Author's Note: I had to write and post this chapter right now. This idea has been floating around in my head so I need to release it. This takes place a couple years after the movie. I decided to take matters into my own hands...
Chapter One: The Specter
Dusk was settling down on the large estate. Hundreds of people moved over the lawn and mingled with each other. Beautiful torches lined the pathways that led to the house and out to the garden. The people wore elegant evening gowns and suits. All were wearing masks. Most had some sort of animal mask on. Others had Mardi Gra masks with large ornaments dangling from them. The servants wore pure white suits with masks. The master of the house wore a black suit. His mask was a mink. A cemetery mink. He watched his guests through the narrow slits in the mask. A small orchestra played next to the house. Many of his guests danced slowly. The air was still warm. A soft breeze blew through the trees that surrounded the land. He breathed in deeply. He held the air in his lungs and then let it out slowly through his nose. A certain fragrance seemed familiar. He breathed through his nose. Yes, he knew that scent... He turned his gaze to the crowd. A lone woman stood by herself in the middle of all the dancing couples. She wore an extremely beautiful dark red dress with no straps. The flesh of her shoulders and arms was the color of snow and well defined. Her hair was a fiery red. She wore a skull mask. Sapphire blue eyes blazed out of the dark circles of the ugly mask. For the first time in only God know how long, he felt something akin to fear. He was not afraid though. Those sapphire eyes told him that they would meet and only one person was going to walk away. The beautiful ghastly figure walked around the dancers and disappeared into a throng of people. He scanned the crowd again but he couldn't see her. Her perfume still lingered in the air.
People wandered past him. Some stopped for a second or two to try to engage him in conversation. He answered vaguely and turned to go into the house. Some couples sat on the immaculate furniture talking loudly and drinking the best wine he had. He passed them and looked around for his beautiful ghost. His keen eyesight saw a flash of red at the top of the darkened staircase. All the invited guests knew they were not allowed upstairs. He grew a touch annoyed at the audacity of this woman. She showed up uninvited, unannounced, and had not greeted the host. He considered that rude. He walked up the stairs. Her perfume was exceedingly familiar. He still couldn't place it. When he reached the top, the woman had vanished again. He pulled off his mask. A small light turned on in his private study. He could see the light coming from under the closed door. He didn't bother trying to hide his presence so he marched up to the door and opened it. The woman looked up into his face when he entered and silently closed the door. She sat in one of his high back brown leather chairs. She had her legs crossed and in her lap was a .45 with a silencer attached to it. Her right hand rested gently, almost lovingly, on it. He looked her up and down trying to analyze the situation he had walked into. His eyes widened further when he heard her speak. He knew that voice!
"Dr. Lecter. It's been a while. Can you please take a seat."
Author's Note again: This is my take on the next movie. Since they are not using this title, I am "borrowing" it for my story. Please tell me what you think of it so far, dear readers!