The Grand Masquerade

  The orchestra warms up as the infant breathes his first breath. A smile crosses the maestro's face when he hears the child's cry of life. He taps the podium with his baton to call the musicians to attention. Slowly they begin to play. Light and fanciful music fills the air and surrounds the infant sleeping contently in his crib.2

   The song ends and a new one begins, faster this time with peaks and valleys of horns and piccolos. The child grows with each passing note. When the song started he was but a babe-in-arms, now that it's finished he is running through the house flittering from room to room like a butterfly goes flower to flower. But there is one room he cannot enter, for the door is always shut tight. No matter how hard he tries his small hands cannot turn the knob. Something tells him that this is the one room he needs to be in, the place where everything happens; the source of music and laughter. Frustrated, he cries out and pounds tear laden fists upon the dark wooden frame. The music changes with his mood picking up tempo to match his irritation. Voices tell him to hush, "you know this room is not for you, at least not yet. Soon enough you will be able to join in, but for now little boys have better things to do." This does not soothe him.4

    The song changes again, it sounds of magic and wonder and finds the child has grown into a young man. The toys he once played with no longer hold his interest. Now he dreams only of getting through that door. Finally he can take it no longer. 6

    As night falls he creeps from his bedroom and sneaks through the darkened hallway until he stands before it. He can hear the music and laughter behind it, (though somewhat muted), and he knows in his heart that his time has finally arrived. Grasping the doorknob with both hands he turns it. To his utter amazement the knob turns easily and with a quiet click the door slides open and he slips silently inside.8

    The sudden shift from dark to light momentarily blinds him as he stumbles slowly forward. His eyes begin to adjust as the music fills his mind enticing him with dream-like images of magical proportions. When his sight returns, his knees begin to buckle from awe. Never has he seen anything as beautiful as what stretches out before him now. Not even in his wildest fantasies could he have imagined anything as magnificent as this.10

     It is a massive room, so large in fact that he can barely see to the far end. What he can see are tapestries that line the walls on each side flowing from floor to ceiling. There is every conceivable color and design in these monumental works. Their colors seem to shift and change as the material ripples from an unseen wind causing the depictions of people, animals, and landscapes to appear to be moving and alive. He stares at them lost in their beauty and movement for what seems to be several hours to him, (but more than likely is only several seconds). Grecian columns separate the tapestries like massive exclamation points of white screaming out against the violence of the colors. Four of them stand on each side of the room supporting a ceiling that he cannot quite see from his current vantage point as it is being blocked out by a massive chandelier hanging directly in front of him. It is now that it occurs to him that he is not standing on the floor level but rather higher up, on some sort of balcony with large marble stairways breaking off on either side. The light from the crystal chandelier bounces off the slick marble, reflecting broken pieces of rainbows everywhere, sending a strange sensation of joy coursing through his body. As extraordinary as this is, it is not nearly as peculiar as the main feature of the room; the floor.12

      It is a barren rectangle stretching as far as the eye can see consisting of what appears to be, at least from his current angle, black glass, or perhaps volcanic rock. But this makes no sense to him for how could they possibly construct a floor this vast out of such materials? As he ponders this idea for a moment, a sudden movement catches his eye and the thought is quickly pushed aside.14

       The band has struck up a waltz and people begin to emerge from the shadows in-between the tapestries and columns. The women wear long flowing gowns that shimmer with each graceful movement as they begin to pair off with the men who are dressed equally as sharply in their tuxedos with flowers adorning their lapels. His heart leaps with joy as he watches them strolling confidently out onto the floor. Once there, they separate into two distinct lines, female on the left, male on the right, and face their chosen partner until a hidden cue in the music tells them when to begin. Without warning, the ones on the ends take two steps forward, the man bows stiffly at the waist while the woman curtseys with her head turned gently to the side implying to all her submission to the man. They rise and take each others hands being careful to keep plenty of distance between them, they walk, no, dance between the two lines parading like the proverbial peacock for all to see. He watches this for sometime, until he can no longer make out the differences between the sexes as they have gone too far from his sight. Desperate to see more he decides to make his way stealthily down the stairway to his right and pray that he won't be found out.16

        Cautiously he moves down, first two stairs is all he can muster, but finding that he can still not see, he goes even further. Clutching the banister he keeps moving as the courage grows from deep within until he finds himself three stairs away from the floor.  A lump grows in his throat at the fear of being spotted, but there is nothing he can do for there seems to be some force driving him, some primal instinct pushing him to join in as he finds that he has gone down another stair. The fear of being caught and sent away overcomes him and he forces unwilling legs to bend so he can sit on the step and hopefully not be noticed. 18

