Hide No Longer

Chapter 1

I don't own The Phantom of the Opera!!!! Just the characters I created!

Chapter 1 (Waking Up To Pain)

(2014)

I zipped up my violin case, grabbed the rest of my luggage and began to walk out of the door that belonged to the house I grew up in. My entire life it was home, and now it's been tragically ripped from my grasp. My car awaited me outside as I began to put all my belongings in it, I took all of the things that mattered most to me. A picture fell out of one of my suitcases, the glass shattered. 'It now matches my heart' I thought to myself, as I picked it up I began to shed a tear as a flashback occurred.

(Flashback)

Leaving the Cassation Opera House, I and my parents headed to the car,

"That was a wonderful performance don't you think Elise?" my mother asked me.

"Oh my gosh yes! Can we come back again soon? Maybe even visit Renee again?" I asked with excitement.

"Perhaps, she has been pestering me about visiting, and we don't see her as often as we use to." she replied with a bit of nostalgia.

"She said I should audition someday! She knows I play violin and I would love to play there someday!" I shouted with joy.

"Maybe someday you will, but don't forget college first." she stated with a giggle at my giddiness.

"I know I know." I replied.

We soon began to head home, the car sped along the icy roads as the snow continued to fall, out of nowhere a deer hopped onto the road! I let out a scream of sheer terror as the headlights hit it, my dad swerved the car, clawing at the wheel, we began to hydroplane over the ice. The tires screeched until we went off road, the front of the car impacted a tree, then everything went black.

I saw a bright light, I rapidly blinked my eyes and raised a hand shielding my eyes trying to look around. 'Am I dead?!' I thought in fear, my vision began to clear and I saw I was in a hospital bed, pain began to wash over me.

"What happened?" I thought aloud,

"You were in a car accident, don't you remember?" a familiar voice asked, it was Renee Giry. I soon remembered what she was talking about, worry filled my mind,

"Are my parents okay?!" I asked with tears beginning to fill my eyes.

"I'm so sorry, your father died on impact, your mother made it to the hospital but passed away in surgery." she spoke softly with obvious pain in her voice.

I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my face, I tried wiping them away but failed. "Where am I supposed to go?" I asked with my voice weak.

"Your parents didn't tell you?" she seemed a bit puzzled at my question.

"Tell me what?" I questioned with tears still drenching my face.

She got up from her chair and sat beside me on the bed, hugged me and began to stroke the back of my hair.

"Your parents and I were really good friends for a long time, I was the only family they had here. When you were born they made me your godmother." She voiced softly.

I looked up at her and sniveled, with a questioning look. "You are welcome to come live with me in the opera house my dear." She clarified. I hugged her, and continued to sob.

(End Of Flasback)

I put the picture back in the suitcase and picked up the glass, I got in the car and sat there for a bit. I didn't expect to be nineteen and an orphan, but then again I didn't expect Renee to be my godmother. I snapped out of my thoughts and started up the car and drove to the end of the driveway and stopped, looking back at what was possibly the last time I would ever see the house my parents once owned.

Arriving at the grand gates of the opera house, the gatekeeper walked up to my car, I rolled down my window. "Hello ma'am ID please?" He held out his hand, handing him my drivers license I gave a half smile to which he gave a big toothy smile.

"Ah! Ms. Elise Daae, Ms. Giry has been expecting you!" he announced handing my license back.

The ornate gates opened, I gawked at the magnificence of the intricate detail of the golden roses that trailed up the top and along the bars. Driving down the winding road, the opera house soon came into view on the hill that it sat, it was so beautiful with its tall white columns towering above the trees.

It grew closer and closer, I came to the parking lot in front of the opera house, I turned off my car, got out and decided to take in all the initial beauty of the place. I saw the pond with the cherry blossom trees all around, with a few stone benches underneath them close to the shore of the pond, and a gazebo nearby. I walked to the side of the opera house and saw something I hadn't seen here before, a tall stone fence.

There was a giant rock at the bottom of the fence, I climbed the rock to get a peek over the stone wall. To my amazement it was a gorgeous hidden garden, I was about to jump over the fence to get a better look around when I heard strange music coming from the opera house. It seemed to come from the top of the building, I looked up confused, but I had no idea where it could be coming from. I heard a voice behind me, I screeched and fell backwards landing on the ground.

"Hello Elise! Snooping around are we?" I picked myself up, discovering the voice which scared me to my almost death was Renee.

"You scared the crap out of me!" I yelled jokingly with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that dear." she giggled as we walked towards my car, I opened the trunk and grabbed a suitcase and a bag, Renee helped.

"Thank you." I spoke rolling the suitcase towards the steps of the opera house.

"You're welcome, these bags are heavy I couldn't let you do this all by yourself!" she stated.

"No no, I meant thank you, for everything. Especially for taking me in like this." I said stopping right before the steps, she stopped and looked back at me.

"You don't have to thank me dear, you're family, and family takes care of each other." she spoke with a genuine smile on her face as she put a hand on my shoulder, I smiled back with tears forming in my eyes.

I hugged her, she was shocked a bit at first but hugged me back. "Let's get inside dear, it may be the beginning of spring but it's still deathly cold out!" she chuckled, we walked up the steps into the opera house.

Hello all it's the end of the first chapter!!!!! I'm so excited about it! I'm starting on writing the second chapter tonight. Please please comment and rate or whatever lol! Thank you! Yours truly, MW.