The Fallen

"Fallen Angels at my feet,

Whispered voices at my ear,

Death before my eyes,

Lying next to me I fear,

She beckons me shall i give in?

Upon my end shall i give in,

forsaken al ive fallen for i rise to meet the end..."

Evanescnece "Whisper"

The sunlight blinds me as I stumbel from my bed. Groping for the curtian strings i pull them shut, shuttinh out the horrid light. Sighing I run a hand threw my tangeled hair and try without succes to revive my sences by a wift of perfume. Picking of my brush I gently disintangel the messy black locks. Still rubbing the sleep form my eyes i stumbel to the kitchen, pressing "play" on the CD player as I go. Soon the quiet apartement was filled with the deprssing yet somehow very healing tunes of my favorite band " Evanescence". Humming to "Imaginary" i fix my piza and coke. Ploping done on the sofa i close my eyes, munching on my very unhealthy snack. Sighing adn sudenly not in the least bit hungry i sat the food down and stare at the sourounding room. Blck chairs, grey sofa, grey rug, black shelves, black picture frames...blue/grey wall and deep blue curtians...velvet i will add. A large screen TV and sound system, exactly one-hundred and two cd's, and a fuzzypink and red valentine dog. So morbid. So..lonely. Getting up I turn the music up even louder, not caring if any of the other tenats heard since most were teenagers like me who didnt care what was blared in the morning as long at it was music. Going back into her small room I pull out my cloths id be donnig for the day. Balck tank with " They say darkness comes before the dawn...i guess "they" didnt know about me..", and dark denim jeans. After i dressed i began to apply my make up. Id gotten my concealer,powder and was just about to put on my eye shadow( black of cours) when the door bell rang. Shoving my long hair behind my shoulders I hurried to open it, curious to see who it was at this tiem in the morning. It was the owner of the building, Mr. Avtyre. He wasnt alone. Next to him stood a girl about my age, with bright red hair, pale skin and was dressed totaly in black. Not goth black..just black. Black peasent shirt, black bellbottems, black butterfly choker , black high heeled boots,black bow at the side of her haed and dangiling black earings. she could have been queen of preps if not been the dark color of her cloths. She stared at me, and i noticed how odd her eyes were. Bright emerald green with yellow rings around the opel. They were framed by thick black lashes and shadowed by a dark purpel. The way the seemed to glow scared me. Mr. Avtyre cleared his throat, and said in his deep voice, traces of his greek herritage still lingering there.

"Mrs. Angus do to the short finaces of "The Red Village " (the name of the apartement duh)' we have selected YOU to be Mrs. ..." he turned to the girl..

"Anistatia Trent." she said softly, her voice tinged heavely with a London accent.

"....Mrs. Trents room mate." he finished.

I stared at him coldly, knowing fully how unnerving my glare could be. Crossing my arms I purpously accented my voice to that of my Native peopel.

" You mean' I said softly, dangerously.." that im to let a total stranger into MY home , which i must add, I PAY for."

He cleared his throat and avoided my eyes. "Yes Mrs. Angus." He bowed his head, sending wavy brown tndrils dancing over his shoulder, fully expecting my all to well known out bursts of anger.
I leaned back agianst the wall still keeping my glare fixed on his lowered head. After a time I said im a simple tone " She will be paying half the rent."

" Yes of course."

I looked at Anistatia for a long second. Then holding out my hand I said softly " Welcome home Mrs.Trent."

She held out her own and i gasped at the coldness of the grip. She grinned slightly, almost wikedly and said " Home indeed." Then turned and walked down back to the main lobby.

I looked at Mr.Avtyre. "Jhonathin ' i hissed "I want a background check before she steps one foot in MY home understand."

He nodden then looked up at me, his blues eyes sad. " Im sorry Christina' he said true pity in his voice.

"About what." he was scaring me now.

" Im sorry.' he repeated then walked away no doubt to help Mrs.Trent with her bags.

