Before the Phantom

A New Beginning

Twenty-two Years Later,

A thirty year old woman stared up at her new home, The Opera Populaire. Her hair had retained its dark waves, and her ice-blue eyes were as piercing as ever. She fiddled with the chain around her neck, and the ring still shined as bright as the day she was given it.

Nadette's husband loved her with every fiber of his being, and he made her happy. He loved her spirit, and her courage, and her heart, and he loved them completely. So, when he got up enough money to buy a ring, he did. And she had accepted it with a smile.

At twenty-eight she was married, and at twenty-nine she was a widow. He had caught pneumonia one night, and it had progressed so quickly the doctors hardly knew what had happened.  So, at thirty she had accepted how difficult it would be to find a husband at her age, and she had begun to look for a means of providing for herself.

One day, an ad came through the paper that the Opera House was looking for a new pianist: an accompanist who could not only play in an orchestra, but also who could accompany a solo performer.

She had packed a bag, journeyed to the center of Paris, and auditioned.  She had earned herself a place in this strange city, in a strange opera house, with a strange tale.

The ballet girls had already told her stories of the ghost which supposedly haunted the building.  Apparently, he had taken a shine to the young soprano, Christine, who was a true talent and was sure to rise in both fame and reputation.  Why shouldn't he?  The young woman was both beautiful and sweet, and her voice was one which the angels would weep upon hearing.

Now, as she moved her few possessions into her room, she grinned at the young soprano as she spoke of "her angel."

Christine was scheduled to have her very first performance that night as Elissa in "Hannibal." Tonight was also the previous pianist's last night, and he would have a small tribute after the show.

"I think I may have angered him." Christine said sadly, "I was five minutes late to my lesson this morning and he did not answer me when I prayed to him.  Tonight is my first performance! I sing for him, but I need his help! It is such a difficult aria, Nadette, and I cannot seem to breathe properly! What if I fail him?"

Nadette chuckled at the girl, "Christine, you sing beautifully, and if your angel refused to teach you just for being slightly late once, that is his loss." 

Nadette did not really believe that an angel of music was teaching Christine, but for the naive girl's sake, she played along.

"I'm just so worried for tonight." Christine sighed.

"Well, would you like to practice it?  My practice room is fairly isolated, so I am sure we will not be heard." Nadette offered.

"Oh! Oh would you? That would be wonderful!" Christine cried.

The woman laughed, "Well come on then.  It's only a few doors down."

The now gleeful Christine hooked her arm through her new friend's and practically dragged her down the hallway. The pair stopped at a small door which led to what used to be a small dressing room. It's only contents were a piano and bench, a tiny writing desk with a candle and a stool, and a mirror.

"Come in, Christine. I was given a copy of the sheet music just incase Monsieur Fournier is unable to play tonight. Let's begin from the beginning of the aria, do you need to warm your voice?" Nadette asked.

"No, I am prepared enough." She replied.

"Good. Let's begin."

And Nadette started playing, and Christine started singing, and the pair made beautiful music, smiling at each-other the whole while.

"Well done Christine! It was marvelous, and while I do see what you mean about your breathing, it is easily fixed."

Nadette stood up and placed her hands on Christine's shoulders, turning her toward the mirror.

"Now, you seem to have something reversed. Instead of having support in your abdomen, and your shoulders relaxed, you are doing the opposite. So, relax these, " Nadette gently pushed the girl's shoulder's down, "and have tension here." She pointed to her lower stomach.

Christine grinned at the woman, already feeling more secure in her voice.

"And one more thing." Nadette said, "Look into the mirror, and imagine as if you are seeing your Angel, and singing just to him. The next time you sing, I will not be in the room. It will just be you, and your Angel, and the music."

The soprano nodded, and something came over her. Nadette began to play once more, and Christine's already angelic voice soared through the halls, and seemed to carry all the way up to Heaven itself.

As they went through it once more, just to iron out the kinks, they didn't know that there was someone else listening, and watching, from behind the mirror.

Insolent woman. He thought to himself. I am Christine's teacher. How dare she?

He had to admit though, that his own angel sounded much better than he could have imagined. This realization only made him angrier, and he hated that he could not have taught her that himself.

He watched Christine as though in a trance, but his gaze somehow drifted to the new accompanist. Who was this strange woman?

And why did she seem so very familiar?