The Masquerade

by Rae, Alexa

  "Ellie Bellie, what's wrong?"

  I used to curse my name for the countless nicknames people managed to tag with it. There's something about short and simple names that everyone feels the need to add something extra because it has a ring to it. Just when I thought I'd heard them all, Mallie always came up with another. Only, I didn't mind them coming from her. She could call me Fred for all I cared.

  "Nothing sweetie," I assured her. I pulled the bag of jumbo marshmallows from my purse and tossed them onto Mallie's lap before I settled down beside her on the couch.

  Mallie's wide, hazel eyes searched my face. "Are you sad?"

  I turned to her, frowning. "Do I look sad?" She nodded. "Well, big girls get sad sometimes."

  She frowned. I could tell by the way her nose scrunched up that she didn't like my answer. "But why are you sad?"

  I never lied to Mallie. If she asked me something I told her the censored truth. Children are the best to talk to. They never judge you with whatever leaves your mouth and their responses are honest.

  "You know how every girl has a prince charming?" I asked, remembering the stories her mother told her about true love. Ava was a hopeless romantic. She told her daughter that every girl in the world had her own prince waiting to rescue her.

  "Well, I found my prince but we're not going to live happily ever after."

  "But he's your prince."

  I tried to swallow, my throat suddenly dry. "Yes, he is."

  "And is he handsome?"

  I laughed. "Yes, very much so."

  Mallie frowned. "Why won't you live happily ever after?"

  I turned to the television, silently contemplating the irony of the situation. I couldn't tell my best friends, but I could talk about my relationship drama with a soon to be five year old girl. "Sometimes," I began, "being a prince isn't enough. Sometimes they're not good for princesses like you or me." I shut my eyes, trying to prevent the tears from forming. "So we have to let them go."

  Mallie turned her attention back to the movie without saying anything. She laughed at a scene between Pain and Panic. It brought the smile back to my face. Her laughter was light and carefree, free of the treacherous weight that I carried as child. I never had her charismatic smile.

  "The Beast was bad."

  I frowned. "What?"

  She looked at me. "Bell loved the Beast even when he was being mean. He was big and scary too, but he was still a prince." My mouth fell open at the analysis the little girl had made. "They lived happily ever after."

  I wished I could tell her that Ben wasn't exactly the beast she was thinking of, but my own mind stopped me from doing so. I loved him, despite what he was. That scared me. What kind of person was I to love a monster? I wasn't supposed to love at all. I'd gotten so used to being hurt that I forgot what it felt like to put my trust in someone else's hands.

  "I'm going to make popcorn," I said and stood up in an attempt to put my mind somewhere else.

  "With chocolate chips?"

  I whirled back around. "Who do you think I am?" Mallie stared at me blankly. "Yes, chocolate is always a yes."

  She grinned and turned back to the movie. When I was back in the kitchen I pulled a bag of popcorn from the pantry and stuck it in the microwave after removing the annoying plastic wrap. When my hands grasped the container filled with chocolate chips that Ava kept in the fridge, a chill ran down my spine. I froze. The eerie feeling sank into the pores on my skin. I turned, swallowing my fear, and faced the living room.

  "Mallie?"

  She didn't answer. I darted around the bar counter to see the fluff of her brown hair draped over the armrest. Her eyes were glued to the screen. Clearly, she was incapable of responding. I sighed in relief at the sight of her small form, sinking comfortably into the leather couch. When I turned back to the kitchen, my eyes caught something that stood behind the glass window of the back door.

  I spun to the side to see a man outside. His eyes, black as coal, glared into mine. The container of chocolate chips fell from my hands and toppled to the floor. A scream left my mouth before I could stop it. The man's expressionless mask twisted into a malicious grin. His teeth were stained with a dark liquid that made my stomach churn at the sight. The glass door was locked, but I shot around the kitchen table and pulled the second door shut. He smiled at me as I shut the door in his face and twisted the two locks. My chest heaved. I turned around, listening to the sound of Mallie's cries.

  "Who is that, Ella?"

