Disclaimer: No, I own this...that's why I'm female and posting this on the internet!
A/N: Okay, this is going to be part of a series all of which are intitled "Out of the Mouths," referring the the old saying "out of the mouths of babes." The stories aren't meant to be read in any particular order and are in different fandoms. They are just a new style I'm tyring out and this happens to be the first one.
The old Opera House was haunted, everyone agreed. But Laurie didn't mind when she went there to practice ballet. She didn't mind that the Opera House breathed ghosts, because she had always seen ghosts and at this point wasn't particularly bothered by them. In fact, she had enjoyed learning ballet from the old prima donnas and dancing in a corps of ghostly ballerinas of old. Everyone else thought she was strange. But Laurie had never minded what other people had thought. Her mother had said it was gift.
Laurie ended her imaginary performance in first position, her chest heaving under her black leotard, the chiffon wrap skirt fluttering back into position. A faint applause greeted her finale and Laurie looked up, confused. She hadn't been dancing with any of the opera ghosts, and she was sure she would have noticed someone else. But no one was there. Instead, a red rose tied with a black ribbon rested gently on the stage in front of her. Laurie bent down and picked up the rose, twirling it in her fingers. She was sure she would have noticed if someone had entered the room, but she had heard or seen nothing. Laurie blinked and looked around for a ghostly audience. She spun and stopped, having caught the tale end of a fluttering black cape heading off into the wings. Laurie didn't give chase, if the ghost wanted to speak to her, the ghost would. Instead she reached into the front row and pulled out a sketchpad and a pencil.
Flipping to a blank page, she started with the cape, and went from there, imagining a black suit underneath. As she came to the head she outlined eyes and a nose and a mouth. She abandoned them for outlining slicked back hair, the outline of which she had only just caught. Finishing this, Laurie looked up and blinked. The stage had been inches thick in dust the first time she had come here, and Laurie had never gotten around to dusting the entirety of the stage. So it wasn't the fact that there was a dust patch in front of her that threw her off, it was the fact that a mask was drawn in the dust in front of her. Cocking her head, she turned back to her sketch and drew in the mask. As she started to carry the mask across both eyes, dust suddenly fluttered on her sketchpad. Laurie looked around before shrugging and erasing that part of the mask, covering only the one side of the face. She added the finishing touches on the picture without any aid, but now Laurie was curious to meet her spectral assistant.
She found him sitting in the front row, a tall man in a black suit with slicked back brown hair and a flowing black cape. The left side of his face was covered in a simple white mask, but the other side had dark angelic features. One hand extended out toward her, and Laurie unconsciously reached for it.
"Come to me angel of music" He hummed and Laurie dropped her hand, stepping back. He started at her expression, her brown eyes looking a mixture of sorrow and pity. She stepped away from him as he stood and shook her head. When his expression turned questioning, she pointed to her throat and opened and closed her mouth noiselessly.
"You are mute." She nodded, leaning into the deep seductive voice, "You are not my angel and yet you see me, how can that be?" He asked, frustrated. Laurie grabbed her sketchbook and pencil and scribbled quickly, before showing it to him.
I have always seen ghosts.
"I see, so I am nothing new to you." Laurie shrugged and the ghost ran his fingers through his hair. Laurie bit her lip, before writing again.
You haven't passed on. Maybe I can help you? The man shook his head when he finished reading.
"There is nothing you can do. Leave me to my solitude." He said before vanishing. Laurie looked at where the ghost had been sorrowfully, she had really wanted to help him pass on.
"LAURIE!" Laurie looked up to see the very real figure of her older brother. He looked impatient as he waited for her, holding out a black skirt and cardigan. Laurie packed up her pencil case and slipped off her ballet pointe shoes, replacing them with black flats. As she reached to pack her sketchbook she stared at the picture for a moment before tearing off a piece, writing a quick note, and leaving to follow her brother.
The Phantom of the Opera
Erik watched the girl leave. She had reminded him of Christine, with her blonde hair pulled back with a black ribbon. A Christine in mourning, Erik corrected, noting her all black attire. He watched her leave with the man he assumed was her brother before going down to look at the note she had obviously left him. As he read it he laughed, he had never had a girl react to his situation quite the way this Laurie girl had.
If you change your mind, my offer still stands – Laurie Lorrayne
The Phantom of the Opera
"You know, sometimes I wonder about you Laurie. Mom wouldn't have wanted you spending all your time in that old opera house. Have you ever tried going somewhere where you could meet some kids your age, maybe make friends?" Laurie stared out the window, ignoring the conversation. She had heard it many times since her mother had died, ridding Laurie of the only person who had believed that Laurie could see ghosts. But Laurie had not had a lot of time to be sad about losing her mother, she had discovered the Opera House shortly after and even if it was strange, dancing did a lot to prevent her from mourning mutely. Suddenly, Laurie hit the dashboard with her fist. Predictably her brother stopped, and Laurie pointed urgently at the library. Her brother raised an eyebrow.
