Victoria stood silently, marveling at the beauty of the newly restored Paris Opera House standing before her. Its elegance and beauty was beyond her wildest dreams…even her mother's vivid description did this place no justice. A smile captured her features as she made her way inside, eager to begin her new journey here.
The managers were more than accommodating, ecstatic to have such a breath of fresh air at their opera house. Things had not been the same since the famous disaster, so this theater needed something to reel the public back in. What could be better than this exquisitely beautiful, sixteen-year-old starlet? They had heard her sing on many occasions, and she was certainly a unique catch. Though, at the same time, there was something vaguely familiar about her. She could capture an audience like no one else, seducing every soul in the house with her song and her very presence. In other words, she was exactly what they needed to reawaken the Paris Opera House after the events that took place years ago.
Her first day of rehearsal went well. She stepped into her new role easily and seamlessly. This girl was born for the stage…there was no doubt about it. She had a certain mysterious allure that left everyone in earshot breathless and wanting more. And the graceful way in which her body moved entranced even the most distractible beings.
More than anything, she loved her new home. She had always been an adventurous soul, constantly searching for new and exciting experiences, so this was certainly a welcomed opportunity for her. She had a whole new world, a new playground, at her disposal. In her boredom, she had taken to exploring the opera house, wishing to discover all of its many secrets. She left her explorations to mainly the nighttime, as she found it more thrilling, and she needed not worry about anybody else disturbing her. She had become especially fond of the rooftop. She would often find herself venturing there when she needed to be alone and think, or when she just wanted to get out and relax. Though, she often felt as if she wasn't entirely alone while she was there. She always shook it off and never thought twice about it.
This was certainly a strange, yet magical opera house. At night, she swore that she could hear the very walls singing. They always spoke of love and loss, a beautifully bittersweet voice seducing her ears and singing to her very soul. The mysticism and magic of this place never ceased to amaze her, and the alleged "singing walls" only added to that factor.
As much as she felt at home with the opera house itself, the same could not be said for the other residents. She felt a certain disconnect with them…like she was in a world all her own that was completely separate from theirs. But despite their whispers and strange looks, she was always nothing less than pleasant. Still, she'd rather be left alone with her own thoughts than be surrounded by others.
While along in her room one night, she felt the unmistakable presence yet again. She saw a shadow pass by her door, apparent by the momentary break of the strip light that normally shown under her door. Intrigued, she rose from bed and stepped outside her door, searching the halls for this…well, whatever it was. "Hello?" She called out, silently begging for an answer. Nothing but silence matched her call, so abandoning the light behind her, she made her way down the ill lit hallway. "Hello?" She called out again. "Please, don't be frightened," she gently coaxed the shadows.
An audible gasp escaped from her lips when she felt a hand come down gently on her shoulder. "Good evening, mademoiselle," a man spoke, a mischievous grin resting on his face. Victoria immediately recognized him as one of the backstage crew members. "Out for a little stroll in the moonlight, are we?" He inched closer to her.
"I was just returning to my room for the night." She shot a challenging look at him.
"That would be a wise thing to do," he spoke in an ominous voice. "The phantoms like to come out and play at night." His wicked grin returned as he continued to stare at her.
Victoria crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "I stopped fearing ghosts years ago. I'm not a little kid, you know," she pouted, her actions almost negating her previous claim. The man raised an eyebrow at her.
"I've seen grown men tremble at the mention of the ghosts that we house here. They're not your typical ghosts, mind you. We have a breed all our own," he said, winking at her.
"If you're done telling your ridiculous ghost stories, I would very much like to go to bed now," she spoke authoritatively, continuing to stare him down.
"Of course," he said, raising his hands defensively. "Who am I to keep a diva from her beauty sleep? Just remember what I said."
"Goodnight, monsieur." She held her position, waiting for him to retreat. He nodded his head and turned away, making his way back down the corridor and out of sight. Glad to be rid of him, she continued her search. Up ahead, she heard the sound of footsteps again lightly treading. "Hello?" She called out again. The footsteps picked up their pace, gradually getting softer and farther away. They were still loud enough that she could hear a distinct change in direction, going down a different corridor. She continued on, not wanting to startle this person further. Perhaps it really was a ghost after all…
As she continued, she came to a little, almost unnoticeable corridor off to the right. It was directly behind a column and would be almost invisible, had she not been intently looking for something of this nature. It was completely dark…dark enough that she could not see her own hand in front of her face. She ran her hands across the wall, searching for another hidden passageway or anything, when the texture under her hand changed from the stone walls to a wooden door. She felt around the area of the door until her hand finally brushed over the handle. Taking a deep breath in, she grabbed the handle firmly and pulled it toward her. Surprisingly to her, it was unlocked. She stared into the threshold of yet another pitch black corridor.
Before she had a chance to gather her thoughts, a loud voice suddenly filled the air. "Leave here!" the walls themselves seemed to yell in an angry tone. She screamed aloud and ran away, not slowing for even a second until she was back in the safety of her room with the door locked behind her. She pulled the covers up over her head and attempted to soothe her racing heart. She knew that this was a strange place, but she never imagined that the walls would speak to her, much less yell at her. After an hour of talking herself down, she was finally able to calm herself enough to go to sleep. Next time, she decided, maybe it would be wise to heed the warnings of those who are more familiar with the secrets of the opera house than her…
