After a while, one begins to question existence. Why am I here? How am I here? Why do I continue to live each day?

Then again, one also wonders if spiritual beings exist. I’m here to say, that I’m walking proof of this question.

They do. And I am one of them.

Chapter One: Silenious the Silent Stalker

I awoke from my deep sleep around 8 pm. Dusk had passed, and now bright sparkles of silver probably splashed themselves about the sky. My shirt hung loose and unbuttoned from my chiseled torso, as I ran a hand through my long chocolate brown hair. It was considered short when compared to others, but it was long by my tastes. My bangs were long over my face, covering up my right eye. Immediately the telephone rang.

“What?” I answered.

“Oh darling, did I wake you? Dreadfully sorry.” I recognized the voice, and my eyebrows narrowed in anger. She was not someone I did not want to talk to having just woken up.

“What is it Mirah? I have things to do tonight.”

“Sure you do Bats.” I cringed. I hated the nickname she had given me. “Anyways, I was wondering if you’re coming to the party. I hear she will be there.” The way Mirah had said ‘she’ I instantly knew whom she was talking about. A girl all the vampires had been after for quite a while, she went by the name Thalia, and she had the sight. She amused me, every time I became in her presence she made sure it was unwelcome.

“Formal or Casual dress?”

“Oh, so you weren’t busy.”

“Mirah, just tell me.”

“Formal. It’s a masque. Keep your eyes out for a dragonfly Silenious. Ja.” I heard a click on the receiver and Mira’s annoying tone disappeared and left me to myself once again. New age masques were always interesting. They held dangerous people full of dangerous ideals-and beings. .

I saw my reflection in the mirror on the back of my door. My blue eyes shone brightly from the Turkish lamp that was suspended from my ceiling. My bedroom was my coffin, and technically by human standards, a very large closet. I was deathly pale, but it was to be expected from one of my kind. No one would believe me if I told them I was a vampire and I had tan skin.

Basques lay sprawled on his black pillow in the day window. He was a dream cat, one that I had come by a long time ago, and had let him live with me. He was mysterious, just as a cat should be, and loud, just like a cat should not be. Dream cats had the shape of a human when around other beings, but around humans appeared as a normal cat.

“Silenious, you’re awake? Did you sleep well?” His bright yellow eyes danced with his joking tone. I rubbed my eye with my middle finger and he laughed, stretching his cat like body across the window. “Nobody called today except the one call that you answered. Anything else you need to know.”

“I’m going to a masque at Quint’s. That’s why Mira called. She said Thalia would be there.” I informed him as I buttoned up my shirt, and then began pouring myself a glass of wine.

“Ah. So you want me to accompany you to keep an eye on her. Am I correct?” The large silver bell around his neck jingled from the yellow ribbon around his neck. His long black hair rested a little below his shoulders, and most of the time he kept it in a loose ponytail.

“You know me too well, don’t you Basques?” I tussled his hair as I sipped from my glass of wine. He batted my hand away playfully. We were like brothers who never really grew up.

“So it’s obvious that I will be the black cat. Whom will you dress as?” Basques inquired, his slender face resting on his hand. The thought had entered my mind once the word ‘masque’ had escaped Mira’s lips. I knew I had to be a predator, because I was on the prowl tonight. On the prowl for Thalia. Only God knows how much I have lusted for that woman, for her to be my dinner and my pleasure, and hopefully tonight would be the night she would feign.

“A predator. You possibly could conjure up something presentable maybe?” His eyes stared at me jokingly. He might be a tailor for his profession, but something this last minute would require his magic, something he wasn’t so intent on giving up.

“It will cost you. You’ll have to make me lobster and shrimp for dinner tomorrow night. And you have to make it yourself, not any of this ordering out.” He knew I hated to cook. He also knew that I could cook, and very well in fact.

“Fine. I’m going to shower. Have it ready by the time I come out.” I hated being bossy to my feline roommate, but it must be done when I am in a hurry. I quickly showered, and when I exited the bathroom, I ran into a golden stare.

“It’s not much, but for the time given, it’ll do.” Basques wore his black shirt that was made of fur. He wore tight leather pants, and the bell around his neck now hung from a silver hoop. A glittery silver moon was painted on his cheek underneath his heavily lashed amber eyes. He pointed to my bed, and there lie my costume. “Now get ready so we can go,” he said before daintily exiting the room.

I was going to a masque, and Thalia was going to become mine.

The outfit made for me by Basques was tailored perfectly for my frame. There was a ruffled antique shirt, a black velvet trench coat sweeping the floor in the back only to connect in the front like a corset with silver crescent moon buttons. Green, gold, silver, and red sequence gathered together to form a Chinese dragon on the front of the jacket. Black velvet pants were also there to match. Beside the outfit laid a very elaborate dragon mask, which looked like if a human had made it, it would take several months. I dressed quickly, and exited the room, to meet Basques happy applause. He whistled, then winked.

“You look dashing. Simply dashing.”

“Shut up and let’s go.” I snapped, tossing him his top hat from the exotic hat stand by the back door to our roomy apartment. Basques loved his hat, it was like his favorite thing, and the only possession he owned before Silenious had taken him under his wing.

Basques caught the hat with his black gloved hand, and bowed before putting the hat on his head. One amber eye glowed from under the silk hat, and a chesire cat smile formed on his face.

“The night is still young, so let us take our leave.”

Author’s Notes:

Name pronunciation

Silenious: See-len-ee-us

Basques: bahs-kes

Thalia: Thah-lee-ah

Mirah: Meer-ah

The use of ‘Ja’

Ja is a casual way to say goodbye in Japanese. Mirah is Japanese, hence her use of this word and several other Japanese phrases.

Definition of ‘Beings’

Basically, a term for things supernatural or unreal. Examples are vampires, werewolves, and anything else with a mythic appearance or ability

The sight

Term used for people who can see into the future and the past. They also have enough magical power to see things normal humans can’t.

Dream cat

A cat with powers to grant wishes, and it has several other magical abilities like being able to take on a human form, and sense spirits.