Chapter Two - A New World
Madame Giry bolted upright. It had been a long time since she had sensed another Futora's presence. Whoever it was, they were close-by.
"I hope whoever is here can sing...perhaps that is why they are here..." She said to herself as she dressed. Antoinette or Madame Giry, was a ballerina and the head and dance mistress of the Corps de Ballet in the Opera Populaire. She was a tall, thin and quite old, past her prime would be the politest way to say it. Still she looked fairly young, considering. Her brown and gray hair was always swept back into a tight bun or plait, severely pinned to her scalp.
Silently she slipped from her room and into the Ballet Dormitories. It was still very early in the morning. She walked along the girl's beds, checking they were all safe. Yes, there was Meg, her only daughter and child, with all the others, safely tucked up fast asleep. She turned to leave when she spotted a girl in a bed usually empty. This girl had long dark hair in soft waves and was dressed in very unusual clothing. She looked around 16.
"So this is our new Futori," Whispered Madame Giry, and she shook the girl awake.
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Christine bolted upright. She had been woken by a middle aged woman she'd never seen before.
'This has got to be a dream' she thought as she took in her surroundings.
She appeared to be in some sort of dormitory, with other girls her age and older. They were all fast asleep. Christine looked around her. There was little light; she guessed it was still early morning.
"Come with me," Said the woman, taking Christine's hand and leading her away. She was taken through many corridors and passages till they finally reached a door with 'Madame Giry' written on it. It woman unlocked the door and went inside. She gestured for Christine to sit on one of the many chairs in the room. The woman took up a chair opposite Christine.
"My dear, I know you must have a lot of questions to ask, but please let me speak first. Then I'll answer any questions you might still have." The woman said briskly. Christine opened her mouth to say something, but thought the better of it, and shut it again. "My name," The woman continued, "Is Madame Giry. I am the Ballet Mistress in this, the Opera Populaire in Paris. You have been chosen to become part of the brotherhood of the Futora. We are able, with the help of a talisman, to travel between times. Your time, and my time, 1870. You are only chosen however, if you are either, unhappy in your time, or are needed for a certain job in the time you go to. But, no one ever knows what that job will be till it's been done." Madame Giry finished.
She tilted her head, "Any questions?" She asked.
Christine was speechless. At first she had thought it all a dream, the little things were too immaculate for a dream. Like the fact she was still in her modern pajamas and she that was still wearing the necklace. She also had the most peculiar feeling someone was watching her. Christine gulped and found her mouth was dry.
"So I'm a time traveler, with a mission?" She managed to croak.
Madame nodded,
"After a fashion, yes" She said. "You'll need to visit more often to understand more. It can be quite overwhelming." Christine could only nod. She felt extremely numb, and her mind was a whirl of thoughts. Half of her didn't believe a word this woman said, but the other half did for some odd reason. Madame Giry interrupted her thoughts,
"My dear, I still don't know your name." She said. Christine broke from her trance.
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Christine. Christine Daae."
"Miss Daae then," Madame said standing up. "I am the only other Futori in Paris, but there are many others spread over France." She picked up a practice dress and some Ballet shoes. "Now, you do dance, do you not?" She asked.
"I've done Ballet since I was three, if that's what you mean," Replied Christine eyeing the dress.
"Very well then, you shall become the newest member of the Corps de Ballet. Also, you may be required to sing in the Chorus" Madame Giry told Christine. She pulled out a dressing screen and handed the practice dress to Christine. She took hold of Christine's arm gently, "But Christine," She said, suddenly serious, "There are some who would use your secrets for evil. Swear to me, never tell anyone of this."
"I'd never do such a thing, but I do swear to you not to." Christine said. She went behind the screen and began to dress. She popped her head round the screen, slightly pink in her cheeks. "You couldn't give me a hand please? I'm having trouble with this corset..." She said.
Madame Giry chuckled, then came and helped Christine. Once the corset was done, Madame Giry left Christine to finish dressing. As Christine finished tying her Ballet shoes, she returned.
"Now, we rehearse!" cried Madame Giry with a clap. Christine had then been taken back to the Dormitory, where she had been introduced to everyone as Christine Daae, a new Ballet girl.
"So you're to be one of us then?" asked Meg, Madame Giry's daughter. She was slight and blonde haired, with light blue eyes and a youthful face. She looked nothing like Madame Giry, but it had been said she looked the splitting image of her late father.
"I guess so," Replied Christine. Meg quickly became Christine's best friend. She was so full of life, and easy to talk to. As they talked about all manner of things, Meg continued,
"We are in the middle of rehearsing for Hannibal. You're to be a slave girl like me." She explained.
"Right," Christine said. She could only seem to give short, simple answers.
By now, the girls were moving out of the Dormitory and through all the corridors and passages.
"We must hurry," Meg said, "Everyone else will be waiting for us!" Christine and Meg scuttled forwards, hurrying as fast as possible. Overhead, flymen and stage hands were organizing backdrops and pulleys. Either side of them, more people were scurrying around, making props, painting masks, finishing costumes. Christine even thought she heard an orchestra tuning up. It was hard to tell, there was so much other noise. The whole place was alive with activity.
