Chapter 1: 1919 back to 1865

1919

A woman in her late 60's, dressed in a black dress and he silver hair pulled up, stood with two younger children in front of a building of memories. She studied the sign that read over the building, Auction. She sighed and walked up the stairs inside and the children followed her.

" Grandmother, what is this place?" one asked

" This place is where it all began," she answered

" Is this where you met Him?" the other asked

" Yes," she replied

They entered the drafty building and looked all around; as she entered she saw what it use to look like in the past.

" So beautiful, you once were filled with music Opera Populaire," she thought

She walked to the stairs and touched the rotten wood and looked at the marble floor that now was cracked.

" Madam the auction is over," the man said

She looked at the man and nodded.

" I'm just looking around," she said, " I am allowed to do that?"

" Yes, of course, just be careful…you don't want to wake the ghost that lives here," the man said

The old woman smiled and said, " Yes, of course we don't want to wake a sleeping spirit."

The man nodded and walked off and she looked at the children as they looked around.

" I remember there was light, lots of light that sparkled on the grand stairwell, I remember there were people in glamorous attire. The stairwell was glistening the music calming and then…there was a man, a man in red that came from the right," she whispered, " Who was that man in red? He's taken everything that I call my own."

" Grandmother," one of the girls called

She looked up and smiled and then walked on up the staircase and stopped, she saw something on the ground. She picked it up and looked at it, the red fabric made her shiver.

" I remember like it was yesterday, when I first laid eyes on you," she whispered

1865 (54 years ago)

Meg ran down the halls tying her hair back into a ponytail and following behind Christine.

" Wait up Christine," Meg called, " I'm trying to do my hair."

Christine stopped and waited for Meg as she tied the white ribbon. They then ran down the halls in their practice attire. They ran down the stairs that were in the back stage, already late. Meg and Christine laughed about seeing young men in the audience looking at them the last time they performed.

" Meg, my angel of music came to me last night," she said, " He promised me soon I would be able to sing."

" That would be wonderful," Meg said

" His voice is so gentle, so fatherly," Christine said

Meg smiled and laughed a little bit and Christine looked at her.

" Why are you laughing?" she asked

" It sounds like you are in love with him," Meg teased

Christine slightly hit Meg at her senseless comment. They were silent as Madame Giry came down the row and looked at them.

" Meg, Christine this is the third time this week, what keeps you?" Madame Giry asked

" Sorry Mama, Christine and I were running some errands for a stagehand," Meg said

" Warm up in silence," Madame Giry said

She walked on and Meg and Christine giggled. They warmed up and rehearsed for hours and Meg and Christine looked around. Christine and Meg walked to the dressing room which Christine went to every afternoon at 4 o'clock.

" I'll see you later Meg," Christine said

Meg nodded and walked off down the halls and she heard Christine shut the door. She stopped and looked about the hallway, they suddenly became dark. Meg looked back at the room where Christine was and saw a dark shadow walk out, but then vanished. Meg ran down the hall in such a fright that she didn't see who she was running in too. She ran into Joseph Buquet.

" Oh, Joseph it's you," she said to the stagehand

" What are you doing down here?" he asked

" I brought Christine to the dressing room," Meg said, " but I saw something, I saw a living shadow."

" Oh, well that would be the Phantom," Joseph laughed

" The Phantom?" Meg questioned

Joseph smiled and shoed her off and then walked down to the room. Meg found no comfort in what Joseph said. Why would that ghost go into that room? Meg did not stay around to find out she went on.

Later, Meg and Madame Giry went to the market place. They bought some fresh food and Meg stayed silent.

" What is wrong my darling?" she asked

" Nothing," Meg said, " I was just thinking."

Madame Giry looked at her daughter and could tell she was lying, something kept her daughter mute. They continued to shop and Meg looked at the Opera Populaire then sighed.

Once done they went back to the Opera Populaire and Meg went off to find Christine. The two girls once more ran around exploring the opera house. Meg and Christine opened a door and looked down it.

