Elyana
Throbbing, colorful lights flashed across the dimly lit room.
Booze, smoke, sweat, and expensive perfumes wafted in the air.
Loud music, boastful voices, and endless chatter energized the atmosphere.
A rowdy crowd of what she suspected to be the who's who in their elite circle hid behind their masquerades.
"Sandra Warwick, what are you up to?"
The entire setup had her bestfriend's fingerprints on it.
The most exclusive club, serving its most expensive drinks. Different acts put on exciting shows in every corner, while the hottest band played their latest hit songs on the grand stage.
It was a circus, squeezed into a 3,000 sq-foot ballroom of rustic charm and a spacious deck with a fantastic view of the waterfront.
"What's this, Sandy?" Her eyes surveyed the place as she joined her bestfriend in a private booth in the VIP corner.
"Your surprise!" Sandra Warwick replied, sporting a large grin on her face. "Happy birthday, my Bestie!" Hugging her tightly.
Typical. Exactly what she should have expected from her bestfriend.
"My birthday was yesterday." Correcting her friend as if that would make any difference.
"Dah! Ely!" Sandy waved her hand at the server, ordering fresh drinks. "That's why the party is today," Sandy countered with a sprinkle of sarcasm as if that should explain everything.
"But, you didn't..." She crossed her hands across her chest as a form of protest, but her friend grabbed her by the shoulder before she could even say her piece.
Then, her friend gave her that incredulous look as if she saw a big question mark beaming on her forehead.
"Ok!" Sandy's forehead creased up, clearly becoming frustrated. "If I invited you yesterday, would you have come?" Now, that completely silenced her.
No! Obviously not.
"Precisely!" Sandy grinned like a Cheshire cat who just eaten a canary. Her friend knew exactly her answer.
With a wave of her friend's hand, their small group started singing. Soon, the room was filled with greetings, even from those people she hardly knew.
Next thing, a two-layered cake was wheeled before her with several flickering candles in the middle, waiting to grant her wishes.
If only she still believed in fairy tales, but she had long outgrown that silly childish part of her life.
"Now, blow the candles and make a wish."
With great effort, she managed to extinguish the fire in one long blow.
But did she make a wish? She didn't think so.
Or did she?
At any rate, did it really matter when she knew it would never come true?
"Thanks, guys, for coming." Still, she accepted her friends' gifts and well-wishes, even if celebrating was the last thing she wanted.
Even with all the noise, the dim light, and the mask, she still felt slightly embarrassed. Truth be told, she never liked being in the spotlight.
She hated the attention.
"You shouldn't have." She whispered in Sandy's ear. Regardless of how she felt, she was still grateful to the one who orchestrated this whole thing.
If the Pryce family were rich, the Warwick family was filthy rich. But just like her, Sandy was not the type to flaunt her status. But for tonight, for her, her friend spared no expense.
"What are bestfriends for? Besides, when was the last time you celebrated your birthday?" Sandy asked, concern replaced her exuberant smile. "You deserve this, Ely." Patting her on the arm, showing her how much she cared.
When was the last time? Oh, yeah! It was years ago.
It was her mother who planned all this. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Thanksgivings. Christmases. But when she died, the evening dinners, picnics, parties, and family vacations stopped.
In her father's defense, he tried, but it was never truly the same. Besides, it was hard to celebrate when her mother's death was on the same day as her birthday.
Mrs. Eleanor Pryce died on her 10th birthday.
Eventually, she had rather skipped the day, while her father seemed to have forgotten all about it.
Until the incident yesterday.
Speaking of her father, he didn't even remember to greet her. She guessed he had truly forgotten or just didn't care.
He just drove away without looking back, leaving her with more hanging questions instead of answers.
So, what really happened to her mother?
Was it a wild animal?
A lone wolf?
Or was it something else?
"He?" Unconsciously mumbling her confusion.
Who was he?
Or rather, what was he?
"Hey, Ely... Earth to Ely..." Snapping fingers brought her back from her trance.
When she turned to look at her friend, Sandy immediately asked. "Do you still have those nightmares?"
