The fall was endless. The pitch black void Nightmare sent me in was bareable for the first hour or so, but eventually solidified what his namesake makes his powers out to be. Even so, I was given plenty of time to think. Pondering on the many accomplishments I saw fit to complete. The the special event I’m hosting in my home may never see the dark of night. The rabbit? After all this time of the constant free falling, I just noticed it wasn’t here. Now I know why it was quieter than usual. “Wake up.” The words sent a jolt of euphoric energy throughout my body. My chest caved, then re-adjusted with no form of control. I steadily arise from the ground I found myself lying on. The crimson rabbit that had accompanied me until my decent into darkness sat on left thigh. With these kinds of animals, it would be hard to guess their thought process, but I knew with every fiber of my being, it was mocking me with a satisfying internal grin.  

“Don’t worry, you weren’t out for long” he says practically smug like. “Although, you might have some explaining to do.” 

“To who?” I asked.   

Branches cracked and grass shifted as thick, heavy footstep approached my right side. I looked and recongized the deep brown boots of Mr. Plague and raised my vision to meet his gaze. He slowly turned to look forward at the quiet city ahead of us as the pale moonlight glared from his ocular lenses. I found it funny honestly. He almost looked graceful if I hadn’t known how conniving and twisted he really is. That’s one of the many tricks under his blood soaked apron that could catch anyone off guard if they weren’t being mindful of their own well being.  

I steadily bring myself up from the ground to stand. Giving him any form of dominance is the first mistake, posture is second. “I thought I would never wake up for a second there.” I said brushing grass off of me.  

He turns towards me with a form of reassuring confidence. “Oh, if I had not reminded him to let you go, he would have forgotten about you. Forgetful, that one can be...so forgetful.” 

 “You generally stay well within your cabin...why exit now? Has something sparked your interest?” 

“Yes, you can say that. I see so much coming for us all in the near future. I would prefer to begin the adjustment to that sudden change rather now than later. Also, I am recieving a strong sense of conviction from you now. I have seen you in your most heighten state of focus, but none like this Masquerade. You also know he is a very important specimen.”  

I’d be lying if I didn’t agree to that statement. I’ve acquired plenty of faces out of my sheer determination, but none have really made me become so tunnel-visioned as Donovan. There’s something about him that draws me. Although what worries me was his quick observation of my actions. If he noticed, many others would have as well. I can’t show my cards just yet. 

“I’ve also seen whats to come” the crimson rabbit adds. “Many of our colleagues and Mr. Plague’s experiments are drawn to him. The derranged Milk-Man that was causing such as fuss earlier even went out of his way to destroy Malcolm Middleton’s artwork within his loft. Clearly it was trying to target anyone remotely close to him, albeit...in a mediocre fashion.”  

“The Milk-Man only wanted to destroy anything slightly close to me.” Mr. Plague responds. “It was a a volatile creature, a mistake on my doing if I do say so myself. Although, I am certain it would not have lived too long if it were to meet you masquerade.”  

I slowly nod to myself in agreement. “Yes...” I said certaintly, “or...maybe you orchestrated everything from the start? You probably know exactly why Donovan is so important, and set Malcolm and Sebastian to be killed off before they could realize too? Its strange how he appears shortly after Donovan is brought into the picture. All of this seems so planned...so-” I swiftly halted speaking more as his gaze strongly fixates on me. Damnit, I showed one card too many and he’s onto to me. If its one thing he’s good at, it’s manipulation. Play dumb and act oblivious. It’s the easier way to keep off his radar. If only sebastian knew beforehand...or maybe he did, and took the risk.  

I let that last sentence roll off into a silence, and looked at the rabbit. He understood immediately what I wanted and summoned two important items from my collection. A face of a very attraction young woman I found oddly charming, and a small blood vial. They appear before me within seconds as I raise my hands to grasp them. I adorn the flesh mask over my own, and my body quickly begins to morphs into the woman as she last appeared alive. Long flowing black hair spills down my back as the current attire I wore twist and turns within itself to become a red silk dress. My height changes drastically as well. It was one of the many moments that made me feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the transformation was seemless and somewhat painless. The lingering memories of her past life pulsated within my psyche. Unbothered by this, I focused my mind to surpess the intruding thoughts. After so long of adopting a new personalities, you become use to the forgotten crumbs of life left behind by each face. My purpose is made apparent, and I will let nothing hinder my process.  

