I look around to find some means of escape from the boredom of this gathering, held at the Opera House, as I am small I can slip through the crowd easily. Finally I reach a empty corridor and walk steadily down, when I hear a man singing from within one of the rooms. I follow the voice into a dressing room, small but beautiful. As the man who sings angelically sits facing away from me, toward the wall. I walk slowly to him and clap as the song ends.

Obviously startled, he stands quickly and turns to me with anger and confusion. He is dressed quite elegantly in a suite and cape, his black hair gelled back with a porcine mask covering one half of his face. He is quite handsome with piercing golden eyes. He asks harshly "who are you? What are you doing here?" I smile slightly and say "my name is Annabelle Mary-Beth Kingslly, but you may call me Annie and I am here with my parents, my father knows the manager here and we were invited to the party. Now who may I ask are you?" the man looks at me in a conserving way and say "I'm the Phantom of the Opera and you would do well to return to your party young lady." I take a confident step forward and say "I do not wish to do well, so therefore I shall not return, but will stay here with you instead." he looks at me shocked, as if he expected me to run away.

I walk towards him and take a seat on a small bench that lays before a large mirror. I take a look at myself to see long dark brown curls resting on my shoulders, contrasting with my snow white skin, rosy lips and cheeks, then my navy blue dress that brightens my ice blue eyes.

I turn and look to the Phantom with a small smile ask "sit with me? I promise I will tell no one I saw you." reluctantly he sits besides me and asks "how old are you?" I answer honestly with pride "I just turned twelve last month" he exams me and says "so young with such confidence and a mind of your own, such things will get you in to trouble" my smile dies as I say "it always dose, but I don't care, my mother can warn me and my father can beat me as much as they wish, however I will not change who I am to fit societies means." he looks to me the shock clear in his eyes and asks "you are English no?" my smile returns as I say "yes, my father has business here, he just bought some farm land just outside the city, so decided to bring us along, however we are to return to England within a few days. And you where do you live?" he smiles slightly and says "here, at the Opera House. Your not like other young lady's, I find you intriguing and refreshing my dear." I cant help but shine with pride.

As time passes we sit and talk of many things, from our bad childhoods to our favourite flowers, mine are Roses, however I do not ask about his mask and he dose not open up about it. We speak as I notice his pocket watch, hanging freely from his waistcoat. It's beautiful, silver with a Celtic pattern around the edge and a angel carved into the centre, holding a rose with a blue diamond within it.

He catches me looking and says "do you like it?" I smile brightly up at him and answer "its beautiful", he takes it in his hand and opens it as he did so it began to play music, I close my eyes and lose myself to it. When the song ends he closes the watch and says "Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, exquisite is it not?" I gaze in fascination as I say "quite, yes" he smiles down to me, then suddenly a loud women's voice shudders our peace "Annabelle! Annabelle were are you?" I stand and say sadly "I'm afraid I must be going, but thank you for your time and friendship Phantom" he stands as I do and says "Erik, my name is Erik and thank you Annie, it is not often that I meet someone with your kindness. Here take this as a reminder of me." he hands me the pocket watch and I hug him thankfully, as he tenses uncomfortably, and say "thank you so much, goodbye Erik. don't forget about me and know that one day I shall return" he smiles down to me as I run to my mothers voice.

-6 Years Later-

Within the six years that have passed I haven't changed much, except that I'm now five foot four with a filled breast and child bearing hips.

I step from the carriage as I am greeted by the new managers of the Opera House, Andre and Firmin, whom I have known for many years, who introduce me to Raoul. I ignore them as I look to the large magnificent building before me and sigh to no one as I play with the silver chain around my neck, what hangs from it hidden just beneath my dress "beautiful, its exactly the same. After six years and its still as fabulous as I remember." I turn to the three men and say "shall we proceed" we enter the building and as Andre and Firmin show me around I say "my fathers death has left me a wealthy woman, and I would like to share my fortune with this Opera House" both managers grinned happily as Raoul stepped forward and asked "I don't intend to be rude Miss, but why would you want to spend your wealth here?" the managers scold him as I smile dimly and reply "as a child my father brought me here once and within that short time I found myself feeling protected and at home here. This Opera House is the only place that has ever risen such feeling and therefore I would like to invest in its survival and make it my official home. That, my good sir, is why I returned to France." he nodded his head in understanding.

After the tour the men showed me to my room, but didn't need to, it was the same room in which I had first met Erik, for this was the room I requested. It had been redecorated like I had asked, with bright blues and sparkling silver, all my things had arrived days before I, so where already in place, my queen bed against the far wall, my vanity cabinet on the other side of the room, my wardrobe beside it and a small locked chest at the foot of my bed hidden beneath my chest of draws. I instructed for the bench to be cushioned and painted, but for the mirror to be left as it was. I changed into my nightgown and was brushing my hair in front of my large mirror as I remembered I had seen another like it on my tour, within the opera stars dressing room.

I smiled to myself I walked around the room, placing my books on a shelf and picture of myself with a pretty red-haired woman, a large cresset scar on the left corner of her lips, both of us smiling happily and another picture of a dark-haired man with a cocky side smirk, both placed on either side of my cabinet. I smile as I look at them, my mind flooded with happy memories. I turn to go to bed taking my lantern with me, for I never concurred my fear of the dark.

I pull lightly on my chain to reveal a sliver pocket watch, the same watch I was given in this very room six years ago, and open it to hear what over the years has become my personal lullaby and drift to sleep.