"And who's he?" Sandy asked the same question, her eyebrows raised and her eyes probing for answers.
With elbows resting on the table and fingers entwined underneath her chin, Sandy watched her as if she were a specimen for a science project.
"I barely have them anymore." She sighed, hating lying through her teeth.
In truth, for the last few weeks, it had become more frequent and more intense. But her friend didn't need to know that.
"You know what..." She grabbed her half-filled glass and raised it to her friends. "We should be having a great time." Changing the subject before her friend started asking more questions that she didn't feel like answering.
"Cheers!"
Volumes of laughter and clinking of glasses ensued as she tried to shove her thoughts aside. Even for just tonight, she hoped to forget. Be free. Have a little fun.
"Anyway, who are all those people?" She finally asked her friend, pointing her fingers at a group of people, noticing a lot of unfamiliar faces in the crowd. On the bar. On the dance floor. Just everywhere.
"You know..." Her friend shrugged her shoulders. Meaning, she had no idea.
"Friends. Probably friends of friends. And people who just want to be seen."
"Of course." Trust her friend to invite strangers to their private party. "I guess they were all practically strangers with their masks on." After all, it was a masquerade theme party.
Anonymity was the game.
"By the way, where did you get that outfit?" Sandy asked as her fingers touched the fabric of her gown. "It's gorgeous. It's very classy and regal."
"Really? Honestly, I just grabbed this from one of the old trunks in the attic. You didn't exactly give me time to buy a new one." Her eyes instantly looked down, studying her dress.
It was indeed old, appearing to belong to the Victorian era, but it was stylish and elegant.
"It probably belonged to my Mom." Although she could not recall seeing her mother wearing it.
"It certainly had a unique style and unusual material," Sandy commented, closely examining the intricate pattern and design of the dress using her strong fashion sense. "Even that robe is stunning." She pointed at the red cape hanging on the backseat of her chair.
Unlike her friend, she was more into substance than style. She would rather stick her nose into books than look at herself for hours in front of a mirror.
"And you're definitely radiating in that dress." Her friend complimented. "And we should definitely take advantage of that."
Suddenly, alarm bells went off in her alcohol intoxicated, muddled brain as she caught sight of her friend's mischievous smile.
"Oh, no!" She wiggled her left index finger in front of her, noticing that she had two. Or was that three? "You're not setting me up with one of your friends again." Hastily shaking her head, chasing the haziness away.
Once was enough. Twice was too much.
To be honest, the last time was a catastrophe.
"Come on, Ely. Don't let one... or two bad experiences ruin you for life."
"This is your perfect opportunity. Don't you see?" Her friend grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face the buzzing crowd. "Picture this. No names, no faces. Just great, casual, no commitment, one night of wild sex with a perfect hot guy."
"When was the last time?" Her friend flippantly asked. "It's time that you give yourself a break. Just look at all those possibilities." Her friend pointed out all those single, attractive guys, standing all over the place.
Admittedly, it had been a while. Her last boyfriend was still back in her sophomore year. But after he cheated, she decided to focus on her career.
"I don't think a one-night stand is for me." Still, she could not picture herself with a stranger.
"You know what?" She stood up and grabbed her bag. "I think it's time for me to go home." Then, she put on the red hooded cape, which came with the dress.
"No, we're not done yet." Sandy protested together with their other friends.
"I am." She leaned to kiss and hug her friends, thanking them for a great night. "I'll see you soon."
Without looking back, she strode to the main door before anyone could stop her, checked her phone to book a private cab, and walked straight to the exit.
"Damn! What the hell!"
"Who moved the door?" Literally. She walked straight to a wall.
Holding on to her aching forehead, she balanced her phone in her hand while steadying her feet. Luckily, something stopped her from falling.
"Why don't you look where you're going?"
Without warning, the wall moved.
At least she thought it was a wall. But when she looked up, she found herself cradled in strong arms, staring into those eyes.
The same amber eyes in her dreams, still blazing with smoldering intensity.
Did she hit her head hard and fall asleep?