Chapter Two: The Search

Lisa knew becoming invisible would drain the power and would have to recharge afterwards, but it was the only way she could be sure she’d make it downstairs without being seen. It seemed that Mme. Giry knew where the Phantom was, so, while she was still sitting in the audience, Lisa concentrated as hard as she could over the music and singing to find out how to get to the catacombs.

She found out that there was a trap door backstage, which led to a bridge, which led to an underground tunnel ending at a lake. The only way across the lake was by boat.

Well, that was for humans.

Lisa slipped away during intermission and activated her invisibility power. She started backstage, dodging bodies and props, and searched for the door. When it was clear, she opened it and slipped through.

The corridor she ended up in was made of stone and lined with candelabras. As she was alone, she cut the invisibility so it wouldn’t drain any faster than it needed to. She made her way down the corridor, using her wings for light. As she walked, among her echoing footsteps, she thought she heard a nicker of a horse, along with the munching and crunching of something eating.

“Huh…” Lisa said to herself, walking towards the sound. Peeking around the wall, she spotted a black horse eating hay in a corner.

The equine looked up and whickered at her.

“Hi,” she said. “You live down here?” Yes, she could speak to animals. They could always see her for what she really was.

The horse nodded. “The Masked One takes good care of me. I’m Cesar.”

“ ‘Masked One’?”

“The one who lives across the water. I know him by no other name.”

“Cesar, I really want to meet him. Can you show me the way?”

Cesar tugged on the rope tethering him to the wall. “Go straight down this way, down the ramp…you’ll come to a lake. Cross it, straight. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

“Thanks.” She started walking, then turned and looked at the horse over her shoulder. “Are you happy down here?”

“Very. I do not wish to be set free.”

“Fair enough.”

Lisa continued on her way, just as Cesar said to. She walked down a ramp and stopped at the edge of the lake, then she used a little telekinesis to hover herself over the water. She couldn’t fly; it was too narrow for her wingspan.

She followed the water straight until she came to a crossroads of sorts. She paused, bracing herself against a stone outcropping so she wouldn’t have to levitate and listen at the same time. She could hear movement coming from the leftmost tunnel, so she headed that way.

At last, she came to a large gate. Through it she could see candles, a bed, an organ, and lots of music sheets. There was a boat at the edge of the water, and sitting at the organ was a figure.

He was well-dressed for being down here. He had on the traditional men’s garb of 1860, though he wasn’t wearing the layers men usually have over their shirt.

Lisa was trying to decide how to get through the gate when she heard crashing coming from up the tunnel.

End chapter two.

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