I stared at his retereating figure sunddenly very cold and very afraid. I went back inside and finished getting ready.

"Who are you to tell me that im not as i should be? I dont need to listen to things that i should be...I wont try, I wont try..."

chap 2..Angels and Phantoms

"I look into my mirror and cant find my love that lies behind.

Angel of Music, angel of darkness...bringer of life and death.

Life in the music death in the kiss..and i stumbel betrayed and blind..

My angel..my Angel...my protector, my love...

my angel..my phantom...fallen from grace above.."

Christina diary entry, title " The Phantom", Dec 22, 2001, first time to the musical.

I watched Anistatia unpack with slight interst. I noticed the near hundreds of books she unpacked, ranging from Grims Farie Tales to " The life of Mozart" and all the olden classics. I picked up one that she had so carefully laid on the bed.

"The Phantom of the Opera.." I read softly. I looked up and saw her watching me , her green eyes dakrened slightly. I placed the book down, nto wanting to offend her. "One of my favorites. Ha...favorites...i bloody adore it." I said, nodding towards the novel." The saddness the darkness, the love and the hate...all bound in the golden eyes of music..and yet the littel wench chose the air head. When she could have had a genious....the angel" I whispered. I looked up and blushed, embarresed by my littel speech. She smiled and said, " So you have fallen under the dark angels spell as well.." She leaned over her white hand picking up the novel, the long purple fingers nails dancing over the cover.She glanced at me.

"Have you ever been to the play?"

I nooded smiling. "My aunt took me when i was eight. It was a birthday gift." i sighed softly" I remember the chills i got when the first notes of the ovature began, then how sad it was at the end when Christine left him. I was crying. Then at the end i met Ted Keagan and Rebecca Pitcher, the man and lady who had played Christine and Erik, It was cool, they sighned my littel book." I grinned. " I kinda shocked them by my "knowledge" of the story line. I knew and still know nealry evry line in both book and play.My aprents never understood why i liked it so much..and even now i still dont know why." I looked at Ana, who had been silent threw my remensce. She nodded and said " I use to sing at the paris opera house.."

I blanched " OH MY GOD! are you for real! Oh my ive always wanted to go there...' i trailed off when i noticed Ana wasnt even paying attention but talking to hereself as if i wasnt even there.

"...I remember thr first time i saw him..Erik i mean..he was hidden within the shadows of my mirror...he was behind it..the dim light of my dressing room glittering on his white mask..' her whisper filled the room, i went still..waht was she talking about..

"I went pale, but my heart beat ever faster. My angel had come for me...my muse...my angel of darkness was finaly here.."

I stared at her. She wasnt quoting fromt he book, i knew it by heart. Nor form the musical. I noticed her eyes, the fire burning behind the dialated pupils..

"He held out his hand and i took it..so cold..." she was shaking now, the white hands wringing the fragile book.

"Anistatia' I whispered "are you ill?" I gently placed my hand on her arm, suprised at how dark i seemed.

She looked at me, and suddenly the fire was gone, her eyes were focused and she had stopped shaking.

"Wha...why are you holding me?' she pushed my hand away and stared at me." What your problem?' she asked sneering."Are you one of those freak lesbos?" She turned from me and i heard her say "Please go away, id like to unpack in peice."

I blinked, confused at what just happened, but left as she wanted and closed the door.

) -----'-----------------------------'------(

I left the apartment aournd 8:30, leaving Ana to finish unpacking. I made sure my room was locked, grabbed my car keys and calle "Ana, im leaving ill be back around 10:00." I waited fro a responce. None. Shrugging i left, locking the door behind me an stuffing the key in my jean pocket. I walked down to my car, a black taurus ( i know i know but remember im only 16 and i live alone). Cranking the engine, i put "Breaking Benjimen" and clicked over to "Cold". Rolling down the windows i turned it up and began to pull out o fthe "Red Villages" parking lot. I stopped when i saw Jhonathin standing in the way. Raising and eyebrow at him as he walked over to my window i said "Taking to stalking people Jonny boy? not good.." He skowled and i grinned. He sighed and shook his head.

