Stepping In
Chapter 1Driving down the street, I was listening to my Moulin Rouge soundtrack CD, when I got a phone call from my mom.
"Hey Mom, what's up?" I asked while turning down the CD and keeping my eyes on the road at the same time.
"Hey sweetie, I just wanted to ask if you could drive by the hospital and ask your father what he wants for dinner. He left his cell phone here." My dad is a surgeon at Saint Thomas's Hospital. It wasn't that far away from where I was driving so it didn't really matter.
"Sure Mom, no prob. Anything else?"
"No, that's all. Drive safely, Robin. Love you. "
"Love you too Mom. Bye." I hung up and took the light to my dad's hospital. After I made the turn, I turned up my CD and listened to the finale. I loved this song. But it made me so sad at the same time that it ends so tragically after this song. I wiped those thoughts out of my head and just tried to enjoy the song.
I could already see my dad's hospital when some freaky stuff started to happen. Now, if you are uncomfortable with things that stray from the norm, this is where you get off. Nice meeting you. Be sure to pick up a t-shirt on the way out. For those of us still here, while I was driving, the music started acting funny. It somehow changed back to radio and messed around the stations.
"What the hell…" I muttered while trying to change it back and watch the road.
Suddenly I heard a strict voice speaking though where my music should be coming from.
"Robin Lockwood, you have a mission to do."
I started to freak out a little bit. "What the heck is going on?" All of the sudden, I can't see anything in front of me. My entire front window lit up with a white light. I started to scream, wouldn't you? I slammed on the brakes, but nothing happened. I had no idea what to do.
Gonna have to talk to Dad a little later, I guess.
Finally, the lights went away. However, instead of finding a busy street full of cars, I was driving though a street full of people!
"Holy Shit," I screamed as I turned my steering wheel as hard as I could to avoid the women and men…in bowler hats?
Chapter 2"You should probably know that you are in late 1899. And try not to faint. Or scream," that stupid voice coldly stated while I finally stopped my car. I slowed down my breathing while I assessed my surroundings. Both arms, both legs, no alien life forms in the passenger seat. I looked around the outside of my car.
It was snowing, and there were people walking around dressed very unusually. Men were wearing top hats and coats with tails, which I had never seen on anything besides ballroom Ken. Women wore dresses with tons of embroidery and had their hair up in beautiful styles. There were no cars on the streets, but a few carriages here and there. I didn't think carriages were anywhere else besides Central Park.
I realized they were all walking into a specific place, so I looked up and to the side. I saw a huge building with two words in bright red on top. Moulin Rouge.
"I'm really in the movie, aren't I?" I asked to the radio.
"You must save Satine. Walk in, wait for the end of the show, and find Satine and Christian back stage. Right when she gets sick, bring them to your car, by any means necessary. Once you are in the car, I'll guide you from there. Do not talk to anyone. Do not stop the process of the show. Don't try to explain too much to the couple while brining them to the car. Do not try to explain anything to their friends. If everything works according to plan, they will return before there is a need for an explanation.
"Wait wait wait. Hold on for just a second. You want me to go in there, into the Moulin Rouge, save Satine's life, while also driving her to insanity, and completely changing the end of the story?"
"The motion picture will remain the same, only the lives of those in this universe and time will be altered."
"But why? Why me? I'm sorry but you must have the wrong girl. I'll never get to them, or I'll take to long and she'll die before I make it to the car. I'll mess up somehow, so…. why did you choose me?"
"We chose you because you were the best for the job. You are the only one who would be able to fix the situation (I think he meant the heroine dying) with out any catastrophes. Not only that, you are the only one in your time that can travel back here. And, of course, it had to be someone from your time who could actually understand what to do, since you have seen the motion picture. We just had to wait for you to be old enough to drive. As to the problem involving the chance of Satine dying before making it to your vehicle, look in your pocket."
I raised an eyebrow, to no one apparently, and looked in one of my jeans pockets. Inside, I found a vile of a milky-white liquid. The top of the vile had a cap, but it was flimsy and felt like rubber.
"What's this?" I asked, eying the strange vile.
"This is a medicine that will keep her alive for an hour. In your glove compartment, you will find a needle. When you find Christian and Satine, stick the needle into the vile's top and draw out the liquid. Then place the medicine into the vein in Satine's mid-arm. This will keep her alive for more than enough time for you to place her in the car. Now go, you're wasting time. And remember, don't talk to anyone before the end of the show."
"Right, got it." I start to make my way out of the car with the needle and vile in hand, when I remembered something. I sat back down and asked, "What's your name?"
"Do you really need to know?" he asked.
"I won't leave until I get a name." I stated, and crossed my arms for emphasis. I think he could see me somehow.
After a long pause, I heard him grunt, "William."
"Why thank you, William. Was that so hard?" I jumped out the car, locked it, which got quite a few stares from passer byes, and walked up to the entrance of the theater.
As I got to the front doors, I realized two things. First, I wasn't exactly dressed for the job. I looked down at myself. I was wearing my dark skinny jeans with my black boots over them. I had a lilac purple blouse on with my black vest on top. On top of all of that, I'm wearing my military styled jacket. Altogether, not the best outfit for time traveling. But hey, maybe this'll show that I'm not exactly from their time. The second problem was the fact that this was a production that required a ticket for entrance. And I didn't have a ticket, or money to buy one.
I could almost feel William say, "Look in your purse."
I looked into the side pocket of my purse, which was a navy blue sling over if anyone cares, an found a few French bills and coins that I think are called francs.
"Thanks William." I muttered as I walked up to the ticket vendor in front of the doors. As I walk, I slowly pray that I have enough time to sneak in after this guy refuses to let me in.
I put on a smile and say, "One ticket please," subconsciously knowing that I'm speaking French.
The man gives me a warily look up and down and says, "I'm sorry, but this show is sold out," while giving me a look that I just knew meant I was beneath him.
I roll my eyes and start to walk away, when I hear him say, "One moment….mademoiselle. There seems to be a cancellation made by a Masseur William." I turn around and see that he's looking at a telegraph given to him by another ticket vendor. The man looks down again and says, "He asks that this ticket be given to… the strange looking girl waiting for a ticket waiting right in front of me."
I laugh at the strange looking girl part, through a few francs to the guy as I grab the ticket, and shout thanks. I run inside and away from the cold, or at least as much as they can lose without modern heating, and rub my shoulders for warmth. It takes me a minute, but I realize exactly where I am.
Robin Lockwood has just stepped into the doors of the Moulin Rouge.
Chapter ThreeAfter getting over the first few minutes of euphoria (come on, this is every girl's dream!), I remembered that I only had so much time. I ran inside the theatre as quietly as I could, and looked around the room.
It was exactly how it's depicted in the movie, only much bigger. I realized how much louder I was than I should be and quickly turned to close the door behind me as quietly as I could. Fortunately, as I looked around, no one noticed me. Every single person in the audience was enraptured in the show.
Good job Christian, I thought as I found a seat near the back all the way to the wall. As much as I wanted to be as close to Christian when he belts out his part of the duet while walking up the aisle, I needed a quick exit to back stage.
As I finally had a chance to sit down, I looked onto the stage and tried to find exactly where they were in the story. Ah, yes, it was right when the Maharaja was talking about some sort of sword or something, right before they are supposed to get married. Right on time!