Chapter 8
Faye slipped into her costume. The gown was elaborate-- a white sheath with a wine colored muslin overlay on the sides. The bodice, the hem, and the waistline had extensive beadwork. The gown glimmered in the lamp light. She gently attached her silk monarch wings-- they were large and studded with crystals. She slipped on her white, satin slippers and stood in front of the mirror. She was smiling at her image, studying the way the bottom laid just over the top of her shoes and how the overlay was perfectly straight. She looked back at her face to make sure her hair was in place but what she saw terrified her. She stared at her own reflection, but instead of her long, slender neck with a diamond choker there was a deep, red gash across her throat and blood was streaming out of it. She screamed, running from the bathroom. Rose caught her.
“Faye, what’s going on?” She asked with a puzzled voice.
Faye couldn’t speak. She made her way to the dressing table mirror. The ghastly image had vanished. She stared into her own panicked expression for a moment before sinking down onto the dressing stool, her legs weak. Rose came over and knelt in front of her.
“What did you see?” She asked softly, hugging Faye, “Now they are just playing with you and it’s cruel.”
She walked into the bathroom giving the mirror a good looking at before she changed into her own violet gown. It was simple, but elegant. It fell to her feet. It was Grecian in design with gathered shoulders and a black, rope sash. She attached her plain, white moth wings. Faye looked up and smiled as Rose came out. Her simple beauty was refreshing. Any jealousies she had felt toward Rose had long since faded. Rose helped Eric into his Page Boy costume. Just as they were finishing up, a soft knock came at the door. Faye rushed to open it. Adam stepped in.
“The mud around the car is mostly dry. I loaded the bags and took the liberty of moving it out of the hole it was in so that we can just go.” Adam said as he turned to look at Faye. He winked at her, “Even in a time of desperation and danger you are radiant.” He said.
“Let’s get you into your costume. It’s quarter to 8.” Faye said, blushing. She decided not to tell him about her bathroom incident as he already looked on edge.
Faye helped him into his white slacks and shirt. His wine sash matched her dress. She placed the laurel wreath on his head and stepped back with a smile of admiration.
“You make a very dashing Oberon, my dear.” Faye said with a bow of her head.
Everyone laughed.
Rose glanced at the clock. She spoke with a sober tone, “Show time kids.”
Adam helped Eric into his chair and pushed him down the hall with the ladies in tow. Thankfully the hallway was empty. They made their way down to the Ballroom. The line started in the lobby. Everyone was there. The costumes varied by era and everyone was talking and laughing. White gloved waiters carried trays of Champaign to those waiting to enter the Ballroom. The group waited, observing everything and everyone around them as they moved toward the Ballroom. As they got closer they could hear the band and smell the buffet table. Faye and Rose passed the time in whispered conversation about the costumes.
“See the couple three ahead of us” Rose said with a slight nod in the direction she meant.
Faye nodded.
“ His Puck mask has to be hand crafted, the horns appear to be made of wood, the leaves look so fresh they could have been picked off a tree this very morning” Faye marveled.
“From the way he holds that pan flute I wouldn’t be surprised if in all this time he hadn’t learned to play a tune or two.” Rose added.
The gentleman must have felt their lingering stares because he turned and looked directly at them, his stare openly hostile. They shrank back looking at the floor in embarrassment. He turned back around after a moment. This experience only deterred their ‘people watching’ for a few moments.
Faye glanced around for the next target. She saw so many elaborate and flamboyant costumes of beautiful silks and satins. But one couple in particular caught her eye. They were stunning but didn’t keep at all with the theme.
She was dressed in a stark white ball gown ornamented with diamond snowflakes that caught the light shimmering brightly. Her long pale hair swung free and intertwined in the locks were pale blue ribbons. Her face was covered with a half mask made of shiny silver with the same snowflakes as her gown. Her lips were a disturbing shade of blue, which both women had to look closely to discern if it was indeed lipstick. The man beside her was a stark contrast. Faye immediately recognized the costume as that of the Red Death. The suit was made of crimson satin, the long cape rippling behind him. The skull mask was that of remarkably detailed and realistic white bone, so much so that Faye was certain it was made of a real human skull. She turned away in disgust. But this couple still drew her thoughts. Even the most abstract costumes around them still pertained to the Midsummer’s theme in one way or another, but this snow queen and her crimson companion made no attempt to fit in. She couldn’t help but wonder who was under those masks. Faye turned to point Rose in their direction only to find she was already studying them closely.
