Why, hello there! I feel extremely evil for not updating any of my other stories . But nothing has really come to me lately, besides this. I hope it flows, I do believe I've used too many adjectives :P In any case, here you go!
Love,
SarcasmIsTheBestMedecine
AKA: Maura
PS: If you can think of a better name for this story, please tell me. Thank you

The Introduction

Chapter One: The Old de Chagny House

The day – or rather, afternoon – was dark, stormy, and lonely. No one else was home, and the creaky old house we were staying in was no good company. My parents were out gallivanting through the Louvre, and my brother, Beck, was out with some French girl he met at a café yesterday. So I was stuck inside this freakishly beautiful, 190-year-old McMansion my parents had bought as a summer home on the outskirts of Paris. The estate – because no way could I call this a house – was too lovely and too huge to be worth less than 11 million dollars. But I suppose that's what you get when the net worth of your mom alone is three billion.

This is why instead of settling into a comfy, worn recliner in front of a normally sized television, in a normal living room with a DVD, I attempted to get cozy in a chic leather couch before an obscenely large plasma-screen with a built-in Blu-Ray. I sighed as I opened the gallery of discs. I squeezed my eyes shut and picked one at random. When I felt the case in my hand, I opened my eyes. The 2004 movie version of The Phantom of the Opera.

I cocked my head and looked at the case. I had recently seen the play on Broadway. It had brilliant acting, but overall was a thought-provoking piece. The Phantom was an interesting character, and his tendencies were fascinating. Raoul wasn't as foppish as people made him out to be. I thought he was a great character, and Christine was just annoying. She was whiny, and two-timing. Why would she even do that to Erik? Also, should divine punishment have damned the Phantom to living alone, or should he have gotten Christine? I popped open the case and slid the disc into the player. As the haunting melodies of "Overture" came on, I grabbed a blanket from the heavy mahogany chest by the TV. I hunkered down on the couch to watch Phantom.

I can't remember at which part I became drowsy… Somewhere between "All I Ask Of You" and "The Point of No Return". I was dozing in no time.

I awoke on the couch. I blearily rubbed my eyes and realized it was only 2 PM. I had slept through most of the movie of course. I frowned as my eyes adjusted to the TV. The Phantom has his mask off….And I must say, it wasn't frightening at all. It just reminded me of a skin condition someone I knew had. As the movie ended, I snuggled back into the couch for a longer sleep. As I shrugged the blanked back onto my shoulders and drifted off to sleep, I could've sworn I heard a voice asking "What does she have on? Why is she here? Come, we must bring Viscomte!" I had thought it was my imagination…. Was I ever wrong.

"Viscomte! Raoul!"

I turned at the mention of my name and raised an eyebrow. A recently hired servant, Sylvia, was standing wide eyed and shocked in the doorway of my study.

"What is it Sylvie?"

"A woman appeared out of nowhere into the foyer! Her clothes! She's dressed as a man would be! Oh, Viscomte, come and see!" Young Sylvie was in a state of hysteria brought on by this apparition. I walked briskly down the steps and into the foyer.

I sucked in a sharp breath. There indeed was a woman in men's clothing passed out on my canapé.

"How did she get here?" I bent down and studied her face. Not quite a beauty, but pretty. Perfect bow lips, wavy brown hair, and a thin, heart-shaped face. I raised myself back up. She was wearing almost the clothes I was now, though they seemed to fit her well - a brown waistcoat, white shirt, dark brown trousers, and black boots.

"She appeared out of thin air sir! I swear it on my husband's grave!" An older maid, Cecile exclaimed, putting her hand to her chest. "Nearly gave me a heart attack, she did!"

"Well," I sighed, settling into an armchair, "All there is to do is to wait for her awakening."

I groaned and tossed in my sleep. I knew leather was uncomfortable to sleep on, but not THIS uncomfortable. I heard whispers around my sides with gasps of "She's finally waking!"

I snapped my lids open, only to see an unfamiliar pair of blue eyes meeting mine. I let out a shriek and scrambled off of the couch-like object I had been sleeping on.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" I screamed at the unfamiliar man in front of me. I noticed a huddle of women in uniforms staring disgustedly at me in a huddle across the room. I took a moment to sweep the room with my eyes. It was indeed the same room I had been watching Phantom in a few hours before, but the furniture told me a different story. The woods were darker, richer, and the cloth was more elegant than anything the room I had seen before has ever had. I turned back to the man before me, only to see him looking curiously at me.

"My name is Viscomte Raoul de Chagny. I am the son of Count Philbert de Chagny, God rest his soul. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" The man's words tumbled off of his tongue with a soft accent that I couldn't quite place. But the name I knew all too well.

"De Chagny?" I squeaked. "Raoul? Good GOD this is NOT happening to me." I scrabbled up the couch to stand up on wobbly legs.

"Madame, please, tell me your name," Raoul frowned, holding out a hand to steady me. "Perhaps I could help find family of yours around here?"

"I am far, far away from any family of mine," I muttered, balancing myself on Raoul's arm. "My name is Lenora. Lenora Charmaine. I have no title. Now PLEASE inform me as to how I've gotten into your house."

Eh? Eh? You like? No? D; Oh well. Review please! :)