THE SONG OF THE OPERA GHOST
Chapter Seven The Doctor reached the trapdoor and called up to Andre. Andre dropped a rope down, pulled Rose up, and then pulled him up. “Monsieur, did you see anything?” Andre asked. “No, I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean there isn't anything there. This ghost could be hiding by the lake, but since we didn’t have any way to get across the lake, or travel up and down it, we can’t be sure. At any rate, I want to investigate the rest of the Opera House to see if there are any secret passages, hidden doors, and trap doors, anything that the Ghost is using to get around this place without anyone seeing him.” “You wish to spend the night?” Andre asked. “Will that be a problem?” “No, if you wish to investigate further, I will allow you complete access,” Andre said. “Thank you, I promise we won’t disturb anything that doesn’t concern our investigation.” “I will inform the night watchman that you are staying,” he said. “I just hope you know what you are doing. It is very dangerous to meddle in the Ghost’s affairs. He is a dangerous man.” “Yeah, well, so am I,” the Doctor replied. “Don’t worry about us; we’ve done this kind of thing before. Rose and I will flush out your ghost.” Andre bowed. “Then, I will leave you to it, Monsieur, and wish you the best of luck. I will return in the morning with Monsieur Firmin, the other manager. You are welcome to use any of the couches in the dressing rooms, if you need to sleep.” He paused. “Although, I would advise going into Madame Carlotta’s dressing room. Our diva will be angry, if she finds people using her dressing room without permission.” “Then, we won’t use it then,” the Doctor replied. Andre nodded. “Now, if you don’t mind, I must bid you goodnight. Once again, I wish you the best of luck. Monsieur, Mademoiselle.” The Doctor and Rose nodded and watched, as Andre hurried away towards his office. He looked at Rose and slapped his hands together. “Well, let’s search the stage next, shall we?” he said. Erik sat quietly, shrouded by the darkness of the deserted Opera House while he watched the Doctor and Rose search the stage. The only light came from the limelights that they had lit. Erik seethed, as he watched the Doctor bounce around the stage enthusing at the props and acting childish and silly as if the man were eight. He longed to do to the Doctor what was done to him. It was because of him that his face was ruined, burned beyond repair in the hot springs found all over Tetrazarlion. A serial killer who was serving a life sentence did it to him because he apparently thought he was too pretty for his own good. Erik barely survived the ordeal, and afterwards became more determined to break free, so he could get his revenge on the Doctor. He finally got his chance when he slipped away during a riot, wrestled a gun away from a guard, and forced him to pilot a prison ship to a nearby planet. After that, he killed the guard, found another ship, and flew out of the galaxy at warp speed. He had found Earth purely by chance, his ship was almost out of fuel, and he was forced to land in France. He turned the cloaking device on with the intention of gathering more fuel, so he could continue on, but to his dismay, he found that the humans had not yet invented the nuclear fusion fuel that he so desperately needed. He had ended up in Paris and had been drawn to the Opera House because of its reputation for fine music. He managed to sneak inside and make his way down to the underground lake where he set up his home. Shortly after, he hit upon the idea of posing as the Opera Ghost and blackmailing the managers for money, which he used for food and materials to build his living quarters. He stole other materials and furniture from the Opera House itself and even went back to the ship and cannibalized it for parts. He had managed to build a crude cloaking device that hid his home, and the boat he used to get across the lake, from prying eyes. He was glad he had thought of that earlier since the Doctor would have seen both things instantly, the moment he reached the lake. The Doctor had no idea of his true identity, and he was determined to keep it that way. At least, until it was certain he had him at his mercy and could do away with him without threat of further harm. And thanks to his ingenuity, he had several booby traps set up that would finish him off, including his piece de resistance, a mirrored room that, with a push of a button, could be heated to intolerable levels. He had read about it once in a book, some kind of ancient human torture device. A human was put into the mirrored room, which contained a fake tree, a noose hanging from the ceiling, and a chair. The heat was turned on, and it gradually got hotter and hotter until the human roasted, or hung himself to relieve his misery. The mirrors reflected the tree, helping to create the illusion of a forest in the victim's heat addled mind, which further added to the confusion. He had loved the idea so much that he had one built at the back of his living quarters, complete with a large plate glass window that could be obscured