A/N: No, Erik doesn't get to speak yet, but she meets him while she's fully conscious, so that' a step-up, right, right, RIGHT!

Sixty: Geez-Louise, girl! Calm down, you'll get there!

Me: I know but I want it now!

Sixty: Patience, you'll write it soon! Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Four: Notes from Nobody

The next morning, my back was stiff from sleeping weird and it hurt to turn my neck. I groaned a little and shifted, trying to get some feeling back to no avail. I finally just sat up, my back cracking as I rubbed my eyes and stretched as I usually did. I couldn't believe that I still hadn't woken up, but anything was better than the hospital and the Warden.

I didn't like the Warden. She was old and crabby, like a bent-over stick in the mud. She would call me names like 'crazy girl' and 'nut-job', which I found to be terribly rude of her, but I never had the guts to say anything to her, but man, did I ever dream about it!

I looked to the chair in the corner of the room and spotted a very pretty white dress with blue trim. It just barely fit as whoever this was owned by was much thicker around her middle than I was. Either way, it was beautiful, and I felt beautiful in it. I didn't feel as drained as I did the previous day, and I was tempted to do a bit of exploring when my habit kicked in.

I sauntered over to the bed and began making it as we were ordered to do each morning and just as I picked the pillow up to fluff it and lay the dull, brown blanket over top, a note fluttered down from the pillow case.

It was on parchment thicker than my walls back 'home' at the hospital and the pale paper was edged with black. In the center, keeping the top down was a red-wax skull. I carefully opened it, making sure not to damage the wax imprint as I found it seriously cool, and pulled out a note that was folded in half. I unfolded it and read over the note, which was done in loopy, beautiful print that wasn't exactly feminine, but still very pretty.

My Dear Newcomer,

Welcome to my Opera house, may you enjoy your stay. Speak with Mme. Giry about my rules and I shall have no reason to harm you. A word of advice, ear plugs are recommended when La Carlotta 'preforms'.

May your health return swiftly,

-O.G

I smiled when I read the note and I knew I would definitely be getting some of those ear plugs that he mentioned. I tucked the note into my dress pocket with another big grin and decided that exploring would be best. I reached up and let my brassy-blonde hair out of its messy bun and realized that I had no shoes.

"Damn it all!" I hissed to myself before realizing that I was in the middle of a costume department. I picked up a random pair of blue shoes with a small heel and pulled them on. I ignored the corset as I did previously when I was getting dressed on the way out and let the door close behind me as I went off down the hall.

I hummed along with the music as I descended a flight of stairs. I stopped halfway and took off my shoes as I went down the steps, letting my bare feet touch the soft, red-velvet carpet. It made me smile again as I reached the bottom where my feet were met with cold marble, so I hastily returned the shoes to their proper place and sped off again towards the stage where the music was coming from.

I burst through the doors with a face-splitting grin just as Carlotta hit the highest note. I grabbed my ears and almost screamed but the orchestra conductor beat me too it when three men walked onto his stage, apparently uninvited. I walked down the aisle and hopped up the steps onto the stage to hear the speech.

I recognized Elvis and Grizzly, the two new managers from the day before, but the third man, who looked much nicer, was new.

"As you know, for some weeks there have been rumours of my imminent retirement." The third man spoke in perfect English and while some looked confused, a few ballet rats whispered the translation.

I heard Carlotta make 'I was right' noises as the new man, and evidently old manager raised his hand to silence her while I snuck around everybody else to stand beside Christine and Meg. Both looked worried to see me, but their attention was called away when the old manager, M. Lefevre spoke again

"I can now tell you that these were all true, and it is my pleasure to introduce to you the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire, M. Richard Firmin and M. Gilles Andre. I'm sure you've read that recent fortune in the junk business-" The man was cut off my M. Grizzly, whose suit was more respectable today, but his gray hair was still a frizzy mess.

"Scrap metal, actually." He snapped testily and I rolled my eyes.

"He must be rich…" I heard one of the ballet rats whose hair was bleached blonde and her face caked with make whisper. She was obviously already plotting her seduction of them and it made my nose wrinkle.

"And we're deeply honored to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte de Chagny." Elvis announced proudly and the King of the Fop's stepped forward with his feminine features, weird hair and pimp cane to casually flirt with Carlotta.

"It's Raoul." Christine said, almost as if she couldn't believe it. Meg looked just as shocked. "Before my father died, at the house by the sea, I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts, he called me Little Lotte." She said in a dreamy voice and I gave her a 'what?' face.

"Dear God, why?" I asked and she just shook her head.

"Christine! He's so handsome!" Meg squealed in her broken English and I rolled my eyes again, feeling very annoyed with the way they were behaving.

"My parents and I are honored to support all the arts. Especially the world-renowned Opera Populaire" Raoul stated after a round of applause and as much as I disliked the fellow, I was glad that he had good taste, even if Christine didn't.

Carlotta coughed as if trying to get some attention, and walked towards the unsuspecting Vicomte, holding out her hand, a huge, plastic grin breaking out onto her olive-skin that was painted mostly gold.

