Becoming Eponine *A Les Misérables Story*

Dream One

My stomach churns as I stare in awe at the girl in front of me, the girl who was undoubtedly Eponine Thenardier. The cool air whips my skin as chills cause goose flesh to rise on the surface. The cobblestone streets are loud and busy, rich men and poor men move about. It is oddly silent for Les Miz. I've always imagined France to be filled with chanting and song, while right now it seemed normal. Eponine stands before me. Her dark hair unruly and beautiful. Her skin, stained yet perfect. Her clothes, ripped and frayed yet complementing. Her gaze was solid and calculating even as they moved to Marius. I saw no flicker of warmth in her eyes even as she gazed upon the man whom she was supposed to be in love with.

"This is a dream." I mutter to myself, I know it's true, yet this dream is unlike any other. The sounds aren't muffled, the motions aren't inhuman and the people are so real. "This is a dream." I repeat my eyes fixated on the streets, "But that doesn't mean it's not real."

"What do you mean it's not real?" Eponine turns to face me and I stare, gaping at her. Her eyebrows furrow and she crosses her strong arms.

"I'm not sure." I reply simply scanning the streets. I'm surprised at how strong my voice is, it unwavering even as I am talking to someone who is seemingly real, even though they cannot be real.

"You look lost." She says to me, I nod slowly. I can only imagine how I look to her, I glance down at what I'm wearing, a tight shirt and pair of pants with a sheet draped over the top half of my body. This was definitely not what I was wearing when I had fallen asleep.

"I'm lost myself." She tells me, her gaze shifting over to the soldiers standing in a group, taking animatedly. I expect her to say something about Marius but when she looks to him I see no interest flash in her eyes.

"I used to live with my parents, awful people, I had been constantly abused like you-"

"How, how did you know I was abused?" My voice shook at this, Eponine smiled at me half heartedly.

"I can see it in your eyes, your stance, we-the hurt and mistreated- we are young but hard to scare." I nod at her astounded.

"I live at the l'ABC café, though I don't technically own any space there I have spent the last six months under its roof, alongside these people." She indicated to the group of soldiers that I was already so familiar with. "If you are willing to fight, if you have any strength in your thin figure, you can join us." She pauses for a second, "Don't tell me you're not strong, because us wretches, we know a lot of things and we are strong."

"We know our way around." I say to her and she nods to me. As Eponine Thenardier sets off towards the ABC café I follow her. This Eponine was not the Thenardier I was familiar with.