Promises

(Walking on Egg Shells)

By Aiko "Kitty" Skywalker

Chapter One

Police cars round in circles

The silence gathering

You never know what's next down here

Close your eyes and shut your mouth

Satine tucked the last of her belongings into a bag that could easily be thrown over her shoulder as she stole away into the night. Looking down at herself, she didn't see herself as she stood, the beautiful goddess that could make any man beg on his knees, but a very pregnant woman trying to grasp a hold of everything that she was and everything that was inside of her.

Placing a hand to her not yet swollen womb, she closed her eyes lightly and envisioned that beautiful child within her, a little girl with sparkling blue eyes and silky black hair that nestled her face comfortably. She would be a goddess, just like her mother, but would be innocent like her father. Grimacing briefly to herself, she allowed a soft tear to roll down her cheek. The father. Christian.

Would her baby ever know her father? She breathed in heavily and released it in a heavy sigh. Unable to answer that question she pulled a light cloak over her shoulder, pulling the hood over her head. Pushing the black bag over one shoulder, she quickly yet quietly stole from her room and softly across the carpets of the Moulin Rouge for the streets.

Holding her breath, she passed through the doors of the Moulin Rouge, pulling her cloak tighter over her face as she passed the doorman. No one must know she was leaving.

Stealing through the occasional person on the streets of Paris, she ran to find her escape. She was a runaway, heading for anywhere but where she was.

Tossing over a few bills and shillings lying in her pockets, she fiddled with the money she had. She had been saving a bit of money every time she was paid for a rainy day and when the rainy day came, she would use it.

Unfortunately that rainy day had come although there was not a cloud in the sky.

Pulling herself into an alley, she watched as a police officer passed the streets of Paris. Paranoid with fear that someone would already know she was gone; Satine clenched her teeth and bit her lip.

Would they really care to find her?

Scrounging into her other cloak pocket, she pulled out a few letters. Pulling to the first, she scanned it in. It was lined with a light layer of teardrops, Satine's of course, which had been sent to her from her doctor explaining her pregnancy. Pushing that to the back of her mind she opened the next.

At the top, written in perfect clarification, was her name with the word dearest at its front. If was a letter from Christian. Stuffing it back into her pocket she was afraid to read any farther, afraid that she would fall to pieces for the man that she loved, afraid she would be too scared to run.

Pulling out he next, she smiled lightly finding what she was looking for. A letter addressed to her from an old friend in London, Emily, a former coworker at the Moulin Rouge until she fell in love with a man she met one night waiting for a streetcar.

Dear Satine,

How's the ole Diamond doing? Making as much money as usual?

Hmm…sometimes I miss all the money. Jake and I are barely scraping by with the money we get from working at his father's corner store. But its close, convenient, and above all else, hassle free (unless of course you count his father lecturing Jake about having me working with him instead of at home raising a family we don't even have).

But oh well. I can live with it. As long as I have Jake and he has me we're all the better. Sigh…Satine you really have to try falling in love for once. Working as a…  how did we put it? Oh yes…a "diamond dog", isn't exactly a rewarding career as well it wastes your life.

But I'm really not writing you to lecture. I'm just writing to keep you up to date.

As well Jake and I would be happy to see you again. I would love it if you would come and visit us in London. My address is enclosed on the back of this letter, I do hope you have the time to come and visit me. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to scrounge up a weekend or something.

But anyways I have to run; Jake and I have to head off to work. A day without work is a day without pay.

Yours truly,

     Your best friend Emily

How Satine missed her poor friend. She had just received her letter a few days ago, and that is of course right when she received the letter from the doctor. She had devised a plan to return to London, and hope that she could possibly start a new life.

A life without the Moulin Rouge.

A life without being treated as a position.

A life with her new baby…

…A life without Christian.

Satine headed out onto the street again and headed towards the streetcar stop. Lowering her head in defeat, she slugged her feat.

A life without Christian. What would that be like?

More to come soon because I'm enjoying writing this. This story is my first Moulin Rouge story, but I think its becoming one of my favorite stories that I've written in a while.

Anyways…

Please review or e-mail me at aiko_kitty_skywalker@hotmail.com.

Later,

Aiko "Kitty" Skywalker

Moulin Rouge is © its respected years by its respected owners. I, Aiko "Kitty" Skywalker, make no claim to it. The song Promises is by Amanda Marshall. I make no claim to it.