((chapter 3))

He had promised himself not to think of the Moulin Rouge, not to think of the past, not to think of her. But as he approached the café his friends were meeting at he knew he would break his promise a thousand times over. The images of the past were all over the streets here, in the air and painted on the buildings. He saw Tal and Harry sitting at a small table set up on the sidewalk. Tal waved as Christian approached and Harry smiled.

"Long time no see stranger." Harry commented as Christian sat down.

"It's only been a couple of days guys." Christian said, his eyes cast down.

"Yea but a couple of days with no word, no hello, no nothing. We thought you had been kidnapped by a beautiful young woman. You weren't were you?" Harry smiled slyly as he inquired. Christian chuckled.

"No, just been getting into my newest play." Nina and Rick had walked up to the table behind Christian.

"Sure, that's what you tell all your friends isn't it." Rick chuckled as he slapped Christians shoulder. Christian was happy to see that they had decided to come. Nina didn't look at him, just sat down and began to look over a menu.

"Are you gonna keep us in suspense? What masterpiece are you working on?" Tal stared intensely at Christian, leaning over the table as if he was about to be told a big secret. Christian began to explain the plot adding in that he was far from finished and that he still had no idea how it should end. They ordered their food and chatted about the past few days, classes and tests, teachers and Paris itself. Tal and Harry had went out on yet another date with the two girls they had met that night at the Moulin Rouge.

"They have a friend," Harry nudged Christians arm, "You should meet her. They'd love to bring her with, we're going out again tonight." Christian smiled but politely declined.

"Maybe some other night…" he assured Harry. They all finished their lunches and decided to walk back to the dorms. They began to stroll down the streets of Monmartre, looking at the shops, avoiding the shadows.

"Hey Christian," Rick looked over, "Isn't that the store you got your sweater from?" He pointed across the street to a shabby second hand store.

"Yep, it is." Christian responded, shaking his head yes as he spoke. Nina looked at Rick.

"Should we take a peek inside?" She put her arm around his waist.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Guys, are you coming?" Rick turned to look at his three friends.

"Tal and I should go and get ready to go out tonight, but you go ahead." Harry waved as he and Tal continued walking back to campus.

"Christian? You coming?" Nina asked curtly. Christian nodded yes, smiling.

"Who knows, maybe I'll find the ending to my story." They laughed as they crossed the street and entered the building. The shop was just as cluttered as the first time Christian had entered it, dusty with an old musty newspaper smell lingering in the air. Nina made a beeline for the vintage dresses while Rick wandered over to the old books. Christian looked around the shop, there was a shirt here last time he had debated on getting, maybe it was still here. He began to sort through the racks, trying to find his size.

"Bonjour, May I help you find something?" The thick French accent came from the store manager who had come up behind Christian. "Were you not the boy who bought a sweater from me a few weeks ago? The boy with the terrible French." Christian blushed and nodded yes. The manager turned and walked away from him, Christian shrugged and began to turn back to look for the shirt.

"Well? Follow me! I have what you are looking for." The manager called back over his shoulder. Christian looked puzzled but followed the man into the back of the store.

"After you left the other day I remembered that I had a box full of clothes from the same estate and if the sweater fit you so well these might also." He pulled down a large box, setting it on the floor in front of Christian. "Go ahead and look, tell me if you like anything." The manager moved away from Christian to check on Nina who was trying on a few dresses she had found. Christian opened the box and coughed as the dust came spilling out. Inside were three crisp shirts, two white and one blue. Next were two pairs of shoes and a few bowties. Two jackets were folded neatly, one looked like a tuxedo jacket with tails. A top hat and a bowler were also in the box. A long pair of black pants were toward the bottom along with black suspenders. Every article of clothing looked as if it would fit him, but he needed none of it. At the bottom of the box was a medium satchel made from a simple black cloth. Christian pulled it out, hearing something rattle from inside. He opened the satchel to find a small metal box. Christian picked it up and opened it with ease. His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the picture in the frame that lay on top in the box. It was of Satine, older than in the posters advertising the plays, but still beautiful. She was standing, wearing a long black dress. Christian picked up the picture and brought it close to his face, wiping away some dust on the frame. There was a date on the bottom of the picture, 1929. It must have belonged to her, he thought. All of this was hers. He put the frame down carefully and looked once again into the metal box. There were some old coins and French bills in a small black pouch and a pocket watch with a long gold chain fastened to it. Christian opened it and found it was still ticking, keeping perfect time. Also in the box was a small silver ring with a little red stone in the middle. He looked at it and held it, the metal smooth against his fingers as if it had been worn thin. He placed all the things back into the box, placing the satchel at the bottom, then piling the clothes back in. He lifted the box and brought it to the shop counter. The manager looked up at him from behind it.

"How much for the whole box?" Christian asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"Well that all depends on how much you want it." The shop owner smiled slyly at Christian. Rick had found a few books and was approaching the counter.