"So find out any trash on the new chick?" I asked. He shook his head and sighed " Nothing. Her records all clean." I frowned. I must have looked worried cus he said " What wrong? Did something happen?"

I shook my head and lied "No Jhon darling..nothing happened."

Whispers of the long dead, and tears of hate where shed, noone can save her now and she rises to meet her angesl end.....

chap 3. Gathering

"Im sleep he sang to me in dreams he came,

that voice which calls ot me and speaks my name,

And do i dream agian fro now i find?

The Phantom of the Opera is there...inside my mind.."

Andrew Loyde Webbers, The Phantom of the Opera, sceene five, The Journey Below

I pulled to a stop just outside of the town library. Grabbing my purse and my keys I locked the door and ran inside. I had a idea about Anas sudden "phases" but liek evry idea i have its was crazy. Walking up to the librabian who i had befreinded over the years i said "Miss. Lone ' i tappd her arm to get her attention. The elderly women turned and her grey eyes went wide. "Why if it isnt madame christina," she trilled happily." long time no see...at all. Where have you been littel one?" I smiled."packing and moving. But i need you help on something." "Of course darling...what is it this time? Greek mytholigy...searching for as lost pyrinmid..finding a lost star.." I interrupted her there "The Phantom of the Opera."

She looked at me puzzeled. "The Phantom...agian. But youve read that book a hundred times..why ever..."

"I need to RESEARCH Mounsuor Erik." The lady blinked.

"Christina your wasting my time. You know evry littel fact about Erik and his rieghn of terror on paris. Sweet Mary, ive been around you so much I KNOW evry littel fact anout him." I placed a hand under her chin and turned her face towards mine.

"Babba' i used the rusiian term for "grandmother" " I need to find out who each and evry victom of they phantom was. Including the opera mob that tried to kil him." Miss. Lone sighed but turned to find the books id need. "Another thing,' i called after her. She stopped but didnt turn. " The Phantom "reighn" wasnt one of terror, it was one of genious, darkness and music. A so called reighn of terror is for unstabel murdurers, not musical master minds." Miss. Lone shook her head agian and continues her search.

I sighed,i pushed my long bangs out of my eyes. I studied the tabel before me, stacked with all the books Miss. Lone could find with the pahntom in them. Shaking my head and grinning at the prospect of the long search i flipped out my cell and speed dialed # 3.

a man answered sleepily " Heshlo?"

"Hello. Duncan? yea can you come down to the library...i need help with something. You can? Great. oh and drag Eze along. Thanks. Bye."

I smiled. Two down three to go. I dialed agian. This tiem a women answered.

"Holla. Courteny here."

"hey CoCo, can yuo do me a favor?"

" Sure...wait dous it invole ny danger or life threatening activitys?"

"uhhh...maby"

" OH! WOnderful' my sister said happily." So what is it?"

" Just come down to the library and bring Kay. ok?".

"Sure. bye."

Four down one to go.This one was the hard one.The man didnt like danger or anventure but i needed brains. I took a deep breath and dialed. A woman answered.

"Hello?"

I steadied myself and said " Hello is there a Mr. Wentworth there? I need to speak with him."

"Alright. Just a moment." I heard her call in the background "DUSTIN! telephone.." after several moments i heard a voice say

"Hello?" i breathed agian..

"Dustin?uhh.."

"My god not agian..," muttered the man on the other side, "Christy?"

"Uhh...yea. Um look i need you help with something. I need someone smart. I have Duncan but i might need more.." He sighed.

"You only call when you need help with soemthing dangerous.."

"Its not dangerous. Just can you come down to the library..please.?" there was a long silence then he said,

"If i die i blame you." he sighed.I grinned.

" Sure , sure just come on."

