A Second Hope
A place of sin is how many elegant people describe the grey village Momarte just outside of glittering Paris, where beggars, alcoholics, prostitutes and heart broken men lived rotting away along with the Moulin Rouge, once a nightclub, and a place of magic where dreams came alive.
Two years ago the Sparkling Diamond died in the arms of her lover, a poet full of dreams. However Satine the Sparkling Diamond was not the only one to die that fateful night, the world of Bohemian and the Moulin Rouge died with her. The duke disappeared from the underworld and her lover's heart was broken. Now the place is menacing with no beauty, truth, freedom or love left, just the failures of life.
And now I tell you a story of love, beauty, truth and freedom, the story of the rebirth of the Moulin Rouge!
Thunder rumbled over the dirt-filled streets of Momarte, the rain lashed down as people of sin ran for cover. The Moulin Rouge stood empty and still with only the sharp flash of lighting showing off its once magnificent splendour. A young girl dashed through the rain until she reached the safety of the Moulin Rouge doors.
Cecelia De Vere shuddered as she pulled her shawl tight around her slender body. She'd been running through the rain looking for shelter when the building with the great red windmill on top of it seemed to beckon her towards its doorway. Cecelia sat down shaking undecided on where she could sleep for the night. With no money a hotel was out of the question, even more importantly she needed to get to safety before the night was over. Cecelia stood up still shaking and tried to untangle her mane of curly brown hair, when a clap of thunder rumbled overhead, Cecelia screamed out of fright and tried to run but slipped on the slippery steps and fell over. Her last thought as she fell down was that she must find way to escape she blacked out to unconsciousness.
Toulouse opened his window and looked out onto the magnificent sunrise; he'd decided he was going to paint a present for his friend Christian. The sunrise looked beautiful compared to the frightening storm that had vanished a few hours earlier. He sighed sadly as he looked over the abandoned Moulin Rouge when he noticed a young girl apparently sleeping in the doorway. Toulouse smiled at the fact that someone had taken in the Moulin Rouge as a refuge when he noticed her arms and legs sprawled out at different angles, surely no one would sleep like that and especially expose themselves to the storm that had taken place. Worried for the girl Toulouse hobbled down the stairs into Christian's room.
"Chwristian, Chwristian!! Wake up!" shouted Toulouse pulling at his friends arm.
"Toulouse?" came a muffled reply.
"A girl is outside and she looks like she's hurt" explained Toulouse looking around for Christians clothes
Christian sat up and looked hard at Toulouse "Why should we help her?" he asked folding his arms. Toulouse stood still in shock. Then he remembered Christian had changed since Satine's death. The starry eyed poet who talked of love was gone, instead a hard faced Christian wrapped up in self-pity and grief had replaced him.
"Chwristian she might be hurt, no one else will help her!"
"So why should we? No one helped Satine two years ago, why should we help people, it only ends up causing more pain!" shouted Christian rolling over onto his side.
Toulouse wanted to comfort Christian but decided the girl needed more help.
"Chwristian, I know your hurting from Satine, but would she want you to ignore a girl in need of help, she wouldn't! Please help me and her"
Christian sat up slowly and the mention of Satine, suddenly he saw with shame what he had become. Bitterness had made him into a hard-faced cold man, just like his father.
"Toulouse, I-I umm we'll go and see this girl, let me just get dressed" He was out of bed in a shot and grabbed the threadbare clothes he always wore.
Two minutes later Christian and Toulouse were rushing out of L'amoure and over to the Moulin Rouge, this was the first morning Christian hadn't reached out for absinthe as soon as he woke. They reached the girl and Christian knelt down and placed his hand on the girl's cheek.
"She's frozen Toulouse" he quickly found the girl's faint pulse. "We've got to get her in the warmth quickly, I'll take her into my room, and Toulouse go and fetch the doctor quick please!" Toulouse agreed and hurried away to get the doctor. Christian lifted the girl up with surprising strength, wrapping her shawl around her and rushed into the hotel.
Once he'd laid the girl down on his bed and covered her with blankets did he actually notice what she looked liked. Her oval face pale with cold made her dark lashes and ruby red mouth stand out. Her long brown curly hair covered his pillow. He'd noticed her plain green dress was little better than rags yet her shawl was made out of silk. He sat down next to her lifeless body and wondered why she'd been at the Moulin Rouge.
