Chapter 1: Young Hearts
1844 (26 years before Christine's Debut)
It was evening time of 1844, the air was cool, but not yet winter weather. Twelve young ballerinas who were studying at the Opera Populaire, were walking along the streets of Paris. Among one of them was a young 11 year old named Antoinette, she was the soft at heart, but yet one who knew when to become serious. She walked along with the other eleven understudies and then they came upon a traveling circus ran by gypsies. Antoinette followed the eleven girls not really caring about the circus at all. A large gypsies, rather round and bearded urged the girls to come see the Devil's Child. Antoinette walked into the canvas tent and there a large rounded cage, with a boy that had a bag over his head, was playing with a small toy monkey. The large gypsies kicked the toy monkey out the boy's hands and ripped the bag off his head. The boy covered his face, but he then kicked and beaten. The people who came laughed and threw coins, some of the understudies laughed. Antoinette looked through the bars and found her self wanting to help him. The boy stared at her as he slipped the bag over his head. She and the other girls were hurried by their mistress and Antoinette lingered.
She was startled by the event that then took place. The shrieking monkey, she then saw the boy loop a lasso around the owner's neck. He pulls it tightly and strangles the owner in, Antoinette is horrified. The boy finds away out and Antoinette runs to him just as a client comes in, she grabs his hand and leads him away. She looked at the boy as he carried the toy monkey in one hand and looked back. They hid in the shadows as torches and lanterns passed them by, she then leads him to the foot of the Opera Populaire. There she opened a trap door which leads to the chapel and let him in. She then ran off to meet him through another door. The boy looked about the empty chapel looking for Antoinette, he was met by her and she took him to the cellars. They were dreary, but she gave him some things.
" Stay here," she said, " I promise I will be back in the morning."
" Don't leave me," the boy pleaded
Antoinette looked at him and grabbed his hand, then looked around. She grabbed his hand and led him down some steps and down a hall, where there was a spare room in the cellar.
" It's not very fancy, but it will keep the dampness off you. I will come back tomorrow with food and then after practice," Antoinette said
" Do you promise, you won't leave me here?" he questioned
" I promise," she said
She quickly made off and the boy looked around the room, he wrapped the blankets around him. He sat down on the hard bed and looked at the toy monkey in his hands.
" Don't worry, I will finish you," he said, " I will live here in the depths of these cellars…I will make my own domain."
The following morning Antoinette opened the door and saw the boy asleep. He was curled up in the blankets with the toy monkey pulled close to him. She sat down the warm tea and walked over to him, she sat beside him and stared at him.
" Poor thing, what life have you known in a cage?" she whispered
She removed the sack and touched his face, she then laid beside him and looked at him as he slept. He stirred and opened his eyes and looked at her, she smiled at him. He slightly smiled and he sat up and looked about.
" Your safe here," she said
Antoinette sat up and looked at the young boy, his eyes were full of fear and awe at the same time. She looked at the bruises and sighed, then reached into a bag.
" Here, I brought you a shirt, it might be a little big, but it will keep the dampness off you." she said
She pulled out the white shirt and the boy looked at it, then slipped it on. She smiled as he tied it shut, making it so perfect. He looked at her and she stood up, then put out her hand.
" My name is Antoinette," she said, " What's yours?"
" Erik," he said
He grabbed her hand and kissed it and she smiled, he was very proper for a boy that was in a side show. He stood up and looked at her and then he hugged her.
" Thank you, your so kind," he said
She smiled and hugged him, stroking his head as he just held her.
" Don't worry Erik, I'll take care of you. You and I can build a palace in the opera house," she said, " You can be this opera house's king."
" I would like to be a king," Erik said
" Then this is your palace Erik and everyone else here are your servants. You don't have to worry about anything," she said
Erik looked at her and smiled and then kissed her cheek, she smiled with a little blush to her cheeks.
Erik's new life began with a fresh start as he began to build his palace. Antoinette would come and watch him build for hours. Slowly there were new structures in the fifth cellar, an old organ was found and fixed by Erik. He worked from the fifth up and then added trap doors. The opera house became his playground and below was his hidden palace. Antoinette groomed Erik from head to toe, she made him clothes, with some of the money she made from being a ballerina. The two became the best of friends and protectors to one another. They ran around the cellars together and when others came around Erik disappeared like a ghost.
One day Erik took her to his domain, taking the boat that would drift to his domain. Antoinette was reading to him as she sat in the boat and every once in awhile looked at the disfigured boy. Erik looked at Antoinette as she sat in the boat and he rowed it down the waterway.
" Antoinette, how old are you?" he asked
" I'm eleven," she said, " how old are you?"
" I'm 9," he said
" Are you sure?" she asked, " You seem too mature to be nine."
Erik chuckled and said, " I'm nine, I was born in 1835."
" Well that makes you two years younger than me," she said with a smile
She flipped her long brown hair behind her shoulders and looked at Erik as he rowed.
" Erik, where are you parents?" she asked
" They're dead," he said lying to her
She looked at him in a sadden way and Erik told her he was glad, because neither parent liked him. Antoinette looked at him still with pity and then stood up in the boat.
" Then I'll be your family Erik," she said, " You need family to live."
They came to a gate and Erik lifted a lever and the gate opened, there was a glistening light that suddenly broke through the dimly lit waterway. Antoinette turned around and gasped at the beautiful light. She smiled and Erik jumped down from the boat and tied it up, he then helped her out.
" It's wonderful," she said
Erik showed her around with excitement and then sat down at the organ and played her something. He had a smiled on his face, the only smile she would see as his happiness. She sat beside him and watched his hands slide across the organ keys.
" Erik, you are a wonderful architect and a musician, a genius!" she exclaimed
Erik nodded and stood up and then walked around, his finely made clothes clung to him perfectly. Antoinette looked at him as he showed her some music he managed to put together.
" One day Antoinette, I'm going to be a great composer! I'm going to be loved and starting here I will be the mysterious young boy…a ghost!" Erik exclaimed
" A ghost? But you're a mortal," Antoinette giggled
Erik looked at her as she sat at the organ, he sat beside her and showed her the music. She leaned her head on Erik's shoulder and Erik looked at her, slight shocked, but then relaxed.
" Antoinette," he whispered
" Yes?" she asked
" Will you always be my friend?" he asked
She looked at him and said, " Of course Erik, I won't leave you."
" I'm glad, cause I would be sad if you did leave me alone," Erik said, " Antoinette?"
" Yes, Erik," she replied
Erik kissed her head and hugged her and then shook his head. He told her that it was nothing and then just sat there with her in his arms. He sighed and looked at his domain.
" I love my domain," he whispered
" It's perfect Erik," she whispered
