Satine's Sacrifice

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return!" Toulouse yelled as the audience, attending the first ever performance at the Moulin Rouge, went silent. Satine, the leading actress and courtesan for the Moulin Rouge turned her head slightly to see the figure of Christian, the love of her life and the writer for the Moulin Rouge, standing in the aisle.

"Never knew, I could feel like this," Satine sang as Christian slowly started walking toward the doors. "It's like I've never sent the sky, before. Want to vanish, inside your kiss," that did it. Christian had stopped dead in his tracks, waiting, listening. Satine continued, "Everyday I'm loving you, more and more. Listen to my heart! Can you hear it sing: Come back to me, and forgive everything!" Satine stopped and bent down, catching her breath. Even though she was bent over, Christian could see the tears streaming down Satine's face. Only then did he realize that he too had been crying.

"Seasons may change," she said, looking up at him, "winter to spring." The music continued but she didn't. Instead she spoke the next two lines. "I love you. Until the end, of time."

Christian hesitated and then continued to song. "Come what may." When he sang this, the entire audience turned to look at him. Satine, relieved that he had joined, looked down and when she looked up, he continued. "Come what may. Come what may. I will love you." Satine, harmonizing, sang after him, "I will love you." Christian continued, "Until my dying day!" Satine harmonized, "Dying day!"

"Come what may!" they sang together as Christian finally made his way on stage, "Come what may," he sang, wrapping his arms around Satine's waist.

"Come what may," she sang, putting her hands on her shoulders enjoying the feeling of his arms around her waist again.

"I will love you," they sang together, "until my dying…" they were about to finish the song when Toulouse came flying from the ceiling hanging onto a rope and hitting Warner, the Duke's manservant's gun out of his hand and yelling, "THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL YOU!"

Christian, looked at Toulouse with a confused look on his face as the audience erupted in laughter. Harold, trying to maintain his role as evil maharaja yelled, "Shut up! Guards, seize him!" Satie ran up and said, "Vive la vive, to the bohem!" throwing down something which created a huge cloud of smoke fill the stage.

After this, the entire stage went chaotic. Dancers were running everywhere, not sure what to do. Nini kicked Warner and screamed as he picked up his gun and once more aimed at Christian. Luckily, right at that moment the Argentinean burst through the doors, hitting Warner in the head, causing him to drop the gun.

"No problem," the Argentinean said, "go back to work." At this, the music started and the whole cast joined in for the last song. The Duke, sitting on the front row tried to guide Warner to the gun. When Warner finally got it, he cocked it, aimed and the short dance dropped something on his head causing him to drop the gun. When the Duke realized what had happened, he furiously got up to leave. As he was walking down the aisle, he heard the gun land inches away from his feet. He looked at it for a minute, picked it up and ran toward the stage yelling, "MY WAY! MY WAY!" as the cast was finishing their rendition of "Come What May."

Satine looked down the aisle and say the Duke with the gun, aiming at Christian. She jumped down from the arms of the men holding her and Christian up and yelled, "NOO!" as the Duke fired at Christian. She jumped in front of Christian just in time. The next thing Satine felt was the searing, burning feeling of the bullet grinding into her stomach. Christian caught her as she fell. He looked at her, feeling the warmth of her blood leak through his clothes.

"Somebody get some help!" he said.

"Close the curtain, fetch the doctor!" Harold yelled at one of the stagehands.

"I'm so sorry Christian," Satine said weakly, "I'm … I'm dying."

"Shh," Christian said as Satine started whimpering.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, "I tried to keep you away, I didn't want to lose you."

"You'll be alright. You'll be alright. You'll be alright," he said.

"I'm cold, I'm col…" she said shivering, "hold me." Christian pulled her up and held her.

"I love you," he said, bringing her back down."

"You've got to go on Christian," she said, smiling faintly.

"I can't go on without you, though," he said, tears streaming down his face.

"You've got so much to give," she said, putting her hand on his face for one last touch. "Tell our story, Christian."

"No…"

"Yes…promise me," she said, nodding and smiling, "Yes?" He nodded. "That way, I'll always be with you."

Christian then leaned down and kissed her. When he didn't feel her return the kiss, he pulled away, opened his eyes and looked at her. She had blood all over her once beautiful white dress and blood on the corner of her mouth. Her eyes … they were open, unblinking, unmoving. It was only when he saw her eyes did reality sink in. He broke down sobbing over her lifeless, pale body.

One Week Later

Christian stood alone at Satine's grave. She didn't deserve to die. He knelt down and put a beautiful red rose on her tomb. Even though the doctor, trying to comfort him, told him that Satine wouldn't have lived much longer anyway because of her consumption. She had had tuberculosis. The doctor said she would've only lasted maybe another week or so if that. That didn't comfort him at all. It would've been another week or so with her. She had died saving his life. If only he hadn't come to the Moulin Rouge that night she might still be alive. The only justice was that the Duke had been taken to jail for murder and attempted murder along with Warner. Christian knew he wouldn't be able to find someone else like her. She was a one of a kind. Ever since her death, he had been collecting pictures of her, putting them up all around his apartment. He would write their story like she wanted. That was the least he could do. He got up, still holding the ring he had given her. It had been a secret engagement ring that no one else knew about. After the show, they were going to run away and get married, spending the rest of their lives together. He turned and walked back to his apartment. He would never go back to the Moulin Rouge again. But he would write their story. A story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people, but above all things, a story about love. A love that will live, forever.

The End.