The Phantom Returns

Chapter 2

Adeline's wide eyes stared at the strange man, half of his face masked. He stood up slowly as not to startle her. The one word out of his mouth was the most comforting, yet frightening word she could ever hear.

"...Christine?"

She slowly shook her head, in disbelief, in terror... In sadness. Her feet acted on their own accord, suddenly running from the graveyard, out the iron gate, while the ghost yelled behind her. Her face was wet with tears once again and her hands froze from the cold winter air.

"Christine! Christine...!" The yelling got faint as she ran faster, he hadn't left the graveyard.

As Adeline ran up the front steps of the house, she knew she was in trouble. Her shaking hands found the door knob and she pulled it open. She squinted from the light that found her face.

"Where in the world have you been girl?!" A hand grasped her wrist firmly and she tugged at it, only hurting herself more, "I said... Where were you?"

The arm tugged her up to face its owner, a middle aged man, her 'guardian' Mr. Jefferson. (She would never call him her father). Adeline glared at him, tears still streaming from her eyes, "...the graveyard." She spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"I told you not to wander out at night, especially there." He let her go to stand on her own. She rubbed her wrist and stepped back, debating on whether to tell him what she saw.

"I saw him..." Adeline pressed her lips together, Jefferson turned his head quickly to look at her, "the phantom, my mothers gho-" her words were cut off by a sharp pain on her cheek, she fell to her knees.

"That's a lie. He's not real, your mother was delusional, and she apparently passed it on to you." He glared down at the girl who was now clenching her fists.

"My mother was not delusional!" Addy got up and stepped back against the door, glaring at Jefferson with disgust. He scowled back at her and looked at her down his nose.

"Of course she was. And you better treat me better for taking you in. I could've left you at the orphanage." He crossed his arms, "Luckily you will be shipped away next month."

Adeline's eyes widened and her face paled, "W-what do you mean... Shipped away?" Her hands started shaking harder, despite the warmth of the house.

Mr. Jefferson smirked slightly at her expression, "I'm sending you to an all girls boarding school. Very strict, exactly what you need."

If the tall dark door wasn't behind her for support, Addy would have fallen to her knees again, "...no, I can't leave."

"Well you are. In one month you will be gone from this house." Jefferson turned on his heel and stalked into his room, "go to bed!" He yelled sharply at her from down the hall.

Adeline sank to her knees, her eyes glued on a dancing candle flame, her mind running many miles an hour.

She suddenly jumped up when there was a soft knock on the door. Her hand froze on the handle, her whole body shaking from the news she had received. Addy yanked open the door and gaped at the sight.

He was there, the Phantom. Her legs suddenly gave way and she fell forward, straight into his arms, and everything went black.