Midnight had crept over the city of Paris: the blinding darkness had swallowed the light around the city. No-one was roaming the streets. All was quiet. But the peaceful silence was soon disturbed by a young girl running through the alleyways. Two men were running after her, shouting. The girl rounded a corner and stopped from exhaustion. The men were getting closer. She could hear their voices right around the corner from her. She took a deep breath, picked up her skirt and started running again.
The girl turned another corner and hit something hard. She found herself on the solid ground rubbing her head. She looked up to see a tall, skinny figure on the ground in front of her wearing a long cloak. That was all she could see: the darkness prevented her from noticing anymore.
"Oh my goodness. I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she asked, standing up fast.
"No, you only nearly killed me," the man replied.
"Here. Let me help you up-" She extended her hand out to him, but he refused and stood up on his own. "I'm sorry I knocked you down."
"Why were you running? Can't you see it's the dead of night?" He brushed himself off then looked down at her, seeing part of her face hidden in her hooded cloak that the moon was shining on. "Why is someone like you out here, anyway?"
The girl heard the two men coming that way.
"I can't explain. I have to go. Do you know where Notre Dame cathedral is?"
"Yes. It's down that way." He pointed down the alleyway.
"Thank you. And I'm so dreadfully sorry..." she said, running off.
Clopin watched what he could of her run in the direction he had indicated. "What an odd girl."
The two men came running through, not even noticing Clopin standing in the shadows. Curious, he decided to follow them to see why they were chasing the girl. He trailed behind them from afar till they reached the cathedral. The two men went in, whilst Clopin waited outside concealed in the darkness. Minutes later, he saw the Archdeacon showing them out. They walked away ranting and raving about some girl they had to catch.
Clopin slid into Notre Dame after they left. The cathedral was empty. Frustrated, Clopin left the cathedral.
"Thank you, Father. I knew I'd be able to find help here," the girl said, walking into a secret room with her hooded cloak still on.
"I am always here to help you, my child. And so is someone else in here."
"Yes, I know. He helped me get away from..." The girl's attention drifted. The Archdeacon put his hand on her shoulder.
"From who, my child?"
"Oh, no-one, Father. Can I ask you for one more favor?"
"Anything."
"May I please stay the night? I'm scared that those men might find me. I know they will."
"Of course you may, if you don't mind sleeping in the bell tower. Quasimodo has a spare bed up there."
"Quasimodo? That's the hunchback, isn't it?" she asked, stunned to hear that he was real. "I always thought he was a legend."
"No. He is very real. But, please, do not treat him like he's not a person. Because he is a person, with emotions."
"Don't worry, Father. I know how it feels to have people stare at you and point. My skin is so fair, I look like a ghost! And my hair is so blonde, it looks white," she laughed, pulling a blonde lock from her hood. "I have no idea where I came from."
"I can understand, my child. But you are a very beautiful girl, from what I can see. Maybe people are jealous."
"I don't think they are. Well, good night, Father."
"Good night, my child."
The girl started up the stairs to the bell tower, anxious to meet Quasimodo, when something occurred to her. She turned back to the Archdeacon.
"Oh, Father, I forgot to tell you. My name is Curran."
"It is an honor to meet you, Curran. Good night."
With candle in hand, Curran climbed the stairs to the bell tower. She opened the door at the top and walked into a room. Still dark, she felt her way through quietly until she knocked over something that made a huge clang.
"Who's there?" she heard a voice in front of her.
She froze and didn't speak a word. Her heart was racing as she tried to get a word out. "Are you Quasimodo?"
Light from a lantern flashed in front of her and she saw the misshapen figure for the first time.
"Yes-" he said, holding the lantern up to her. Quasi froze also when he saw the ocean-blue eyes staring back at him. She pulled off her hood. That's when he saw her face. The face of an angel. "Are you an angel?"
"No!" She smiled. "My name is Curran and I need a place to stay for the night. The Archdeacon sent me up here."
"You can stay here. Come with me."
She followed the bellringer to another room close by. "This is my friend Esmeralda's room when she comes to stay with me. You can have her bed."
Curran sat on the wooden bed. The mattress was made of straw and feathers, which was usually uncomfortable to Curran, but she didn't care. She was too tired even to think.
"Thank you, Quasi. Sorry I woke you."
"No, it was my pleasure, Curran. So, why are you here?"
She didn't want to start a conversation - she was too tired for that - but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Can I tell you the reason in the morning? I am very tired," Curran said, trying to be polite.