  As if to answer her question, heavy beating against the glass of the screen door jolted me away from the entrance. I imagined his fists pounding angrily against the glass. I backed away from the door and dashed over to Mallie. I swung her into my arms and pushed her head into my shoulder as though that would shield her from the noise, if nothing else to hide her from my panic stricken expression.

  My stomach dropped. The beating on the door traveled around the house instantaneously, hitting all the windows, rattling the shutters. Eyes wide, I realized there was more than one. Their beating moved around the perimeter of the house. They were fast. I didn't want to believe it, but my gut told me they weren't human.

  I ran to the kitchen table where my purse hung over one of the chairs. With my free hand I fumbled through it until my hands brushed over the rubber case. I frantically pushed the buttons on the screen until I found Ben's contact. I pushed send without hesitation or further thought.

  "Ella, I'm scared." Mallie whimpered into my shoulder.

  "It's okay. We're going to be okay," I murmured into her hair, trying to calm her down, but my own hands were shaking as I waited for Ben to pick up, praying he would.

  I sighed in relief when I heard his voice after the third ring. "Ella?" He sounded confused, but there was a hint of urgency in his voice. He knew I wouldn't be calling unless it was an emergency.

  "Ben," I said his name over the loud thunder of their fists slamming against the glass. "I need you."

  "Where are you?"

  I gave him the address that Mallie could recite backwards. "Ben, there are people outside and I think they're like you." I couldn't tell him anything more over the phone. Mallie was in hysterics. I needed her to believe we were going to be okay.

  I heard the rumble of his motorcycle's engine in the background. "I'll be there in a minute."

  I barely heard him. Someone's voice drifted down to the first floor from somewhere upstairs. I heard Ben shout my name through the phone while Mallie cried harder. The phone slipped out of my hands and smacked against the floor. Fear struck me, like pins and needles pricking every inch of my skin. They were in the house.

  Hoisting Mallie up in my arms for a better grip, I dashed into the living room where I could look up to the second story balcony. No one was there that I could see but I heard his voice again. He called my name this time. The two syllables a chilling whisper as it wavered above me, taunting me. Mallie quivered in my arms. My heart ripped into two, hearing her pleas for her mommy. She was so little and so scared. In that moment, I vowed nothing would happen to her.

  I ran back around to the kitchen, remembering the two big cabinets under the sink where they kept the cleaning supplies. I bent down and threw the double doors open with my spare hand. I tried to pull her away from me, but she clung to my chest.

  "Mallie," I whispered quickly, "I need you to let go." I didn't have much time. I pried her fingers off my arms and pulled her away from my chest. I placed her inside the small space that was still large enough to hide her little body. "I need you to stay in here. Don't come out, understand?"

  She was shaking, crying, and choking on her sobs. "This is like hide and seek only this time you really can't make a sound. Okay?"

  She gave a slight nod, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew what was going on. I put my finger to my lips, nodding to comfort her, before shutting the two doors. I snapped upright and reached for the largest handle in the wooden block that held the knives. When I pulled out the sharp blade a chill s
hot down my spine.

  "A butcher knife. Really?"

  I whirled around to see the same man who I saw standing outside before. He stood by the pantry door in the kitchen, a smirk molding the shape of his mouth. I raised the knife in front of me.

  "Get out," I tried to shout, but it sounded like a desperate plea.

  "I just got here," he protested. I noted a European accent in his voice, but didn't care to identify it. "Show your guest some hospitality."

  "You weren't invited. My foot will show some hospitality up your ass, though."

  He laughed. I took that spare second and made a run for it. I bolted around the kitchen counter with the laundry room as my goal. I knew Ava kept a baseball bat in there for safekeeping. I barely made it past the kitchen table when I felt his hand grip the shirt off my back and yank me off my feet. The force, so strong, the fabric of my shirt burned my skin, before I was flung against the wall.

  My backside smashed against the wall. I cried out in pain as I flipped over, feeling my hip bruise directly on impact. The man was standing over me before I could pull myself up. He gripped my hair by his hand and yanked me away from the wall. I grimaced, feeling like the skin was being ripped off my scalp.

