Ch. 13: Masquerades on Parade

Sean sighed as he looked at the invitation in his hand for the millionth time.

You are cordially invited to a masquerade ball at the Palace Hotel, hosted by Dr. Frank N. Futer. Dress to mystify, come to be amazed. And under that:

Looking forward to seeing you, Officer. -Kayla

What was Kayla thinking, inviting him to a party like this? Sean was no stranger to parties and banquets, but this?

Sean caught a glimpse of his reflection and held back a groan. Black cloth pants, a white collard shirt, a black vest and cloak, and a white mask that covered his upper face. His hair was loosely combed and he had stuffed lace up his sleeves.

"God, I look stupid," the young officer muttered. But it was a masquerade party. So keeping that in mind, Sean stepped up to the door and knocked. Seconds later, it swung open and Riff Raff emerged, dressed in his typical work clothes that somehow looked more like a costume than Sean's getup did.

"Ahh, Officer. Good Kayla will be pleased to see you."

"Uh, yeah, about that. Look, Kayla's nice, but she's-"

"-a girl who recognizes that you are a good man and who wants to thank you for being one" Riff Raff finished, taking Sean's invitation and ushering the young man inside. "I doubt, however, that she is interested in you as a lover."

"That's a relief," Sean muttered heading down the hall where laughter and music and laughter sounded. Slipping through the door, Sean felt his breath catch in his throat.

The whole room was lit by a huge overhead chandelier The light reflected off numerous other crystals hung on the walls, giving the whole room a strange otherworldly glow. Phantoms drifted through the shadows, all of them masked and cloaked. Bowls of punch (probably mixed with alcohol) were set up on tables between platters of food. And the whole room who filled with a smoky haze that smelled of herbs, though Sean wasn't able to place the scent. But he liked it.

"Hi, Sean." Kayla glided up to him, followed by a young man with longish hair. Kayla was garbed in a dark green gown that clung to her slender body. Her dark hair was pulled back and she wore a mask like Sean's that glittered with green rhinestones. The young man was wearing an outfit similar to Sean, but the front of his shirt was ruffled and his cloak was red. His mask was covered with feathers, but Sean could see his glittering eyes.

"Oh, this is Paul," Kayla said, gesturing to her companion. Paul gave a theatrical bow in Sean's direction.

"Good of you to come. Kayla's told us about you; is it true you're a fantastic photographer?"

"Heh, it's just a hobby."

"Well, if we need a picture taken, we know who to call." Kayla nodded.

"Come one, let's go enjoy ourselves." Grabbing each man's hand, Kayla led them into the middle of the room where fun was sure to follow.
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"Harold, I feel ridiculous."

"I know, Mar, dear, but it's only for a short while."

The couple had been faced with a choice of either renting or buying costumes for the party and both balked at the idea of wearing a costume some one else had sweated in. Thus, both were dressed in black robes with white masks that the sales clerk of the costume store had described as "mysterious and fun." In short, something Harold and Mary detested. Both had plans to burn the offending garments as soon as possible.

"Let me do the talking," Harold whispered now as he rapped at the door. He had scarcely finished when it swung open and he was confronted by Magenta the maid.

"Ahh, hello" she greeted, her scarlet lips curling upwards. "Do come in. We've been expecting you."

"Harold, what-"

"Shhh," Harold hissed, steering his wife down the hall. "They haven't heard us speak, they may think we're some one else."

He did not stop to consider the fact that the people in the hotel were not so easily fooled.

Soon enough, Harold and Mary found themselves in the hazy room, though they both stayed well away from the drinks this time. Instead, they kept their eyes peeled for Kayla Unfortunately, due to the gaudy costumes, they weren't sure who was who.

Or rather, they weren't sure who was who, but they knew exactly who Frank. N Furter was. The master of the castle was dressed in his "sweet transvestite garb" and his skin was covered in rub-on glitter. He threaded through the room, the thick heels of his stilettos clacking loudly, greeting his guests with smiles, kisses, and certain rubs in certain places.

"God, he's disgusting," Harold snorted. But his eyes widened when a dark-haired girl dressed in green approached Frank and was grasped by her waist and swung around.

"It's her!" But before they could make a move, Frank called out,

"Up to the lab, everyone! You'll want to get good seats for this!"

"This is our chance," Harold whispered to his wife as they were swept up in the crowd. "During whatever event takes place upstairs, we grab Kayla and go."

"Yes, it's perfect."

And perhaps it would have been perfect, had the plan worked.