The Secret Masquerade

Speakeasy's and roadkill - Maeve

The speakeasy was dark. Per usual, there were the regulars. And thanks to the prohibition, we had very few. Taylor, she was recently divorced and left with nothing but a few dollars to her name. Rocky was another. He wasn't too bad looking but he was sorely lacking (from what I hear) in the places you don't want to be lacking. And of course the infamous Mrs. Maguire. She was on her last string of life. Rumored to have killed her late husband, she wasn't feared, but was not to be trusted. She was an interesting creature. They all were. Coming to my mother's establishment only meant one thing. They were all dead.

Mostly anyway. More like seventy five twenty five. They were, as you may know, vampires. Elite creatures of infinite possibilities. They were the usuals and they tipped well. I was one of the only workers here. The others were my mother and my late father.

He was snuffed out by the society in which he resided. The society was nonetheless exclusive. Known by no other name than such as given. Every hundred years the 'society' would hold a secret masquerade to recruit and turn young aficionados into the order and become a vampire. It is in fact a competition with only a select few to be inducted.

All it really is, is a popularity contest. And I'm next to be in line. My mother, Andrea, was inducted in the ball of 1725. My father, James, was turned in the ball of 1825 and killed by the order in 1919. There is no age limit to the masquerade. All who are willing to enter may attend. However, there is a catch. If you fail. You die with absolutely no exceptions.

"Hello Maeve." My mother said, walking out of the back and into the main room with glasses of crimson elixir. She then sped around and handed our esteemed guests their cocktails. My mother, one of the older vampires in the society, had a very powerful ability, telepathy. She, unlike most others, was very skilled in this and took pride in her abilities. "I know your nerves are getting the better of you Maeve, but you know your father would have wanted you to at least try."

"A try with the side effects of death and enslavement." Really the whole thing wasn't as bad as it sounds. I know I know, death or enslavement sound like the worst things known to man. And yes, they are. However, they both entail a larger amount of pain and suffering with the vampires in the society than with any other.

The speakeasy was dark, and cold, and smelled of death.