The Secret Masquerade

His spine is a chocolate eclair - Maeve

          "What is this?" I asked as my mother gawked in awe of the big poofy dress that I was wearing.

"Oh please, it's formal. Especially for those older ones. They liked how it was then." If I had to be honest, the dress wasn't all that bad and it really wasn't that poofy. It looked good on me. The red fabric and gold lining matched well with my dark hair. The dress itself was sleeveless and had a beautiful design with rose petals going down. It looked like a trail of blood.

"This one is fine mama." I said stepping off the pedestal where I stood.

"Wonderful. Now let us find you a mask." Now this was the fun part. A mask meant secrecy, it meant mystery, and I was all for that. There is something about a mask that has a curtain power, a certain energy. I picked up the long red wine dress and walked over to a neighboring wall that had a plethora of colorful masks. Some had flowers and some had jewels, either way they meant one thing, Death.

           MaCs was the name of the dress shop we had gone to. My mother said that she went here with her mother, my grandmother, when it was her ball. Said it was a great bonding experience. How could I think about bonding if I was about to dive into a pool of eels? Nevertheless, I played the part my mother wanted.

          "This one." I picked out a white mask with red rubies spread all over. I put it to my eyes and tied the ribbon into a bow in the back and walked back to the podium where the mirrors sat.

         "Beautiful." My mother said, holding my hand. Once we paid and started to head toward the door, there was a ring of the bell that was above it.
"Hello Ms. Wynn." It was Collin. A very handsome man with the sharpest haircut in town. With sunkissed skin and a body to go along with it, he was one to be desired. He took my hand and bowed as I did the same.

          "I hope to see you at the masquerade in a few weeks, Collin?"

          "Wouldn't miss it even if I wanted to." Collin was a part of one of the more wealthy families in the city. The VanBurens' were infamous for their investments and charity work. Collin wore the family emblem as a broach on his heart. A spider. It was quite odd, yes, but it was made out of pure gold. "Good day to you both." He said after a few seconds of silence and gazing into one another's eyes.

          "And to you." my mother and I both said in unison.

          "He's a good one." My mother said, opening the door in front of us. "And good teeth." She said with a chuckle.

          The walk to the house was a short one. We walked about three blocks down from the park and then to the train. We rode past three stops before getting off at ours. Our house was a townhouse in the west village of New York City. It was made of white stone and sat in the middle of two others. Fit with four floors for various purposes, it was cozy. There was a large stoop that led to the front door of the house. I sat the black paper back that held my dress down and reached for my key in my coat pocket.

          The air of the city smelt of fall. I think it is amazing how our bodies can just tell when the seasons change. My favorite thing about the upcoming cold weather was the warm fires. Needless to say, I was ready for it.

          "I am going to go and check on Andrea at the bar, I will be back in a few hours. If you need anything, call the phone."

          "Yes ma'am." As my mother turned and walked away, I went the opposite direction and into the house, dropped the bag at the door and walked over to the parlor and sat on the sofa. There was a new cigarette holder that sat on the table. I pulled on the knob on the top of it and grabbed one out with my two fingers, lit a match and took a breath in.
After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. I paused. Then there was another. I put out the cigarette in between my fingers and walked around the pillar and to the door. When I opened the door, not to my surprise, it was Collin.

          "Hello again."

          "Hello. Care to come inside?" I asked, reaching out my hand towards the inside of the house.

          "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to join me on a walk along the street."

          "That would be lovely. Let me write my mother a note in case we aren't back in time before she is." I quickly walked into the art room and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. Then wrote that I had gone out, with Collin. Mother is going to want to hear all about this. I was also excited. I had thought about Collin for a long while. He was the ideal match of course. And good looking, and came with a loaded wallet too.

          I know money shouldn't be involved in my reasons to pursue him, but it sure helps. I walked back to the door after grabbing a coat from the hook that was in the art room.

          "Ready."

          "Good." He said as we stepped down the stairs in unison and onto the paved walking path along the road. I wrapped my arm around his and we went on. We walked in silence and passed pedestrians and waved to neighbors and casted a few smiles.

          "Can I ask you something?"

          "Of course."

          "Are you scared?" I had to think. Yes I was, but did I want to share that with him? Did I trust him enough to be so vulnerable? No, I did not. Though he was a friend, this is a game, and it could cost me my life.

          "No, not really."

          "You should be." We stopped walking and turned toward another in the light of a nearby building. The sun had set and the moon was on the rise. "We could die. Maeve, this is just a game to them. We don't owe them anything. We don't actually have to do this, we could leave." What the hell is he talking about? He knows better than anyone that there is no real choice. The Society leaves no witnesses whatsoever. If you didn't join the ball they would either erase your memory completely and be left nothing but an empty shell, or they would kill you. And it was to protect themselves. Because if everyone knew, everyone would want it. And what happens when humans desire and can not fill a void? Chaos.

          "Where is this coming from? You know what they would do. What they can do."

          "I know, but we could leave tonight and never look back."

          "They would find us."

          "Not if we move fast enough and move now." He then gripped my wrist as I pulled it away and held it with great strength. I looked down toward the deathgrip he held and back into his eyes. There was fear. And that is what is going to get him killed.

          "No." I said, tearing my arm away from his grip. I started back for the house and tried not to look back. Collin ran to me and turned me to him once more.

          "Please Maeve." There was silence. And for a split second I wanted to. But I knew I could not. Without a response and without a warning, I turned the other way and walked home.