Chapter 7

            Diana had been working on the ropes that bound her for nearly a month now.  Her wrists and hands were caked in dried blood from where the ropes were rubbing against her skin.  Diana had finally managed to turn her hand and grab one of the ends and pulled to untie herself.

            With both of her hands free, she could finally see what has been paining her for a month.  Her arms were covered with bruises and scrapes from where she had been banging against the chair.  Her wrists though were all torn up from her bindings.  Diana thought to herself that she was glad she had freed herself when the guards were asleep.  Her only problem now was to summon the strength to leave.

            She straightened up and clenched her teeth in order to not scream through the horrendous pain.  Satine's words now rung clearly in her head, "You're a survivor…" Diana made it down to the street, pain coursing through her with every step.  Once outside, she knew where she was, only a few miles outside of Montmartre.  She started running, trying to disregard the pain, back to one of the places she felt she belonged… the Moulin Rouge.

            Diana knew that the duke would eventually discover his captive missing and come looking.  This thought only made Diana push herself harder.  She ran all the way back.  By the time she had reached the Moulin Rouge, she could barely breathe, every breath was a rasp.  She flung the door open and practically collapsed on the floor.  Every muscle in her body hurt, breathing was nearly impossible.

            "I might be free but I'm going to die here on the floor." She thought to herself.

            "Miss Diana?"

            Diana was startled at the sound of her own name.  She whipped around to see who was addressing her.  Chocolat.

            "You have to help me.  Satine trusted you and now I do.  Tell Christian I'm here.  Tell him to come here and get me.  I can't go much further.  Please…" Diana rasped out.

            "Yes Miss Diana." He said and left.

Diana realized she couldn't stay there on the floor.  She looked tentatively at the stairs that led to her dressing room.

"I have to." She said taking a few very heavy breaths.  She pulled herself to her feet and painfully climbed the steps to her sanctuary.  Diana wanted to wait here for Christian.

A weary Christian sat near his window, staring off into space, not really aware of anything.  He was trying to come to the realization that his wife was most likely dead.  He was so far gone that he barely heard the knock on his door.

Chocolat opened his door without waiting for an answer.  Diana needed him to do this.

"Diana is in the Moulin Rouge sir."

Christian could not believe his ears.  "What did you say?!"
            "She needs you there.  She wants you to come get her."

Before Chocolat had finished, Christian was running down the stairs to get her.

Diana was slowly gathering her things together.  She and Christian were leaving tonight.  She kept herself busy until she heard the door open.  She turned around joyfully, expecting to see Christian.

"Christ…oh bloody hell" she screamed.  There stood the Duke and Warner.  Diana suddenly couldn't breathe.  "What do you want?"

"I've come to get from you what is rightfully mine." He replied as he was cornering her against the bed and Warner stood guard by the door.

Christian ran into the Moulin Rouge looking for her frantically.

"Where is she?!" he screamed to Chocolat who pointed to the light upstairs.  Chocolat then disappeared back into the night from which he emerged.

Diana heard the footsteps flying up the stairs as the Duke pinned her to the bed.  She struggled to break free but her injuries limited her movement. 

Christian ran into her dressing room to get her.

"Christian!" Diana screamed.  The Duke turned his head and became infuriated when he saw Christian there.

"Get rid of him!!" he screamed to Warner.  Diana struggled harder under his grasp.  Behind the Duke, she could see Warner.  One shot.  Diana screamed as Christian was sent flying to the floor next to her vanity.