The Angel Of Music - |P.O.T.O.|

Prologue - Overture

It was a dark, cold night, when a group of sweet young future ballerinas slipped out of their beds, so curious to unveil the misteries and magics from the new traveling fair, which was so few weeks in town. It was so flashy, colorful and noisy that they just couldn't stay any longer in the incessant and disturbing silence of their dormitories in the most acclamed Paris' Opera Populaire. Such a brilliant atmosphere, so many irrealistic reallities, so many possibilities. It was all so ravishing, so deceiving, so great. They wouldn't miss that visit for anything in this world.

As the group approached the great amount of tents, nearly a labyrinth full of colors and smells, their vision got so often more and more sparkly by the diversity of peculiarities in that place. An elastic woman, spitting fire men, gypsies swallowing swords, an acrobat monkey. Everything was so magical there, and the girls were not so sure of where exactly to look at. Yet, there was a pavilion which caught the group's attention. The name, wrote in big, distorted, red letters, was "The Devil's Child". A man appeared from inside the tent, calling them to follow him, his voice sounding almost as a deep, persuasive mantra. As they entered the dark, sufocating space, the ballet students glanced at a big iron cage, illuminated by one spotlight only. After passing through all the arrousing crowd which invaded the pavilion, they noticed a little, hooded creature. A child, stuck inside the cage. And, as simple as that, the calling man entered the iron prision with a wood stick and began to punch the tiny, misterious kid.

It seemed a joke to every single person in that place to hurt and mistreat a small, yet deformed infant, as apparently it was the Malefic Serpent's descendant itself. But there was a contradicting soul among all that laughing and contempt around. Her name was Antoinette Giry, and her expression demonstrated sadness and pity. After all, what could that creature have done to deserve all that pain and humiliation? It did not seem to be that supernatural as they were all saying. The truth is that the minor was terribly injured and scared, and needed help. But what help could come from an inocent and confused ballet student as her? She kept thinking in ways to stop that brutal man from beating the kid, but the most important element she needed is what she did not have: courage. There was nothing she could actually do, since she was only a minor, maybe just a little older than him. It was a total waste of time.

As the awful show has ended, all the crowd started undoing itself, but little Miss. Giry couldn't move. The young girl was static, as if her hands weren't able to disengage from the cold iron bars. Her eyes then followed the brutal men, who got up and straight, counting the fallen coins he got from the ground, almost to leave the cage. Suddenly, the agile kid took the stick and beat the man in the head, making him readily faint and meet the floor. The noise was too loud, and the two could hear people approaching the place again.

As it was already done, and there was nothing else to do, little Antoinette took the child by the hand and ran. They ran as nothing else mattered. They both ran beneath the star-lighted sky, and the moon was their mute witness. Finally, Miss. Giry and the kid arrived to the only home she could give him, the only place she could shelter the poor soul. Fortunately, the Opera House was big enough to hide even an enormous spitting fire creature, as the young sudents wondered in their creative minds with astonishment. Its undergroud was a real labyrinth, indeed.

With fast beating hearts and short breath, the double entered the Opera's underground, drowned in adrenaline and fear. Miss. Giry led them both to the safest place she could only think into that amount of feelings: the small chapel beneath the theatre. As they arrived, their legs trembled in exhaustion and moved their bodies to the cold ground. And an incessant, long, mortal silence invaded the room.

Afraid to cut the intense stillness after the breathtaking adventure, she dared to finally ask:

— What is your name? — Slipped from her lips. It was the one and only question which came in her restless mind, and the girl did not exactly know why.

And the great wave of silence attacked the room once more. The creatures shaking hands tormented her soul. "Is he afraid of me?", "Does he really want to be here?", "What could exist under that misterious hood of his?", she ceaselessly wondered.

— I... I don't know... — His voice whispered, so trembling and muffled by the improvised mask. So much uncertainty and... loneliness?

Antoinette was confused. How could anyone not know their own name? It couldn't be possible in her mind. But there was far too many troubled thoughts to have to worry about it as well.

— Then, I am afraid we must give you one. — That was, after all, the oly way she could try to sympathize with the young boy. — Come here! Let me take it off your head, so I can think of the right name for you.

He stood back, deadly fear in his movements.

— What is wrong?!

The child thought about his answer for a brief moment.

— N-No... no take out mask... screams and pain... — The tiny hands moved to his head, as if to protect it somehow.

— Do not worry, little nameless boy. You are safe now! I would never hurt you.

Slowly, she watched him let his guard go down, giving in to the challenging request. Now, more than never, her curiosity was exploding inside her chest. What could he be hiding under that sack-of-popatoes-made hood?

Carefully measuring her next movements, the ballerina grasped the mask gently, pulling it out of his head without hurry. Her heartbeat ran fast. Was it a human? Her eyes widened. Was it an other world thing? Her breath stuck in her chest. What exactly was that... face?

Miss Giry firmily closed her eyes and did not move, as if it depended on her life. She concentrated in what her vision had just seen. "Yes, it is horrible. But... it's harmless as well." Her left eye opened, as to guarantee if the young boy was still there, or if it was just an eerie dream. But he was there. Glancing the ground. Sad, disappointed. The right eye opened. Then, both became to analyze the being in front of her. It wasn't so bad after all. It was a human, just as scared as her. They only had two differences. First, his hole head was half deformed and hairless. And second... he had nowhere else to go. The pityful creature had no home. Since, she decided that, at least, one of those things would not be true anymore.

— Come here. — Antoinette extended her hands, waiting for his response.

Cautiously, the little boy looked up at the lady's action, inspecting the situation with fright and confusion. But, finally, surrendered and took her hands whith a little hesitation, making Miss Giry smile. She could feel that it was a good start for both. She would have to teach him far too many things, but the most important in that single moment was to build trust and understanding between them. The girl felt like he deserved a second chance, and she would give him it.

"Yes, I will take care of you. I promise."