Dear Readers,

After recently re-reading this work(And, after considering the many improvements needed), I have decided to re-write "Her Curse". My writing style over the last few months has changed drastically(Thanks to much practice), and I am just not pleased with how I have written this story. Therefore, I will be changing many things about it, adding more detail, and tying up loose ends. Don't worry! The general story line of "Her Curse" will remain the same. I just want to touch up on how I've portrayed my ideas. Hopefully this version of my fanfic will be greatly improved. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Your Obedient Servant

-Kodu-


1

Her Failure

The pain was unbearable, like knives slicing through her wrists, or like rocks jabbing her in the stomach. Tears streaked down her face as Juliet gazed up into the clear sky above. Sun splashed the Parisian rooftops with bursts of color, it's light twinkling like a friendly star through the reflection in the windows. A bird descended from the vast expanse of blue towering over her head, landing gracefully on two bony feet at the edge of one of the roofs; it's head lifted, beak parted, whistling gaily about the beauties of life and it's freedom.

What a magnificent bird.

So careless, happy...

Juliet grunted as she was slammed against a cold stone wall, the haze on her eyes lifting slightly as the shock caused her to blink. Her gaze become foggy once again, blocking out the memories that resurfaced when her vision cleared.

Not a care in the world...

Distantly she heard the sound of ripping fabric.

Nothing to mar it's beautiful existence...

The air outside seemed to drop several notches as an icy breeze blew past, curling around her stomach, whipping delicately at her loose auburn hair, swirling the torn pieces of her bodice upwards to lap gently at the tops of her breasts.

The bird dove into the air, catching a blast of wind under it's wings, and fluttered away, no longer to be a source of the girl's attentions.

Sadly, Juliet lowered her eyes, gazing at the dull gray wall before her; at the withered potted plants drooping gloomily against it; at the dark shadow advancing on her, it's clumsy feet shattering one of the clay holders; at the grubby man standing inches from her face, black and yellow teeth scraping disgustingly against her pale neck.

Why is my hair down? she thought distractedly, her mind spinning as it searched for answers to that insignificant question.

'Because he took it down,' she answered herself unconsciously.

And suddenly, all the memories came rushing back.

Darkness was the first thing that registered in her mind. It had been a constant companion throughout her life, hiding her from the scum of the streets. Keeping her safe from murderers, thieves...

...Rapists.

The man - men, seeing as another shadow stood off in the distance, no doubt awaiting his turn - fell into that last category.

The disgusting filth of the earth, seeking pleasures only a woman could provide, willing or not. Vile, retched beasts, obsessed with their thirst for power over the weaker sex. Unable to think beyond the needs of their lower bodies.

Rapists. Something either men were, are, or sought to be.

Juliet had had her share of troubles. Thievery, threats, accusations, propositions - for what, exactly, is not hard to imagine -, and even the danger of bodily harm. Lower bodily harm, to be exact. These hardships had molded her into the person she was today: a spunky, smart-mouthed girl, the exact opposite of a true lady.

Over time, the emotional strain of homelessness weighing down her shoulders had hardened her heart. It taught her how to block out the feelings she gathered from situations, and eventually she learned to ignore those situations completely.

In short, she was desensitized.

Walking down a street, passing by as a nobleman was robbed, seemed a common occurance to her. Seeing a woman being raped was not her problem, so long as the men in question kept their hands far from herself. Children being mauled by homeless beggars merely for the two pence they carried in their pockets was normal.

The fire in her dark brown - nearly black - eyes used to be a roaring flame, lashing out at anything that threatened her or another like her. She had preserved innocence, eliminating criminals with ruthless fury. After years on the streets, her hot-headed attitude had cooled a bit, realization that she couldn't he held accountable for everyone dawning on her.

Over time, her efforts dwindled down to nothing. Now it was her time to survive, her time to live, her time to find a way out of that rat-infested hole called Paris.

Two calloused hands grabbed her shoulder roughly, slight purple-black bruises already forming on her ivory skin.

"Come on, darling," whispered a low, gruff voice. The man before Juliet slid his stubby fingers down the length of her arms, leaving ruddy brown grime in their wake, and gripped her wrists harshly.

...Such a beautiful sky...

The fire that had strengthened Juliet over the years became a spark, a tiny flicker in a soul of distraught darkness.

He jerked her forward, forcing the girl against his foul-smelling chest. Holding both her slender wrists in one hand, he placed the other on her neck and began stroking lower...

Such a beautiful bird...

When the flame blew out, so did her spirit.

...And lower...

And when her spirit died, so did her resistance.

...And lo-

"What," came a harsh voice, catching the attention of both men and causing them to turn towards the maker. " - do you think you are doing to that girl!"

Juliet blinked, gazed at the man in front of her, and actually saw him for the first time.

"Well?" spoke the voice again.

This time Juliet turned her own head and squinted at the figure of a straight-backed, petite woman tapping an unneeded cane against the cobblestone streets. She could have laughed at the lady's audacity, had the situation not been so serious.

Using her appearance as a much-needed distraction, Juliet began to struggle against her captors greasy hands. The man not currently occupied with keeping the girl under control advanced slowly towards the woman.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I don't usually like older women, but I could make an exception for y-OW!"