"Fine ill be there. Have some coffe ready though,"

"Ok..se ya then.."

"Farewell."

"Bye." I hung up and let out a long breath. I looked at the phone in my hand and shook me head agian. Id hadent talked to Dustin in a long time...since we..

"MRS. CHRISTINA! Theres two ladys here to see you." my mouth dropped open. Here already? I rushed out of the litle room Miss. Lone had put me in and sure enough there stood Courtney, a big grin on her face, and a very grumpy looking Kayley.

I smiled and said "That was fast." Kayley skowled and said, "I was bloody asleep when Mrs. Lets-go-research drags me out of bed, into the car and speeds at 90 miles per friggin hour down here just so we can look at a bunch of roddy books." she crossed her arms, and stalked into room id just came out of.

I blinked and looked at CoCo. "Well shes in a good mood.." Courtney shrugged and walked over to me, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"She still mad about .." Kayley stuck her head back out the door.

"COURTNEY ELISABETH BRODERICK DONT EVEN SAY HIS NAME!!" She screamed, glaring at us.

"...Michael." CoCo finished. Kay promptly disolved into tears. Sighing Courtney rushed over to Kay trying to calm her down and bring back some sanity. I shook my head and turned when i heard the library door open. In stumbeled my best freind Duncan and my freind Ezeikel. I burst out laughing at th esight of them. Both had pj bottems on (plaid..red and green)Duncan had a shirt that said "Return of the Jedi" on it, Eze's was something about flags and was writen in spanish. Duncans puffy hair looked like a birds nest and both were still rubbign sleep out of there eyes. DUncan blinked and i pointed to the roo behind me. Eze blinked and i pointed to the pot of coffe. I smiled and went to see what CoCo and Kay were doing. Kay had stopped crying and was glancing over one of the articels id pulled up, entilteled "The Masked Killer Strikes Agian" from the phantoms "reighn". CoCo was reading a book shed pulled off one of the many shelves that surounded the room. I wasnt suprised when i saw that it read "TheVampire lovers and there Tragic storry".Duncan was laying on the beige couch staring at the cieling.I sat downcross legged on the soft crean-clored carpet. I looked around the small room and relised thta it must be Miss. Lones office. I then looked at the hundred-plus books, waiting to be read, stacked on the large tabel.Eze wandered in a steaming cup of coffe in his hand. He plopped down in the fuzzy-brown armchair. Evryone looked at me. I shook my head and held up one finger. They nodded, by nwo use to my waiting for the last people (s) to come. I stood up suddenly, and walked outside into the hall. I stared out the tinted window, at the dark sky, at the orange moon, at anything. I had been staring at th emoon for the longest time when i felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw a man, with dark skin, paler than Eze, small glasses and a slight msile lookign at me. "Dont stare at the moon to long, it might capture your soul." he grinned rougishly. I laughed and hugged him.

"Your late,' i said softly.

"Am not. A wizard is never late. He arives precily when he mean to," Dustin quoted, sticking out his toung at me. I rolled my eyes."Your such a dork."

"Ah, thta would be an insult but it tis a fact i already know."

I shook my head and pointed to the small room." Go in there. evryone else is here, ill be ther in a sec." he nodded and walked off.

I looked back at the moon, the orange light shining softly on my face. "Selene, Selene.."I whispered,"What secrets shall we find tonight?"

I turned to leave, and didnot see the raven fly past the window, its blue-black wings glinting in the moonlight, nor the blood red rose sangged in its beak.

If I dont say hello...i wont half to say good bye...and if i dont say goodbye, i wont have any tears to cry...

chap 3. Faces

"With two pits of fire for his eyes, and an empty hole serves for the nose that never grew.

his skin like yellow parchment, and a touch of death to freeze and at the same burn you.

Locks of pitch black hair, hang like rotten moss from the tops of his cursed head.

And a mask of pure white hides the face, from which even satan turned and fled.

A voice of an angel, yet this angel is one of hell.

