Lizzie was looking at the empty seats in the opera hall. She stood completely alone on the stage. Her light blue dress rested lightly on her body. It was made to fit her perfectly as to all other dancers who had the same dresses. She was indeed a dancer in the Paris opera. Now when the last performance ended, the day was going to its end and the opera hall was empty she dared to sing. She sang a song that was of her own making. The story of hunchback of Notredam. That was her favourite story when she was young. Her mother would often read it to her before bedtime. So now on the stage of Paris opera she sang it.
People could see, his body, not wholeBut noone would see inside of his soulThe beauty of him was hidden within...
She could imagine the hall full of people, listening to her intensely. But it was all inside her head. In truth she was merely a dancer who would never become a prima donna. Nevertheless she enjoyed the evenings when the opera hall was empty and she could sing. She inherited the beautiful voice from her mother who was singer, but it was her father who thought her music. He was a genius on a piano with the perfect hearing. He would often compose songs for his wife and daughter to sing. Her father was famous for his piano trough all of Italy. But those days were over when both of her parents died in a house fire when she was 12. Since then she went from one home to another. But in every home it seemed the people were only after the fame of her father. They all assumed that helping the daughter of the famous pianist would bring them fame as well. But when they realised that wont happen they sent her away. And so in the end she found herself in the orphanage with noone to want her. She left this god forsaken place when she was 18 and tried her luck in the world. At first she was a maid in lots of Italian operas, but then they discovered her dancing talent and she became a dancer. Singing was not an option anywhere no matter how much she wished it. It was only a month ago that she left Italy and came to Paris where hoped to have chance of singing.
A beautiful creature to the church found her wayKvasimodo would hide, and to him she would sayCreature of darkness don't be afraidI'm not as the others, I am your friend...
There she would suddenly stop singing. She did not know how to continue the song.
"Why did you stop?" a voice echoed trough the opera hall. She looked up and at the lodge 5 she saw a dark figure with a white mask. That must be the opera ghost she thought. She heard stories about him but never saw him until now.
"I do not know how to continue" she answered without fear. The ghost only looked at her for a while, then left without a reply. For a moment she would have her eyes on the lodge 5, then she turned to the imaginary audience and bowed, hearing the clapping of a thousand people.
"I saw the ghost today" she would tell Meg before the performance. "so he is real!" she said "mother always warned us about him but I never truly believed"
"Yes, he is real" Lizzie said "He's dressed all in black and a white mask covers his face" in her mind she was back at the stage looking at the mysterious man. It was something about him that wouldn't let her to stop thinking about him.
As it happened one day Carlotta the lead singer did not want to sing anymore. Lizzie did not know why but she was thrilled when she heard that she was the one to replace her. It was madame Giry who suggested her for a new singer. Lizzie did not know how the knew of her ability to sing but at that time she didn't care.
She sang and felt her dreams coming true. Singing infront of hall full of people in a beautiful dress. She never felt better. And in between her performance she noticed a young man in the lodge 5. The same lodge as she first met the opera ghost. She recognized him. It was Raoul. Her childhood sweetheart. Their families had arranged marriage between them right after they were born. Fathers were good friends and they wanted to connect their families. But after the fire when Lizzie was left orphaned noone cared about her anymore. Raul's family did not care about the poor child now that the famous parents were gone. She remembered missing Raul for some time after that. He was her best friend. Yet she then quickly forgot about him as her life grew harder with no place for dreaming of the past.
He noticed her too. After the show he visited her in her room "Little Lizzie" he said. They talked for some time and she felt as joyful as she did back then. He took her out for dinner and they talked and talked until the clock rang half past midnight and Lizzie returned back to the opera. It felt good to find her childhood friend again and to have a person in her life that was not so unfamiliar as all the other faces.
Next evening she was back at the stage, singing her sing and somehow hoping the ghost would be back. As she came to the end of her scarce song she was disappointed, because there was noone in the lodge 5. She wanted to leave when she heard him. A beautiful voice continued her song.
Beautiful creature do I not disgust you?I wonder, would you say the same if you knewThe sight of deformed creature of nightCould you really feel something that wouldn't be fright?...
As he sang the words she knew it was a perfect continuation of her song. She was hypnotised with his voice. It was the most bewitching sound she ever heard. She closed her eyes and and a song came from her.
Creature of darkness I do not fear youBelieve me when I say your beauty is trueFor I see your soul and feel that insideYou're not the monster which in shadows should hide...
As she sang she could feel a pair of hands in leather gloves on her shoulders, tracing down her arms until he found her hands and their fingers intertwined. She leaned back as the opera ghost sang in her ear. Their voices were combined in a perfect harmony and she could feel nothing but comfort and delight. Then he spun her around and she opened her eyes and locked them with his. "Come" he said. She was drawn through the golden hallways by the hand of the Phantom of the opera as he sang his song and she got lost in his voice.
It was only a day later when she returned, that she could really acknowledge what happened. Her memory went back to that night. She remembered a lake and a glorious chamber. She could still feel his hands around her waist, how he was holding her in his embrace, singing music as elegant as night. They would dance, their bodies closely together. And his voice. His magical voice still echoed trough her head...
Then the beautiful memories were sewered by the thought of what happened at the end of the night. Her curiousity got the better of her and she took off his mask. "Damn you!.." why did she do it she thought to herself. The night could last forever if only she wouldn't touch that mask. He took her back then. But she felt regret, she wanted to go back down there, wanted to see the magic of that place again, to feel his hands on her hips, to hear his voice... But sadly it was all over.
Yet despite what the believed the phantom didn't forget about her. She heard that he requested her to sing the lead role in the next show. The owners of the theatre however didn't agree no matter how much madame Giry warned them. "Lizzie should sing" she told them "the ghost demands it!"
"Carlotta will be singing the lead role!" was all they had to say about the matter. And so Lizzie played the silent part. Everything went as planned until the phantom showed. When she saw him her breathing stopped, her heart was bitting faster. He was standing under the ceiling in all his glory, dark clothes and a white mask.
"Did I not instruct that Elizabeth should sing the lead role!" echoed trough the hall.
"That toad?" Carlotta laughed
"Perhaps it is you that are a toad madame" he said. After that everything turned and catastrophe began.