Status: technical difficulties = slower updates
Masquerade: The Tale of Romance, Seduction and ***
Prologue
It was 22 hundred hours, 10 o’clock in the evening. The exact moment, the exact time that everything would be decided. It was the last chance. The last chance I had to sharpen my resolve.
Satin silk of my favorite color swished about my curves, molding perfectly to my skin like water cascading down my sides. I walked through the crowd of extravagant cloth and ribbons, suits and gowns, a plethora of colors that shot and spun through the air and danced off the shiny ceiling, floor and walls. Each man or woman in the ballroom had tightly strapped to their faces intricate masks of different designs, no one was alike. I too was wearing such a mask, a design chosen by myself to match my personality.
This was no ordinary ball. It was a Masquerade Ball.
I was in the ballroom, the same ballroom that I had always been in but there was something different today. Today would be the end and I knew it.
Someone was going to die tonight.
The others moved as one, stepping towards their partners and twirling through the room, dancing along to the slow, classical song that filled the air. I looked about, waiting. It wasn’t long before a familiar hand wrapped about my waist and grasped me to their chest, my back facing them. M heart thumped at the close proximity, my cheeks immediately reddened. Their breath tickled my ear as they spoke low.
“Shall I have this dance?”
I twirled to face him, my hand tightening their grip on his and looked into the familiar mask of my companion. I could see the bright colors of his eyes and the contour of his jaw beneath the mask and my heart thudded blissfully. My answer was immediate. A breathy “Yes” slipped from my lips and the man before me smiled. We both moved towards the dance floor, his left hand still securely around my waist and his right attached to my own hand. I brought my other hand to his side, gently pulling myself closer so we could both feel each other’s body heat. As one, we moved about the ballroom, dancing to the swaying music, beautifully and delicately making our round of the room.
Like clockwork, the two of us moved together, functioned together. We knew each other’s next moves easily and instinctively. I gazed into his eyes that night, wishing that the night didn’t have to end. That the obligation I had could disappear and all I had to worry about was this man holding me and our passionate embrace.
The music stopped and we stopped our silent dance. Staring deeply up at him, I wanted nothing more than to be whisked away from the madness that would most definitely follow. I stood on my tiptoes, bringing our lips closer together as he lowered his head to mine. We had kissed before but I wanted this kiss to be different. It would surely be the last. I felt a trickle of a tear slide down my cheek as I closed my eyes.
The sound of screaming around us stopped our movement to kiss. Immediately the spell was broken. A hand grabbed my arm, yanking me away as a police officer knocked my partner to the ground. I tried to wrestle out of the grip that held me but it was fierce.
“Stop it! Darosa!” He yelled and I recognized his voice. It was the Chief. I gave up then, turning to him and nodded, resigned, before grabbing for the gun in the holster around my leg underneath the skirt of my dress. Quickly taking it in my hand, I turned to my partner, my companion, my love and pointed the gun right in his face.
“You’re under arrest.”
Satin silk of my favorite color swished about my curves, molding perfectly to my skin like water cascading down my sides. I walked through the crowd of extravagant cloth and ribbons, suits and gowns, a plethora of colors that shot and spun through the air and danced off the shiny ceiling, floor and walls. Each man or woman in the ballroom had tightly strapped to their faces intricate masks of different designs, no one was alike. I too was wearing such a mask, a design chosen by myself to match my personality.
This was no ordinary ball. It was a Masquerade Ball.
I was in the ballroom, the same ballroom that I had always been in but there was something different today. Today would be the end and I knew it.
Someone was going to die tonight.
The others moved as one, stepping towards their partners and twirling through the room, dancing along to the slow, classical song that filled the air. I looked about, waiting. It wasn’t long before a familiar hand wrapped about my waist and grasped me to their chest, my back facing them. M heart thumped at the close proximity, my cheeks immediately reddened. Their breath tickled my ear as they spoke low.
“Shall I have this dance?”
I twirled to face him, my hand tightening their grip on his and looked into the familiar mask of my companion. I could see the bright colors of his eyes and the contour of his jaw beneath the mask and my heart thudded blissfully. My answer was immediate. A breathy “Yes” slipped from my lips and the man before me smiled. We both moved towards the dance floor, his left hand still securely around my waist and his right attached to my own hand. I brought my other hand to his side, gently pulling myself closer so we could both feel each other’s body heat. As one, we moved about the ballroom, dancing to the swaying music, beautifully and delicately making our round of the room.
Like clockwork, the two of us moved together, functioned together. We knew each other’s next moves easily and instinctively. I gazed into his eyes that night, wishing that the night didn’t have to end. That the obligation I had could disappear and all I had to worry about was this man holding me and our passionate embrace.
The music stopped and we stopped our silent dance. Staring deeply up at him, I wanted nothing more than to be whisked away from the madness that would most definitely follow. I stood on my tiptoes, bringing our lips closer together as he lowered his head to mine. We had kissed before but I wanted this kiss to be different. It would surely be the last. I felt a trickle of a tear slide down my cheek as I closed my eyes.
The sound of screaming around us stopped our movement to kiss. Immediately the spell was broken. A hand grabbed my arm, yanking me away as a police officer knocked my partner to the ground. I tried to wrestle out of the grip that held me but it was fierce.
“Stop it! Darosa!” He yelled and I recognized his voice. It was the Chief. I gave up then, turning to him and nodded, resigned, before grabbing for the gun in the holster around my leg underneath the skirt of my dress. Quickly taking it in my hand, I turned to my partner, my companion, my love and pointed the gun right in his face.
“You’re under arrest.”
♠ ♠ ♠
The Prologue is kind of short but this is the first writing I have done for this story. I came up with the idea a month or so ago during a dream and really thought it was interesting. I had done a few sketches of scenes in my head and finally came up with this one for the Prologue. I might go back and edit some time in the future but for now. Here it is. Enjoy.