The Angel of Music, beware , lest he bind you with his spell..."

"The Phantom.." by Anita Stevens, 1945.

I flipped threw a book entiteled "Faces of the Grand Opera, Past, present and Future." I smiled in satisfaction as i found the picture id been praying id find. Congratulating myself,I looked round the small room, now filled with silent teens. I knew that evry singel one was anoyed, confused or just plain tired, but i refused to let thsi mystery, laid open for the taking just fly past.

" It is to my knowledge that when the Paris opera first opened, that there was one architect that didnt leave. He stayed within the depths of the opera, built a home across the vast Rue Scribe, composed his music, and took care of any who would do harm to his precious Opera. ' I began my tale, my voice soft with reverance. " The man and genious, known today as "The Phantom of the Opera", masked musician, dark angel, Erik, the mans voice, he who is nameless, angel of Music, Angel of Death, tutor, protector of music...so many names, so many roles to forfil, yet he palyed each part to its best.' i sighed, " as the years went by, Madame Giry, the only one who new who and what Erik truly was, brought three littel girls, to live within the opera, and grow to be divas. One child was Madame Girys daughter, Megan, the other was an orphan Christine Dia. And the other was her,' i showed then the picture in th ebook id been holding, a girl with red hair, green eyes, white skin. "He name is Anastatia Trent, and she is my new roommate." I looked up.

Kayley looked at the picture and frowned. "How do we know that that is her? It could be a look a like."

"True,' i nodded.

"And,' Duncan spoke up," Why did she come to you. Why not soemone in paris, or related directly to the perosn she lookign for, if she is."

"And, Eze said," Why dous it matter? Shes has weird things happen to her, and that is a bomb threat why?"

"Also,' said CoCo " where did you get the coffe?"

We looked at her and she shrugged, grinning. I chuckeled and said "In the lobby next to the main desk."

Courtne ran off to find it. Dustin turned and went with her.

I sighed and turned to back to speak but Kay stopped me.

"You always seem to find adventure or some dire unsolved sci-fi questions that need to be solved, but dont you think thta for once that somethings are just normal. They dont have any mysterious background, they arnt the living dead or some kind of magic person?"

I looked at her and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Kay, i know this time, somethings not right. aye i might have only seen ONE of theese atacks, but all the same i want to figure it out. I already have one peice of the puzzel, there was a girl at the opera, the same time at the phantom dwelled there, by the name of Anastatia Trent....dousnt that seem just a littel odd?"

she looked away, at Duncan at someone to help her prove her point.

"Sis,' i said close to pleading," please just help me..if only for a lil bit. Then i let you go if nothing is discovered."

"And stop all of theese silly adventures?" She looked at me now, hazel eyes narrowed, mouth drawn in a tight line.

"All of them?" I frowned. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Eze standing behind me.

"Yes ALL of them." He said, " I was asleep and thanks to you im now awake."

I rolled my eyes and shruged off his hand.

"Fine. If i we dont find anything this time ill stop all my "silly adventures"." I sighed.

Kay smiled and turned to the book strode table.

"Well,' Kay spoke with happy tones,"lets get crakin."

I handed Eze a book and threw Duncan a pen and note pad.

"You to find out anything you can on the phantom and his victoms, me and Kay will look for the tiems and the dates and family links."

I began to leaf threw the book of pictures i still held when Dustin and CoCo walked in. I looked up.

Courtney ran over to me, clearly exited about somehting.

"OH MY GOSH!! Christy you would so not believe what i just found!!"

"What?" did she find somehting about Anna...

"I spilled my coffe..'

"Not a suprise.." mutteed Kay. luckily CoCo didnt hear.

"...And it formed a puddel in the shape of ..oh my gosh this is the cool part.."

I raised and eyebrow and she took a deep brath and exlaimed,

"IT FORMED ELVIS'S HEAD!! Oh my gosh..isnt that cool!!?"

I blinked and handed her a book.