Greetings! This is authoress Haleybob! Currently, when I was typing my 52nd chapter of this story, when I noticed that my beginning wasn't as good. Actually, it sucked. So here I am with new updated beginning chapters!! So if you're reading this right now, it means you are reading the updated story of Winter's Lark. Again this is Haleybob over and out. I hope you enjoy my story!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Phantom. (tear)

Part One:

Cold. That's how she felt right now, cold and numb. A girl trudged wearily through the icy snow feeling the wet and cold seep into her boots. Shivering, she drew her thin cloak tighter around her skinny shoulders. Snow was falling heavily right now and the streets were quite bare that evening. Any other night she would have kept going but now…

She would need heat, and soon. Sighing she continued along, turning her face down against the winter wind that blew her short hair away from her eyes, chilling her nose so much she feared it would fall off. Small clinks could be heard from one of her pockets; in it was a small bag containing the little money she carried. She winced as the wind blew her cloak sideways, letting in the frigid air that chased the heat away leaving her colder then when she started.

Her face fell as she remembered the last inn she visited, with a nice warm fire going, people chatting, it seemed like an inn she'd want to stay in, though the innkeeper clearly stated that they where filled to the brim with people. She didn't blame him; she herself could plainly see that the inn was too full to squeeze in a single child. As the last four inns the girl stopped by too. Furiously rubbing her hands together for warmth, she could only walk on and see where her feet would take her. She was used to walking around, Mama and the rest had too before…

'No,' she told herself, 'Mama and the rest are gone. Stop thinking of them, you'll only make yourself cry again.' She knew she was just kidding herself, she already had a few tears in her eyes, who could forget Mama? How could she forget her family? Brushing the tears aside she straightened her pants and shirt, how other boys could handle these clothes she didn't know, but they were the only thing she had to wear. It also came handy for a disguise, just in case someone tried to find her…

Glancing up slightly, the girl noticed that her feet had taken her in front of the Opera Populaire. Craning her neck, she could barely see the top. Teeth chattering she entered the doors, stomping her feet to get some of the snow out and looked around. She was amazed at how little was damaged since two years ago when a large fire put the Opera Populaire out of business for a while.

'And now it's up and running again,' the girl thought. She was glad, the place looked wonderful, she couldn't even tell where the fires were or anything!

"May I help you, monsieur?"

She jumped and whirled around to face a woman quite a few years older than her who was looking at the girl quizzically.

'She thinks I'm a boy,' she thought relieved, her guise had worked perfectly.

Remembering to lower her voice she asked for a room to stay in, just for tonight. The lady frowned slightly, "Couldn't an inn be more suffice?"

The girl shook her head. "No room," she said in her deepened voice, "I have a bit of money to pay for my stay. I just need a room for tonight, then I shall…" she staggered a bit but caught herself, "leave tomorrow morning," she finished. She stiffened as the lady looked her over then felt extremely relieved as she also nodded her consent.

"We have a bit of room for you to stay for tonight monsieur…?" She looked expectantly at the 'boy'.

"Oh, I'm Lark," the girl mumbled, embarrassed. If the lady thought 'Lark' was a strange name, she didn't show it. She handed the woman a couple of her precious coins and watched silently as the lady counted the pieces of silver.

"I am Meg Giry." She said, slipping the money into a pocket. "Right this way, Monsieur Lark." Looking over her shoulder, Meg could see that this, 'Lark', was painfully thin and his pants and shirt hung loosely around his body. He could do with a few large meals. Seeing that the woman was looking at her, Lark clutched her cloak closer to herself as though it were a shield. 'It is like a shield,' she though vaguely as she followed Meg up the fine polished stairs into the

'If I can keep this guise up until tomorrow, I'll be fine.' Lark thought, her head pounding. She didn't feel so well, now that Lark thought about it, possibly the effect of the bone-freezing cold. Suddenly her knees buckled dangerously then folded beneath her as she sunk to the ground in a dead faint. "Monsieur!"

When I began to write, the minimum, i was told, was to have at least 600 words. This one is more than 700. So yeah, basically I'm apologizing for short chapters...