects... my father would have never wanted that. He's always been wanting me to have former lessons as well through my career in theater, so I don't think he wants me to leave this house, either..." I trailed away thoughtfully, looking out the window to the harbor. My eyes trailed along the dark harbor, the light seeming swept from it, with only the dimness of the old light posts, and the haunted ships out in sea. And then, there was a tree. A tree that seemed to have the little light there was left drained out of it. Through the thick branches there seemed to be two stars that were cast out. Two stars out of the whole sky were cast out... which made me think that they weren't stars. A figure stood there... I blinked a few times and shook my, head and looked to that same tree again and it was still there, unmoving.

"Raoul, do you see that?" I asked quietly.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, and I pointed to the tree in the distance, and he looked over and squinted.

"It could be a glare on the window," He leaned to another angle, and furrowed his brow curiously, "Or maybe not."

"That's strange..." I muttered, and just as I said that, something inside my small purse began to vibrate in my lap.