Oh Shit!

1. A lady gave me a doll

"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me, once in a while please promise me you'll try, when you find that, once again, you long to take your heart back and be free. If you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."

Emmy Rossum sings the words right through my ears and right to my heart. It's one of my favourite songs from the musical and I'm singing along while I walk down the hall against my locker. Everyone that I pass looks at me and laughs. I've been bullied for my intrest in TPOTO since my "best friend" gossiped about it.

My "best friends" name is Hannah. We used to do everything together, studie, check out boys, cook, play videogames, you know what I mean. I had liked TPOTO secretly for about two years when she found out. She said that she wouldn't tell anyone, that little viper, but the day after everyone followed me and droped bitchy comments and stuff at me. I had a hard time in the beggining, but I've learned to ignore them. After all, who are they to stand between me and my beautiful fandom.

Speaking of the devil, Hannah and her new two besties waits for me at my locker. I stop singing and pause the music.

"HeeeellOOOOOOO CAaAaAarOOOOOl!" They "sing" in opera style as I'm approaching them. I roll my eyes at them and thinks of what Erik would think of their tone-deaf song. I open my locker to drop of my books and pull out my backpack.

"Where are your dear phantom, Carol?" One of the girls, Fiona, says. "Or did you forget him in your mirror?" They laugh.

"That's sad, you two would make a perfect couple! Both are mentally disturbed and ugly as hel. The only difference is that he can sing, you can't and he's got beauty on the inside, you haven't." The other one, Klara, says coldly.

"Yeah you're just pure.. obsession." Hannah says. 

I throw the backpack over my shoulder and when I walk past them I say "Fuck off, you skunks".

When I'm outside the school area I put on the music again, but this time "All I ask of you" goes on. I make a disgussed face, but I sing along anyway, bacause it is a part of TPOTO.

"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you,"

I enter the mall, that I have to pass to reach my house.

"Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you."

I walk past the little store where they sell old things and a old lady peaks out her head. She says something to me, but I can't hear her. I take of my headphones.

"I'm sorry, but can you repete?" I say and smile. The women is short, with gray hair and deep wrinkles. Her brown eyes are kind and mysterious.

"I asked if you're listening to The Phantom of the Opera?" she smiles at me.

"Yeah.. Do you also like The Phantom of the Opera?"

"Ofcourse I do, who doesn't?" she says.

"I can think of some." I say looking down "They're bullying me for it in school."

"My dearest child, that's so sad to hear!" the old lady says. "But I have something just for you!" she says, turns back into the store and waves for me to follow.

Oh no, now she's going to trick me to buy something, I think to myself.

But I follow her, curious of what it might be. She tells me to wait by her desk, and she disappears into her office. I look around, and it looks like a fortell lady's room. The air is dusty and smooky. Old books and things, like jewlry, tea cups and candelebras, on every shelf. Flounces and amulets hangs from the roof. 

After a while the lady comes back out with a porcelain doll. The doll has unruly, brown locks, brown eyes, pale white skin and pink rosy ceeks and lips. She is quite beautiful, but I've seen far too many horror movies inclouding porcelain dolls. The lady sets the doll on her desk and turns to me.

"What's your name, my dear?" she asks.

"Umm.. Carol Greenwood, ms." I say nervously.

"Oh dear Carol, skip the pleasantries, call me Nanna!" she says as she wrights my name on a peice of paper. "Tell me something more about yourself."

"Ehh.. Like what?"

"Like, who are you most like in The Phantom of the Opera?" she smiles playfully.

"I think I'm most like Christine or Meg. Christine because she's always out in the blue, you know. And Meg because I'm not always in the center. In fact I'm never in the center. I'm also like Meg because I'm quite fearless and I really care for my friends. You know when Meg goes of to search for Christine when the phantom takes her to his liar? That's really brave and caring!" I realize that I babble and stops talking.

"Allright, it's a little Meg we have here.." Nanny says as she wrights it down. "How old are you?"

"I'm 13, ms.. I mean Nanny."

When she've wrote down all the information, creepy, I know, she takes both my hands in hers and says:

"Do you truly love The Phantom of the Opera?" she asks.

"Um yeah, obviously." I answer and nod my head.

"Then take this doll.." she says and hands me the doll. "..for it will fullfill your dreams! The doll is named Christine Daaé."

I turn the doll in my hands. It is very like Christine..

"I can see why.. But I have to save money right now, and I've seen Annabelle you know.."

"Oh no, take it as a gift! And I assure you, this doll, brings nothing but pure happiness!"

When I get home, I place the doll in my little walk in closet, where it can't stare at me when I sleep. 

Later that night, when I'm brushing my teeth while I sing "Masquerade" with the mouth full of toothpaste, I hear the melody of the song from my room. I go to check what it was, but finds nothing in my room.

Carol, this is going to far... first thinking the melodies, then yawn them, and now you hear them in your head as if they were playing in the next room!

Before I go to sleep I read a few pages from Gaston Leroux novel "The Phantom of the Opera". Then I drift of to sleep, not knowing that the adventure of my life was just round the corner.