Clara Castinette had been accused of being many things but daring had never been one of them. But now she stood in front of a full length mirror admiring the cascade of deep blue dress surrounding her entranced by the person in the mirror looking back at her. She turned slowly and the dress flowed around her. She was already getting used to the fabric which clutched her curves and filled the space around her. Jenna had offered to sweep her hair into a tight bun leaving just enough strands to outline the oval shape of her face but she shooed her away, already too nervous as it was to put on this dress and accept that for once, she was forsaking the safety of the world that she knew and walking into a dream.
"This isn't me," she mumbled, finally turning away from the mirror to face Jenna full on. Her petite blonde friend stood in a similar style gown of a deep green color that brought out the green in her eyes. Despite her earlier excitement, all Clara could feel was the anxiety gnawing at her insides as she faced the reality that she would never do justice to any dress quite the way that Jenna did. Mask or not, she would be the one to turn heads when she walked into the room.
"Don't be such a prude, Clara. It's going to be fun," and with a slight upturn of her mouth Jenna added, "and you just never know who you might meet."
"I have no intentions of meeting anyone."
"Uh-huh."
Jenna wasn't easily fooled by the tough exterior that Clara tried to portray. She knew more than anyone how much Clara longed to meet that one man who would change everything.
"The right person for me would never attend one of these silly parties. This is a waste of time."
"We'll never know, will we?" Jenna teased. She took Clara's hand and pulled her out of the bedroom, down the steps, and into the cool crispness of autumn air.
The masquerade ball was being held at the home of someone Clara had never met. The old Victorian mansion sat on the outskirts of town with at least four wooded acres surrounding it. Clara stood in awe looking at the immense mansion wondering of the extravagance of lifestyle of the person who lived inside.
They could already hear the thunder of the bass as they approached the entrance. She panicked, wishing to turn and run but Jenna caught her arm.
"You're forgetting something."
In her hands, she held out the deep blue mask adorned with sequins designed to match the beautiful gown that she wore and hide her identity for the evening.
"Everyone will be wearing one of these," Jenna reminded her, "and you're not to remove it or reveal yourself under any circumstances. For once Clara, don't spoil the fun."
Clara watched Jenna put on her mask before doing the same.
"I'm not going to spoil your fun," Clara mumbled under her breath as she followed her friend into the large entryway. They were immediately greeted by other masked strangers and escorted into the ballroom area. If Clara thought the mansion was impressive from the outside, she was now stricken with a sense of awe at the elaborate ballroom with enormous glass chandelier. A live band perched in the far corner playing music while a sea of masked faces swarmed the place already. Some were dancing while others huddled in groups lost in conversation. Clara held back as Jenna pushed forward into the crowd, always ready to engage in any social activity. Clara was more than happy to sit on the sidelines and watch. All around her, the lights dazzled and distracted, making the dresses shimmer with movement.
Tonight, it was true that the only other person that she could be absolutely certain she knew was Jenna and after a few drinks, that may even prove difficult, she decided. There were just too many people around her and it wasn't very long before she was left standing alone amongst them, wandering aimlessly, wishing away the time so that she could forget the Cinderella gown and go back to her normal life. She glanced down at her feet and simultaneously brushed into a
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