A/N: A very pointless drabble, but see if you can guess who's telling the story! : )

Ever since I can remember, I had heard the stories about the mysterious creature locked away in the bell tower. Monster, Devil's spawn, abomination. I was forbidden from going into the tower, of even thinking about it. Once, when I was misbehaving, my mother threatened to lock me away in the tower with the creature if I didn't shape up.

But, when I listened to the bells, and heard their beautiful sounds, I couldn't help but wonder how a monster could possibly make such beautiful music. I even began to wonder if there really was a monster at all. And when the strange gypsy man with the puppets told the story of the deformed baby who grew up and became the bell ringer, I wondered who the real monster was; the man who rang the bells or the man who locked him up just because he was ugly.

Several days later, after the loud noises died down and the sun came out, when I saw the lovely gypsy lady and the captain of the guard lead out of the cathedral a strange hunched over man, I knew at once that this must be the famed "monster" of Notre Dame. He looked very apprehensive about being outside, and I felt very sorry for him. Glancing at my mother, who was staring at the man with a mixed look of curiosity and fear, I decided to go see for myself who exactly this man was.

As I ascended the steps, the man pulled away from me, looking frightened. I almost laughed. Him, afraid of little old me? I looked him over. He really was strange to look at. I reached up to touch his face, wondering if it was real. He flinched away, and I felt really bad for him if he really was scared of me. But, as I began to hug him, he loosened up and hugged me back very carefully. I smiled at him as we pulled away; he really wasn't a monster at all! Maybe we could be friends.

I took his hand and led him into the crowd, where he was soon lifted onto the shoulders of the people as they cheered and carried him around the city. I smiled; he looked really happy. As he was being carried away by the crowd, the man with the puppets picked me up and started singing. He had a puppet of the scary man in black, and I laughed when he tried to chase after me. As the man sang, although I really didn't understand the words, I did know one thing.

The mysterious so-called monster of Notre Dame wasn't a monster after all.

He was my friend.

A/N: Thoughts? Critiques?