It seemed that none of the other couples wanted to be near them. They stood alone in a sea of people. Faye wanted to study them further but a few more steps and they were in the door beyond her view.
A short time later they made it to the door. They were awe struck at the transformation of the room. It was like walking into an enchanted forest, better than a movie set. The walls were encompassed in touchable soft green moss and vines wound their way around pillars and snaked down onto the stage. The serving tables looked as though they were part of that forest springing from the floor like trees. The vines were covered with beautiful flowers in all colors of the rainbow. Apple blossoms in pale pink and so soft and sweet that it looked as though an apple would appear in minutes. The table cloths were the deep green of the forest at night and the centerpieces were gorgeous rings of luscious red pomegranate blossoms, sultry in the dim light. They stared in amazement. It truly was magical and it made it hard to believe that danger existed here. The usher showed them a table which was close to the main door. Adam and Faye joined the others on the dance floor. They waltzed, swirling among all of the beautiful costumes. Everyone picked at the buffet and gave the appearance of happy party goers. Faye and Adam discovered that when they were on the dance floor, they seemed to forget where they were and the danger all around them. The twinkling lights and the smiling faces gave a feeling of serenity and calm. Almost as if some of Shakespeare’s Midsummer magic was flowing from the trees, transporting them to his dream forest.
They floated off the dance floor, content smiles adorning their faces. Reality grabbing them and pulling them back as the pained and scared faces of Rose and Eric came into view. Frowning, they made their way back to the table. Just as they reached it, Phillip, wearing his normal attire suddenly appeared beside Rose. Without a word he whisked her through the crowd out onto the dance floor as the waltz began to play once again.
He held her close, his clammy cheek pressed against hers. Anyone who saw them would have fancied them lovers, but Phillip used the embrace to be able to speak to her.
“Rose, I know you’re confused but trusting me is your only chance. A group of us are on your side. The moment the glass is opened, go, as quickly as you can out the side door. We will stall them as long as we can but we will be just as weak as they. Do not look back and do not pause. The Old One’s plans are in motion. I am doing all I can to protect you and your friends, but you have to trust me” He whispered.
Rose paused for a moment speechless.
His words sounded similar to Emily’s. Perhaps she was part of this insurrection against the Old One. She nodded in agreement as he spun her around the floor at a dizzying pace. The speed of the dance, combined with the glow of the lights, transformed the room into a forest. Rose was truly lost in the magic.
The magic was torn from her as Phillip deposited her beside her injured husband as the mus
ic stopped. She quietly relayed his words to the group.
Time marched on toward midnight and Rose watched the people. When she met eyes with someone she either saw pity or hunger. She kept an eye out for Emily. She could feel her somewhere in the room although she couldn’t seem to find her no matter how hard she looked. At 11:15 Adam and Faye returned to the table for the last time, their faces flushed from dancing. They all wanted a chance to rest before they had to make a break for it. They watched the people dancing. Rose couldn’t help but notice that they were changing. They seemed to be fading. Their costumes became duller and their complexions started to turn gray. It was like they were weakening. She leaned over and whispered her observation to her companions. As they studied everyone, they came to the same realization. They continued to watch. At 11:30 a trumpet sounded somewhere on stage and the Ballroom went silent. They looked at each other in panic. This was ahead of schedule. The wall lights dampened making it hard to see even a foot in front of you. A spotlight shone brightly onto an empty stage. Suddenly, Emily appeared in the circle of light. She wore no costume, but she clutched her doll tightly. Her expression was a cruel triumphant smile. The harsh light showed her as vibrant and child like as she had always been. Realization sank heavily into the hearts of those who knew they had been tricked.
“It is time, my family. Bring forth the hourglass.” She said, her young voice ringing through the silent room.
