The Beginning of A Great Thing (10 years later)

I stared at myself in my mirror. I looked so different now. At nineteen, I had long, curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. A couple freckles were still covering my nose, but they weren't as noticeable as they used to be. I had actually grown several inches over the past summer and now stood at 5'7". I had on a plain, blue dress that touched the ground. It was the best one I had, so I was very proud of it. I tucked a curl behind my ear and gave one final look in the mirror. I walked over to the bed to pick up my purse, then headed down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I saw my father staring at a small picture of me. I could see a tear slide down his cheek. I walked over and rested my hand on his shoulder. He turned his head towards me and gave a faint smile.

"I can't believe this is really it. I know that this is a great chance for you, but I am still going to miss you." I hugged him tightly and then stepped back. There was a knock on our door and me and father turned to face each other. We knew who it was and that this really was the end, at least for a while. I squeezed his shoulder one last time, then went to answer the door. I opened it up to find a carriage driver.

"Are you ready, ma'am?" I nodded and walked over to the small corner of the parlor to get my luggage. I gave one final glance at my father and then walked out the door. Once I was seated in the carriage, I gave one last look at the house that I had known for nineteen years. I also looked over to the small house beside ours that was starting to fall down. The memory of a young boy with a white mask was still very visible in my mind. I turned away quickly as the carriage started to lurch forward.

The ride wasn't too long, but it sure did seem like it was. I had almost fallen a sleep, when all of a sudden I heard a scream. I looked over to see a small girl being chased my a large boy. He caught her up in his arms and tickled her. I smiled at the scene before me. Then, off into the distance I could see the object of my destination. It was very large and seemed to take my breath away just looking at it. Sure, I head seen it before but that was two years ago. The carriage stopped a few minutes later and the driver helped me out. I retrieved my luggage from the back of the carriage and payed the man for the ride. As he drove away, I stepped closer to the door. I couldn't believe I was going to sing at the Paris Opera House!

I had walked inside and stopped in utter amazement. It was even more beautiful than I could imagine! I heard a voice to my left and quickly shook myself out of the trance I had been in. I saw a middle-aged man with a mustache walking towards me. I smiled and put my hand in his outstretched one. He raised it to his lips and I could feel myself blushing.

"You must be Rachel Thompson. I am Firmin, one of the owners of the Opera House. Andre' is the other owner, and I do believe he was the one that sent you the letter, am I right?"

"Um, yes, it was signed Andre'."

"Good! We are very happy that you could join us. We have a room picked out for you already and Charles will take you there and see that you get settled in. Charles, she is ready!" A man dressed in a servants uniform walked in from another hall. He took my luggage and led me down the hall. I heard Firmin's voice shout from behind me, so I turned in his direction.

"When it is time for the first rehearsal to begin, I will send Madame Giry after you." With that, he briskly walked away. I turned back to Charles and he smiled at me.

"This way, madame." I followed him down a long hallway to an even bigger hallway with many doors. He led me to the last one on the left and opened the door with a key. He gave the key to me and allowed me to walk into the room. It was very beautiful! There was a small bed in the right corner next to a vanity. On the left side of the room there was a changing screen with many paintings on the wall. The grandest thing, though, was the huge mirror that covered up the wall across from the door. Its frame was pure gold and it didn't have a single smudge on the glass. I had forgotten that Charles was there until I heard him clear his throat. I turned back to him and smiled.

"Are you satisfied, madame?"

"Oh, yes, it is wonderful, thank you!" He bowed and bid me good day. I turned back to my room and decided to start unpacking. I wouldn't want to be late for my first rehearsal.

(Author's Note: So, what did you think? I'm thinking I'll add Erik into the next chapter. We'll see! Please review and tell me your opinion! Oh, and I'm sorry it's short! I'll try and make the next one longer!)