✔ Dracula's Talisman #RomanceHalloweenMasqueradeContest

HALLOWE'EN NIGHT PARTY - 1

October 31 - 8:15pm - two hours, forty-five minutes before the party.

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"Come in. Quick!" I whispered, hastily pulled my dear friend, Dara, into my room, took a quick left and right look at the hall way to make sure no one was watching, pulled back into the room and shut the door slowly. I couldn't afford any kind of unwanted attention from anyone at the moment.

I looked at my friend who had been awfully quiet the whole time. Her brows were lifted in curiousity and her eyes threw questions at me

With a sigh, I put my hand on my neck, and tried to massage the tensed nerves. "Did you bring the mask?"

"Yes, but what do you need it for? Your costume doesn't need a mask." She studied my face as if the answer to her question was written there.

The question brought a smirk to my face, and her brows seemed to lift up higher on her forehead. "I have a plan, Dara. Will you help me? You won't watch while I'm forced to marry someone I hardly know. Will you?"

She held my eyes for several seconds, then at last, she shook her head. "No." With a sigh, she pulled me over to the bed, and pushed me on the shoulder to sit. I obliged without hesitation. "I know this will probably get us into trouble, but let's hear it. What's the plan?"

***

9:25pm - forty-five minutes before the party.

I stood before the full length mirror, unable to stop the traitorous smile that crept up my face. The fact that I had totally changed the snow white costume my mother thought I was going to wear, to a circus ring master costume, definitely made me a traitor. And now, a hideous mask had also been added to it.

If there my mother was against me wearing anything tonight, it was a mask. A frightfully hideous one for that matter.

With the smile still on my face, I scrutinised my dressing from top to bottom. I had a top hat on my head, my black hair shone and flowed down to my shoulders and my red lipstick highlighted my fair skin. The black mask on my face hid more than half of my face, left my nose, lips, chin, and jaws exposed. The shape of my face could hardly be described.

Perfect!

My eyes traced down to the white shirt, black bow tie and black leather shorts, to the black net hosiery and shiny black, knee length leather boots and the red magician coat.

Just perfect!

"So, are you ready? It's almost Ten o clock." Dara said from behind me. She was also dressed up in her maleficent costume, but she hadn't worn the horn yet.

"Yes. We have to be out of here before anyone can see us." I straightened the coat and adjusted my cuffs, grabbed the black horse whip on the night dresser and turned to look at Dara. "Do you remember the plan?"

She nodded and exhaled deeply. "To escape the introduction, you have to get lost in the crowd until dawn, when the party will finally be over."

I gave her a pointed look. "We. Dara. We will get lost in the crowd, because once you're found, I'll be found too. You chicken out too easily and I can't risk being caught."

"Yeah." She agreed with a slight nod. "We will get lost in the crowd."

With a wide smile, I took one last look at myself in the mirror, and sighed as we made our way out of the room.

We crept out together, tried as much as possible to hide from anyone we saw until we succeeded in escaping through the back door.

I wasn't even a little bit surprised to find the street filled up with people and noise. My mother and I organised this party for the street as we always do every year, and because of that, it's always held on the street. It was like a festival on its own.

Music filled the air and also, laughter and cheers, and of course different costumes and even much more hideous masks than the one on my face. It's a Halloween party afterall.

Quickly we walked into the crowd and blended in. It would be extremely difficult for my parents to recognise either of us in these costumes. My mother must have gone into my room by now, probably freaking out on finding the room empty, and her beloved snow white costume still laid out smoothly on the bed.

If they thought I would meekly accept this marriage arrangement and just simply say yes to my so called betrothed, they can think again. I don't need anyone planning my life for me. Not in this century.

"Adura," Dara yelled into my ear over the loud music. "I just spotted a friend. I wanna go say hi, and I'll be back in five minutes."

I shrugged. "Sure."

I watched her run towards someone who was in a Thor costume. They shared a hug and laughed together. With a sigh, I looked around, at everyone and no one in particular, and wished I didn't have to be here, wasting my time, hiding from my parents.

***

*878 words*