Chapter 4: Christine Disembarks

May 1st, 1880

The Phantasma is amazing! The singers, the dancers, the acrobatics! It's amazing! And the people; their so strange. I love it! This place, this world, I might fit right in. I'm mostly interested in The "Ooh La La Girl" and the "Fabulous Miss Fleck". The women's singing and dancing were amazing; Miss Fleck…half hawk, half women? How very odd.

Just then, a ship sailed into port, photographers and crowd members surrounding the area. Penny could remember one of the photographers; the one she bumped into. "Has the Persephone docked yet?" She heard one say. Another said, "Yes, the passengers are dying to get across now."

"Here they come!"

The cameras flashed as people began walking off the massive boat. She couldn't recognize most of them, but she thought by the way the crowd acted. "Hey Misses Ester, over here!"

"Is that the latest Paris style?"

Misses Ester sounded familiar…a designer, maybe?

"Look, there's Corneal Danderbiff!"

The crowd soon began taking pictures of another man. She didn't recognize him at all.

"Hey Corneal; enjoy those pastries, did you?"

"There's nothing bigger or better over here, I can assure you."

"Thanks Corneal!"

Oh, now she did! He was a famous chief! Just then, another group came in; a group of three. The women made Penny grin widely. Could it be? Could this be real?

"Hey, there she is!"

All the photographers were calling for Miss Daae. It was her! Christine Daae! She nearly squealed with glee at the sight; this made her love Phantasma even more. It was if music was playing as Christine and her family walked off…wait, family? Well, she recognized the man, Raoul Viscount de Chagny, who was married to her. And the boy with them, must've of been their son, Gustave. She didn't know much about the two, but she did know that Raoul was desperate to get off of drinking. She also heard that it had become an addiction, but she didn't know how far. Whatever it was, she could tell the man was very angry.

"Her name is Madame de Chagny. Now, stand aside, stand aside," The man said sternly, "No pictures, no pictures of my wife, no pictures of the boy!"

Penny could understand how stressed the man was; trying to protect his wife and child from the crowd. She also could see why people would be taking so many pictures of her in the first place. "Hey, Christine," a photographer said, "Why Coney Island?"

"Yeah, your first concert in years, why aren't you singing at the Met?"

"The Viscountess by a well-known person," Raoul's patience ran dry when the crowd of photographers began to laugh. "Well-known?"

"No one's ever seen the guy! Hey how'd you lure the great Christine Daae over here anyways?"

"It's the money, right; all that American Moola?"

"Hey, Christine," asked the same man Penny bumped into, "what'cha gonna sing, Yankee Doodle Moola?"

The crowd laughed at the joke; only Penny was mad; her and Raoul that is. "My wife is an artist, sir!" Penny nodded at his statement. "I couldn't agree more!" she muttered, "How dare they treat Miss Daae like that!"

"Yeah, and her art is paying off your gambling debt," the photographer continued, "That's what they're saying in France!" This made Penny loath the man even more. It was really rude of these people to butt into other peoples' business.

"Is it true you left your entire fortune on a roulette table in Monte Carlo?" Another joked, with laughter following after. Penny could swear the Viscount was turning red hot. "Insolent rejects! How dare you!"

"Father…"

"Not now, Gustave!" the father became more stressed. If Penny had the strength she would help him out, but…

"Hey, kid," another photographer said, "How does it feel like to have a famous mother?"

"Is this you're first time in America," asked a female photographer; Penny like her, "What do plan to do on Coney?"

The boy was very shy, poor thing. But he managed to answer, embarrassed, but clearly, "I-I want to learn how to swim." The mean photographers snickered. "I said leave the child alone," Raoul said as calmly as he could, "For Heaven's sake, didn't Mr. Y send someone to receive us?" Penny began to hear a music box kind of music…apparently so did Gustave, who was the first to notice three strange faces.

Gustave: Mother, look! Right over there, across the square

"What is it?"

The crowd chattered in confusion as the three strangers walked over; Penny could recognize two of them. One looked like the host from the "Ooh La La Girl" pre-show; the female was "The Fabulous Miss Fleck". She smiled at the odd trio and as if in a trance walked through the crowd to get a better look; no one but Gustave noticed her. Before he could greet her, the trio began to sing.

Squelch: Are you ready to get in?

Are you ready to get on?

You're to start out on the journey of your lives

"What's this?" Gustave asked. Penny turned to him, a bit shocked that she had somehow walked over to him but answered smiling, "It's a publicity stunt for that freak-show on Coney," Penny explained excitedly, "It's practically the main attraction!"

Gangle: If you're ready, then get in

Once you're in then we'll get gone

And who knows once it goes where you'll be when it arrives…

"That's amazing!" Gustave exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Penny said, "I'm telling you, that Mr. Y is a bloody genius!"

Fleck: It's a fun house where the mirrors reflect what's real

Fleck, Gangle: And reality's as twisted as the mirrors reveal

And the fun is finding out what the mirrors show

Gustave turned to his parents. "Can we go?"

"Maybe later, Gustave," Christine said kindly. Raoul had calmed down as much as he could possibly; but the mean photographer's rage lifted. "This is unacceptable, do you hear me?" the man growled, "I will be taking this up with your employer, whoever he is." Gustave made a sickened look at the man. "What's his problem?"

"I don't know," Penny said with a small sneer, "But if you bump into him, run."

"I'm Gustave," the boy extended his hand to Penny, who gradually shook it. "Pleased to meet you," she said, "I'm Penny; Penny Juvieot. By the by, what do you think of this place; is it fantastic or frightening to you?"

Gustave: Everything, and everyone, it's all just how I dreamt

All the freaks, and all the fun, exactly how I dreamed

And Phantasma still awaits. Wonder what's behind its gates…

"Come now, Gustave," Christine said. The boy turned to his mother and called, "Coming mother." He turned back to Penny. "See you later, ok?" Penny nodded. "Goodbye." Penny stared as Gustave and his family disappeared into the crowd.

A/N

It's been a bit since I've sent in an author's note, but can those reading this please review? They don't have to, but I'd love to see everyone's thoughts on my story; good or bad.

Thank you