The Masquerade

The Kiss

At first, I didn't hear the noise, then the sound of steps echoing and voices—male and female—carrying through the tunnel Hugo and I walked through moments ago. The steps were getting louder, closer to where we sat; the voices carried even more, to the point where I could tell that the couple was eager for some privacy. I blushed at the thought as Hugo grasped my hand and said, "We have to get out of here. Now."

Hugo stood up and grabbed my upper arm to pull up against him. I could tell that Hugo's mind was racing, trying come figure out a way to get us both out of here safely. Hugo straightened his worried back and looking at the opposite end of the garden, which was a stone wall with carved skulls in random places. I could faintly see an outline of something, but from this distance, I couldn't tell what. Hugo's arm, which was around my shoulders, lifted up and pointed to the skull wall.

"That's where we have to go. There's a door leading to my study here in the castle." Hugo looks at me, noticing my confused face. "Did I not tell you that I apprentice here?"

I looked at him, shaking my head. "No. No, you didn't."

The voices were getting too close for comfort now because I could now tell that they were too eager about what they wanted to do and got right to the point.

Hugo, noticing at the same time I did, and grabbed my hand and pulled to the opposite end of the garden toward the wall. He pushed his two of his fingers into the eye sockets of the right-most skull and the stone door popped right open. Hugo wrapped his arm around my waist and dragged me into the dark tunnel and pushed me up against the surprisingly clean walls. The door slammed shut and Hugo placed his hand over my mouth to cover up the sound of my heaving breathing. Everything went still, silent. I then realized that Hugo wasn't just messing with me; we were waiting to see whether the couple noticed us slip into the tunnel. But considering how interested and invested they were in each other, I don't think they noticed a thing.

Hugo relaxed his hand and removed it from my mouth, but his other arm, which was still around my waist, stayed like it belonged there. Our shared breathes intertwined for what felt like minutes but it was only for a moment. I asked, "Is it safe to move, or did we continue being improper and stay in this compromising position?"

Hugo smirked and laughed. "As much as I would very much like to stay in this position,"—a pause—" but looking at your scared and innocent face, I have to say that it's safe to move." Hugo looked me up and down once more before he moved his hands and body out-of-the-way.

I moved from the wall, straightening my ruffled dress and moving stray hairs from my eyes. I crossed my arms and said to Hugo firmly, "You're insufferable. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, my darling."

After our playful banter, I finally took the chance to look at my creepy, macabre, yet gorgeous tunnel. The wall, well, I suppose I could call them that, because they served the same purpose, were made of skulls. Real human skulls. And each empty, dead eye, held a candle with a blue-purple flicker of flame. How is that scientifically possible? I'm no scientist, but that can't happen. I'll have to ask Hugo about it later. Yes, the walls were made of the dead, but that wasn't what captured my eyes. Some of the skulls were painted.  Some skulls were covered in gold that seemed to flow like a river over them, while other were speckled with red, making the skulls appeared covered in blood. It was an interesting tunnel but was I ever-so-intrigued.

"The candles. How can their flame possible be that color? It's -it's impossible." I turned toward Hugo, confused, giving him a look that was begging for an answer.

" Nothing's impossible if you're a genius like me," replied Hugo. "But, if you want a serious answer, follow me to my laboratory," he quickly added. Hugo extended his hand toward him, offered to take me to his mysterious lab. That's the second time he's extended his hand toward like that. The first being when I walked into the ballroom and everything stopped except my nerves and his footsteps walking toward me. Now, being the second. My life changed the first time, let's see what happens now.

I took his hand, and before I could possibly do anything, Hugo pulled me fully against him, our bodies flush against each other. I could smell his cologne, which was mixed with strange chemical scents, and Hugo could probably see the exact brush strokes I made when applying my powder before the masquerade. I looked up from his broad chest and looked up into his blue eyes, and saw him looking into my hazel ones. I moved my hand toward his face, and rested it upon his  jawline. He did the same to me.

"What are we doing? What are we about to do?" I asked, looking from eyes to his lips and back again.

"I don't know about you, but I'm about to kiss you. If it's okay with you." Hugo awaited my answer. I knew he would wait until I said so, but I wanted to hold on to the feeling of being in control just a little while longer. His pupils were dilating, whether the cause was me or the low light, I don't know, but I knew my answer after a moment.

"Yes."

     Hugo wasted no time, and kissed me with so much passion that I'm pretty sure he's been holding it in even since our hands touched for the first time. I was hesitant at first, tightening my grip on his jaw line, before moving my hands to the back of his head, holding and pulling at his black hair. He moaned. I had no idea I could pull that sound from a man. I immediately wanted to do it again. I joined in on the dance the occurred between our mouths. His hands moved from my face to my corseted waist in a matter of moments, tightening his grip there as well. A moan escaped my lips; Hugo smiled then resumed marking me. It felt like flowers bloomed in my rushing heart. Something was awaking inside of me, something pushing against my chest, wanting, begging to be free. The feeling got stronger as we kept kissing. We would stop to catch our breaths, then start again. Hugo's lips moved to my neck and began doing three things: kissing, licking, and biting. I had no idea my neck was that sensitive, but if Hugo so much as breathed on the curve of my neck, right behind my ear, I lost it. I moaned again. This prompted Hugo to stop worshipping my neck and begin worshiping my lips once again. During the seductive endeavor, Hugo managed to push me up against the skulled walls. His firm hands remained at my waist, occasionally squeezing. My hands were in two different place: one of gripping and pulling his dark locks, prompted grunts to escape Hugo; and the other held on to one of his lapels. For two people who lacked experience, we were doing quite well at making sure the other was happy and satisfied. As the kiss ended, we moved slower, holding off the future end.

     We separated at last before Hugo said, "I've been wanting to do that even since our first dance."

     I kissed him again, and this time, I pushed him against the skulled walls.