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Masquerade: The lover’s mask
This story is based and inspired by the song Masquerade by Berlin.
By Sleeping Beauty
I have heard of the Masquerade from my grandmother year after year. It was almost like some old romantic novel come to life. People dressed up in fine elegant costumes and don great artful masks and for one night to become someone else and celebrate. The thought of being a part of such an exquisite and intricate production haunted me. There was something so mysterious about it when grandmother spoke of it.
“In Italy, the festival of masks is under way as I tell you this dear angel,” grandma started in. “Every year around the time of the harvest, it happens. The townspeople gathered in the town square as the sun set to play caricatures in time.”
“For some it is just a festival, a ball. To a few, dear, it is much, much more. Those few are called vampyre.” She stroked my hair as her words and mood changed. “Those who drink the blood and life force of others to live and exist.” she paused again to glance at me. “The dark sides of something ancient and timeless child, not to be messed with or taken lightly as I know you still think of it.”
This was always her warning to me as she told me the rest of the story. Her fear of my falling into darkness and away from her was apparent to me. I understood her fear. I had my parents taken from me as a young child and grand raised me from almost a babe. She did not wish to lose me as well.
“Those ones, the ones whom by day slept and by night mingled with the normal and unsuspecting folk. Are always looking for someone special to keep as their own, to add to their flock of evil and sin. They lead such divine lives to those who do not know about them.” She looked at me and saw that I was enraptured by her tale as I had been for many times before.
Her words drifted into my ear and I felt her hand gently wander over my hair stroking it like a cat. It brought me to a lull and I started to nod off.
“Always remembering that their masks go deeper and they live their own masquerade…forever.”
She smiled worriedly and then brought me up for a hug.
“Anna why listen to my ramblings when you have heard them a thousand times?” she chuckled and kissed me “Off to bed with you my angel, to dream.”
“Cause I love you so grandmother.” I answered sleepily and nodded returning the embrace and kiss before I padded off.
I retreated to my bedroom soon after the moon rose in the sky. Closed the door, I shed my clothes and strung them along one of the partitions along my wall, changed into my favorite red silk nightgown. I looked out at the night sky as I opened my window. I saw the moon rising ever so high as it beckoned to me. I made a wish as the air freshened up my room before I closed it and locked it tightly for the night. My bed felt soft and feather light to my body and skin as I got into it. Dreams swirled just out of reach of my conscious mind as I started to drift off.
A man wearing the lover’s mask decorated in gold took my hand and kissed it. The kiss traveled to my head and left me lightheaded. Something touched no caressed me where no hand had ever been. My body became full of heat and lust from the phantom touch I had received. I swooned into the arms of this stranger and blushed as I looked into his mysterious eyes. He was so beautiful, his touch felt like silk to me. He smiled at me, held me up, and brought me back to my feet.
“Forgive me my intrusion Madame. I did not mean to knock you off your feet.” he said as he held my hand. He smiled and his eyes danced in the light.
“That is…Um…I am…. all right” I replied trying to get my mind to work so I could speak.
He smiled and chuckled a bit at my awkwardness. He seemed to enjoy it. He nodded to me to let me know it was understood and finally let my hand go.
“Till we meet again Cherrie.” said he as he smiled again, waved his hand about in a bow, and turned to leave me standing there in the square.
I held it to my face as he bid me ado and walked onward. I finally blinked and noticed then he was gone. Only the lamps and candles that decorated and lit the streets remained. I went to turn to follow my intended path and go to the party but I was now lost.
In a sweat, I rose from my bed feeling the kiss and touch from the phantom man. I looked around to see I was in my room again and safe from any such encounter. Part of me was relieved while another wished the dream had indeed been real. I got up from my soaked bed sheets and poured me a glass of water from my bedside. I took a sip and swallowed still thinking of the dream. I felt his touch again just then.
He was beside me holding me to him, his arms wrapped around my waist. I sighed deeply as his hand started to trail up my stomach to my breast and gently massage it before he brought his hand to my neck to caress and move my hair from my neck. His lips touched me and gave me a tender kiss that brought chills to me. My body shuddered with anticipation as I felt that feeling of lust return to me. I fell into him and he carried me to my bed.
It was then he started to tear off my clothes and ravish me like nothing I had ever known. His lips and hands roamed my body and lighted me with passion. I kissed him forgetting all about the dream. I felt him inside of me as we pumped and moved together making love. Upon my orgasm, I screamed into the night and was again left alone in my bed. Before I could do anything, I fell into a deep rest from our union and would have a full dreamless sleep for the first time in years.
The next few nights was more of the same with one difference, on the last night instead of him coming to me, I came to him. I turned and found myself in a grand ballroom full of people. They were all dancing to music, I could not tell where it came from. The man from before took my hand and led me to the middle of the floor and the couples parted as he did so. We were swallowed up in the crowd as they took their places again. Everyone had a partner in hand and went around in a circle as the dance began again. All the dancers looked as if they were just thrown together or happen upon one another unlike my mystery man and I.
He held me in his arms and my head swam again. I looked upward and saw the ceiling blend into the night as it blended into one another. I saw no stars just the blackness of the darkness. My eyes returned to him as we started to spin around as we danced. Everything was a blur now except for him. I fell into him again. He caught me and held me tight against him. Heat arose as I felt his body against mine.
His eyes reminded me of the darkness but yet they were different. Something within his eyes pulled me and kept me there. I felt like I was floating now. He spoke to me but his mouth was not moving.
“You are lovely Anna. I would so much like to love you.”
I blushed and kept looking at him wondering how he knew my name. I started to speak but could not find the words.
“I know you would love for me to love you too. You dream about me every night.” He continued.
I looked at him with surprise and shock, as he seemed to know the dark fantasies of my heart. He smiled and held me to him.
“Yes Cherrie, I know all about you. I have been watching you for years waiting for this moment.” He proclaimed. “Let yourself live it out my love and all will be clear, this I promise you.”
For some reason I trusted him. I know somewhere I should not but I did. I should have been scared, I should have ran away, I should have done many things…but I did not do anything but stay there lost in his eyes and words.
One by one, people left the dance floor, parting as couples and disappeared from sight. I heard the music faintly now as we moved away from the grand ballroom. He led me up a staircase and down a hall where frames hung along the walls, some filled of shattered glass and 8 by10's. My eyes traveled watching the pictures move and the glass fall to the floor as the illusion fell away.
I felt panic suddenly as the reality of what was happening came to light. I was being led to my death or something worse than death for sure. I looked and glanced to see people running around scampering around like rats in a maze. Their movements, being directed and purposely redirected to move them like rats in a maze. They tried to head for the doors to the outside. Most were greeted with a jolt of pain as teeth sunk into their skin. Screams pierced the night air as they were fed upon like cattle.
I turned to the dark stranger and saw his eyes twinkle. My fear held within them as we continued to walk upward to a large bedroom. He gently picked me up and placed me on the bed. He leaned over me brushed the hair from my face and kissed me. Everything was gone….
He made love to me like in my dreams and it was heaven like I thought it would be. His hands brought fire to my body and made me ache and need, and quenched something deep within me that even I was not aware of. I looked into his eyes one last time as he spoke to me.
“My Anna, your taste is intoxicating just like I knew you would be. So sweet and alive. I give you the gift to be this way forever.” He barred his teeth then. “With me forever...”
He swooped down upon me like a lightning flash and sunk his fangs into my skin. The sensation was both painful and pleasurable as he drank my life away and I felt his love for me.