         The dance continues before his eyes. The partners twirl and spin in intricate ritualistic movements designed to entice. Hundreds, possibly thousands of them dance in elegant yet somehow animalistic motions. The beat drives them on and he can feel it pounding in his chest matching his own heartbeat. A rhythmic trance fills his soul and calls to him to join in. The music stops and the dancers exit the floor and gather around the columns in small groups and clicks. A curious fascination overcomes him as he watches them making gestures of laughter and mirth. A strange realization surfaces as he scans the crowd and realizes that he cannot make out any of their faces. At least he doesn't think he can for if what he sees is true, then they have no features whatsoever. That is to say they have eyes but the face itself is slick and flawless resembling that of a doll's. Although they appear to be talking, their mouths never move and are frozen in either a permanent smile or have no expression at all. The women have color in their cheeks and around the eyes but it still reminds him of porcelain.20

         Violins begin to play soft and hauntingly as the dancers head back to the floor. Suddenly one of the dancers stops and turns scanning the crowd. There is something different about her though what it is, he could not say. She is dainty and smaller than the others. An air of misplacement seems hovers around her. The boy finds himself wondering what she is searching for when out of the blue it dawns on him. She is looking for a partner. But all the dancers are neatly paired off. Disappointed at the realization, she walks slowly towards the tapestries. Stopping sharply, she turns as if an invisible hand has tapped her on the shoulder. Her crystal blue eyes stare directly at him in a manner that causes his cheeks to warm and turn to burgundy as he is flushed with an unknown sensation. She walks right up to him, reaching out a thin hand which he automatically takes into his own. The warmth of her flesh against his palm is intoxicating and washes away any fear he once harbored at being discovered. He rises to find that he is almost a full head taller than her. Hand in hand, she leads him onto the dance floor and a new fear overcomes him; he does not know how to dance.22

         In a quivering voice, he informs her of his inadequacy. She responds in a voice drenched in honey that he need not fear, just take her in his arms and follow the beat and it will come. With a newfound confidence he pulls her close and loses himself in the blueness of her eyes allowing the music to take him.24

         Peering over his shoulder, an odd smile curls around the maestros lips as he senses a new dancer has joined the party. With a quick wave of his hand the band picks up the tempo. 26

         The young man finds his fear to be unfounded as the dance comes easily and even his partner comments on how natural he seems. With her body pressed closely to his, they traverse the floor without missing a step. Ecstatically they spin and move and not even the odd face of his new love can take away from the joy welling up in the man. Her hair smells of flowers and her warm breath kisses his neck causing laughter to flow from him. The song playing is one of happiness as the man's love grows for this sweet creature resting comfortably in his arms. They have danced about a quarter of the floors length when the song comes to an abrupt end. The girl pushes away from him as another male dancer comes into view offering her his hand. Confusion overtakes him as he calls after the girl. Embracing this new man, she turns to face her former partner and he notices that she has changed. Her eyes are not as brilliant blue, where once a slight smile was now lays an outright grin. The coloring of her cheeks is darker. Perplexed by these sudden changes he notices something in her other hand. It is her previous face in mask form which she drops to the floor.28

         A new tune starts and he is grabbed by a new partner before he can fully comprehend what has just transpired in front of him. Dazed and hurt he studies the features of this new dancer. Her eyes are light brown with flecks of gold and long blonde curls fall like ringlets resting upon her slender shoulders framing her face. The closer he looks allows him to see the fine lines on the side of her face expoing where the mask ends and flesh begins. All the other dancers are also in masks and he watches in frozen horror as a man near him slowly removes one mask to reveal the one beneath. What is this strange place he has stumbled into where everyone conceals their emotions and hides their faces behind masks which they take off and put on with each changing beat of the drum?30

         Suddenly a curious tingling sensation begins as the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention and he peers deeply into the shiny china-like face of the woman he now holds trying desperately to catch a glimpse of his own face in the reflection and reassure himself that his own features are not covered in one of these doll faces. A wave of relief washes over him as he sees his own less than perfect face looking back at him. Although there is one odd thing that catches his attention and causes him to do a double take. The figure staring back at him appears to be fully grown, probably in his mid to late twenties and is dressed in a tuxedo with a red carnation in his lapel. Quickly, he looks down at his clothes only to find that he is indeed dressed in a tux and shiny black shoes. When this occurred is quite beyond him. The music slows to a steady, easy beat as his mind spins trying in vain to wrap itself around these new developments. He bumps into a couple dancing behind him and turns to mumble a half-hearted apology when he notices the floor he is dancing on and sees it for what it truly is for the first time.32