Striking him smartly across the nose with her cane, the stern-faced lady whacked him once more across the shoulder blades, causing the man to crumple to the ground with a muffled cry of pain.

Eyes wide at seeing his partner fallen, the other man latched onto Juliet's hair and jerked her body around to where her back was pressed up against his chest.

"Merd-"

The girl elbowed him in the stomach, then, as his grip loosened, turned around and kneed him in the lower regions. Needless to say, he nearly cracked his skull with the force of his dead weight making contact with the ground. With a satisfied smirk, she bowed to the man, and jabbed him in the side with her foot as she lifted upwards.

"Don't swear in front of ladies. It's very ungentlemanly like."

Turning towards her unlikely rescuer, Juliet gripped her shoulder and began dragging the lady away from the back alley they had just escaped from.

"Come with me, mademoiselle. I'll help y-OW!"

The woman rapt Juliet's knees sharply with the edge of her stick as they walked quickly along.

"What was that for?"

Snorting - something she never did - the sharp-featured Parisian woman turned her icy gaze onto the girl, stopping just outside the front doors of the Paris Opera House.

"That's Madame Giry, to you, child. And you shall come with me. We must get you cleaned up, clothed -" She broke off to eye Juliet's ragged dress, torn from life on the streets and their recent encounter, with disdain. " - and fed. Ah, what am I to do with you? Where are your parents?"

Gazing at the magnificent building before them, trailing her dark eyes up the stone pillars and resting them on the many frozen figures above, it was easy for Juliet to pretend to ignore Madame Giry's words.

"Where are your parents, child?"

There it was again. That annoying feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her want to retch. Her knees nearly knocked together, her entire body shaking. Fist clenched and unclenched until they were stark white or bright red in turns.

"Where are your parents?" This time the Madame shook the girl lightly, causing Juliet to close her eyes and force herself into a state of calm.

She had used this trick many times before.

Where she bottled up the storm of emotions brewing inside of her, and took on a cold, collected façade.

She had done this before.

She would do it again.

And it would not fail her now.

"Dead," she whispered in an emotionless, monotone voice. Inside, she cringed, but outside, her mask was almost creepily calm.

Madame Giry made a small sound of recognition in the back of her throat, taking on the role of indifference. But her icy eyes had just gotten two shades warmer, and she unconsciously took a step closer towards the girl.

"What is your name, child?"

Juliet 'hmphed' and raised an eyebrow at the older woman beside her. "I am no one's child."

"Then what is your name?" Madame Giry's voice was strained now as her own hands clenched into fists.

The girl gazed thoughtfully at the immense, ornately decorated doors before her, a slight haze descending upon her near-black eyes.

"My name is my name, and no one else's. No one else deserves such a name. No one else is as innocent or as guilty in the same breath as I. My name is a gift and a curse, a burden and a joy. My name, Madame, is Juliet. Juliet Sa Malédiction. Remember that name."

"Come with me then, Juliet," she answered, sweeping her hand in the direction of the Opera House, her own voice toneless.

Juliet Sa Malédiction.

Remember that name.

It is both a gift and a curse.

Her curse.


Dear Readers, I do hope you enjoyed the first re-written chapter of "Her Curse". As you can see, it adds a lot more detail than the original chapter one (Which can be seen below, by the way) and moves much more slowly. I really enjoyed writing this story, but after re-reading it, had so many different ideas on how to voice my thoughts, I just HAD to do something about it. So please, review this story and tell me what you think! But, once again, no flames

Your Obedient Servant

-Kodu-


1

Her Failure

Madame Giry pulled a ragged young girl by the arm into the Paris Opera House, dragging her through the maze-like area backstage. "This will just not do," she kept telling the scratched-up, confused child. "I will not have little orphans running around the streets, dying, when there is plenty of honest work for them to do here." The fierce lady turned abruptly on the girl she was holding onto. "What is your name, child?" Juliet flinched at her hard features and stuttered. "J-Juliet. Juliet Sa Malédiction." Madame Giry eyed her suspiciously. "Why...?" but she let it drop. She then led her into a hallway where most of the rooms in the Opera House were stationed. She glanced around, looking annoyed for a while, before pushing open the door into a rather simple but beautiful room. "Here, this will be your room until we can find another in more appropriate quarters."

Juliet knew what she meant by appropriate. This room was too beautiful to be the living quarters of some homeless waif. "I will send for a bath and some clothing." The older woman's tone was still commanding but held a hint of kindness in it. "And, please, stay off the bed until we can get you cleaned up." Juliet watched as the lady walked out. She sunk to the floor and buried her head in her arms. Thoughts seemed to swirl around her head and make her dizzy. What had she been doing just before being whisked away into the Opera? The girl shuddered as she remembered. Those men were trying to...

Her heard lifted up and rested on top of her arms as she stared blankly at the mirror on the other side of the room. The dark, dark brown of her eyes reflected back to her and she was surprised by how much pain and sorrow she saw in them. Was that really how they looked? Juliet gazed at herself, willing tears to fall, but none ever came. What frightened her more than anything was her total lack of emotion towards the past few years of her life. Everything seemed like a dark and distant dream now.

