Ch. 1 The Empty Theater
April had always wanted to be a dancer. She took lessons from around age 5 to 18. After hearing about the Opera Populaire and its restoration, she decided to try it out. After being there for about three weeks, she made a friend. Her name was Meg Giry.
After their practice one afternoon, April and Meg stayed. They sat on the stage with their feet dangling over the edge. April took her curly hair out of the bun it was in. She shook her head and flipped her hair like a model, and made a funny face. She and Meg laughed. The empty theater echoed with their laughter.
For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Meg sighed and said, "Well, I'm going to go." She got up and started to walk off stage. Then she realized her friend wasn't following her. Turning around, Meg asked, "Coming April?" April looked over and replied, "I'll come in a little bit. Don't wait up." She nodded and left quietly. April's bright green eyes scanned the giant auditorium. Then they fell onto a box. Box five, first tear to be exact. At first she thought she saw someone in it. After blinking, nothing was there. Shrugging her shoulders, April got up.
She loved to dance so much. On an empty stage with just herself, she couldn't resist. Her body flowed across it and she started dancing. April danced with emotion; with her soul. After a while, she did a small twirl and stopped.
But there was somebody watching her. The icy blue eyes in the shadows had followed her. From when she woke up to when she went to sleep, they were there.
When April had first arrived, Madame Giry showed her to her room. Someone was there, just unseen. He was there mourning for his Christine. But someone being in her room other than her had surprised him. Erik watched the beautiful green eyed young woman in front of him. Her shoulder length hair was curly. It almost reminded him of Christine. At first he hated this new girl for being so pretty and staying in his love's old room. Eventually, he learned to like her; a lot. Being the 'phantom' that he was, Erik couldn't help but follow her around. Finally, he found out her name; April. "A beautiful name for a very beautiful woman," he thought to himself.
The Opera House finally had it's first performance since 'Don Juan Triumphant'. April had danced in it. Erik watched from an unknown spot, for his usual one was taken, because everyone thought he was either dead, or just gone. Where he observed, he could see April perfectly, even her green eyes. "Those eyes…filled with such emotion." Erik couldn't help thinking that she was perfect. April was now his new obsession. "I shall do it differently this time," he told himself. She was so different from Christine. There was just something about her.