" It leads to the cellars," Christine whispered

" We can't go down there," Meg said, " It belongs to the Phantom."

" Come on Meg, just to the third cellar, after all it's the forth and 5th cellar that belongs to O.G." Christine said

Meg sighed and nodded, both chorus girls walked down carefully. They looked around the dark hallways that led to each cellar. Meg held the lantern close to them as they looked down.

" Wow!" they both recited

" If you fell you would die," Meg said

Christine smiled and continued down the steps and Meg followed behind with the light. They were near to the forth cellar and there were echoes of music.

" Do you hear that Meg?" Christine questioned

" It sounds like an organ," Meg replied, " The Phantom is a musical spirit."

" Come on it's just so close," Christine said, " Come on Meg."

" No, Christine," Meg said, " I just don't feel safe taking one more step."

Christine reached out her hand and Meg sighed and took the step. Meg sighed and it was then that the tile opened up and Meg fell.

" Meg!" Christine shouted

" Christine, help me!" Meg cried

Christine reached for Meg's hands as she dangled over darkness. Christine told Meg to reach and that is just what she did, but her hand slipped. Meg screamed and Christine called through the darkness for help.

" Someone help!" Christine called

" Christine, my hand is slipping, go get help," Meg cried

" No, I won't leave you in the hands of a phantom," Christine said

Meg swung her hand to reach for the ledge and did, Christine grabbed her hands.

" I got you Meg," Christine said, " Now, I'm going to pull you."

Meg felt Christine pull her, but as she did Christine slipped and Meg fell into the pit of darkness.

" Meg!" Christine cried

Meg fell and grabbed onto a ledge and hung on, tears were falling from her face. She was scared and being at the tender age of 12 made her more of a scared child.

" Someone help me," she whispered as she cried

Meg felt her arms getting tired and she was afraid to let go. She couldn't hear Christine's voice nor the sounds of footsteps coming down. She breathed deep and tried to swing to find solid ground.

As she did a pair of hands reached out towards her. She gasped and felt the leather hands grab her.

" Who's there?" she cried

There were no words as she was lifted from the ledge. She was sat down and Meg shook of fear and coldness. Something was placed over her shoulder and then she was once more lifted. She was carried and Meg began to cry and a hand wiped her tears ever so gently from her face. Meg could not see who held her or where she was going, which increased her fear of the dark. As darkness continued, Meg fell asleep in her savior's arms. Light touched Meg's face as they came and she stirred a little. She opened her eyes and saw a shadow holding her, she was suddenly scared.

" Let me go!" she cried

The shadow looked down at her and her eyes widen in fear. She struggled to get out of his arms, but then he silenced her.

" I will not harm you," he whispered, " I will take you to your mother."

" My mother?" she whispered

She looked at the white half faced mask and tears fell from her face. She leaned her head against his chest and cried.

" Leave my family alone you spirit," she cried

" I will not hurt your family Mademoiselle Giry," he whispered

Meg looked at him and he sat her down in a soft bed and looked at her. She breathed deep as her eyes just looked at him.

" Are you He?" she asked

" I am," he said, " I am O. G."

" You're a man," Meg whispered

He turned away and Meg looked at him breathing deep. He vanished into the shadows of his darken world and Meg looked at him.

" Meg," Madame Giry's voice called

" Mama!" Meg cried out

Meg got up and ran out the room and saw her mother entering.

" Mama," Meg said almost falling on her face as she tripped over her shoe

Madame Giry wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her.

" Oh Meg," she said

" Mama, O. G. saved me, he saved me from falling to my death," she cried

Madame Giry slipped her shawl over Meg and led her up the stairs. Christine was there waiting eagerly as Meg emerged, she hugged her friend.

" I'm sorry Meg, I was weak," Christine said

" I'm ok," Meg said

Christine and Meg were both scolded though for going beyond the realms of the first cellar. They sighed and Meg kept quiet about meeting the mysterious Phantom. In fact she slept on it, wondering who he was .

" He's so mysterious, half faced masked," Meg whispered