  Over the noise outside, the stranger's laughter, and my cries I heard the cabinet door squeak open. The pain dissipated as I heard her tiny footsteps scramble against the hardwood. My heart nearly stopped.

  "Mallie, no!"

  I kicked my legs out and swung my head forward. The pressure released from my head when he let go of my hair. I sat up to see Mallie's wide, red eyes. She stood a couple feet away from the stranger. A bleach blonde haired woman appeared behind her with black eyes fixated on Mallie.

  "Mallie, run!" I screamed. I lunged for her, but the monster yanked me back by my hair. I was on top of the kitchen table in the next second. My lower back ached from the to the napkin holder and salt and pepper shakers I smashed on top of. I flipped onto my side to see Mallie crouching in the corner between two cabinets. The blonde woman stood in front of her with arms out as she reached down to take her.

  "No!" I screamed. My voice was cut off by the sound of wood splintering as someone smashed against it. I groaned thinking there were more of them until I heard his voice.

  "Ella!"

  "Ben," I cried back.

  I was suddenly dragged off the table. The man held me against him easily despite my struggles for release. I blew the hair out of my face to see Ben standing in front of us. His blue eyes were blazing on the man who held me.

  "You've been hiding her," the man mused in a heavy Irish drawl. "I'd love for Michael to hear about this."

  "Let her go or I'll rip your head off," Ben barked at him.

  "Bite me," the man shot back. The command wasn't open for negotiation. Ben dashed forward. When I blinked I was on the floor, my hands flat against the carpet when they caught my fall.

  I heard another voice above me, one I recognized. I looked up to see Jesse holding the man in a headlock with the break of his elbow tightening around the stranger's throat. Ben stood in front of them. His hands were quick and his movements sharp when he snapped his neck to the side. Jesse let go of him and the man fell to the floor. Ben turned and rushed to me, but I shook my head hearing Mallie's cries from the kitchen.

  "Get Mallie!"

  He frowned and looked over his shoulder to see the blonde smelling Mallie's hair. Ben was at her side with a kick to her stomach. The force sent her flying against the refrigerator. He bent down and picked up Mallie, engulfing her in his large arms. To my surprise she clung to him, shaking and crying. He held her tight against his chest and I could have sworn I saw his lips move as he murmured soothing words to her.

  My attention moved back to Jesse. The man on the floor was gone and he strode over to the blonde. He pulled her by her feet and yanked her across the floor. When he passed me I heard him mutter, "Fuckin' newbies." He dragged her through the backdoor and disappeared.

  Ben came over to me, got down on his knees, and held Mallie out to me. His eyes never left my face even when my attention was focused on the little girl, sucking in deep breaths between cries and choked sobs.

  "Mallie," I said softly feeling my heart break listening to her cries. Ben rubbed small circles on her back as I tried to calm her. "It's okay, sweetie. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you." I ran my hand through her soft brown hair, continuing my gentle whispers. "You're okay. We're okay."

  Mallie lifted her head away from Ben's chest to look at me, her eyes bloodshot from crying. "Why did," she sobbed, "that man hurt you, Ellie?"

  I cupped her tiny face with my hands. "He didn't hurt me, Mallie. I'm okay."

  "He made you hit the wall," she huffed. "You cried." Her bottom lip quivered and I knew she was going to haul more tears. "He hurt you." I met Ben's eyes. I found a mixture of rage and pain coursing in through his expression that he was trying to control while he held something so fragile in his arms. I took Mallie from him and hugged her tight to my chest.

  Ben's hand was on my arm, silently making sure I was okay. I wasn't. My insides wee screaming at me, my back ached, and it took everything I had to control my own tremors. I wanted to break down and burst into tears, but I held myself together for Mallie's sake.

  Eventually, her breathing evened and I was able to bring her to the couch and lay her down. I had Ben retrieve my phone from the floor so I could call her parents. I explained to them a bunch of kids were harassing us and tried to break in. They were already leaving the restaurant to come home after I hung up the phone. Knowing her mommy and daddy were coming back helped Mallie calm down.

