TSFS: The Masquerade Striders

Arrival

Eli

"Hey Hazel."

There was a slight pause.

"It's day 125 in the void. Still no signs of release."

I look around, nothing.

Just me, this probably broken radio, and this depressing void.

Black covered walls with an eerie unsettling feeling. It was cold in the void, it felt like everyday it got colder.

It also felt like the days were getting longer, more heavy. Everything that I did felt wrong.

I was bored out of my mind, not only was I alone, but the thought of me being stuck here for the rest of my life scared me. I try my best to not think like that, but after five months, that's all you can think about.

You can't blame me, right?

Days after day, I talk into this stupid radio. This dusty old radio that has spider webs all over it. It smelled like old rust and some of the buttons didn't work anymore.

"Hazel, Drew, Delilah-- if anyone can hear me right now, please hurry." I look around at the room I'm surrounded in.

An orange coffin, my color. The color that my soul is. There still lies my body. I had closed it completely, locked it up, so that I didn't have to stare at it. Just the feeling of it being in the same room as me, scared me shitless.

The coffin that sat in front of me had a majestic design on it. Different flowers and peoples faces on it. Faces I've never seen. All of the faces were blank. No smiles, no emotions. Not even in their eyes.

Each of their eyes terrified me. Looking deep into their brown eyes, they were filled with pain. A pain that I've never experienced, at least I thought.

The youngest girl was holding a daisy.

Daisies.

They reminded me of the garden on the other side. Delilah and I used to go there all the time and pick them one by one. It was relaxing. Later, we'd go back to our dorms and tape them in our flower journal. We had collected almost every flower that year.

Sometimes, we'd make them into a perfume. For Delilah of course. We'd put a mixture of the daisies in a bottle with water and let it sit outside for a day. It smelled great on her. One of the few things I loved about her.

It was also one of the few things I missed about her. Not just her, but everyone. I can still smell the scent of the daisies on my fingertips, making them tingle every time I think about it.

Those were truly the good times.

The oldest man was wearing a pair of round glasses. He like the others, had no smile on his face. His eyes were dark blue, like the ocean.

"Still alone in the void, " I choke out.

"I wish I was with you guys on earth."

I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. A tear rolls down my face as the thought sinks deeper into my mind.

I wasn't on earth, I never got a second chance at life.

Part of me wished I tried harder to avoid Luna. Use all my strength to fight her off. Prove her wrong about me. But I didn't do that. Instead I let her kill me. For what? I have no idea.

It seemed like the entire thing played in slow motion. The wooden stake pierced into my skin, and my instant reaction was falling onto the floor with a bang.

The pain was unexplainable. Like nothing else.

It hurt to breathe.

I remember trying to talk. Get something out. But I couldn't. It's like I was forced not to, like someone had casted a spell on my lips. Glued shut.

Then seeing Delilah and Maya scream. Except I couldn't hear them. The ringing in my ears was too powerful. Blocking out everything that was going on.

Drew and Hazel fighting Luna off, Bianca and Madeline standing there in shock, not knowing what to do with themselves. Ashley off in the corner with her hands over her eyes. They were all terrified by what they saw, including myself.

Luna's laugh still haunts me. Like a little kid having the same nightmare every night for a week or so. Though instead of a week, it was five months. I can't sleep in the void. I don't even have hunger here.

I have nothing.

Their screams of agony and pain echoed through my head over the buzzing. My stomach oozing out blood, and the wooden stake that entered my stomach slowly taking the life out of me.

Who knew a piece of wooden could kill someone. A vampire. Someone who isn't supposed to die. Isn't that the whole point of being a vampire? Living forever, experiencing new things and living free with no regrets?

I take my index finger off the audio button, listening quietly for any response.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I smack the radio on the table, in anger.

Light buzzing was my response from the radio. White noise on the other side.

I rest my face on the table, feeling exhausted for no reason. I feel my heartbeat through my fingers. Cold as stone.

I put the radio back on it's shelf, giving up for the night. Maybe forever.

I walk back up to my coffin. Staring at the girl with the daisy. Tracing over the daisy she held in her delicate hands. They were covered in dirt. The dress she wore was baby blue, with a white apron. She had light blonde hair in a messy braid.

Dirt covered her dress.

I stare at the latch on my coffin. Tempted to open it up.

Slowly, I flip the latch up making a *click* noise.

Then I place my hands on the wood and push the coffin open. The coffin was old, and the natural wood color faded, leaving some spots white. The coffin made a squeaky noise, trying its best to weigh itself out.

Lying in the coffin, layed my body. The temperature in the void was cold, making my body very pale. Over time, veins popped out of my body, green and blue.

It was hard to ignore. They popped out in color.

The more I stared at my body, the more I felt bad.

All of a sudden a hear a noise. Not just any noise. But the noise of someone else.

There's someone here. I thought.

How though?

I quickly shut the coffin and opened my bedroom door. Carefully peeking out of the room, trying not to give myself away.

I hear water running, and loud footsteps. They were aggressive. Almost like they were making so much noise on purpose.

I kept quiet. Who knows what could be out there.

Soon the footsteps stop, and I feel a pair of eyes on me. Just the feeling sent chills down my spine.

Slowly but surely, I turn myself around. My shoulders raise in tension, preparing myself with what I'm about to witness.

The girl is blurry.

Looking at her, I spotted a pearl necklace around her.

She wore a navy blue dress, and in her hand was a radio.

Staring at her for a second, I didn't know who she was. My mind couldn't quite map out her identity.

Then it hit me.

The realization sent chills down my spine.

"Luna?"