Suddenly

🌸New Beginnings 🌸

"Okay girls make sure to memorize steps 9-20 it's like you all step on each other there." Mrs. Jame said as she unplugged the music from the speaker. I packed up my ballet bag and went to the locker room to change back into a t-shirt and jeans. I grabbed my keys from my locker and headed out the door down the wooden steps of the ballet school. "AJ, hey wait up!" I turned around just barely dodging Bernadette as she tripped on a stair step. I gave her a hand and helped her back up. "Are you ok? That was quite a fall." I asked with a little laugh. "Ya I think I'm gonna be good, just a little bruise." She said steadying herself on the railing. "You got a package, I grabbed it for you!" She said handing me a cardboard box. "A package I haven't used the school's mailroom in forever?" I said confused. I took the box and pried it open struggling with the tape. "Finally." I said as the tape popped open. "What is it?" Bernadette said excitedly. "I don't really remember." I said pulling away at tissue paper and bubble wrap. I picked through till I grasped something cold. "What the?" I said pulling it out of the box. "Oh my god! I forgot about this!" I said excitedly, setting down the box and admiring the mask in my hands. "What exactly is it Aj?" Bernadette said looking at me blankly. "Oh sorry, it's the mask I bought on that online auction." I said, still admiring it. "Remember a couple months back, they were selling artifacts from the Opera Populaire." I said rubbing my finger over burn marks and a tiny crack near the eye. "It's...it's supposedly the Phantom's mask." I said smiling as I turned it around looking at all the tiny details. "You really believe that stuff?" Bernadette said, taking the mask. "Be gentle! I paid good money for this." I said slowly and carefully, taking the mask back. I slowly placed it carefully in my backpack and walked down the rest of the steps. "I must have just put the wrong address and it shipped here." I said confused. I fished through my backpack for my phone but couldn't find it. "Bernadette I hate to make you do this but can you run back upstairs and grab my phone." I said pouting with puppy dog eyes. "You're lucky I forgot my pointe shoes." She said rolling her eyes and running back up the stairs. "Meet you outside!" I yelled with a smile and walked towards the door. I grabbed the mask out of my bag looking at it proudly . I put my hand on the doorknob when I felt a sudden head rush, my vision was blurry and I leaned against the door opening it in the process. I tripped over something long under my feet. I fell forward catching myself on a pillar in front of me. "What the?" I said looking up at the pillar, "th-there's no pillars on the front of the ballet school." I said looking out at the street. The pavement road was replaced by cobblestone and the busy taxis and cars were replaced by couples walking and horses drawing carriages behind them. "What in the-." I said confused and looked down at my bag. The mask still in my hand, my bag wasn't quite a backpack anymore it was more of a leather satchel. I slid the mask into the bag and picked up my new dress walking inside. "Excuse me sir?" I said walking up to a well dressed man, he turned around in a frenzy. "What Madame, I happen to be very busy and we are not open for visitors!" He said frazzled and crumpling up a note. "Well sir I happen to dance here I'm just trying to figure out what happened here exactly." I said confused looking around at the gold and marble surrounding me, it looked nothing like what I remember. "Am I dreaming, am I sick?" I whispered to myself. "I'm very sorry Madame but I have no idea what you could be talking about and I happen to have a strong hatred for mumblers." He said dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief. "Oh um I'm very sorry sir." I said standing up straight. Whatever was going on I better start getting used to it. I don't need to stick out more than I already feel like I do. "Sir I'm the new dancer here, could happen to point me to the auditorium." I said looking up at him. "Oh heavens sake, Madame Giry!" He said turning to face a woman dressed in a black walking dress. "Yes monsieur?" She said walking over to us. "Your newest dancer Madame, can you find some dancers to show her around." He said, turning back to direct the decorators hanging up opera signs. "Carlotta." I whispered "holy-." I started. "Madame I don't remember requesting a new member." Madame Giry said looking me up and down confused. "My you've got a dancers body if I've seen one, and you must come from wealth." She said inspecting my dress. "May I ask Madame, what is your name?" She said walking back in front of me. "Antoinette." I said with a slight smile. "Yes, that's very nice but what about the rest of your name?" She said. "Oh I apologize Madame, Antoinette Johanna Maria Bryce I'm named after my ances-aunt Lady Corrienne." I said catching myself. Her eyes widened in surprise as she smiled wide, placing a hand in my arm. "Follow me Madame we have just the right spot for you, and lord knows we could use a lady of wealth and what I'm hoping is a good skill set." She said as she led me down a corridor I tried my best not to trip on my dress, between my heels and my flowing skirt I was a walking time bomb for face plants. She led me through a doorway to a room full of bouncy and talkative women in white tutus. "Girls!" She said, making a loud noise as she dropped her cane on the ground. All the girls immediately quieted themselves and stood in straight forward watching her. "Meet Antoinette, she will be our newest addition." She said as the girls in sync moved their gaze over to me. "Mistress Antoinette, these will be your new colleagues." She said, directing my gaze with her hand to look at all the girls. I nodded with a smile at the group of girls and they returned a look. "Madame, follow me I will show you a place for your belongings and get you fitted in a tutu." She said taking my hand and leading me out of the room. I could hear the girls whispering to each other as we walked away. The rest of the day was quite a blur, I was given a dressing room to keep my bag and clothing and three new ballet tutus. She informed me I could have the day to rest but tomorrow I had to be up early to learn the routine. "Well I wish I could stay but I'll be back to normal tomorrow." I said to myself as I changed into a dressing gown. I looked around the room, I came across sheet music to old operas that had been performed here. "I always wanted to perform something like this, but lord knows I'd never be able to do that." I said laughing to myself. "Oh what I'd do to be a singer." I said reading the sheet music on my bed. I hummed to the music which gradually became an attempt to sing opera, I was lucky to have had opera lessons as a little girl but only my sister ever succeeded at it. I set the papers down after tiring out my voice and blew out my candles as I'd realized it was pitch black outside. "Well I must say I'm going to miss this, but I have to tell Suzette and Bernadette all about today." I said smiling as I laid down on the comfy silk pillowcases. "Fascinating." A voice echoed through the room. I opened my eyes wide, lighting the candle next to me to search the room. "Hello?" I questioned. There was no response, I sat on the bed for at least an hour waiting for another response but nothing happened. I blew out the candle laying back down. "Well then, not gonna miss the creepy voices." I said with a little chuckle finally falling asleep.