with a heavy curtain, so he could choose whether or not to watch his victim’s agony. He had tried it only once, some homeless man that he had lured into his home with the promise of food, and a bed. The man’s sufferings had been fascinating to watch. The hotter the room got, the more deluded he became until he was sitting on the floor, babbling incoherently at his reflection. In the end, he simply expired from heat exhaustion, rather than hang himself with the noose, but it was still an entertaining and enlightening experiment. Looking at the Doctor, he longed to see the Time Lord doing the exact same thing. He wanted to laugh at him while he ranted incoherently at his own reflection, as he was slowly baked alive. It would be quite amusing to see a mighty Time Lord reduced to a babbling imbecile. But, first, he wanted to lure him slowly into his trap and torment him by seducing and enslaving his companion. Looking at her, he was captivated by her beauty. He thought her far prettier than Nyssa and Tegan were. He had always loved blonde hair on a woman, and the color of Rose’s hair gave her an angelic quality. He wondered, as he stared at her, if she was musically inclined at all. She seemed the type that would have a good voice, and he toyed with the idea of perhaps turning her into a diva after the Doctor’s death. He bet that she could out sing the resident diva, Madam Carlotta, any day. But then again, he reasoned bitterly, a bullfrog could out sing the pompous hag. He leaned forward slightly, watching Rose intently, waiting for just the right moment to strike. Then, as if fate herself was reading his thoughts, the Doctor suddenly turned, pointed to the backstage area to his left, and asked Rose if she would check it out while he continued to check the stage. Erik smiled when Rose nodded and walked off the stage. He waited a moment, checking to make sure that the Doctor was staying onstage, and when he was sure he was going to, he rose and with a chuckle, walked out of box five and down the stairs towards Rose. Rose held a flaming torch in her hand while she quietly checked the backstage area. From her vantage point, she could see the Doctor was still on the stage checking the floors and walls for any secret passages. So far, all he had found was the trapdoor the performers used to enter and exit the stage during a performance, and Rose hadn’t found anything, aside from rigging, costumes, and props. She checked the backstage slowly and methodically, making sure that every inch of space had been checked in one area before she moved on to the next. After about a half hour, she had checked several feet and was slowly moving towards the dressing rooms. She glanced back at the Doctor and noticed he was on the other side of the stage, about to go backstage on the right side. She watched him for a moment on his hands and knees checking the floor for any trapdoors that shouldn’t be there. She turned her head back around and gasped when she saw someone wearing a black cape and cowl standing in front of her. She frowned, as she stared at the stranger. “Who are you?” she demanded. The man raised his head, and Rose could see the man was wearing a silver mask. “It’s alright, Rose, I won’t hurt you,” the man said, raising a gloved hand to her. Rose backed away from him. She turned to run towards the Doctor, when suddenly, the man began to sing with an angelic voice. Rose froze in her tracks, as her mind suddenly became clouded. She stood there, holding the torch in front of her, staring ahead mindlessly while the Doctor continued to search on his hands and knees, completely unaware of what was happening to her. Erik came around the front of Rose and noticed the blank expression on her face. He took the torch from her hand and put his hand underneath her chin. “Rose,” he said, in an otherworldly voice. Rose slowly raised her head to him. “Come with me,” he said, taking her hand. He walked past Rose, and she turned and followed him without hesitation. They walked through the backstage area. As they walked, Erik looked back and chuckled when he saw the Doctor was still searching the stage. “The stupid fool has no idea his companion is being kidnapped, just like the last time,” he muttered to himself. “But, unlike the last time, I shall be victorious over him.” He looked at Rose. “And you, my beautiful flower, shall aid in his destruction.” He kissed her hand, as they walked. He noticed the blank look on Rose’s face. She would snap out of the trance eventually, but not before he implanted a few hypnotic suggestions in her mind. She was his now, a little puppet that he could command and control, and through her, he would bring the Doctor to his lair, and to his knees. He stopped Rose and led her over to the wall on their left. He ran his hands down the wall, found the niche he was looking for and pulled open a hidden door. “This way, Rose,” he said to her. Staring blankly ahead, Rose walked through the door. Erik chuckled and, with one last look back towards the stage, he walked through the door and closed it behind him.
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