A stirring movement broke him out of his reverie and he turned around to find the girl had woken up. Her eyes were the brightest green he'd ever seen. The girl quickly jumped off the bed and backed towards the wall frightened. Christian was startled and slowly stood up, the girl looked terrified.
Cecelia backed against the wall, her heart pounding, the last thing she remembered was falling and now she'd woken up to find herself with a stranger covered in blankets. She quickly took in her surrounds, a small dirty room full of absinthe bottles and a battered typewriter lay upon a table. Fear choked up inside her.
"Who are you?" she demanded of the young man standing opposite her. She swore he was an alcoholic by the many bottles lying around the room.
"Christian James and your name?" Christian replied trying to think of a way to calm the startled beauty in front of him.
"Why should I tell you? Why am I here?" spat Cecelia looking closely at the man. He didn't appear threatening.
"You were unconscious outside of the Moulin Rouge, I brought you up here to get you warm, and my friend Toulouse has gone to get a doctor" Christian gently explained, wanting to calm the girl down.
"You have nothing to fear, I'm a writer and I just want to help you"
Cecelia looked hard at him yet only saw sorrow and pleading in his eyes. She knew instinctively she could trust this man. Slowly she put her hands down and looked him directly in the eye.
"I believe you, but don't think I'm stupid, if you try to hurt me in any way I will fight back, mark my words"
Christian smiled softly for the first time in months; this girl had the same character as Satine, proud and haughty.
"I understand but I will not hurt you"
Cecelia smiled back, a soft smile that lit up her face.
"Thank you for rescuing me, my name is Cecelia Rosa De Vere"
"That's a pretty name" Christian replied "But umm would you like to sit down, you look like your about to faint"
Cecelia nodded and sat down on a small wicker chair, her body ached and she felt weak, something she wasn't use to feeling. My body may be weak but that doesn't mean I am she thought to herself as once again unconsciousness overtook her.
Christian caught Cecelia before she hit the floor and hauled her over to the bed; she was still stone cold, so he wrapped her up warm and hoped the doctor would come quickly. "Cecelia" he muttered to himself, "I wonder why she was at the Moulin Rouge"
Then he remembered Satine fainting constantly and his fear for the girl's life grew even more.
Toulouse and the doctor hurried into Christian's room with the voice of the landlady complaining of too many visitors behind them.
"Chwristian we're here!" cried Toulouse running over to the bed.
"Please can you move away from the bed" asked the doctor as he began checking over the girl.
"I filled him in on the way over here" explained Toulouse, "Has she woken up at all?"
"Yes she woke up but fainted soon after, her name is Cecelia Rosa De Vere" replied Christian watching the doctor.
"Cecelia Rosa De Vere" repeated Toulouse "That's not a French name"
"Hush Toulouse" said Christian gently, as the doctor turned away from Cecelia.
"Mademoiselle De Vere did you say her name was?" asked the doctor facing Christian and Toulouse. Christian nodded.
"Well I fear Mademoiselle De Vere was outside in the storm last night, she needs to be kept warm and she will be very tired for a few days, she may be startled when she wakes up, just keep her warm and feed her liquid foods, she will be fine"
Christian sighed with relief.
"I will look after her Doctor, she can stay here"
The Doctor looked in astonishment at Christian; even since Satine had died he'd been a hopeless wreck. One minute he cried out with pain, the next he was angry with bitterness. Over the few months he'd improved and cried less yet there was still deep sorrow in his eyes.
"I could think of no one better Christian, good day to you both" and the Doctor left the room quickly.
"Toulouse you look tired, you should go up to bed, I'll look after her" Christian said to his friend.
"That's a good idea Chwristian!" replied Toulouse heading for the door; he wanted to get to his friends the Argentinean and Satie to tell them the latest developments in Christian.
"Oh Toulouse, thank you, I will tell her when she wakes up that it was you who saved her" called Christian after him.
Christian turned back to Cecelia and watched her for a minute or two. It was strange having a woman in the room again, he walked slowly to the window and looked out onto the Moulin Rouge and sang softly.
"Come what may, I will love you until my dying day" He sighed deeply fighting back tears, "Satine I miss you." He sank down into the chair and sobbed his heart out.
Cecelia woke up to the sounds of crying, opening her eyes quickly she remembered the man Christian who had saved her from outside. Sitting up gently she scanned the room and was shocked to see the same man crying like a child on the chair by the window. Quietly she got up and walked over to him.
