Requiem Mask Contest Entry

by ~phangirloftheopera

                "Oooh! I'm so excited! You guys are going to have SOOO much fun!" Thanh squealed, bouncing eagerly on her seat.

                "But where exactly are we going, Thanh?" Chelsey asked, holding onto the green plastic seat of the bus to avoid losing her balance. "These blindfolds are itchy."

                "Aw, Chelsey, youre no fun. Don't you want to-- hey!" Thanh slapped Erik's hand, hard.

                "What was THAT for?!" a ver disgruntled Erik asked, rubbing his hand.

                 "You were PEEKING!" Thanh cried, outraged. "Come on, you two, it's not much further... ooh! You're such a CUTE couple!" Thanh continued, enthused and dreamy-eyed; one could practically see the hearts floating above her head. "Just think, your first date, and I got to arrnage everything!"

                "Well, actually, it can't be a date, Thanh. I'm kinda going out with Alex--"

                Erik mouthed a very nasty word under his breath.

                 "Alright, your first not-date." Thanh said. "Ooh! We're here!" she cired, yanking Erik and Chelsey out of their seats and off the bus. "Ok! Take off the blindfolds!"

                 Erik and Chelsey gladly removed the pink bandanas.

                "Oh, Thanh! This is marvelous!" Chelsey sighed. A tall brick building stood in front of them, complete with a romantic balcony. The sweet, savory smell of Italian food drifted through the air. Couples leaned over their tables, close to each other, stealing kisses every now and again. There was even a string quartet, playing love songs on the balcony. "It was so sweet of you to pay for it and everything! Thanh, I love you!" Chelsey cried, grabbing Thanh in a very tight hug.

                 "Oh, that boring old place? That's not where you're going." Chelsey's face fell. Erik frowned as a sick feeling of dread rose in his stomach.

                "It's... not?" Chelsey asked in a hoarse whisper.

                "Naw... come ON Chelsey, could I AFFORD to pay for you guys to go there. Besides, it's no fun, anyway." Thanh grabbed Erik and Chelsey's shoulders, and turned them around. "THIS is where you're going."

                 Erik stared in horror. "Kill me. Please." He turned to Chelsey, grabbing her shoulders "I'll love you forever, just don't make me go there!"

                  A shabby brick building loomed across the street. A large, plastic rat in rainbow sparkle overalls topped the building. Small children and their disgruntled parents, grandparents, and elder siblings rushed about, hurling screams and slices of pizza at each other.

                 "Freddie Fromage?" Chelsey asked in disbelief.

                "It's my FAVORITE restaurant!" Thanh said, still smiling.

               "That's no surprise..." Erik mumbled.

               "Oh, hey, you two have fun, I gotta go, the bus is gonna be here any minute..." Thahn said, checking her watch. Another bus pulled up in the station. "Bye guys, have fun!" Thanh yelled, as the bus drove away.

               "I shall KILL tonight...." Erik mumbled, weaving the bandanas into a lasso.

              "Erik, be nice. She's paid for the entire night and everything. Let's ust go enjoy our... not-date." Chelsey said firmly, linking arms with Erik and half-dragging him into the restaurant.

             "Welcome to Freddie Fromage, home of the 10-cheese pizza--" began a short greeter in a garish uniform.

             "Um... we have a reservation..." Chelsey said.

             "Phantom of the Opera?" asked a skinny girl behind the counter, in the same uniform. She glanced at Erik's mask. "We thought it was a joke." She said, giggling. "Apparently, not..." she snorted, becoming evermore obnoxious. "Lemme guess, you're supposed to be Christine!" she laughed, pointing at Chelsey. "And... and if I rip off the mask, you'll have a horrid sunburn underneath, right?!" She fell behind the counter, laughing.

              Another uniformed girl emerged from behind the counter. "We still don't know what's wrong with her... I'm Meg. I'll take you to your table." Pleased with this much calmer presence, Erin consented to follow. "This is your table." Meg said, indicating a booth not three feet from a curtained stage. She left, leaving Erik and Chelsey standing awkwardly by the booth.

              Erik scratched the back of his neck and murmured softly "I'd pull out your chair for you, but that seems impossible. Shall we sit, my dear? Ladies first."

              "Always the gentleman..." Chelsey said with a smile, sitting in her seat. And for five minutes afterward, there was total silence.

              Excepting, of course, the loud noise arising from everyone else in the restaurant.

              "Gah, I'm so overdressed for this, Erik!" Chelsey suddenly said, indicating her black dress.

              Erik stared at her intently "I think you look beautiful." he said quietly.

             "Aw, Erik, that's really sweet." Chelsey replied, leaning on her elbows on the table.

             "Um, er, Chelsey?"

             "Yes, Erik?"

               "I--um... What I mean is... I've rather, I... l-l... lo-... l-lov--"

              "TEN CHEESE PIZZA, ORDER FOR TWO!" The same obnoxious girl from the counter yelled, dropping a small, greasy pizza on the table. Erik glanced at her name tag, and gagged. Once she walked away, Erik sighed.

              "Well that explains a lot."

             "What?" Chelsey asked, curious.

              "Her name, didn't you see her name badge? It was Carlotta..." Erik explained.

              "Oh." Chelsey replied, lifting a plastic fork. "Y'know, I can't even NAME ten cheeses..." she said quietly, poking it with the fork.

              "I can." Erik sighed. Another stretch of awkward silence ensued, until the curtains on the stage began to part, revealing a large animatronic rat in rainbow overalls covered in sequins in front, accompanied by his friends: what appeared to be a mongoose pirate rescuing some poor lost sheep in a shipwreck, and a polka dotted raccoon.

