Young Writers Society

Darkness had fallen, a sinister silence settling over the town. The sky had turned sooty giving the lake beneath an eerie look.

But all this was unnoticed by the girl sitting in the deserted park. Her ebony hair billowed in the wind, as if calling out to someone. Her eyes had sunk in their sockets, and a purple hue stained her cheek. Beth looked into the distance, mesmerized and lost. Nearby, a car screeched to a halt and Kevin came out looking more ominous than the sky. He grasped her arm and hauled her into the black Sedan and drove away.

A pair of eyes followed the car, as a man came out from behind the trees. A tilted hat sat atop his head hiding his face. A murky brown coat pulled tightly around him. A flicker of his blue eyes was the only drop of color in the otherwise blackened scene.

Kevin threw Beth onto the sparkling floor and thundered above her.

“How dare you leave this house without asking me?” He stormed.

She simply looked at him - her eyes dead, the light in them dormant – annoying him farther. Her outraged fiancée slapped her, causing another mark to form beside the purple one.

“Now, go and get ready for the evening’s masquerade party.”

Saying this he motioned to a servant and left.

The timid Mrs. Wilson scurried across the hall and took Beth to her room. This old lady had seen the wounds inflicted upon Beth and had nursed worse injuries. The victim had turned to stone acting as if immune to everything. Mrs. Wilson dressed her in a rosy gown and applied make up to hide the mark n her cheek. But no amount of the powder would completely hide the blemish. Beth’s ebony hair was pulled up in a neat chignon and she looked like a ceramic doll. Just as beautiful and lifeless. Lastly, a mask was added to her attire, hiding half of her face.

Guest arrived in bevies and soon the magnificent hall was filled by people – beautifully dressed with their visage concealed by an adorned mask. Behind a mask were those blue eyes. Those eyes were searching for something… or someone.