"Christian, are you ok?" she asked gently.
Christian looked up startled that Cecelia was up.
"Yes I'm ok, you should be resting, and I'll get you some soup" He got up and went to the kitchen.
Cecelia was puzzled to Christian's behaviour but went back to rest on the bed as her body felt weak. A moment later Christian came back with the soup, looking miserable.
"Here you are Cecelia, how are you feeling?" he pulled the chair across to the bed.
"A lot better thanks to you, but Christian why are you so upset?" Cecelia was determined to get the answer out of him. "I only ask because you're caring for me"
Christian sighed "It's a long story"
"I have plenty of time" replied Cecelia eager to hear his story.
"Well three years ago I came to Momarte from London to live as a penniless writer writing about truth, freedom, beauty and above all things love. While moving in here I met Toulouse, the Argentinean, Satie and the doctor who were writing a play called 'Spectacular Spectacular' and after a number of humorous actions, they wanted me to write the play. Cecelia the place you went to last night, do you know what is it?"
Cecelia thought back to the abandoned building. "No I do not"
"It's called the Moulin Rouge. A place of night time pleasure, where the rich and powerful men came to play with the beautiful creatures of the underworld"
"A brothel" asked Cecelia.
"Err yes" Christian was startled that she knew what he was on about. Cecelia gave him a funny look. "Christian I come from the streets, believe me I know what the underworld is"
"Oh, were you an umm" Christian stopped suddenly afraid he had offended her.
"No Christian but I knew of these people, and you have not offended me" replied Cecelia looking clearly into his beautiful grey eyes.
"Oh right then, well yes it was but it was also a dancehall ran over by Harold Zidler who planned to turn it into a theatre. The most beautiful creature of the underworld was called Satine, desired by all men; they called her the Sparkling Diamond" Christian looked towards the Moulin Rouge.
"She had to seduce a Duke to get financial backing to the Moulin Rouge, only I was due to meet her the same night to discuss the show and after a lot of misunderstanding which we got sorted out, I got the job and the Duke supported the Moulin Rouge. I and Satine fell in love yet we had to hide it from the Duke, jealousy nearly destroyed us, and the Duke found out. He threatened to kill me unless Satine slept with him, that same night Zidler told Satine she was dying so to save me she told me she didn't love me and went back to the Moulin Rouge"
Cecelia sighed; she could see where the story was going. Christian continued.
"I wouldn't give up and went back to pay her, as I was about to leave she sang our song and I forgave her, I was the happiest man alive, she loved me. Satine died in my arms after the show"
Cecelia was crying silently. "Oh Christian that's awful yet beautiful"
Christian looked at her sharply.
"It's terrible she died but you had true love and that is beautiful"
Christian smiled softly, she was right. "Yes it was, I still miss her, I always will and I will always love her but over the past few months I started to live again, I'm taking one step at a time"
Cecelia smiled "You've got to go on, however hard it is, you owe it to Satine to go on with your life"
"You sounded just like Satine then" Christian hadn't felt like this in two years, almost normal, this young girl was so understanding.
"Err Cecelia if you don't mind me asking" Christian began. "What were you doing at the Moulin Rouge?"
Cecelia bristled "I was err looking for a place to stay and then the storm came and the Moulin Rouge seemed like a good place to go to, to get out of the rain"
"How come you were running through the streets of Momarte last night?" Christian asked sensing the girl was hiding something.
"Because I wanted to experience Paris, and I was hoping to find a hotel, yet I got lost and caught in the storm" Cecelia turned her head away so he wouldn't see her eyes fill with tears.
"Okay Cecelia" Christian replied understanding she did not want to talk. "Err Cecelia would you like to stay here for a while, I know it can get lonely in Momarte and as you have no where else to go?"
Cecelia turned around and a wide smile spread across her face "No one has ever been this kind to me, thank you Christian, I'll be no trouble"
"That always helps" replied Christian taking the soup bowl back into the kitchen.
A flutter came through the window and the beautiful Satine glowed as she settled near the tipewriter. She smiled softly as Cecelia looking around the room and looked longingly at Christian with love. Sighing she disappeared singing softly "Come what may..."
What do you think? There's plently more to come!
Disclaimer:I do not own the Moulin Rouge or any of its characters. I do own Cecelia Rosa De Vere.
Please R and R to let me know your thoughts and views.
Songs used "come what may by Ewan and Nicole