The patio doors opened with a gust of wind that caused the candle flames to dance. The man in the intricate Puck mask made his entrance. Held reverently in his hands was the hourglass from the top of the fountain. His pace was slow and steady. Every set of eyes in the room were drawn to him and the artifact as it made its long journey through the party goers and toward the stage. Characters of all sorts, from Oberon to Sprites, joined the worshipful parade humming a soft tune of some sort as they came closer to the stage. Emily's excitement seemed to escalate as her most prized possession made its way closer to her.
The group found themselves drawn in, unable to look away from the glint of gold and thick red liquid of the glass. A cold chill ran up Rose’s back waking her from her trance and causing her to turn her head towards the doorway. She saw Phillip standing there. He was almost transparent and looked decayed. His eyes locked with hers. He simply nodded at her as he knew she now saw his words to be true.
With that he vanished. Rose subtly nudged everyone under the table to break their trance of watching the strange procession of the hourglass to the stage. Rose slowly scooted her chair back toward the door, and pulled Eric along with her. Adam also moved further back, placing himself in position to grab Eric and run. Puck arrived at the stage, the strange hummed tune almost deafening now. Handing it delicately up to Emily, he bowed his head and backup up slowly. She took the glass and held it up. The bottom was about an eighth full of a thick, red substance which was no doubt the blood of Matt and Stephanie.
“My Friends, we are once again at that time. It is time to sacrifice the living so we may continue our paradise of the dead.” Emily said. “I know that there have been whispers of a plan I may have had but I want you all to know I had only your best interests in mind. I had thought that because one of them possessed the sight, she may have been able to rework our deal for us and we could all leave this mountain. Sadly, she is not strong enough so we must continue as we have always done. Let the blood flow.”
Rose looked incredulous. Emily had lied to her. She was the Old One and she had used her sob story to keep them here and apparently test her for something.
She held the glass up over her head and the crowd cheered. She leaned forward, her mouth moving but no sound was heard. The red mist flowed from her fingers, swirling around the glass. The glass began to tremble, slowly the gold lid lifted off, hovering in the air. As the seal was broken, everyone in the room became as they were when they died. Rose took this as their cue, jumping up from her chair. She grabbed Eric’s wheelchair handles and sprinted out the door. Faye and Adam followed closely behind them. As they ran out the door they saw a large group of shades standing in wait with Phillip and Natalie at the front. For a brief moment Faye wondered if they had walked into a trap. Then behind her, she heard a voice howling.
“Catch them! Kill them all, but the one with the monarch wings. Don’t touch her!” Emily screamed.
They heard hundreds of footsteps turn to follow them. Faye felt their anger pulsing after them.
“Now!” Phillip yelled.
The shades that had been standing outside pushed the doors to the Ballroom shut, pushing their selves against it as a barrier. They made it to the long hallway before she heard the sounds of breaking glass and a battle ensued.
They moved as fast as they could, pushing the antique wheel chair over the carpet. The wheel chair tipped from side to side, its wheels sinking into the soft carpet. They neared the door and Faye could see the car through the door window. Rose began to feel a glimmer of hope that they would escape this nightmare when suddenly Emily appeared in front of them.
“Who do you children think you are that you can escape me?” She screamed. Her face was contorted with anger. “I have lived for centuries. I built an empire of the dead and you are no match for me!”
“Not true! You needed me to rework your deal! I heard what you said!” Rose yelled back.
“I don’t need you” Emily cackled cruelly. She turned to Faye and gave her a malicious smile, “She, is a totally different story.”
“You’re not touching my wife!” Adam shouted, hotly balling up his fists. They powered past her and out the door leaving it hanging in the still whipping wind.
Emily cackled following them out the door. She stalked toward Faye. Before she could take more than a few steps, a loud chiming was heard from the inside. Everyone inside and out, froze as the first three chimes passed. Phillip and Natalie clasped hands, praying they had done enough. A look of realization dawned on Emily. It was the large clock chiming midnight. Her expression was one of fear and desperation as she launched herself at Faye. Adam placed himself in front of his wife, easily deflecting Emily and tossing her young body into the grass.
“Get in the car! I’ll hold her off!” Adam yelled.
Rose pushed Eric towards the car. The mud caught up in the wheels of the old chair dumping Eric to the ground. Struggling, she pulled him along the ground. His grunts of pain coupled with her gasps of air as she put every ounce of strength she had in to moving him. She got him into the back seat. Faye however, hadn’t budged.
