A/N: Hey! I'm back! Here's an idea for a story that I thought would be interesting. Basically, a school decides that the Moulin Rouge will be that year's spring play. But what happens when everything becomes a little too real? If you like it, I'll continue it. I need help with names, please! So, until I get names that I really like (please help me with this!), all I'm going to use are 'he' and 'she'. Enjoy the prologue/teaser to this story! And please review!

Echoes from the Past: a Moulin Rouge Story

Written by: Elphie

A Matter of Holding On

I collapsed on the ground, coughing up blood and mentally laughing at the irony of it all. I shook with sobs and felt him wrap his strong arms around me.

"No.... No! Don't leave me!" He shook tears, though none fell on my bloody dress. I clutched the once white satin in shaking fingers and drew a shaky, gasping breath.

"Isn't.... Isn't it funny?" I managed to ask, trying to memorize his bold and handsome Scottish features. "That.... That this.... started.... as a school play...." My voice faded. I coughed, and stars danced before my eyes. "That this started as a school play and ended.... ended as.... reality...?" I couldn't say more.

"Don't say that! You're not going to die! You are not going to die!" He was begging me, and I knew that if I held on, held on just a bit longer, I would have a chance at living. But holding on was so hard. Each breath was painful, each cough bringing up increasingly more blood.

My mind wandered back... Back to the days when this was just a play, not reality. Back when the school had decided to do Moulin Rouge for the annual school play, and I was just a normal girl. Back when this jarring reality was just a distant dream...

A/N: For those of you who are wondering, in my story, for plot reasons, there is no known cure for Consumption/TB (What Satine died from). What did you think? If you liked it, I'll update soon! Au revoir! ~Elphie