And wait I did. While Satine was seducing the Duke, everyone else from Spectacular Spectacular sat in the theatre and waited. For a time, no one made a sound. I downed glass after glass of Absinthe, anything that would take the pain away, but nothing helped. It was always there, eating away at me.

Just then Nini came swaggering up and sat down in my lap.

"Don't worry Shakespear, you'll get you're ending once the Duke get his. . .end. . .in." I had had enough with her. I threw her off me and left her gasping and yelling at me. The Argentinean went to comfort her, then he turned to me.

"Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself." He advised. "It always ends bad!" Everyone turned to stare at us, and my eyes started to smart with tears as I tried to stick up for myself. While I stood alone, Satine was up in that hideous tower giving herself to the Duke. I breathed heavily and stood glued to the spot.

The Argentinean walked down the steps. "We have a dance!" He announced. "In the brothels of Buenos Aires." The piano struck a Spanish sounding chord. I watched him carefully as he walked to the middle of the room.

"It tells the story of a prostitute," The spotlight fell on Nini, who ran down the steps obviously uninsulted, laughing drunkenly. "and a man who falls in love with her."

They began dancing, acting out a story with their steps.

"First, there is desire." He narrated.

"Then Passion."

"Then suspicion, jealousy, anger, betrayal. Where the love is for the highest bidder, there is no trust. Without trust there is no love. Jealousy. Yes, jealousy will drive you MAD!"

"Roxanne. You don't have to put on that red light." Soon more people were joining in the dance.

"Walk the streets for money. You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right. Roxanne. You don't have to wear that dress tonight. Roxanne. You don't have to sell your body to the night."

Then I decided to add in my own words. Not so much to console me, but just to let out the justified anger building inside me.

"His eyes upon your face. His hand upon your hand. His lips caress your skin. It's more than I can stand!"

[Roxanne]

"Why does my heart cry?"

[Roxanne]

"Feelings I can't fight. You're free to leave me but just don't deceive me, and please, believe me when I say I love you." Now everyone was dancing in pairs, acting out the story with their sweeping dance moves.

I waded through the pack of dancers and made my way to the door. Looming before me was the gothic tower.

The Duke was letting us keep our "fairy tale" ending.

[Roxanne]

"Why does my heart cry?"

[You don't have to put on that red light]

[Roxanne]

"Feelings I can't fight."
[You don't have to do your hair tonight]

[Roxanne]

"You're free to leave me but just don't deceive me and please, believe me when I say. . . I love you."

Now I was just underneath the Gothic tower, its many levels going vertically up from where I was standing. I peered upwards and thought I saw someone standing there. Could it be Satine? Had she managed to convince the Duke without seducing him? My mind raced as I looked to the sky, searching the tower balcony for her red hair. It had to be her standing there, I felt her. I can't explain it, it was just some feeling in the pit of my stomach. Instinct. Pure instinct.

I lowered my head, almost ashamed, and continued walking. Had I known the Duke was mistreating Satine I would have barged straight up the many stairs and rescue her from him.

[Roxanne]

"Why does my heart cry?"

"Feelings I can't hide."

[Roxanne you don't have to wear that dress tonight]

[Roxanne]

I screamed out my window, praying Satine would hear me and run to me. If I couldn't save her, then someone else had to. And someone else did. A wonderful man by the name of Chocolat had saved my Satine and brought her back to me.

The clock had just begun to chime when my door burst open and Satine came running in wearing just her corset. She was muttering inaudibly through sobs. I did however catch that the Duke had seen me and knew about our love affair.

"We'll leave." I proposed. "We'll leave tonight."

Like always, Satine was concerned about the show. "I don't care about the show." I told her. And I didn't. As long as we had each other, I didn't care about anything in the world. I had finally convinced her, and she was going to gather her things unnoticed and slip away from the Moulin Rouge and the Duke forever.

It's such a sad shame that even if we had gone away, Satine would have died anyway.

Little did I know, but the Duke had his own plans. If I showed my face one more time, I was to be killed.