Sure, the memory of it was painful but her soul told her it was over. And her mind told her that if her soul was wrong, so what? Nothing worse could happen. And her heart told her that if anything worse did happen then it would be over, eventually. If not sooner, then later. So, in that sense, things came full circle. Emotion was lost to her now, and Juliet didn't really care anymore.'Homeless child so lost and scared,

Life's burden is yours to hold.

But emotion is slowly fading,

As your heart grows dark and cold.'She sang softly to herself, not willing other ears to hear. She hummed the tune in her head and made a mental note to put it to paper sometime. But another set of ears heard her heartfelt melody behind the mirror she was so intently staring at.

The next day Juliet rose with the sun, as she always did. She put on one of the more simple dressed Madame Giry had provided for her and left her temporary room. Her bare feet made no sound on the soft hardwood floors as she progressed down the many winding passages of the Opera. Through her experience on the streets she knew how to be silent and blend in with her surroundings. Multiple times she had shrunk back into the shadows and watched a stagehand or something of the likes pass her by without the least bit of suspicion. A smile would spread across her face every time this happened. It was fun being sneaky, Juliet reasoned. But in her heart she knew it was that feeling of power - that she could jump out at any one of these people passing by, scare them out of their wits, and disappear once again - that is what gave her such a thrill.

It was still early morning, the people of the Opera just beginning to rise and fall into their daily routines, when Juliet stumbled across an abandoned hallway. The lights were turned off, cobwebs stuck to the ceiling, and there was no sound except for the creaking floor as Juliet advanced into the ominous space. She opened the first few doors on her right to find some empty rooms of no importance. But one room on the left, with the door ajar so she could see into it slightly, caught her attention. Without any thought for what might lay beyond, the young girl pushed the door open the rest of the way and gasped.

Delight glowed all over her face as she rushed into the room. It was bare except for a few curtains covering the windows and a beautiful piano sitting in the center of the room. As she advanced deeper into the deserted area, her heat beat rapidly at the sheer exquisiteness of what lay before her. The ceiling was high above her, the reason being that a balcony-like area wrapped around the entire room. It was too dark to see up there, but Juliet guessed there was a door leading to it from somewhere. An antique chandelier hung directly above the piano, it's carvings and decorations breathtaking but not too ornate.

She dusted off the piano to find it was of dark mahogany coloring and didn't seem to have a visible brand name. Her feet glided over towards the front of it and she sat herself down on the soft, padded bench. Juliet's hands shook as she slid back the wood covering up the piano's keys. She gasped as she got a good look at them. The ivory was a polished, glimmering white that stood in great contrast to the dusty outer appearance of the instrument.

She placed her hands on them, lightly gliding her fingers over each one. I haven't played in years, Juliet thought apprehensively, afraid of what noise might come out if she tried to play once again. She formed a chord in her hand and was about to press the keys when she heard her name being called softly, as if from a distance. Juliet jumped up and ran out the room towards the voice she recognized to be Madame Giry's. "Yes, yes! I'm here! I'm coming!"

Erik jumped down from the balcony area where he had been watching the girl from above. What had she been trying to do? He shook his head. He'd have to watch this girl. Something in her eyes, he had noticed it as she stared at him unknowingly through the mirror, was different. He wasn't sure if he liked it, or feared it. But either options unnerved him.

Madame Giry took Juliet by the arm fiercely. "Why weren't you in your room?" She asked sternly. Juliet's mind told her to be angry for being reprimanded in such a way, but she just didn't have the heart to argue at the moment. "I'm sorry, Madame. I was exploring the reaches of my new home." The woman just nodded and pulled Juliet on stage. "Girls!" she said to the young ballerinas. "This is Juliet. She's new here, so I suggest you treat her with respect. Meg!" The woman's young daughter, Meg Giry, quickly glided over to her mother. "Yes, mother?" "I would like you to be Mademoiselle Sa Malédiction's mentor." Meg nodded and introduced herself to Juliet.

"Pleased to meet you." She curtsied and Juliet instantly decided she like the girl. "Okay," Madame Giry continued. "Back to rehearsals. Do you dance, Juliet?" The girl shook her head. "No." "Nonsense! Watch the dance moves, I want you joining in." Juliet did as told and ended up stepping on the feet of the girl to her left repeatedly. Thankfully Madame Giry allowed her to stop before Juliet made a permanent enemy of the girl. "Well, then," the lady persisted. "You must surely sing?" Juliet gulped. "N-no." Madame Giry just rolled her eyes. "Stay here and you will practice with the choir girls next." Juliet, once again, did as told. On the lower notes she did fine and the Madame was pleasantly surprised to find her voice so sweet and natural. But as soon as they hit a high note Juliet's voice cracked and something like a screech came from her mouth.

Her face turned bright red as the other chorus girls broke out in laughter. They were silenced with one look from Madame Giry. "Well," she said, a look of defeat in her eyes. "I'm sure we'll find something you're good at." Juliet nodded her head, but inside her already laden heart was breaking. She was useless. Utterly useless.