"What did you find Chris?" Rick asked.

"Just some more shirts and stuff that fit." Christian answered nonchalantly.

"Great, I found some great books, poetry and stuff, I think you'll like them too if you want to borrow them." Nina was finished trying on clothes and came to the counter with three skirts, one of them a yellow can can with red stitching along the hem.

"Looks like you all found your treasures today." The shop owner commented. Christian bartered with the man till they agreed on a price. Rick bought his books and treated Nina to her skirts. As they left the store they noticed it had begun to rain softly while they were in the store.

"Shall we share a cab?" Christian asked, already in the process of hailing one.

"The rain never hurt anyone," Rick called after him. "Lets keep walking, it'll let up soon." Nina watched as a cab pulled along side of the sidewalk. Christian looked from the cab to his box to Rick.

"Well, I'll see you back at the dorm then, I don't want these things to get wet." Christian smiled as Rick just waved and wrapped his arm around Nina and they continued to walk away. Christian felt slightly guilty but climbed into the cab and told him where he wanted to go. By cab it took less than half the time to return to his dorm room. He set down his box of treasures as soon as he had closed his door. He pulled out all of the clothes and removed the metal box from the satchel. He opened the box and carefully pulled out the picture of Satine. She was so stunning, so enchanting. He turned the frame over to slide the picture out. He pulled out the backing, the cardboard underneath. To his surprise he found a piece of newspaper under the cardboard. It was slightly yellow and threatened to fall apart as he opened it. It was an article about the fire at the Moulin Rouge. The article mentioned Satine and her hero, the man who saved her. Christian refolded the clipping after he had finished reading and looked down at the back of Satine's picture. There were words written in ink on the back of the photo. Christian squinted to read the faded print.

"My heart aches every hour of every day." Christian read aloud slowly, "and only when I was with you did the pain go away." Tears formed in his eyes as he read the sweet words, the last sentence was more faded than the rest, but as he read it, his eyes grew wide. "Come back to me my love, Come back to me Christian."

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Christian tossed and turned in bed, having fitful dreams of fire and being trapped. He awoke at 3:00am and sat up in bed. He looked on his nightstand where he had set Satine's picture, barely making out her face in the dark of his room. Sighing, Christian rubbed his eyes. He turned on his lamp and stood up, crossing the room to the box of clothes he had bought earlier. He hadn't tried any of them on, in fact he had decided to leave and go over to Rick's dorm room after his discovery of the writing on the back of Satine's picture. Nina and Rick had only just gotten back from their walk at that time and were soaked. They decided to make some soup and watch a French game show. Nina never said a word to Christian, but smiled when he asked if he could join them. It was good to spend some extra time with them and to get his mind off the confusion that lingered back in his room.

"Well I should see if they fit I guess," Christian muttered, "although I shouldn't have to even try them on to know that answer." He pulled out the black slacks and slid them on.

"Perfect." he said aloud. He decided to try on the blue shirt next, and then tried on the shoes. He placed the Derby hat on his head and looked in the mirror.

"Welcome to 1899." He said to his reflection. "My name is Christian and I am going insane…" He moved to his closet and pulled out the sweater he had bought weeks earlier. It seemed to belong to the outfit. He tied the arms of the sweater around his shoulders. He walked back to the mirror and chuckled. He didn't mind the way he looked, much to his surprise. He opened the metal box that now sat on his desk. He placed some of the money in his pocket along with the pocket watch. He turned and looked at Satine's picture.

"Well my dear? How do you like me now?" Christian laughed at himself. What a sight he would make. A crazy man dressed up in clothes from a different era, a different century! He suddenly had the urge to return to the Moulin Rouge, to return to the room across from the dancehall. Smiling at the thought, he spotted a book peeking out from under his bed. It was the book on time travel. He walked over and picked it up, grabbed a flashlight and money for a cab.

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The old room across from the dancehall was brighter than he thought it would be. The lights from the Moulin Rouge made the room glow dimly. The cab driver had given his clothes a funny look as he got out into the night. He stood watching the famous windmill turn for a few minutes before climbing the fire escape to his room.

"Funny," he thought, "That I know it's mine. No one else's…" He looked around the room and took off his hat, placing it on the coat rack. He moved to the bird cage and picked it up, looking for the place it used to hang. He moved to the window and opened the shutters, half expecting to see Satine below. But it was still 2003 out there. He looked up and saw a small rusted hook attached to the overhang. He hung the birdcage up and smiled. It just felt right hanging there. Maybe he'd fix up this room, he could get a bird and write here, be inspired. He chuckled as he imagined the police dragging him away for trespassing.

"But this place is mine…" he thought out loud. Christian moved back into the room and tested the old bed before sitting down on it. He leaned against the wall and turned on his flashlight. He began to read a chapter on the methods of time travel. He had only finished half of the chapter when Christian yawned, his eyes getting heavy. He reached into his pocket and looked at his watch. 4:54am. He yawned again and sank down onto the bed, letting the book fall to the floor. He would just sleep here for a few hours then leave as dawn came, returning in time for class. Christian drifted off to sleep, a smile on his face. He was so comfortable here, it felt like home.

