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Description
Getting to the Beaumont's library was no easy task nowadays. Letting the manager's know that Gemma would be taking leave for a few hours was futile to their daily schedules. She feared they would let her go if she kept this up. Her head was so full of questions and wonder that they could only be released by reading old newspapers and articles back when Christine had her first debut at the Opera Garnier.

She sat at the table, newspapers all around and books piled right next to her. Her head rested in her hand as she flipped through the pages of an old newspaper slowly and carefully. Her eyes stopped wandering over the words as she spotted, in bold letters, "Opera Garnier engulfed in flames!", She read the article below it with bewilderment and shocked horror.

He cannot be alive! Gemma now started at the wall wrapped up her in own thoughts. He's dead. He has to be dead. Of all the stories Christine told her, she believed. But, the shadow which came to her that one night, she thought otherwise. The Opera Garnier had gone on fire and they even said in the article that they had gone down to the cellars to make sure that nobody was even down there. They were right. Nobody was seen underneath the opera house that night.

As Gemma put everything back in their designated places she thought of the fate she was to be given now. What was that shadow shaped as a man? It could not have been a ghost for ghosts do not take shape, nor do they wear clothes. Had she gone mad? Was she to tell soemone, maybe even Meg, of what she saw and then be placed in an asylum? No! She would not speak of this to anyone, not even Christine... But, maybe perhaps it was a trick. One of the stagehands or maybe...

Gemma narrowed her eyes at the thought of that wretched flirt, Leonard, playing tricks on her to win maybe even a smile or laugh from her. She rolled her eyes imagining him trying anything to win any woman's affections. Leonard was good at what he did though, reckless and ridiculous as it may seem. She knew she wasn't the only woman he had probably done this to.

She laughed at herself now and relaxed a bit more, clinging to the thought that it was Leonard just playing jokes on her and she was not mad. That she was not hallucinating and eventhing would go back to normal. But, what of the nights she spent singing for him? Perhaps that's why he had her go to the prayer room all the time. He couldn't know the way to her mirror like Christine's angel had. Whatever the case was, she would deal with it later the next time she had another lesson.

Before Peter could come up to her and keep her there longer than she had intended she walked out the door, waving goodbye to Mrs. Beaumont on her way out. The soft wind that rushed up against her face reminded her that winter was coming near and that hopefully, it would snow. She smiled at the memories of the soft and delicate snowflakes that would land upon her tounge as she played outside with the other children.

Lost in the memories that were keeping her warm as she walked back to the opera house she did not even notice the strange shadow lurking around her.

Description
Getting to the Beaumont's library was no easy task nowadays. Letting the manager's know that Gemma would be taking leave for a few hours was futile to their daily schedules. She feared they would let her go if she kept this up. Her head was so full of questions and wonder that they could only be released by reading old newspapers and articles back when Christine had her first debut at the Opera Garnier.

She sat at the table, newspapers all around and books piled right next to her. Her head rested in her hand as she flipped through the pages of an old newspaper slowly and carefully. Her eyes stopped wandering over the words as she spotted, in bold letters, "Opera Garnier engulfed in flames!", She read the article below it with bewilderment and shocked horror.

He cannot be alive! Gemma now started at the wall wrapped up her in own thoughts. He's dead. He has to be dead. Of all the stories Christine told her, she believed. But, the shadow which came to her that one night, she thought otherwise. The Opera Garnier had gone on fire and they even said in the article that they had gone down to the cellars to make sure that nobody was even down there. They were right. Nobody was seen underneath the opera house that night.

As Gemma put everything back in their designated places she thought of the fate she was to be given now. What was that shadow shaped as a man? It could not have been a ghost for ghosts do not take shape, nor do they wear clothes. Had she gone mad? Was she to tell soemone, maybe even Meg, of what she saw and then be placed in an asylum? No! She would not speak of this to anyone, not even Christine... But, maybe perhaps it was a trick. One of the stagehands or maybe...

Gemma narrowed her eyes at the thought of that wretched flirt, Leonard, playing tricks on her to win maybe even a smile or laugh from her. She rolled her eyes imagining him trying anything to win any woman's affections. Leonard was good at what he did though, reckless and ridiculous as it may seem. She knew she wasn't the only woman he had probably done this to.

She laughed at herself now and relaxed a bit more, clinging to the thought that it was Leonard just playing jokes on her and she was not mad. That she was not hallucinating and eventhing would go back to normal. But, what of the nights she spent singing for him? Perhaps that's why he had her go to the prayer room all the time. He couldn't know the way to her mirror like Christine's angel had. Whatever the case was, she would deal with it later the next time she had another lesson.

Before Peter could come up to her and keep her there longer than she had intended she walked out the door, waving goodbye to Mrs. Beaumont on her way out. The soft wind that rushed up against her face reminded her that winter was coming near and that hopefully, it would snow. She smiled at the memories of the soft and delicate snowflakes that would land upon her tounge as she played outside with the other children.

Lost in the memories that were keeping her warm as she walked back to the opera house she did not even notice the strange shadow lurking around her.