  She stared up at me with wide, glossy eyes. Her face was still covered with red splotches from crying. Ben moved to stand beside me. Mallie's eyebrows knit together. She sat up, staring at the towering stranger beside me.

  "Are you a prince?"

  My eyes widened. My head snapped to Ben who merely smiled and bent down to be eye level with her. "Do you think I am?"

  Mallie gave a little shrug. "I don't know. That's why I asked you."

  I stifled a laugh, proud that Mallie didn't refrain from using her sassy comebacks. Ben's smile grew. "I'm not a good guy."

  Mallie's eyes flashed to me. I watched the smart little girl's calculating eyes connect the dots. "You are a prince." She said simply. "You're Ellie's." I cleared my throat and looked at Ben to explain, but she beat me to it. "Ella told me she's going to let you go, but I don't think she should."

  "Um okay," I interrupted when I heard the sound of their garage door opening. "Mallie I think you're mommy and daddy are back."

  They ignored me.

  "Why do you think so?" Ben asked her.

  "Ella is just scared because she loves you."

  My stomach performed a backflip. "Mallie!" Again, it was as though I hadn't said anything.

  "It's okay," Ben assured her with a soft smile. "I'm not going to let her let me go." He turned and his eyes met mine.

  "Good," Mallie said in satisfaction.

  I stared at Ben with wide eyes. I couldn't say anything to him, not in front of Mallie. His smile disappeared when he locked eyes with me. He held them for a moment, a daring look in his eyes that told me not to protest. He looked away when Mallie's parents burst into the room.

  "Mallie!" Ava exhaled in relief. She plucked her daughter off the couch and crushed her to her chest. Mallie hugged her back tightly, sniffing softly; the tears were gone for the time being.

  Josh spared Ben one glance before he looked at me. He opened his mouth to say something until I saw the recognition flash in his eyes. His eyes snapped back to Ben and they widened. He pointed at Ben, his mouth opened again and then closed. A rock star was standing in his living room. I didn't blame him for going into shock.

  I heard Mallie whispering the details to her mom, but she caught my attention when I heard her mention Ben. "Ella's prince came to save us and the bad man and woman went away."

  Ava looked at the r
ock star now standing close beside me. She blinked, "You're Ben Sloane."

  "Ben Sloane is in my house." I heard Josh mumble in disbelief.

  Ben gave a small acknowledging smile. "Ella called me and asked me to come stay with her until the police got here. I got to your house just when they broke in."

  "Do you know who they were? How many were there? Where are the cops?" Josh said, finally breaking out of his state of shock.

  Ben and I spent the next couple minutes improvising a quick story. I immediately knew it was my place to keep his secret safe, no matter what happened. Mallie hadn't seen much, but what we said was enough to comply with her knowledge of the events. We gave a quick story of two loser adults in their early twenties with the intent of terrorizing two young girls home alone. When the cops, who were never actually called, finally showed after Josh called them. We gave statements and the two county sheriffs left to examine the broken window upstairs.

  Thirty minutes passed while Ben and I waited patiently for the two men to finish their jobs. Ben never left my side, providing the warm comfort that I desperately needed. For the time being, I pushed everything else aside and allowed Ben be my sense of security. I didn't realize how much I needed him to be with me until he left my side for a second, to sign one of Josh's guitars that he retrieved after he put Mallie to bed.

  My hands trembled in his absence and the fear that dug into the pit of my stomach returned. Ben caught the look on my worn face and was at my side immediately. His lips touched my forehead and his hands ran through my hair until I stopped shaking. The emptiness disappeared when Ben was with me, holding me, taking away the pain.

  When the police finally left he promised Ava he would take me home. I didn't protest. I agreed to leave my car at their house until the morning. We were outside. Ben was starting up his motorcycle when Ava leaned over to me.

  "I don't remember you telling me that you had a hot rock star boyfriend."

  I turned to her feeling my cheeks warm. "It's complicated."