Sunlight fell on his face and warmed his skin as Christian began to awaken. Reaching for his watch, he opened the case. 11:04am. Oh well, he thought, yet one more day of classes to skip. He grinned as he stretched, moving the blanket off of his body. He sat up, and realized he was still in a dream. The room was clean and organized. The bed he was in had sheets and a blanket, and there was a new red chair sitting in the corner by the coat rack. There was a small table with a chair pushed along side of it and on the table was an old type writer. He heard some noise from upstairs, someone sounded angry. Suddenly the door to his room flew open. A small man walked up to Christians bed, surprised to see him there.

"Bonjour." The man looked at Christian waiting for him to answer.

"Hello," Christian replied cautiously. If this was a dream, it was the most realistic he had ever had. "I'm sorry, am I in your apartment?" Christian asked. The man began to laugh.

"Certainly no! You must be the new tenant, the playwright from England? I had meant to leave you a note to join my friends and I for supper tonight but it seems you've arrived early." The short man moved to the desk and set down a white piece of note paper. "My name is Toulouse Marie Henri Lautrec Monfa. My friends and I live above you. We are a part of the Bohemian Revolution!" He went on as Christian starred at him, wondering if he had died in his sleep. "We were all so excited to hear that you'd be moving in! A playwright…here in our building!" Christian finally found his voice and moved out of the bed.

"I…I'm um Christian James. It a pleasure to uh...meet you Toulouse." Toulouse looked at him curiously, then smiled.

"How rude of me, I didn't even allow you to wake up before bombarding you. Well you get situated then join us upstairs. Everyone else is excited to meet you." As he spoke he moved to the door and walked into the hallway. "Until later then!" He shouted over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs. Christian looked dumfounded at the open door. He walked to it slowly and closed it. Turning, he walked to his window. As he looked down on the street he noticed the changes. Horse and buggy, gothic tower, women in long dresses. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Still the same. He tried to remember what he had done before when he had seen this.

"It's a dream" He said aloud. "Wake up. Wake up!" He closed his eyes and turned around. He held his breath as he slowly opened one eye then the other. The room was still clean and decorated. Christian smiled, either he was dead or…or what? He had time traveled? He shook his head in disbelief. He stood, examining the room, still unsure of what to do. Then he heard a sweet sound, echoing into his room, and he knew it was her. He moved to his window, stepping onto the ledge and peered down. Satine was climbing out of a carriage, laughing softly. The Duke held his hand out, helping her down onto the street. Satine reached back into the carriage and pulled out a familiar looking bird cage. Christian gasped and looked up to where he had hung his birdcage earlier. Nothing was there, not even the rusted hook.

"It's beautiful dear Duke, thank you ever so much." Christians attention turned back to Satine as she gave the Duke a small kiss on the cheek. The Duke only smiled and offered Satine his arm as they walked into the Moulin Rouge. As they disappeared into the dancehall, Christian felt the need to be near her, to snatch her away from the Duke. He moved into his room and walked over to the small mirror on the dresser. He straightened out his hair from the nights sleep and smoothed his shirt. He retied his sweater on his shoulders and grabbed his hat. He smiled at himself as he looked in the mirror one last time. If he was dead, even if this was only the best dream ever, he might as well try to win the girl for once. He opened the door to his room and found the stairs leading to the lobby. He had never left this way, and he made note of how nice this place really was. The lobby floor shined and the brass railing on the staircase had exquisite details carved into it. The bell hop smiled and opened the door for him as he left the building. Christian breathed in deep as he crossed the street and stood outside of the Moulin Rouge. He couldn't stop smiling, knowing he was so close to meeting his dream woman, the sparkling diamond herself. Christian moved to open the door and stepped inside the dance hall entrance. It was very different than the Moulin Rouge he had attended before. He immediately went through a second set of doors and into a courtyard where there was an enormous Elephant. He saw someone walk from behind one of the tall legs and noticed it was the Duke.

"I'll return for you in a moment my dear, I need to discuss your rehearsal time with Harold." The duke crossed the courtyard, not even glancing in Christians direction.

"I'll be waiting here for your return." Satine called to him. Christian moved forward, following where her voice had come from. He walked around one of the elephants legs. He could see a half of a picnic table, and the back of a woman in a pale pink dress. Christian had to reserve all his strength to keep himself from running up to her. He crossed under the belly of the elephant slowly. Hearing her softly speaking to someone, he paused. Wasn't she alone? He crept forward, trying to be silent. He walked into the sunlight, closer to her now. Christian could now see that she was cooing into the birdcage as she fed the small canary inside. He chuckled before he could think of the sound. Satine jumped up, spinning around and squealing.