Chapter I
I was sitting on the steps of the Opera Populare stage watching the performers get ready for that night opera. I look up and see the new chandelier and think to my self 'I like the old one better'. Madame Giry, the ballet instructor sees me looking at the new chandelier and comes over to me and says "The Phantom of the opera let the old one crash down". "Who's the Phantom of the opera" I ask with a confused look on my face. "You don't know", of course I knew who he was, I had over heard Madame telling Raoul two years ago, that's how information was found out around the opera house, eavesdropping. As I had listened on Madame Giry had told of a little boy she had rescued from a traveling circus. She had hid him from the world and its cruelties. From that day on my heart had gone out to the Phantom, not only because I felt sorry for him but I had a past that was the same as his. As Madame told me his story I thought I saw movement from above the stage but dismissed it, thinking it was just one of the stage hands. I thanked Madame for her story and left the stage. I was currently using the dressing room that Christine had used when she was at the opera house. No one used it, they said the Phantom still haunted the room, but I didn't care. I found my key and unlocked the door, I put the key on the dresser and went into the bathroom. As I was coming out of the bathroom I thought I saw a white mask in the floor length mirror. I went over to the mirror and pushed up against it and gasped as it moved under my touch. I pulled on the mirror and it opened to reveal a long hallway. I was going to step into the hallway but thought against it, so I shut the mirror and laid down on my bed.
As I awoke the next morning I found a beautiful red rose on my pillow, the rose had a black silk ribbon tied around the stem and I smiled, I knew that the rose was from the phantom. I got up and laid the rose on the vanity and went I into the bathroom to get dressed. As I left the bathroom I had on a pair of black pants, a white shirt and a pair of black boots. I had my hair in a low ponytail and left the room, locking the door behind me. I couldn't belive that the phantom was in my room as I had slept. I smiled to myself and climbed up into the rafters above the stage. I worked as a stage hand and helped the scene- shifters with the operas. "Angel why are you wearing men's clothes?" asked Joseph Buquet the chief sceneshifter; "Because it's easer to wear this than those stupid dresses" I answered with a hint of anger in my voice. Joseph Buquet was the chief scene shifter for every opera, how he got the job I'll never know. He had a run in with the phantom two years ago that had scared him out of his wits. I helped him get the stage ready for the next scene in the opera, Faust. As I was doing that I felt as I was being watched so I stopped what I was doing and looked around, I saw nothing and went back to work. As Madame Giry let the ballet girls go to lunch I was called down by her. I went down to the stage and she asked why I was working with Buquet and I told her that I would never be cut out for the ballet, and anyway I like working with my hands I told her, She nodded and left the stage. I looked out into the audience and wondered what it was like to sing on the stage, I had tried it once before but I got stage fright and fainted. I looked around to make sure no one was around and began to sing "Child of the wilderness born into emptiness learn to be lonely learn to find your way in darkness. Who will be there for you comfort and care for you learn to be lonely, learn to be your one companion. I closed my eyes and let the music fill me up, Never dreamed that out in the world, there are arms to hold you, you've always known that your heart was on its own. As I was singing my voice carried to the depths of the opera house. A figure stopped mid-stride as he heard my voice. 'I wonder who that could be' he thought. As he made his way up toward the theater, he slipped into Box 5 unnoticed. So laugh in your loneliness child of the wilderness learn to be lonely lean how to love life that is lived alone, learn to be lonely life can be live, life can be loved alone". I opened my eyes only to have my vision blurred and find tears rolling down my cheeks. That song always hit close to home with me, I had a boyfriend but of course he dumped me, I would have to live life alone. I sighed and wiped my tears from my neck and went to bed. As I left the stage the figure in box 5 thought to himself 'Looks like light has finally shined in this place again.' He smiled and left hidden in shadow.