She was transfixed by what Emily had become. Her face had melted flesh sliding off in clumps, exposing her bare skull. Her cornflower blue eyes glowed in the darkness. She screamed in frustration and rushed at Faye again. Adam once again deflected her. Faye heard the ninth chime of the clock. She saw that Adam was struggling. His injuries causing him to stagger, he was fighting to stay conscious. He was holding his ribs, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Faye moved to help him. She placed her arm around him, pulling him away from Emily. She was crawling back toward them, dragging her decaying body across the grass, her hands made into claws as she raked them across the ground to close the gap between herself and what she so desperately needed and pursued.
“Get in the car Faye.” Adam huffed adamantly.
“I’m not leaving without you!” Faye cried
She pulled him toward the car and placed him in the passenger seat. She slammed the door and moved around the side of the car, glancing over to see where Emily was. She saw nothing and her heart lifted. Her hand reached for the door handle. They were going to make it and for the first time, she really believed it. The eleventh chime came and the hotel began to shudder and moan. Inside, hundreds of voices rose up, some in fear, some in joy. Faye clamped her hands over her ears to block out the sound. The sound was deafening and she couldn’t function. As the twelfth chime began, a cold, hard, hand gripped her ankle. Looking down, she found herself staring into what nightmares are made of. A skeleto
n’s face, desperation knitted into its skeletal brow. The radiant corn flower blue eyes staring back. The creature clambered up Faye’s body. It screeched at her in an inhuman tone. Faye gasped placing her hands around her throat to guard it. She heard the twelfth and final chime from inside. With an earsplitting shriek of frustration, the creature clinging to Faye’s body began to dissolve in a swirling red mist. As the chime finished, everything went silent. She glanced back to see a massive white light hovering above the Eden as hundreds of smaller lights made their way to join it. She closed her eyes praying that both Natalie and Phillip were at peace at last. She smiled just a moment, thinking of the souls that were now free. The earth beneath the hotel began to tremble, its foundation shaking violently. Faye paused no longer. Jumping into the driver’s seat she roared the Porsche to life. She floored it, spinning the tires and spewing dirt everywhere in a desperate attempt to flee. A bright flash of light caused her to look in the rear view mirror. She slammed on the brakes and threw it into park. She got out of the car, staring in disbelief at what was before her. The grandiose lady was nothing but a charred skeleton. A burned out shell with soot coated walls. Windows were blown out and debris was strewn across the lawn. The porch was overgrown and vines crawled up the pillars like snakes. Chunks of marble sat in the high grass, monuments to the blood that had soaked into the uneasy ground.
The Eden had died when her furnace blew, her life had never returned. Everything they had experienced had been an illusion created by evil. With a sad sigh, Faye got back into the car and drove down the mountain. She passed where they had their accident. The road was empty and there was no sign of the branch from the storm, just deep tracks in the dirt from their swerving tires. The further down the mountain they drove, the more unkempt it became, the grass easily thigh high along the rutted road. When they reached the bridge the water was low, the surrounding area appeared to have seen no rain at all. Faye drove the rest of the night, putting the Eden far behind them.
Epilogue
9 Months Later
Adam opened the drapes in the birthing suite. He looked out at the heavy rain that was falling. Faye was sleeping peacefully in the bed. Her large, pregnant form rising and falling softly under the light blanket. A soft knock on the door made him turn. He smiled as Eric and Rose made their way quietly into the room. Walking over, he embraced them. Rose walked over and kissed Faye softly on the forehead. They had been in constant contact since they had escaped the Eden. Rose and Eric were to be the baby’s God parents. The last nine months had been an emotional rollercoaster for all of them. Faye had come through the pregnancy well, despite her rough start. They had chosen to let the baby’s gender be a surprise just happy that the child appeared healthy. Faye awoke, smiling brightly as she saw her friends at her bedside. Active labor began early that evening. Faye sailed through it with ease having been through far worse. Just before midnight, a beautiful baby girl was born. Eric, Rose, Faye and Adam all smiled down at the child as she struggled to open her eyes. She blinked a few times and then stared up at the foursome with bright, cornflower blue eyes. Somewhere in the hospital, the midnight chimes began.
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