some kind of scary prank.

   Aurelia gasped when the all of the lights turned off, including the lights on the stage, making the entire theater go dark, and she swore she saw smoke around the rows of seats below, almost like it was misty streets of London.

   "Come on, that's enough," Aurelia's nervous demeanor was growing larger, as this prank was far too scary to be funny. "Please, this isn't funny!"

   Is that so? The collie froze, as that same voice from the opera had come up again, and Aurelia turned around, noticing that it was directly behind her.

   "OK, whoever that is, I've had enough of this joke!" She barked at the voice, but her anger soon turned to fear as a pair of yellow eyes came into view. She started to shiver, as the yellow eyes were exactly the same as Joseph Buquet's description.

   "Wh-what are you?" She asked the figure in front of her, terrified that it might do something to her, "Please don't hurt me,"

   "I will not harm you, Madame…but all I will say is this…do not sell Box Five to anyone…it is a rule that I strictly enforce…and if this rule is not followed…then I guess we will have to find another Box-Keeper…if not, then I will reward you…but this is my only warning to you, Madame…do not make this mistake again…" The eyes then closed, and Aurelia thought she felt a cold brush of wind around her, and the lights in the theater came back on, except for Box Five, who still seemed to linger with the presence of the ghost.

 "So, you spoke to the ghost?" Jean-Claude asked the collie, who was a bit shaken up from telling her story.

   "Yes, I did, and I cannot deny it. It is the full truth, Monsieur, and nothing but the truth. Ever since that day, I leave Box Five as it is, with no one inside during performances. Sometimes, the ghost gives me a few francs along with his program, and sometimes he-" The collie was about to say more, but she was stopped by the laughter of all three of the managers, who found her story to be absolutely absurd.

   "Is there something funny, Monsieur Moncharmin?" The Inspector asked the Chinook, who tried to contain his laughter by covering his mouth with his paw.

   "I'm sorry about that, Inspector, but you can't seriously tell me that you believe that story?"

   "I never said anything of the sort, but now that you mention it, it does sound plausible."

   What! Kaltag was shocked to hear that, as he couldn't believe that the Inspector of Police admitted that the Box-Keeper's encounter with the ghost was actually true. It couldn't be real, could it?

   "You see, my idea is this. I've never once believed in any ghosts, or in any kind of supernatural being, such as you, Monsieur Manager. But, I thought about this for a moment, and I have a theory about this ghost."

   "And what is that, Monsieur?" Aurelia inquired.

   "In my free time, I have spent many nights reading on ghost stories and the supernatural alike. From my reading, a phantom is said to have a few distinct differences from a regular ghost. A ghost is mostly see-through, and it's mostly an invisible, corporeal being. A ghost cannot do much except roam around the hallways of old manors and buildings, rather slowly may I add. A phantom, however, doesn't just sit around like a ghost. A phantom can move about, interact with items and animals at will, use illusions to trick others, etc. This may sound like the work of a poltergeist; however they are mostly more 'playful' spirits that like to cause mischief and mayhem. A phantom is more sinister, as it can cause damage to others, and could possibly cause harm if it was capable. A phantom has more of a black, shade like look to it, but also an enchanting one. A lustrous shadow if you will.

   "So, as you can see, from what I've understood so far, we are dealing with no ghost, Madame. We are dealing with a phantom. A phantom is like a ghost, only with more physical properties. But this phantom, Madame, may be something far worst than a mere apparition. He could be an evil spirit, forever trapped inside this very House, or he could be a demon, disguised in a lustrous, black shadow. I do not believe in beings such as this, but I'm afraid that this might be the case at hand, Messieurs. By the way, has the ghost caused any harm, Madame?"

   "Well, all I know is that he occasionally trips a few dogs in the hallways, or pushes them by some kind of unknown force, but there has been one death here at the Canine."

   "Really?" Jean-Claude's ears perked up again, his paw being placed on his chin once again. "Tell me about them."

   "Well, I was told this by Buquet, the Chief of the Flies. He said that one of the employees had somehow fallen off the rafters of the theater, and he hit the ground hard on his head, killing him from the impact. No one knows how he died, but some say that the ghost had pushed him off, just like the first dog."

   First, the ghost can steal, then he can speak, and now he can kill? How strange…Jean-Claude thought for a moment, and was about to speak, when Monsieur Kaltag spoke up instead.

   "What does this have to do with anything?" He asked, a bit upset with the matter at hand, "I'm sorry, Inspector, but I thought you were supposed to be helping us figure out who this thief is, and who this ghost is, not telling us about the differences between spirits and how they can cause accidents!"

   "Monsieur Manager, I am merely performing my duties as a detective. And in my years as being the Inspector of Police, I must analyze all of the details. Therefore, you must forgive me for prattling along with this sort of thing. My initial theory is this: the ghost is a phantom, he steals things, he can talk, and he can, unfortunately, kill at will."

   "Are you saying that this ghost-phantom-thing or whatever it is…is real? Are you serious?"

   "Monsieur, this is just a theory, not a fact. I will need to do more than just theorize, I assure you." Jean Claude got up from his seat, and put on his coat. "You know, Monsieur Managers, it has been a long time since I've had such an interesting case such as this. I'm actual rather excited to figure it out."

   "But Monsieur, don't you understand that this ghost nonsense is nothing more than a myth?"

   "I'm well aware of that, Monsieur, and to tell you the truth, I don't believe in ghosts. But I do believe in justice, and I have the idea that this phantom is the cause of these accidents and criminal acts. I promise you I will get to the bottom of this ghost business. Perhaps there is more to it than we think."

   "Excuse me, Monsieur," Aurelia interjected, "I don't think that is good idea."

   "Why is that?" The Shepard asked, raising a brow.

   "The ghost does not take things likely, Monsieur. He isn't one to be threatened. I don't think he'll like this."

   "You seem to know a lot about the ghost, Madame." Jean-Claude intrigued, "Is there anything else you know?"

   "I'm sorry, Monsieur, but this is all the information I can give you. If you want to know more, then you'll probably have to ask the other staff. I'll be taking my leave now." The collie then abruptly left the office without saying another word.

   "We also have a few matters to attend to," Kaltag added, "Operas to run, and what not."

   "Of course, I will leave you three to your work. If there is anything you need, I will glad to be of service. Good day to you Messieurs." With a nod of his head, the Shepard left the office.

   Kaltag sat down in his chair, trying to get the silly idea of the ghost out of his head, and tried to think about other things. Neither of the managers said a word after that, and they didn't really have much to talk about, just as long as it didn't involve the ghost that is. It seemed even after Aurelia's encounter with the ghost and the Inspector's theories; it was still just the same as before. They still didn't believe in the ghost.

   All except 2 of them, that is. Nikki and Star had sat there next to each other, listening to the conversation the three dogs were having, and from the looks of things, they seemed to not take the idea of a ghost as funny as they first thought. The idea of a ghost talking to you with a creepy voice, with glowing yellow eyes, a skull head that could be lit on fire, and one that could steal, attack, and kill was sending shivers down their spines. Their suspension of disbelief was starting to grow, and both of them knew it to be true.

   Of course, they couldn't let Kaltag know that. They discussed this as the two walked back to their three bedroom apartment, with the two huskies staying behind the Chinook.

   "So, you think the ghost is real, huh Nik?" Star asked the brown dog next to him.

   "To tell you the truth, I do. I just don't understand why Kal's been acting this way. I mean, I've never seen him get upset over something as silly as a ghost story."