The Moulin Rouge was unlike anything I could have imagined. It was an explosion of colors and sounds , rich to my eyes. I almost forgot why I had come to such a place as I got lost in the spectical that was Moulin Rouge.
"Leave everything to us Sheila." Aster had stated to me softly when we entered. I Felt myself clutching my maniscript closer to me than necessary as if to prevent me from getting lost to the sea of colors.
"And by the way… You love lovely." he added and I smiled back in thanks.
I knew he had just said it to be nice but I was thankful anyway. I was nothing special. Nothing elegant or radiant. I was the daughter of a sugar cane worker from mexico who had a strange gift for fixing teeth. I has nothing. I felt dwarfed by the sights of the place and the women all done up for a night to them selves.
"Relax … we will make sure you meet Frost." North stated softly as he dragged me through the throng of people to a red velevt table in a corner.
I looked around at the women around me and tried to mimike their movements.
I adjusted my dress slightly but then pulled the heavy fabric back into place. I looked around at the shoes on the women's feet and then gazed down at my own dirty boots . The shoes were not mine since all I had brought were my sandals from home and had come from Sanderson. I looked down at the dingy color of my thin cotton blouse and thick traditional skirt of yellow blue and green. I looked down at it and suddenly wished I was back home. I could still spell the biting smell of the river on my clothes and I rubbed at the hem absently.
"Excuse me Miss?"
I jumped startled as a hand came and rested on my shoulder.
"Y-yes?" I asked timidly as I looked up at a group of rich looking older women.
"Where did you get such an excusit hair beice?" the oldest of the group asked.
"I-it was my mother's." I replied smiling weakly at them.
"Well we think it's just lovely." they agreed and I watched as they disappeared into the mass of bodies.
"I told you…" a voice laughed triumphantly near my ear. I rolled my eyes at Aster and continued picking at myself.
I tried to pretend like I didn't hear the women around me gushing over this Frost man.
"He's the most beautiful thing on this earth!"
"Nothing compares!"
"I wonderr if his hair is natural?"
"Those eyes make you want to melt , don't they?"
"He will see me this time ! I'll make sure of it…"
"He has the voice of an angel and the looks to match."
I could feel the knot beginning in the pit of my stomach and I began to feel sick.
"You alright?" North asked his boombing voice carrying above the rest of the chatter.
"No… I feel ill." I reported trying to breath steadily. I reached into my blouse instinctively and retreaved my mother's necklace. I rand the old feather's through my fingers and I felt my hear begin to slow.
"You are the most beautiful girl in the world … don't be silly…. You are very special my darling Tooth."
I remembered those words clearly as if it was yesterday and I pictured my beautiful blond haired mother.
"Will be easy Tooth….you just trust us."
I smiled up at him and was about to reply when a slight hush fell over the dance hall. I gazed around to see if the show was staring but nothing was happening.
I began to hear a word pass through the crowd. One word that now I say with hatred.
Black.
Like the depths of hell and the inside of her soul.
Black was her name. And I watched as she glided through the room. Like a poison . Slow and aganizing.
She was scarcly there with drawn features and sickly skin. But despite that off hand she was by far the lovelest woman in the room. Her bright red lips were set in a hard line and her back was strait as an arrow. Her black gown seemed to be part of her being and the large diamonds that sat around her neck and wrist glinted with a strange golden hue.
"Who is she?" I asked softly leaning over to Aster.
"That Ms. Tooth is The Duchess of Nightmare… She's as witchy as they come and she's worse than that on good days."
A slight chill ran up my spine as I gazed up at her in the private box behind us.
"LADIES AND GENTELMAN ! LETS GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" a giant voice boombed all around me and the crowd became absolutely silent. I tore my eyes away from the woman in the dark box and turned quickly to the main floor. I looked around as the women in the room were fixated on the single beam of light streaming down from high up. I heard a loud slaming of a door and the whole crowd spun their heads to the left. I watched a group of men in sharply fitted tuxes and slicked back hair walk from a mirror and clop loudly to the center of the room in highly polished dresss shoes.
I watched the men take a stnce in a flat line on each side of the room and they quickly flipped out silver trays on the inside of their dress coats and drapped a small tea towel over their arm.
"Butlers." I muttered to myself softly as a few more came out carrying a large black box.
The strange sound of machine backfire resounded for a few seconds and then a piano began to play.
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs…. I look around me and I see it isn't so… Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs…well whats wrong with that…I'd like to know…"
The voice sounded like bells. It was clear and strong and rang in my ears like the song of a bird. The words seemed to flow so naturally in the voice it was like listening to a chour.
I then watched in amazment as the black box exploded and thousands of colored sparks rained down on the audience.
"Cause here I go …again!"
A women near my table screeched happily and I whipped my head around to see the most amazing looking man I had ever seen.
The single briliant spot light pinned him to the floor and he smirked as he continued to sing. I watched him and felt my jaw fall open.