Carlotta was a beastly woman, with olive Italian skin and dull brown eyes. She would prance around the stage like a spoilt pony whose rider didn't have the heart to whip some sense into – not that I supported animal abuse, but in Carlotta's case, she could do with being taken down a few pegs- and let it run wild! She claimed she could sing when she couldn't hit a single note no matter how hard she tried and good God that woman did try!

"Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Guidicelli our leading soprano for five seasons now." M. Lefevre introduced and the aforementioned woman held out her hand for him to kiss. I could almost hear Christine growl when his lips barley brushed over her gold-painted hands and I couldn't blame him, who the hell wants paint that's probably riddled with lead-traces on their mouth?

"Five seasons too long." I whispered to Meg and Christine, who burst into a fit of giggles behind their hands as not to be noticed. Piangi, a portly Italian man who was wearing more face-paint than his ridiculous lover was introduced as well before the Vicomte left and I finally got to see Christine and Meg dance.

They both moved with such fluidity, like they didn't have any bones that needed to bend. They were up on pointe for most of it and they made it look painless, which I knew was a lie. Some of the other girls in the hospital used to be dancers and they told me of how painful it was on your toes to go on pointe for such a long time. If it hurt, Meg and Christine didn't show it at all, they leaped and spun with such grace that it made me a little jealous.

I followed with the new Mangers and Mme. Giry as they commented on Meg's beauty, much to her Mother's disgust. They fawned over everybody, if I recall, it was quite disgusting, like they couldn't get laid any other way.

"Friend, listen to me, everyone you see in this room, every ballet rat, every soprano, every stagehand, is jailbait. I am very sorry to tell you this, but… it's true." I watched with a smirk as Grizzly's face fell and Elvis looked crestfallen. I didn't know the rules in ye old Paris, but I'm pretty sure that if they slept with any of the girls, they'd be facing some issues.

I didn't seem to be the only one who noticed that the new Managers had their eyes on the 'dancing girls' as Carlotta called them, and she made such a fuss over it too, like she really wanted pervy attention from two very old -yet desperately trying to look younger- strangers!

Firmin and Andre got their first crash-course in Diva-Meltdown-Reversal, or DMR, and they seemed to do fine, as the attention-whore caved in and agreed to sing a song after a brief crying fit.

As soon as the first notes escaped her lips I wanted to scream for her to stop. I just couldn't deal with how she butchered the beautiful song while the Maestro tried so hard to disguise the hideousness of her voice by playing up the base. I was able to slip away, but Andre and Firmin were less lucky, they got front –row-seats to a show nobody wanted except for the weird maids that were probably paid handsomely to cheer whenever Carlotta's name was mentioned.

The wood creaked under my weight as I ascended high above the stage where the drunken stagehands were snickering about Carlotta's botched singing amongst themselves. Some of their jokes were rather explicit, but they were quite funny. When their laughs became to boisterous, I moved away into the shadows where the scenery was kept up.

I heard a creaking from somewhere near me that was not my own, I know because I was not moving. It was so quiet that the stagehands who were just ten feet away couldn't hear. I knew who it was, and truth be told, I was waiting for him.

He emerged from the shadows, not at all surprised to see me standing there and I gestured to the mess of ropes that were keeping the set piece up. I looked behind me to see that the man I took as Joseph Bouquet was busy laughing and I bad him to come over.

"Cut it." I whispered to his still form. "Cut it and if my luck holds, it will fall on her." I hissed and I swear I almost saw the Opera Ghost smile, but it was gone in an instant. I took the hint when he didn't move and ran off back down to the stage, pulling Christine and Meg out of harm's way just as the set piece crashed to the ground, almost trapping Carlotta under it but she managed to wriggle free, even with her huge, red dress.

So close. I thought as she began to scream again about the Opera Ghost just as another of his notes fluttered down from the rafters. Mme. Giry told the Mangers about the Phantom's rules and they were… less than happy about them, whist I took careful mental notes.

Meg goaded Christine into singing when Carlotta stormed off and the Manager's mouths dropped open three-feet with mine. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard in my life! In the book, Erik described her as an Angel, and now I knew why, she was an Angel; there was no way that anybody who could sing like that was a mortal, no freaking way!

Christine blushed at the positive feedback to her song and she was soon dragged away by the costume department to have her fitted for her dress, as she was thinner than Carlotta, leaving me and Mme. Giry.

"Why are you up, Annika, the doctor said-" I cut her off with a look and sighed, pulling out my note.

"I have a legitimate reason as to why I'm not resting, Mme. Giry. I have specific orders from a ghost to talk to you about the rules." I told her as she read my note, a dull laugh escaping her scowling lips that sounded very foreign.

"Very well, the Phantom of the Opera haunts this Opera house, Mademoiselle, and if you leave him be, he will have no reason to hurt you, as he says here." She stopped for air before continuing. "There is one rule he asks for all to follow, as you are not a Manager; don't go down below, it's as simple as that." She told me and I nodded.

"Don't go down below, got it." I paused, puzzled for a moment before looking at her retreating form. "When will I know if I go down below?" I asked and she shrugged, not turning to look at me as she left the theater.

"When you feel his lasso around your neck, Mademoiselle, you will know."