'I've never seen so many people in one place before...'thought Christine as she narrowly avoided getting trampled on.
Only a few moment's later, the girls had arrived on a grand stage. Christine stopped in her tracks. They were in a grand theatre, all gold statues and plush red velvet seats. Towering majestically, high above them all, was a huge, glittering, crystal chandelier. It was all Christine could do to stop herself gawping like a fish. Meg dragged her to one side as another party of people arrived and took up their places center-stage.
"It's the Chorus's turn first," Meg said sympathetically, "Didn't Maman tell you?" Christine shook her head. Suddenly the orchestra struck up, and the Chorus began to sing...
"Think of me,
Think of me fondly..."
"No, no, NO!" Shouted a white haired conductor. "We shall never find a replacement at this rate!" He said to another man, this one, with dark hair.
"I want you to keep trying," The man replied, "We must have someone..." Meg nudged her.
"That's Monsieur Reyer," She whispered, pointing to the conductor, "And that," She said, "Is Monsieur Firmin, one of our new managers." Christine took all this in, but she was still awe-struck by the sheer size of this place. The conductor ran a shaking hand through his hair.
"Let us try ONCE more then..." He began.
"Let's not..." said a booming voice. A menacing, half crazed laugh followed.
"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" cried Meg, clutching Christine. The laughter slowly died, but general unease remained. Not to be put off, Monsieur Reyer struck up the orchestra, and the Chorus restarted the song.
"What was that?" Whispered Christine, shaken by the experience.
"That," Meg began dramatically, "Was the Opera Ghost. He haunts this Opera Populaire and has plans to ruin everything! He has already tried to ruin the Gala. That's why the Chorus is practicing now, to cover for La Carlotta, our last Soprano, who stormed off after the Phantom dropped a piece of scenery on her!" Meg finished.
"I'll let you in on something then Meg," Christine began, glancing around her at the others, "Ever since I came here, I've been feeling like someone's watching me. Do you?" Meg could only stare at her.
"Maybe He has plans for you, but He is always watching everyone." She whispered, pointing to a seat in Box 5. Christine followed her finger and looked at the Box. A shiver tingled down her spine.
"Does he sit there?" She asked Meg. But Meg could only nod, as the Chorus had finished and it was now their cue. They were ushered on stage and Madame Giry swept in front of them all and banged her cane for quiet. She the proceeded to teach them all the slave girls dance.
All the while, Christine still couldn't get it out of her head that she was being watched. Was it the Phantom? Maybe it was because she was a new girl, and her looks were unusual. She had fair unblemished skin and very dark hair, which usually hung loose in soft curls about her shoulders, but it was now done up in a knot, to keep it from her eyes while she was dancing. She had already got many a look from the male members of the Chorus because of the unusualness of her appearance. Everyone else was olive skinned, with dark hair.
"Christine!" Madame Giry's voice cut through her thoughts, "Concentrate girl! You're out of step!" Christine rocketed back to Earth. She was four beats behind everyone else. Meg was waving madly at her.
"Move here!" She mouthed. Christine danced over to her, and continued with the rest of the dance. It was an easy dance, yet the overall look was very complicated. By the end of it, Christine was out of breath. It was beginning to get dark outside, as Meg took Christine back to the Dormitories.
"I must go back after this, they need me in the Chorus. But you need to sleep. New people always find it hard to sleep on their first night." Meg explained. "Goodnight Christine!" She said.
"Thank you Meg, goodnight to you too." Christine replied.
Meg bobbed a curtsey and left her alone. Christine slipped behind a screen and changed into her night clothes. She took her necklace out, for she had had to put it some where safe, she couldn't have worn it while dancing, and put that on too. Only a moment later, Madame Giry entered.
"You did very well today," She began, "But now, you must Futorate back to your time."
"How? I don't even know how I got here in the first place!" Christine cried. Madame Giry shook her head,
"You must fall asleep wearing, or holding your talisman. When you next wake up, you'll be back in your own time." She explained. Christine sighed.
"Thank you Madame, for everything." Christine said quietly. Madame Giry bowed her head, and swept out of the room. Christine was left alone. She lay on her bed, and closed her eyes.
"You dance...but you also sing..." whispered a haunting voice. Christine sat up. "You are an Angel of Music...Come to me, Angel of Music..." cooed the voice.
"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera." Christine whispered, shivering.
"Don't fear...I am your Angel of Music, I will watch over you. And I'll always be there singing songs in your head..." The voice echoed then died.
Christine was shaken. But, the voice was soft, and deep. It was musical too. Christine was drawn to her 'Angel' like a moth to the flame.
"I'll always be there, singing songs in your head..." The voice whispered again. Christine lay down again, soothed by this voice. It began to sing to her, softly, deep, full of emotion. She closed her eyes and fell again into a deep sleep.
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