The Masked Murder

chapter two

Scarlett above (she's blonde)

Bored out of her mind, Scarlett Hanson takes a dainty sip from her champagne filled glass and lazily tilts her head, scanning the room before her. Same old, same old. Every year her parents would host the annual masquerade ball and every year the months before the ball would be complete chaos. There'd need to be food prepared, live music hired, waiters and waitresses assembled and of course, gowns made.

So here Scarlett was, clad in a fiery red and black custom made gown, only the highest in couture fashion. Yet she didn't feel all that high about it. She sighed, downing her drink and plopping in down on a tray that passed by, held by a waiter.

"Miss Hansen; you look ravishing."

Scarlett's demeanor instanstly shifts and she paints on a sickly sweet smile upon her face. James Colridge stands in front of her, son of the infamous businessman, Alec Colridge.

"Hello, James," she says cooly."Didn't expect to see you here."

"But of course. Anywhere you are, I am."

Scarlett resists the urge to roll her jade eyes. As a suit clad waiter strolls by, James picks up a glass of champagne and holds it out to her.

"The night's still young."

Scarlett hesitates for a moment, eyeing the champagne flute before finally giving in. Why the hell not?

The bubbling liquid hits her throat and simmers down into her stomach. She gives James one last phony smile and walks off into the resonance of music. She wanders over to a nearby corner that appears to be vacant. From where she stands is a tall, glass mirror that reveals the outside of the mansion. Stars dot the midnight sky, displaying its own glittering masquerade ball. The moonlight hits the infinity pool in such a way that it appears ten times more beautiful. Scarlett's nerves and anxiety calms down and she almost laughs at herself for being so tense. After all she was her mother's daughter, and she needed to appear graceful and in control all the time. She was the most popular girl in her school, all the guys wanted to be with her and she had a perfect life.

So then why did something seem so off?

She shrugged off her suspicions and glanced back at the window. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, a shadow appeared in the midst of the dark night. Scarlett squinted, trying to make out the shape, but all she could tell was that it was a person. Whether it was a girl or boy, she didn't know. The figure blended into the dark and then turned around, almost like it was staring right at her. Her heart pummeled, and then suddenly, it vanished. She peered out more, trying to locate where it went when she felt something against her shoulder. She screamed, her glass slipping out of her hands and falling to the floor.

"Woah there," a voice says.

Scarlett turned to face a boy about her age, with ice blue eyes and light brown hair. He had a kind smile on his face but Scarlett could tell that something about him was different than the rest of the guys she knew.

"You left your bag." he tells her, handing her the Chanel clutch she so desperately wanted to get rid of. Obtaining a bag that was out of season was like holding on to a dead goldfish-it had to go eventually.

"Thank you," she says. She looks down to the shard covered floor, deciding whether to call a staff member to pick it up but one had already rushed over, broom in hand.

Her head begins to feel light but she shakes it off, strolling over to the side. The boy follows her.

"So what big corperate does your dad run? Software, enginerring...fashion?" Scarlett asks him, guessing he was waiting for a chance to impress her with his family's wealth.

The boy looks confused for a second but then laughs, a pleasant and vibrant sound that sends warmth through Scarlett's body.

"Neither; My dad's friends with one of those corporate men though. That's how we got invited to this party."

Scarlett raises her eyebrows. "So what does he do?"

"He's a college professor."

"Interesting."

"So how about you-"

A rush passes through Scarlett's head, a light feeling causing her to stumble. She's instantly in the boys arms, her eyes beginning to droop.

"Are you okay?"

Those are the last words she hears before she plunges into complete, utter darkness.