The stairs continue farther and farther underground, deep down below the Opera House, stair after stair after stair of damp moldy rock and musty passageways that creak with each step. The dark dripping walls are filled with light from a quivering candle every few feet, and as I get pulled down farther, I smell something rotting. My legs start to stumble once I’ve been walking for too long, but finally…I reach the bottom.

I am pulled into a dark cavern, but The Phantom snaps his fingers and a row of candles on both sides of the cave light up, showing me a huge glittering lake right at my feet. The murky water is far too dark to see through, but when a candle shines on the lake, I see a skeleton below me. I cover my mouth before I let out a shriek, and back up to the wall.

At least I think its a wall.

I turn around and its the Phantom I have run into, not the skeleton I have been imagining. But the Phantoms face is just as scary as running into a skeleton would’ve been. He shoves me into a boat I didn’t see before, and we paddle across the haunted lake.

On the other side there is an organ with a plush chair behind it, and a huge candle, with the Opera House chandelier above it. Broken. Just like the Phantom. As I look up at the chandelier, The Phantom steps in front of me and sits down in the old, antique velvety chair. He lifts his hands and starts his luring mysterious lullaby…

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CHRISTINE:
The chamber was like an icy cold shower of dread and sorrow over my fragile spine and into the deepest, darkest parts of my bones. Every footstep sent a shiver through my body. The darkness was truly a fearless beast. The dark was like a big bully with a magnifying glass over the sun and I was the puny and most definitely unlucky ant.

The place was so vast that the tiniest sound echoed very distinctly and made me cringe. At first I was in a melancholy trance, but now I am comprehending this like it was a horrible punch to the face. All of a sudden running seemed like a wonderful option. Did I really want to walk this lonely pit of darkness? No, but what choice did I have. It is where I am destined.

Not only does the Phantom seem cold and unfeeling, but so was this horrid place he called…home. Home…I never truly thought it was the Phantom that felt like he had to live here…like this was where he was destined…I can’t think about that after he killed so many and hurt so many including me… This dungeon was truly made for sadness yet it had an eerie beautifulness that really horrified me. My very life depended on this darkness. At that thought I saw my life flash before my eyes and as fast as it happened, it was over.

The rusted organ that was sitting in the corner started playing a scary tune with absolutely no warning. In my weak state that was the last thing I needed so terrified yelp jumped out of my mouth and I sank to my knees and let out a small sob. After wiping a few salty tears off I got up and hobbled weakly along. At that moment I realized a horrible thing, that there was no clear escape, which made me want to cry even harder than I did before. I knew then that I wasn’t going to get out of this one, no matter how lucky I was.

PHANTOM:
This is my home and I very well can’t do anything about it. Okay so maybe this place is a disaster and I never planned my sorry life to be like this… Although I really can’t help it. Darkness is not only my ally, but it is my life and light is the enemy that even if you face it for a second, you want to run away in terror.

The amount of screams of fright I’ve heard is unbearable. I have heard so many of those repulsive sound that my mind rings with the echo off them. My face is so different that I feel out of place or more plainly like freak. My best friend is a tiny, good-for-nothing rat for crying out loud!! I never asked for a life like this and I just want a friend…

I am influenced by this putrid and not to mention pitch-black chamber. People say that this is what my soul is made out of, but honestly I am NOT evil. I just lack something that I and only I lack: compassion. I want to be loved, I want to be cherished and mostly I want to be looked at nicely… In other words I want to be normal. After many minutes of thinking, I hear Christine’s little footsteps and… are those quiet weeps? Right before she is in earshot I mumble one powerful word “compassion”.

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The Phantom’s lair… some sort of labyrinth. My dear please come, really please do. I’m surely not going to hurt you. Don’t mind those bones or the mice that sit upon my throne. It has been neglected for years along with the old, old organ that used to accompany me with me wondrous music of the night. I have rather forcefully brought you here and I ever so politely invite you to sit upon my throne… we have some things to discuss.

I, the phantom am asking you- forgive me- am demanding * getting louder * that you sing my harmonious music ’till our time together shall end, ever so terribly! I forbid you to see that “insolent boy” Raoul ever again till your time shall end. You must stay with me Christine and we shall share an everlasting passion for each other I demand it! I Promise to delicately take care of you and provide everlasting happiness.

I propose that you not try to escape, my darling, since OUR wondrous cave is riddled with traps to the dark corners who’ve never seen the light- oh- the awful light. It has haunted me for years and I can never seem to escape it. So Christine, what is your decision? stay with me forever or, Escape with only one price… Your life!

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The lights blurred into gray as Christine and the Phantom stepped thought the mirror. Streaks of black flew past them as they traveled at warp speed. Suddenly, an oval of swirling gray opened up in front them. The Phantom’s icy, cold hand grasped Christine and pulled her through. They were here, the Phantom’s lair.

“Welcome to my lair, ” the Phantom said, his voice ringing musically across the stone walls. Drip, drop, drip, drop. Fat drops of water dripped from the ceiling. A few lonely candles flickered, causing the the shadows in the lair to move about. A grand pipe organ, made of stone and painted black, stood in a corner of the lair. The candles’ fiery gaze swept over the organ and caused it to look dark orange. Toward the opposite side, a huge lake sat, disappearing into the darkness. A pile of bones was left in the shadows, almost completely hidden, but Christine’s keen eyesight caught it.

“Please make yourself at home,” the Phantom told Christine, as he strolled over to the pipe organ. The Phantom sat down on the stone bench and raised his hands to the keys. Slowly at first, one note after another, came from the pipe organ. But soon the notes speed up, accelerating away. A few second later and the notes were coming like a downpour, rushing down. It was beautiful and enchanting at the same time. The Phantom’s hands struck what seemed like every key on the organ. And the Phantom began to sing…

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The wind was whispering through the cave. The water was calm and gentle. My boat flowed toward THE LAIR. Through the cave there were candles. One by one they fired with flames. I was ready… ready for HIM.

My boat came to a stop, I knew he was near. I hopped out of my boat and headed to the dark. All I could hear were the rats scurrying the opposite direction of where I was heading. Now, I really had no doubt about the Phantom popping out any moment. But instead of finding the Phantom I found a box “singing” a soft song. The sweet song was…Masquerade. I remember this song from a while away. But, I wasn’t quite sure why the song was playing?

The darkness was growing stronger though. Then I turned around slowly… and found the Phantom’s throne. My heart skipped a beat. But I realized something, the Phantom wasn’t down here. He was gone. There was one thing left in the lair… the Phantom’s white mask

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