"Oh, yes. I will leave you alone to sleep now. Good night."
"Good night."
Quasi left and Curran was left alone to fall asleep right when her head hit the pillow.
The girl turned another corner and hit something hard. She found herself on the solid ground rubbing her head. She looked up to see a tall, skinny figure on the ground in front of her wearing a long cloak. That was all she could see: the darkness prevented her from noticing anymore.
"Oh my goodness. I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" she asked, standing up fast.
"No, you only nearly killed me," the man replied.
"Here. Let me help you up-" She extended her hand out to him, but he refused and stood up on his own. "I'm sorry I knocked you down."
"Why were you running? Can't you see it's the dead of night?" He brushed himself off then looked down at her, seeing part of her face hidden in her hooded cloak that the moon was shining on. "Why is someone like you out here, anyway?"
The girl heard the two men coming that way.
"I can't explain. I have to go. Do you know where Notre Dame cathedral is?"
"Yes. It's down that way." He pointed down the alleyway.
"Thank you. And I'm so dreadfully sorry..." she said, running off.
Clopin watched what he could of her run in the direction he had indicated. "What an odd girl."
The two men came running through, not even noticing Clopin standing in the shadows. Curious, he decided to follow them to see why they were chasing the girl. He trailed behind them from afar till they reached the cathedral. The two men went in, whilst Clopin waited outside concealed in the darkness. Minutes later, he saw the Archdeacon showing them out. They walked away ranting and raving about some girl they had to catch.
Clopin slid into Notre Dame after they left. The cathedral was empty. Frustrated, Clopin left the cathedral.
"Thank you, Father. I knew I'd be able to find help here," the girl said, walking into a secret room with her hooded cloak still on.
"I am always here to help you, my child. And so is someone else in here."
"Yes, I know. He helped me get away from..." The girl's attention drifted. The Archdeacon put his hand on her shoulder.
"From who, my child?"
"Oh, no-one, Father. Can I ask you for one more favor?"
"Anything."
"May I please stay the night? I'm scared that those men might find me. I know they will."
"Of course you may, if you don't mind sleeping in the bell tower. Quasimodo has a spare bed up there."
"Quasimodo? That's the hunchback, isn't it?" she asked, stunned to hear that he was real. "I always thought he was a legend."
"No. He is very real. But, please, do not treat him like he's not a person. Because he is a person, with emotions."
"Don't worry, Father. I know how it feels to have people stare at you and point. My skin is so fair, I look like a ghost! And my hair is so blonde, it looks white," she laughed, pulling a blonde lock from her hood. "I have no idea where I came from."
"I can understand, my child. But you are a very beautiful girl, from what I can see. Maybe people are jealous."
"I don't think they are. Well, good night, Father."
"Good night, my child."
The girl started up the stairs to the bell tower, anxious to meet Quasimodo, when something occurred to her. She turned back to the Archdeacon.
"Oh, Father, I forgot to tell you. My name is Curran."
"It is an honor to meet you, Curran. Good night."
With candle in hand, Curran climbed the stairs to the bell tower. She opened the door at the top and walked into a room. Still dark, she felt her way through quietly until she knocked over something that made a huge clang.
"Who's there?" she heard a voice in front of her.
She froze and didn't speak a word. Her heart was racing as she tried to get a word out. "Are you Quasimodo?"
Light from a lantern flashed in front of her and she saw the misshapen figure for the first time.
"Yes-" he said, holding the lantern up to her. Quasi froze also when he saw the ocean-blue eyes staring back at him. She pulled off her hood. That's when he saw her face. The face of an angel. "Are you an angel?"
"No!" She smiled. "My name is Curran and I need a place to stay for the night. The Archdeacon sent me up here."
"You can stay here. Come with me."
She followed the bellringer to another room close by. "This is my friend Esmeralda's room when she comes to stay with me. You can have her bed."
Curran sat on the wooden bed. The mattress was made of straw and feathers, which was usually uncomfortable to Curran, but she didn't care. She was too tired even to think.
"Thank you, Quasi. Sorry I woke you."
"No, it was my pleasure, Curran. So, why are you here?"
She didn't want to start a conversation - she was too tired for that - but she didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Can I tell you the reason in the morning? I am very tired," Curran said, trying to be polite.
"Oh, yes. I will leave you alone to sleep now. Good night."
"Good night."
Quasi left and Curran was left alone to fall asleep right when her head hit the pillow.