I fixed my hair and walked from the grass unto the sidewalk. I gave one last look to Mr. Plague in case he had something to say to me. He stood in concrete silence. The black voided oculars on his mask gave no semblence of thought or emotion. I dreamed so often of ripping that mask off, but now isn’t the time. My unwanted traveling companion hops towards me and transformed itself into a small red exquisite purse over my shoulder. I reached within him and shifted the blade here and there for the small blood vial. The rabbit aggresively nudged my hand within the walls of the purse, surely in annoyance of the blade poking and proding his insides. Ignoring his reaction, I take the cap off the vial and dab a bit of blood on my wrist. Within seconds, it absored seemlessly in my skin without a trace.  

Shifting my focus ahead towards the city, I embark. It was the dead of night, with very little noise coming from the uninteresting dirty animals and humans. The full moon became my only reliable source of light as many of the street lamps flickered, dimmed, or were basically broken with no sign of immediate repair. It almost hid the stagnant figure looking towards me at the alleyway up ahead. 

Almost. 

I approached steadily with no clear signs of animosity. I noticed the man’s brighten pale skin reflecting the moon light. His stature was lanky and slightly hunched but held a sense of determination. His movement towards me reinforced that. Each step was deliberate but slightly staggered. I remembered the blood I coated in my skin was “AB Negative”, the rarest and, in terms of a vampire’s appetite, the tastiest. I couldn’t show any signs of confidence, as that would put him in a more dominating mindset and throw any semblance of a quick and easy kill. I feel rationality is my strong suit, but deception disguised under non-threatening intentions will always be my ace-in-the-hole. 

We stop just two feet from each other and his desire to drain me of every drop of blood is obvious by his shakey posture. Vampires become more and more intoxicated just by the scent of blood depending on the rarity someone has. I seized this oppurtunity the moment he extends his claws and fangs for intimidation. In one quick motion, I reached within the make-shift purse and slash his throat with steady ease, retracting the blade back to my side in preperation for a follow-up attack. There were none. It took only a second for him to realize what had just happened, and another to grasp his own throat to stop the blood gushing out. Both hands were in use to surpress the wound, which leaves his entire body open. I aim and punctured his right leg, then the left hamstring. He staggers and slashes towards me in a desperate attempt of retaliation, but I easily avoid it and slash his arm. The next few strikes were swift and critical. This left a very messy and bloody scene to look upon, but by sunrise the blood would burn and evaporate before anyone could actually notice.  

He falls to his side in complete submission, and I begin to deliver one final act of mercy by caressing his face to ease his mind before I snap his neck. Yet, he manages to say one last thing before I could do so. “...Ma-squerade...*gulk*...you always...were...lookin-g for...*guuulp*...purpose......haha...ha.......pathetic...”. 

Crack! 

Ignoring his childish inult, I dragged his body into the alley way and proceeded to excavate his face. I straddle him and began on the side of the face. To carve one’s face is to be precise and deliberate with each stroke of motion. It has to mean something when you perform this high level of craftsmanship. Most people couldn’t, or wouldn’t, understand such intricacies. They deem it barbaric and sometimes unruly. No, this is art. Discerning the very fabric of another life, then assuming said thing, takes a high level of compassion and understanding. No one understands, but I do. I know what is valuable and what isn’t worth a thought.  

After some time, I gentely lift the face of the slain man infront of me. I take the current one off and discard it, as it fulfilled its purpose. My body changes back to its original form as the rabbit morphs back into his. I gently placed the new face on my own. Each cut has to be perfectly symmetrical for the transformation to work, or else the extraction will be worth nothing. It is not often I fail, but no one is perfect. 

*Swooomp*. The transition was perfect.  

I stood and dusted my suite off. The man before me only resembled a mangled body of flesh and blood. The skinned face was never something to look at for too long, so I advert my gaze to search within the past life of who I just assumed. Blood...a lot of blood was spilled by this hopeless man, but the general location of where seems to be...in a nightclub. I focused my attention for any signs upon this dark, overwhelming flare of lights on the dance floor within his memories that could show me exactly where to go next for answers.  

“So...any idea where to go?” asked the rabbit. 

“...Redeye” I answered. “My next clue lies at a club named...Redeye.”