    On the balcony it appeared to be slick and black, but standing upon it now he sees that it is actually an elaborate mosaic of angels and demons, ancient gods and devils trapped in an eternal battle for dominance over mankind, perfectly captured in tiny colored stones for all to witness. He cannot begin to comprehend the magnitude of an undertaking as massive as this. He tries to convey this thought to his partner but she stares back at him with a blank expression in her brown eyes, realizing the futility, he gives up instead and returns his focus to the figures on the floor. Taking his left foot and turning it slightly he tries to scrap the sole of his shoe across the tiles expecting to find tiny crevices in between them but to his shock, there are none and the floor is as smooth as glass. As they approach an angel on the floor he tries to step on it but as his foot comes down the angel moves slightly and easily avoids his foot. Astonished, he makes a second attempt, only this time he tries to step on a fearsome demon who is locked in combat with a terrified looking winged creature that resembles an eagle and a lion combination, this time the demon spins and swirls, when he finally stops, he is staring angrily up at him. This cannot be is the only thought that surfaces in his mind. Again the song stops and he is joined by a new partner whose husky voice and hot breath against his ear, sends shivers down his spine, forcing him to look up.       34

    This new partner is different from the ones he had danced with previously. Her eyes are green and cat like, her hair is long and dark as it bounces with every step. Jasmine fills the air around her and causes butterflies in the pit of his stomach, but what truly makes her unique is that her face is not obscured by any mask and her full, red lips smile causing the entire room to shine a little brighter in his mind. Pulling her close as the music begins again; all thoughts of angels and demons beneath him flee only to be replaced by fascination and lust.  36

    They move in perfect synchronicity, practically hovering over the dance floor and he knows he has found his soul mate and nothing else matters. Her voice sings out to him and he laughs, if she stumbles, he cries. Whatever happens he knows it's meant to be and he rejoices in her. The other couples start to crowd around them, bumping into them and knocking them out of rhythm. Angrily, he pushes back at them, but there are too many as they come from all sides forcing the two lovers apart. Desperately, he reaches for her but she is being swept away from him by a hoard of masked faces. He fights his way towards her, punching, scratching, doing anything in his power to reach her, but to no avail, she's gone. Rage fills him and he screams out in pain. Rushing through the crowd, he looks at every face, knocking down those who dare get in his way. Finally he makes it to the half way mark of the room and despair overcomes him as he collapses to his knees, crying out in agony. A hand touches his shoulder and her voice fills his ears. Looking up through tear filled eyes; he sees her standing before him. Leaping to his feet he grabs her, taking her in his arms he kisses her over and over again. Pushing gently away from his smothering kisses she smiles and sweeps him into the dance once more. 38

    Another song begins as he notices wrinkles have formed on her lovely face. Smile lines and crow's feet have taken hold and her dark hair shows signs of graying, but none of this takes away from her beauty. Touching her soft cheek he can see the signs of age on himself from the wrinkles on his own hands. It's harder to catch his breath and the dances seem longer. He can feel it in his legs as they don't move as lightly as they used to. But still, he is happy. Glancing down at his feet as they stumble slightly, a figure in the mosaic catches his eye. It is an angel with its wings on fire; a lone hand reaches up to his feet. Quickly he dances away. There is something disturbing about it. Stumbling again, he looks down to find they angel is still there. He spins and back steps to escape but the burning angel is persistent and mimics his every move. Paralyzed, he watches as the angel's hand seems to grab at his ankle, trying to pull him down. With a sudden burst of adrenaline he takes his love and attempts to dance away. His mind races along with his heart, trying to figure out why this angel wants to take him to hell. All his life he has tried to be good and now it seems he's going down. His heart pounds, he can hear it thumping in his ears, when he trips and falls to the floor. The angel moves in closer stretching out to grab him as a tightness forms in his chest and he can no longer breathe. The voice of his love comes through in waves and he knows that this is the end. 40

    Surrendering to his fate, he uses the last of his strength to roll onto his back for one last look at his loves face. She crouches over him as tears roll down her cheeks and he smiles a weak little grin thinking how lucky he has been to have her in his life. Preparing for death he looks up for the first time at the ceiling and begins to laugh. The massive mosaic he thought was on the floor is actually on the ceiling. Turning his head slowly he realizes that the floor is just a giant mirror reflecting the ceiling above and the burning angel he assumed was trying to pull him down, was actually trying to lift him up. Comforted by this, he reaches up to meet the angel as his final breath leaves his body and the music stops.42

     The orchestra warms up as the infant breathes his first breath. A smile crosses the maestro's face as he hears the child's cry of life. He taps the podium with his baton to call the musicians to attention.....44

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