The castle was magnificent. It stood tall, dark and regal. I didn't know there was something like this here in New York.
"So your idea of fun is taking us to a creepy castle" Jenna glared at her sister, who looked confused.
"This isn't what I thought it was, the picture I saw online was nothing like this."
"It's beautiful."
"Yeah if you're dead" Jenna was still glaring at Stacy.
"Jenna don't be rude" Stacy looks towards the driver.
The driver is looking straight ahead and as the car makes its way down the long driveway. The car slowly makes its way to the entrance. Someone opens the door and we get out. Wow this place is even more beautiful up close. We are shown inside and it's filled with people.
"It's really crowded in here" I don't like being around a lot of people.
"Thank you all for coming. I know everyone is eager to get started. Please enter the ballroom and find your seats. After everyone is seated we will begin."
I don't know where that voice came from. I look around the entrance area. Everyone is making their way to the ballroom. I lose track of Stacy and Jenna. Why does everyone have to push forward all at once? This is why I hate large crowds of people.
Once I'm in the ballroom I look around for my friends. I see them near the bacak. I head over to them.
"There you are I thought we lost you" Stacy looked relieved to see me.
"Where do you think we should sit?"
"On the train back to the city" Jenna was looking around as if she were paranoid.
"Come on we came all this way" Stacy guided her to an empty table while I followed.
I noticed that only the people from the train were sitting in the section we were in. The other tables were taken by people who were all very well dressed and most of them were wearing jewelry that shined in the light when they moved. I couldn't even make out any of their faces. It was as if they were covered in a veil or a shadow even though the room is very well lit.
Once everyone was seated a very tall, pale thin man stood up and went to a podium. The room went very quiet. It was now so quiet it was scary.
"Welcome to you all. I am happy to see so many new faces here tonight" This man's voice echoed through the entire room. "Some of you may know that this is only the beginning of a six month journey. If you are rejected you may try again when the next Ball takes place. There are many clan leaders here tonight. Over this weekend they will speak to each of you. The ceremony for the chosen will be on Sunday evening. If you are chosen, you will leave with the leaders of the clan you have been accepted into. If you have not been chosen you will return home on the train. Tonight is the beginning of the festivities. It is a night to mingle and get to know one another. If any of you decide to change your mind and leave you may do so at any time. If you are not on the train by four a.m. tonight you will have to stay until Sunday evening. Now we shall commence with the first dance of the evening then dinner will be served. After that the ball will continue on into the night. For those of you wishing to dance please stand so a partner can find you."
I wonder what he is talking about. I decide to stand but Jenna pulls me back down to my seat.
"Jenna, what is it?"
"This place is giving me creepy vibes. I don't like it, I want to leave."
"But we don't know what's going on yet and why they accept and reject people."
"I'm with Jenna Kira. I don't like the vibes I'm getting. We should go now."
"But he said the train wasn't leaving until four in the morning. I don't see any harm in dancing and having some fun."
"May I have this dance young lady?"
I jumped. I didn't see or hear this guy approach. It's like he just appeared out of thin air.
"She's not standing," Jenna glared at him.
"We were in the middle of a conversation. It was very rude of you to interrupt" Stacy was also glaring at him.
"I do believe your friend can speak for herself."
He held his hand out to me and I took it. He gently pulls me to my feet and leads me to the dance floor where others are waiting. The music begins it's a traditional waltz. I can dance well. My mother made me take lessons telling me a proper lady needed to know how just in case.
I look at the man I am dancing with. I find what he said to me a little strange. He called me "Young Lady," he doesn't look that much older than me. He has pale skin, blue eyes and short black hair. He is a very good dancer.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?"
"You looked sad for a moment."
"Oh I was thinking about my mom."
"I see when did you lose her?"
"How do you–"
"There are only two reasons a beautiful woman such as yourself would look so sad when thinking of her mother. Your mother either died or you are estranged and it's hard to think about."
"She died when I was seventeen, from cancer."
"I am sorry."
"I don't like talking about it."
"I can see why you came, you are looking for a new life. A new start so you can leave the bad behind you. I must warn you this life isn't for everyone."
"I'm not sure what you are talking about. I came with my friends to have fun for the weekend. It's not what they thought it was. I think they thought it would be like a spa weekend or a wine tasting party event type of thing."
"I see. You walked in here not knowing anything that goes on here or what the ball is about."
"No."
"How interesting. Most people I meet here are very much aware long before coming here. Maybe I should tell you but I have a feeling you will leave with your friends."
"I'm not sure. I am an open minded person. I like to try new things and have fun."
"You don't seem like the type of person who would be friends with them."
"We've known each other for a long time. Jenna and I were roommates in college and all three of us got jobs at the same company when we graduated. They take some getting used to."
"Well then I do hope you will stay then. I can guarantee that you have never tried anything like this before and if you leave you may not ever again."
"That is a bold thing to say."
The music stopped and we stopped dancing.
"It is the truth."
He kisses my hand and walks away.
I walk back to my table.
"I can't believe you just left us here" Stacy glared at me when I sat down.
"You could have danced too. You didn't have to just sit here you know. We are supposed to be having fun. You said that yourself."
"This isn't what we think of as fun."
They are horrible liars. This kind of thing is right up their alley.
"Really then why did you drag me to three of these things in the last month? Those were incredibly boring; they didn't even serve wine."
"Not at the party" Jenna rolled her eyes at me.
"It was a dry party, the person who threw it doesn't drink alcohol" Stacy was still glaring at me.
"Besides, that party was still fun."
"I don't remember it being fun" I tell them "I remember almost going to jail because that guy wouldn't keep his hands to himself and kept touching me. Saying goth girls were supposed to be easy."
Ok I get it now. I look around and from what I can tell most of the people at this party seem to be Goth or something similar.
"Wow and here I thought you two didn't care about that kind of thing anymore."
"These people are evil, it's unchristian," Jenna said.
"So what does that make me, I'm Goth, am I evil too?"
"You're not like them."
"How do you know that? You don't know anything about these people. All you're doing is sitting there glaring at everyone. You two seem to think that if someone is different from you it makes them evil. Life isn't that black and white."
"Kira, you know what I mean."
"No Jenna I don't."
"Kira, please don't be like that. You know what we are talking about. You're not like this all the time."
"Yes I am. Just because I have to wear office clothes doesn't mean I am anyone less than myself. Maybe you should try to get to know someone before you start judging their lifestyle or interests."
I get up and leave the room. I honestly don't know what their problem is. They drag me to anything and everything they think is fun but if it is something that I might like or want to do they either shut it down or complain the entire time. The few times I got them to go with me to gothic clubs they sat around complaining that they were bored but they wouldn't talk to anyone and both of them were rude to anyone who tried to talk to them.
You can't have fun if you shut your mind and don't even try. I can't stand close minded people. Jenna and Stacy have really only gotten worse over the years. I know they come from a Christin family with Christin values. I met them once, it was Christmas my first year of college. I didn't have anywhere to go and Jenna thought it would be a good idea to bring me, a Goth girl, into a house full of people who hate anything or anyone who isn't like them. Their mother threw holy water on me and started shouting a prayer at me. Their dad was even worse. I didn't even bother to stay a full ten minutes. I ended up spending Christmas alone back at my college dorm. The only difference from before was that I hated anything and everything around me. Neither Jenna nor Stacy apologized to me for what happened that day. I guess they just pretended it didn't happen.
"Miss, dinner is being served now."
I turn around and see someone in a caterer outfit.
"Thank you I'll be in, in a moment."
He nods and walks back inside. I need to figure out how to let the past go.