He really was as amazing as they said. His brilient pale skin and striking white hair almost seemed to glow under the hot spot light I gaped at him as he was swished up to the stage where the other man had begun to sing with him. The harmony was amazing and it was like they were one person.
The fervor of women in the room seemed to almost drown out their singing as the lovely man smiled down at them clamoring up towards the stage.
His voice and presence in the room was enough to make me shiver as his shocking blue eyes passed over me. I felt frozen. Its felt like he had pinned me down to my seat and I looked over at Nicholas my browl drawing together worriedly.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked over to see Sandy. He smiled up at me encouragingly and then motioned for me to follow him. He dragged me away to the edge of the crowd and I looked around confused. He held a small finger to his lips and winked . I gave him a concerned look and began to turn back to the crowd. He quickly caught my hand and then dragged me once again but this time to a back hallway where a door sat vibrating from the pounding music on the other side of the door.
" ? What is this?" I had asked quietly. He signed something quickly to me and I then heard a lot of shouting and a couple of bangs against the wall. Suddenly the door was flung open and I was knocked back behind the hard surface, slamming my head against the wall in the process.
"You drunken fools ! You will pay for this!" A a voice shrieked on the other side of the door.
"We're you goin sweet heart!" A thick Australian accent called and I winced. I tried to get back up but Sandy yanked me back down. I began o protest but he placed a small hand over my mouth and then pointed to the crack in the doorframe. I looked at him confused and he then signed to me and pointed to the door. I looked at him once again but then moved closer to the door and saw a very angry and deshevled Dushess. Her eyes were like flaming topaz in the soft light of the hall and she quickly turned and stomped away from the door. I watched as two men dressed in black suits wearing purple colored glasses followed after her and I was then yanked up onto my feet.
"Come on Sheila ! Show time." Aster state pulling me through the door and into the private box I had seen the duchess inside not 12 minuets earlier.
"What?!" I demanded my mouth flapping wildly as he pushed me down into a seat. I looked out of the box at the floor seeing people around me .
"What are we doing?!" I demanded hitting Aster on the arm and turning to him with a ficious look.
"Just go along!" he hissed crossing his arms. I teitchishly tugged on the hem of my skirt and gazed out at the crowd as my palms became clammy. I had managed to completely loose track of the show until I was nearly blinded by a bright white light moments later.
I tried to blink off the spots in my eyes but my vision was obscured by a dark shadow.
"I believe you are expecting me?" a silky voice asked . I gazed up at the figure who had helped me regain my sight and I felt my jaw drop open. My voice seemed to have scampered away to the recesses of my throat and I couldn't move.
I felt Aster's elbow dig into my ribs and I squeeked. While I tried to find a voice the crowd booed.
"Sorry ladies … my choice tonight." the stunning figure before me stated. I felt Sandy"s hands shove against my back and I began to move.
"Aww…." he fake pouted and turned to the audience of women. I stiffly wobbled towards him with the help of Sandy and felt my hand brush against his silk suit. The sensation sent shivers up my spine and I lost myself.
"Well?" he asked his gorgous eyes silently examining me.
"yes…" I finally croaked softly. His face changed into a playful smirk and he yanked me over the box wall.
His hands were strong and a type of electricity shot through me and goosebumps rose on my arms.
"I'm glad you've taken an interest in our business." he stated as he pulled me gently onto the stage.
I throught for sure I was going to faint but I replied softly.
"Of course … "
"Well you didn't have to…" he continued as he spun me.
I tried to recover but alll I could say was the same thing.
"Of course…."
To my embaressment he laughed lightly and remarked, "Few words … I'm sure you're very beautiful when you talk more…"
"Oh god no!" I began and I then slapped my hands over my mouth and then remembered my script.
He cocked an eyebrowl at me and laughed nervously.
"Umm actually I wanted to read you something…" I stated not quiet understanding where my voice was coming from.
"Really?… well…why don't we discuss this later …" he began andthen pulled me close.
"in private…" he finished in a whispered in my ear. His breath was odly cold and I bit my lip trying not to squeek.
"Sure…" I replied as he spun me again. I felt like my head was about to pop off and I could barely focous on my dancing feet and I gazed up at him star struck. Another playful smirk graced his face and my heartbeat shot up like a bullet out of a gun.
"Till later then?" he asked as he held me at arms length.
He took my hand and brought it to his lips gently. The coldness of his soft kiss was something I had never experienced . I winced slightly and dumbly nodded my head in reply to his statement. He once again smirked at me and I then was snatched off the stage.
" ! You did it!" North belowed as he yanked meaway from the stage.
I had barely had time to process what had just happened myself but as I relized I felt faint.
I listened to the uproar of the crowd as the beautiful man climbed a glitering staircase to a mirror.
"What's wrong with that.." his voice rang and then for a moment everything went still. I watched his face contort in pain as he clutched his head. I watched him stiffle a scream and then his face fadded back to it's original look of care freeness.
I should have known… but how could I?
I gazed at him at he smiled and walked through the door, disappearing from sight and into the blackness behind stage.