"The library Laurie? After you've been missing all day? Dad's not going to like this." He said. Laurie pleaded with him with her eyes, before he finally sighed and backed up, dropping her off at the library. Laurie stepped out of the car and replaced her chiffon skirt with a black pleated one and covered the leotard with a cardigan. She patted her hair before cheerfully waving at her brother and racing into the library. When she wanted to go home, one of the librarians would call for her. She had done it before.
Laurie slowed down when she entered the library, but still rushed over to the computers. She pulled out the black bag with the pink ballet slippers embroidered on the front and grabbed her sketchbook. Flipping through the pages she pulled Google up on the computer. Quickly she called up the local newspaper archives and put in a search for the opera house. There were several hits from the time of the opening of the opera house to the early 1900s. Finally Laurie hit an article talking about the strange circumstances leading to the closing of the Opera House. Reading back, Laurie got a story of a so-called "Opera Ghost" who furthered the career of Christine Daae, who later married some Viscount. Laurie grinned, recognizing the picture she had drawn as that of the ghost in the Opera House. Next she put in Christine Daae, and while there wasn't much about the women or her descendants, it did mention that she had been buried in the local graveyard. Laurie took some quick notes, before turning to shut down the search and leaving the library.
The Phantom of the Opera
Laurie woke up with a start, remembering the dream. It had taken place at the Opera House, but an Opera House that had not seen as many years as the one she knew. The dream seemed like scenes of a memory: a woman in white, a bride dummy, an underground lair, a masked man, a man in a top hat, ballerinas, and an annoying singer with horrible taste in clothing. But Laurie was used to these memory-dreams. She knew what it meant, and she grinned as she turned on the light by her side.
Laurie grabbed the black leotard she had been wearing and pulled on the same pleated skirt and shoes. She ran a quick brush through her hair before taking her black satin ribbon and tying her hair back in a low ponytail. She contemplated writing a note, but when a glance at the clock told her it was ten till eleven she decided she would be back before she was missed. As she slipped down the stairs and out the door, she grabbed her cardigan. She closed the door gently behind her and raced down the dimly lit street to the old Opera House.
Laurie huffed as she struggled to control her breathing, and headed down the sides of the orchestra seating. The "Opera Ghost" was waiting for her.
"I did not expect you so quickly."
I recognized what the dream meant. Laurie wrote in the dust. He nodded.
Are you the "Opera Ghost"?
"So you've been researching me. Yes, that is one of the many names I acquired." He said with a faint chuckle.
Is Christine Daae your angel of music?
"Yes." He replied sharply, all mirth gone in the few seconds it had taken her to spell the question. Laurie hesitated before beginning her next step.
You can't pass on without her. Did she pass on and leave you, or can you not find her? He underlined the second idea and Laurie nodded. Laurie brushed the dust where she had written, erasing her words before reaching out to grab the phantom's hand. Although she had never touched one of the ghosts, she was not surprised that her hand did not go through his, and that she felt warmth where his hand was in her grip. Laurie pulled him on a search of the Opera House, but as she had expected, Christine was no where to be seen. So Laurie pulled the phantom out of the Opera House and down the street to where the graveyard, and Christine's tomb, waited.
Laurie pushed open the gate to the graveyard; it was only closed on Halloween, and headed toward the back of the graveyard, where all the old tombs waited. The phantom drifted behind her, somewhat amused at Laurie's forcefulness and somewhat nervous about meeting or not meeting Christine here. Laurie treaded through the tombstones before she saw something in the row ahead of her. Laurie let go of the phantom in her eagerness to approach the woman dressed in black widow's garb. Laurie tapped the grave next to the woman to warn of her approach and the woman predictably turned. Laurie opened her mouth in an intake of breath, the woman was beautiful, even grieving. The woman gave her a pleasant smile.
"You're out late. Are you lost?" Laurie shook her head then pointed at the tomb and the woman in turn. The woman laughed.
"Yes, I am Christine Daae, if that's what you're asking." The woman suddenly paused. Laurie turned around to see the phantom staring at Christine with a strange look on his face.
"Erik. I've been waiting for you." She said, half serious, half playful.
"I couldn't find you." He said shortly, her presence had shocked him. Laurie rolled her eyes, and pushed the two ghosts together.
"It seems your little friend is annoyed with us. How did you find her anyway, singing in the Opera Chorus?" Christine teased. Erik shook his head.
"She's mute. She is a ballerina." He said, staring at Laurie almost for the very first time.
"What an unusual gift she has. Well, Erik, are you ready?" Erik nodded, and Laurie shielded her eyes as the bright light enveloped the two ghosts. When it cleared, they were gone, but they had left a present. Laurie picked up, carefully, the white half mask and the red rose that lay on top of it. Smiling, Laurie headed to a very familiar tombstone, that of her mother. Kneeling in front of her mother's grave, Laurie laid down the two gifts and cocked her head, happy that she had succeeded in her goal. Laurie curled up in front of the tomb; she would leave after a short nap. After all, she was perfectly safe here. Who would disturb her but the ghosts, and Laurie wasn't particularly bothered by ghosts anymore.