              "Oh dear..." Chelsey said quietly, as small children cheered and ran towards the stage. Loud obnoxious music began to play. Covering his ears, Erik cried in protest.

             "What is this travesty?!"

             A small, blonde girl turned around. "Hey mister! Hush! I wanna see the show!"

             "I want the "show" to crumble and burn. I don't suppose there's a chandelier nearby...?" Erik hissed in her face.

             "Erik!" Chelsey said, becoming nervous.

              The child apparently forgot about the show, and looked at Chelsey. "I'm Christie!" she said happily.

              Clearing her throat nervously, Chelsey replied "Oh? I'm Chelsey, and this is my friend Erik." she added, indicating Erik.

             "Whya weara mask?" the girl asked.

             "That's none of your business!" Erik hissed indignantly, leaning forward toward the child. Christie quickly reached up and pulled it off.

              "NOOOOOO!!" Erik shrieked, covering his face with the ten-cheese pizza. "Give it BACK!" he roared, pursuing the child as she ran, giggling in glee. The ten-cheese pizza made for a poor facial cover. Erik siezed a crude disguise from the prize counter: large, false glasses with bushy eyebrows, a gigantic nose and substantial moustache.

               "Hey! Those cost 1200 tickets!" A counter attendant cried. Chelsey followed closely behind.

               "Sorry, sir, he's-- this kid-- oh-- ERIK!!" she cried.

               "Give it back to ME!" Erik cried, stumbling across tables.

               "NO!" Christie cried happily, diving into a ballpit that seemed to stretch on for eternity. "Can't catch me, can't catch ME!" she squealed, diving out of sight. Erik, still sporting the Groucho Marx goggles, saw no choice but to dive in after her and utter heinous oaths.

               "Erik!" Chelsey cried, dashing up to the ballpit. Erik came up for air; Chelsey kicked off her high-heeled shoes and jumped in after him. "Erik! Erik, stop!"

              "Give it BACK! You wretched little heathen! Give it to me or I'll tie your hands behind your back and throw you into the LAKE!" But his threats fell on deaf ears, or really rather, no ears at all. For Christie had fled the ballpit, leaving Erik to wallow in his misery.

              "Erik! Erik are you ok... Erik are you crying?" A very concerned Chelsey asked, pushing some balls aside to try and see hs still-disguised face.

              "N-no!" he sniffed loudly. "That wretched little child deserves to-"

              "Erik, calm down." Chelsey said, reaching for his shoulder. He shifted further down. "Come on, Erik, you can't hide at the bottom of a ballpit forever."

              "Oh, can't I?" he retorted. Sighing, he said, "I'm sorry Chelsey. I wanted... I only wanted to enjoy our evening together, but..."

              "Yeah, it was kinda silly to let Thanh plan everything out... but, Erik, we can still enjoy it."

              Erik wailed, "I can't go back there! Not without my mask!"

             "Come on, Erik, it's really not--"

              "There's a crowd of small children out there, for goodness' sake! I don't want to poison their minds for all eternity!"

              They sat silent for a moment, one wallowing in self-loathing and shame, the other wondering how to pull him out of it.

             "Erik?" No response. "Erik..." she reached for his hand, clasping it tightly. "I know you're upset. But... why don't we just stay down here for the rest of the date?" Silence again. "Erik?"

              "Yes... come closer, my dear, I can't see you." Much shuffling later, Chelsey and Erik sat shoulder to shoulder, surrounded by a rainbow of plastic balls.

             "I wonder if it's possible to suffocate down here..." Chelsey wondered out loud. "I mean, it's so deep... gosh, it has to be six feet at least! And we're on the bottom..."

            "Hmm..." Erik mumbled in agreement. "I doubt it." Idly examining a pink ball, he remarked "I must put one of these in my house. Imagine some poor fool floundering about in a massive lake of balls..."

              "Excuse me, Monsieur?" a small voice said. Some balls shifted, and a copper colored hand brushed Chelsey's shoulder. "Is this yours?" The boy poked Chelsey with the mask.

             "Erik! Erik, he found your mask!: Chelsey cried excitedly, taking it from the boy and passing it to Erik.

              "My mask!" he said with relief, quickly doffing the Groucho Marx getup and carefully replacing the mask. "Thank you." he added politely.

              "It was nothing." the boy replied. "Christie may be determined, but she is easily distracted. I merely gave her something shiny in exchange for it."

             "Amir! Amir, it's time to go home!" a gentle female voice called through the netted walls of the ballpit.

             "Coming, Mother!" the boy called. "I have to go now, Monsieur and Mademoiselle!" and with that, he vanished.

             "That was sweet." Chelsey said calmly. "So, Erik, now that we're alone again--"

             "Excuse me sir, the ballpit is for children ten and under..." a male voice droned outside the pit.

               "I don't want to leave..." Erik began.

               "I think we should. It's probably close to time for us to meet up with Thanh again, anyway..."

              "Thanh..." Erik growled softly, before taking Chelsey's hand. "Come, we must return. Your two friends at your apartment will be missing you." he said quite calmly, tightening his grip on her hand and leading her to the surface.

              Emerging from the ballpit, Erik hopped out first and gently lifted Chelsey out after. She slid her shoes back on, and they walked calmly out of the restaurant, relieved.

              A few mintues later, a bus pulled up and a very gleeful Thanh stepped out. "Hi, guys! Didja have fun?" she asked eagerly.

              Erik looked at Chelsey, wrapped in his jacket. Chelsey looked at Erik, and smiled slightly at his rumpled hair. "Yes... I suppose we can safely say the evening was eventful..." Erik began.

              "Yeah, but Thanh..." Chelsey said, standing up. Erik stood too, reaching shyly and taking her hand. "You are never planning the date again."

THE END