Her friends stood around her, wishing her good luck on her trip. Her little brother, only five years of age, sat on her hip as she smiled and laughed at their jokes.
"Joey? Do you want to want to get going?" she asked, smiling down at the small boy in her arms. He giggled and nodded.
"Can we? Uncle's waiting you know, Marie."
Marie just laughed and nodded. Without further ado, she finished her good-byes and placed him in the back seat of her car. Sliding in the driver's side, she glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure he was buckled in and, when she was sure, she turned the key, starting up the car.
"So Joey; what do you want to listen to?" she asked, glancing once more in the mirror.
"Phantom of the Opera!" the little boy shouted. Marie chuckled a little and grabbed the CD from the passenger seat.
"All right then. Which number, Hun?"
"Masquerade!! Play Masquerade!!! Please Marie!!"
This time the twenty-seven year old woman let out a laugh as she placed the CD in the slot on the dashboard and turned it to the right number.
"You always chose that song Joey. Why do you like it so much?"
The youngster pouted in thought, tapping his chin.
"Because it's where the Phantom gets all mad and stuff and he's jealous that Chrissy's marrying Raoul and he loves her and he just wants to have someone love him but that isn't going to happen and he knows it and you know it and I know it and so he tries to get his way by kidnapping her and taking her to his home and----"
Marie cut him off, laughing. "Chill, Joey! Breathe, baby boy, breathe. I now know not to ask you that question ever again."
The song began and Marie cracked a smile as she heard Joey singing along with the song. His voice wasn't operatic or anything like that but it didn't matter. (Give him a break people; he's only five.) He was having fun, that's what counted.
Marie smiled and hummed the music under her breath. Hey, it was a catchy tune.
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade…
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
So the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Joey belted out the chorus with all his might, making his sister join him. Marie humored him and lifted her voice to blend with his.
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds…
Masquerade!
Take your fill--
Let the spectacle astound you!
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!
Masquerade!
The song neared its end as they turned into their Uncle's driveway. Marie put the car in park and let the song continue to run. Joey softly sang the last bit of the song alone.
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade!
Masquerade!
Look around—
There's another mask behind you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads…
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds…
Masquerade!
Take your fill—
Let the spectacle astound you.
The song ended and Marie turned the car off, cutting the CD off right before the last note ended. Joey whined from the back seat.
"MARIE!!! It wasn't over!"
"It was close enough, Joey. Come on. Uncle's waiting." Marie unbuckled herself and got out of the car. Joey followed, reluctantly. Locking her car, they walked hand in hand to the front door.
Before they even knocked, the door was flung open and they were engulfed in a big bear hug.
"You don't know how much this means to me! You guys are going to love spending weekend with me!" came a deep voice from above Marie's head. The arms released them and they were able to breathe again.
"Uncle John, you know we would have come out even if you hadn't tempted us with your boat," Marie said, giggling slightly.
"Uncle John!!" cried Joey as he clung to his uncle's leg. His face expressed how happy he was to his beloved uncle again.
Uncle John smiled and led them inside. Marie excused herself to get their luggage form the trunk. When she got back, her uncle and Joey were packing things up and carrying them to the dock near the house.
"We're already going?" she asked surprised.
John looked at her and grinned. "Of course. Did you really think that we would be spending the night in my house?"
Marie let out a small laugh. "No way. That place is barely clean enough for you to live in it."
Uncle John let out a bark of laughter at her comment. Taking her suitcase from her, he turned around and worked his way to the boat.
Marie made her way over to her brother, who was standing on the end of the dock looking at the clear water below. He tipped a little far and would have fallen in if Marie hadn't grabbed him by the arm.
"Be careful Joey. You don't know how to swim yet, remember?"
He just smiled up at his sister and laughed his childish laugh. "I know. Come on! Let's go to the boat! Uncle John was just waiting for our suitcases, you know."
He wiggled out of Marie's grip and ran off to board the boat. Marie chuckled under her breath and followed only slower and shaking her head in amusement.
Hours after disembarking from the dock, a storm had begun. The boat rocked violently causing Marie and Joey to scurry into the under belly. Uncle John had pulled down the sails and set the boat on autopilot keeping them somewhat on course.
"Uncle John? When is the rain going to stop?" Joey whined.
"Don't know, buddy. We just have to wait it out. How about we play a game of Go Fish?"
"Alright! Let's play! I'm gonna win!!" Joey ran about, trying to find the pack of cards that he knew his uncle kept in the boat.
Marie smiled then turned to her uncle.
"How do you always manage to do that? Whenever I try that he ignores me and goes off on a random tangent."
John shrugged. "Maybe he just likes me more."
"Oh please. He just likes the fact that you have a boat." Her teasing tone made John smile. Her rarely say his niece and nephew, but when he did it was as though they were his own children.
"Where did he go?" Marie looked around anxiously, wondering where her brother had gone off to. The under belly of the boat wasn't that big and Joey was nowhere to be found.
"He better not have gone outside…" mumbled Uncle John.
Marie's eyes widened as she realized where he was. Without a thought, she raced up the stairs and out into the storm.
"JOEY!!" she yelled over the storm. She didn't hear a response but that was understandable considering the sound of rushing water invading her ears.
She clung to the ropes and wires as she scanned the area for her brother. The rain came down harder and she nearly slipped over the edge twice before seeing a darkened form clinging desperately to the helm. She worked her way over to it and wrapped her arms around him.
He turned his head up and stared at her, fear evident in his eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile and started to move toward the doorway. They made it and she pushed him into the boat's belly.
"You shouldn't have gone out there, Joey. It's not safe."
"Sorry…"
Marie stood in the doorway, holding onto it with all her might. She grimaced as a violent rock of the boat nearly made her loose her grip.
"Marie, get in here! Before you get washed over---" Uncle John was cut off as a wave grabbed Marie and pulled her over the side.
"MARIE!!!!"
"MARIE!!! NOOOO!!!!"
Marie couldn't here their desperate shouts. She was pulled under the waves only to resurface for a few seconds before being pulled under once more. She couldn't hold her breath for long. It let out with a sigh and she panicked.
Water flooded her lungs and she began to sink to the bottom. Her eyes fluttered as she tried to stay awake. She fought the feeling of coldness that had begun to crawl up from her feet. She lost. The feeling over took her and her eyes closed. With the final molecule of air exiting her lungs, she sunk to the bottom of the body of water.
The funeral was a small affair. Only friends and family were allowed in.
The priest gave a beautiful service and the eulogy was given by Marie's childhood friend Kathy.
Tears filled the room as everyone passed the empty casket. Marie's body hadn't been found so the service was a closed casket one.
Joey was the one who was inconsolable. He hadn't stopped crying for three days. Uncle John had him in his custody and had been trying to comfort the boy ever since the incident. Joey was convinced that it was his fault.
As they stood outside watching the casket being lowered into the ground, Joey started to sing under his breathe.
"Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade…
Masquerade!
Hide your face,
So the world would never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade…
Masquerade!
Look around—
There's another mask behind you!"
John put his arm around the boy and pulled him close to his side. They were both going to miss Marie. May she rest in peace.