Night at the Fall Masquerade

     So far, the hot cocoa has been incredibly rich, the music somewhat energizing, but otherwise the Fall Masquerade, which you've attended for years, has lost its touch of newness. The sweets had remained unchanged for years, but your newfound lollipop takes the cake—so to speak. From the moment you tucked it into your pocket, one thing was made clear: you'd have to eat the lollipop when and only when the time was right. For now, you get back to enjoying the party.

     After a few dances and a little mingling with the other guests, you decide that the area is far too loud for you to enjoy your snack without other Neopets staring at you; so enticing and shiny is your new treasure. So off you go (excusing yourself politely, of course) and amble elegantly towards the exit of the AstroVilla and the Fall Masquerade.

     Outside, the moon glimmers in welcome and battles the dense thicket of trees all around to allow you light to see by. The moonlight wins, of course, and you unwrap the lollipop, your mouth watering with curiosity. You tilt your treat left and right, marveling at how it practically glows blue in the moonlight. At last, you can stand it no longer. You raise the candy to your lips and...

     "Do you know what makes something scary?"

     You jump and whirl around at the voice of the guest, hastily tucking the candy into the napkin and into your pocket. The guest is a rather soft-looking Poogle in surprisingly lavish dress, even for the Fall Masquerade. The last thing you notice is her dark hairdo, nearly blending into the night. The penultimate thing you notice is her light and airy purple dress, which doesn't match the vibrant colors of the fall at all. The moon seems to like it well enough, however, and lends the dress its glowing aid in appearing otherworldly.

     The first thing you notice are her mask-less eyes. Red as Blechies, they stare at you intently, and match neither the yellow of her fabric skin nor the purple of her ballgown. You squint at her, trying to determine her emotion, and are somewhat unnerved that you cannot.

     "I asked you a question." The Poogle taps one plum-colored shoe on the dirt floor. "What makes something scary?"

     You shake your head, dumbfounded at her sudden appearance as well as her appearance in general. "I don't know off the top of my head," you manage dumbly.

     "Pah." The Poogle waves a paw at you. "The first thing that scares someone is being taken by surprise." She glances in your direction and begins walking towards you. You step back, but stop as she locks her eyes with yours. Your feet seem frozen to the grassy ground. "But sudden surprise and something scary are two different things. You're not afraid, I can tell." The Poogle smiles with many white, pointy teeth, which the moon also favors. Its smile makes them seem whiter than they truly are.

     You fight the urge to swallow but lose the battle, praying that the Poogle doesn't notice.

     She does, and smiles wider. "Intimidated, perhaps, but not afraid."

     You stare uncertainly at her, balling a fist behind your back.

     She blinks slowly and looks at the sky through a gap in the trees. "Allow me to alleviate some of your fear." She turns back to you, her eyeshadow sparkling in the faint light. "My name is Aupey. There now, you know something about me. The intimidation wears off with familiarity. Are you not yet feeling familiar with me, as though we've known each other for years?" Aupey folds her plush paws over her chest, briefly fiddling at her heart candy necklace.

     You shake your head, not knowing if you're really answering "yes" or "no".

     "So if it's not intimidation, and it's not the act of startling, nor is it familiarity, then what is it?" Aupey begins walking circles around you, slowly, slowly, so that the train of her dress swishes left and right in midair. You frown and grow extremely uncomfortable with her close proximity. Beads of sweat begin to form on your hands and forehead, which you wipe away in haste.

     "You tell me," you stammer without thinking, and silently curse your word choice, which will surely agitate her.

     To your surprise, Aupey laughs again, a high, raspy sound that grates at your ears. "But where's the fun in that? All right, I'm going to ask you another question: What effect does wearing a mask have on its wearer?"

     This one is easy: you've attended a masquerade ball here and there—heck, you just left one! You smile a shaky smile at the Poogle, confidence making your voice steadier towards the end of your sentence. "Well, masks conceal the identity of the wearer and gives them a mysterious air. You never know who you're really talking to if it's a well-made mask...." Your voice trails off as you notice Aupey pulling out a ribbon attached to a mask from behind her back. "What are you going to do with that?!" You squeak in alarm. Thoughts encircle your head, mimicking Aupey's circling motions around you. Would she forcefully tie the mask onto you?! Does it have magical powers that made the wearer stronger? Does it stick to the user?! You feel oddly trapped by this small Poogle.

     "And it aids the sense of unknowing, which, of course makes something scary." Aupey pays your fear no mind, for once, and ties the mask onto her face. "But the one thing scarier than not knowing something..."

     Aupey glares at you, hard, the yellow on her face almost completely hidden by her amethyst-studded feather mask. This does nothing to alleviate the ferocity of her Moltara-red glare; if anything, it intensifies it.

     "Is a threat."

     You feel yourself shaking when your eyes settle on the dim line of her lips—there is no hint of a smile, and you can't tell whether you are more ill at ease with the smile or without it.

     "Now hand over the lollipop, and no one gets hurt. You wouldn't want to see what I can really do, would you?"

     You frantically shove your hand into your pocket, breathing hard, and thrust the lollipop into her paws, without thinking. All that occupies your mind is "get away get away GET AWAY!—" And so you do, fleeing as fast as your feet can carry you.

     "Don't forget what I've taught you, do you hear me!?" her voice echoes. The ripples of her voice hang in your consciousness as your feet slam onto the slippery grass, making every effort to leave as fast as they can. The sound of your running and your panting almost block every other sound, but you can just barely make out what she says next.

     "There you go, kid. Here's your lollipop back. No one should EVER take candy from a Baby Neopet."

The End