The next morning as I was up in the rafters I hummed a part to Don Juan, the phantoms opera that premiered two years ago. I couldn't contain my self any longer and started to sing softly "Past the point of no return, no going back now our passion play has now at last begun, past all thought of right or wrong one final question how long should we two wait before we're one? When will the blood begin to race the sleeping bud burst into bloom, when will the flames at last consume us? Past the point of return the final threshold the bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn we've past the point of no return." As I was about to sing the phantoms part I heard the most angelic voice behind me "say you'll share with me one love one lifetime, leave me save me from my solitude, say you want me here beside you, I turn around and see the Phantom standing behind me, his eyes filled with passion and amazment as I joined in with him, "Anywhere you go let me go to, love me that's all I ask of you". I smiled at him and he smiled back, he advances towards me and I stand my ground, he says "Your voice is amazing but it could be better meet me in your dressing room at midnight tomorrow night and I will teach you, your voice will grow and you will become a star" "But why me mousier I'm nothing but a stagehand, the last time I tried to sing on stage I fainted" The Phantom smiled and said "as long as I'm here you'll be fine". I nodded nervously and said "thank you mousier phantom" "don't be late tomorrow night mademoiselle Angel." "I wont, you can count on it" I said as I left the rafters. I walked to my room and unlocked the door, I through myself on my bed and screamed into my pillow, I had just had my first encounter with the phantom of the opera. Could I trust him and become his student, after all, I loved him like I hadn't loved anyone before, but I couldn't let him know that just yet. That night as my clock struck 12:00 I heard a voice coming from my mirror, I got up and walked over to the mirror and saw the phantoms reflection in it. I smiled to myself and thought 'so this is how he taught Christine'. I saw my mirror slide back and the phantom held out his hand. I stepped into the mirror and he led me down the passage way that I found behind my mirror. Suddenly I was overcome by a song that I had never head before so I just went with it. "In sleep he sang to me in dreams he came that voice which calls to me and speaks my name, and do I dream again for now I find the phantom of the opera is there inside my mind", the phantom began to sing with me, "Sing once again with me our strange duet, my power over you grows stronger yet, and though you turn from me to glance behind the phantom of the opera is there inside your mind." He led me to a boat that was docked at a small shore, he helped me into the boat and got in behind me and pushed off with the rowing stick. "Thought's who have seen your face draw back in fear I am the mask you wear, he sings it's me they hear, your spirit and my voice in one combined the phantom of the opera is there inside my/your mind. He whispers in my ear, "Sing my angel of music", I begin to vocalize as we come up on the entrance to his lair and the gate begins to rise, as its rising my voice made candelabras come out of the water, already lit. The phantom docks the boat and gets out throughing his cape off, helping me out of the boat. He says "There are a few things I must ask you never to do, the first is never go into the lake, the second, is never come down here without my permission, and the third most important thing is never, ever remove this mask." I nodded and asked "May I ask you something mousier Phantom"? "Why is it that you wear the mask in the first place, you should be proud to show your deformity" I covered my mouth knowing I had said to much. The Phantom looked at me and said "You've seen it and it doesn't scare you" I shook my head no and he led me over to the organ and I sat down. He sat down next to me and I said to him "You're not the only one with a deformity." I lifted my sleeve and showed him my tiger striped scars that went down my arm. "I was in a fire when I was about two and the doctors tried everything to get rid of the scars but nothing worked. So I lived with the scars and I'm proud to have them now because there're apart of me, I don't care what your face looks like, I care about what lies in your heart". The Phantom said to me "The last time I reviled my face to anyone I was locked up in a cage with gypsies" He spit the last word out like it was poison. I asked him "Are you going to teach me to sing, or not?" "Patience little diva, now here, take this and sing the aria". He handed me the final song to the opera Hannibal. I sang and let the music fill me up as I had done before. After I had sung it the phantom asked me "What do you do when you sing?" "I let the music fill me up and I tune out everything around me" "That's very good but when you sing you have little emotion so the next time sing it with everything you've got" I nodded my head and tried it again, this time singing it with the passion I had felt when I was with Johnny. "Now that was amazing little diva, how did you do that?" the phantom asked when I finished, "well I just thought of something happy when I sang." I touched the necklace Johnny had given me before he dumped me. It was a rose sword, he knew that I loved to sword fight so he gave me the necklace. I asked the phantom "What am I to call you, I don't want to keep calling you phantom, because that's more of a title than a name." "Erik, you may call me Erik" he said. I yawned and Erik said "You're tired you should get some sleep, I'll take you back to your room". He led me to the boat and got in behind me and pushed off, he led me to the mirror and I gave him a kiss on the cheek. I stepped out of the mirror and laid down on my bed and fell asleep fully clothed.
The Phantoms POV
Why did I get involved with this stage hand she was beautiful and a had a voice like an angel but she would be like all the others she would be repulsed by my face, but maybe not, she was different than Christine, she didn't care about looks but what lied in the heart. I knew that from the moment she sang that I was in love all over again. But this love was different than Christine's love, I was obsessed with Christine maybe because she was the first woman I had ever laid eyes on, but the love I had for Angel was much different. I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let her go, I wanted to kiss her with all the passion I felt in my heart. I retired to my lair and got into bed thinking about Angel.
