Seven

"Why so silent good messieurs?"

That was the question he asked, as he came down the stairs, dressed in red - no, crimson. A bright crimson, with a skull for a face, I had lived there all my life, and never seen the likes of such a man in all my seven years on this earth. I watched, as my mother went pale, and looked up again, to try and find this crimson man; but to no avail, as he had vanished as quickly as he had come.

Twelve

I knew that there was something that my parents were keeping from me. The whole company was keeping something from me, something to do with the diva Carlotta getting injured earlier on in the week. I may be young, but I was not blind, like so many thought me to be. I had known that Joseph couldn't have been at his post when the scenery fell on the diva, because up until the crash, I had been talking to the man myself.

After I reached the scene, I watched as the letter was given to the managers, and heard them grumble about the large amount of money, but not refuse the demand. Then I saw what nobody else did, a second letter, drifting from the rafters. I looked up to see a flash of white, and then looked down again, to see Madame Giry pocketing the letter, with a look in her eyes that said, 'tell none of this'.

Fourteen

They had found out. My parents had found out about the Phantom tutoring me, and were going to try to kill him- for the second time as I discovered. There was going to be a masquerade, and they would capture him there with the help of the police.

His lair was dark, but the boat wasn't there at the dock. I had to tell him anyway, so I swam there. He was at the waters edge looking slightly bemused as he waited for me.

"They're going to kill you."

I blurted it out before I could stop myself. He looked down at me standing there in the water.

"I know."

"Then stop them!"

"No."

"Why not?" I was almost crying at this point. "I can't let you leave yet."

"Then," he said quietly "were I to go to this masquerade, would you be my dance partner?"

I nodded, desperate that I should get to be the last one to see him.

We went to the ball, and danced for a while before anyone even noticed we were there, which proved that the people here were both blind and stupid as we were the only couple wearing red in the whole room. They tried to capture us both, my own father accusing me of being his accomplice. The floor gave way, and I finally saw how he left the first time I saw him at that first masquerade - by a devils trapdoor set into the floor that was made to fit and look like part of the designs.

There was a mob coming after us as we raced to the mirrors, he picking up a candle holder to smash them with, myself looking out for the mob, that was led by the managers, Meg, and my parents. We heard their cries as we rushed down the hidden passage, and up into the city of Paris, far from the opera house. The only things they found that day were a rose, and a ribbon.

We never went back to the opera house, and soon they stopped searching for us. We have proven that although people may look different, they shouldn't be shunned. And our story will live on forever, as long as there are stories, they will tell of the Phantom, and the girl who seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.