The evening flew by as Vesper and her grandfather had dinner together, and afterward, Arthur offered to read her one of his old books. When she was younger she loved spending time with Arthur, and never passed up the opportunity to hear the strange and wonderful stories he found in his rare collection of books.

   In the back of Vesper’s mind sat the uneasy thought that his most special book was currently stashed in her bedroom. If her grandfather noticed it was gone, she knew she would tell the truth, and return it. But the worry Arthur would notice grew smaller as he read, and eventually, Vesper forgot about the stolen book and sat drinking her chamomile tea, curled up on the comfy couch in the library.

   After a few stories, Vesper had her own reading to do for homework. So she pulled her notebook out of her backpack and sat in the library studying. She finished a couple of hours later and night had fallen. When her eyelids wouldn’t stay open any longer Vesper went to bed, excited for what might happen tomorrow at the masquerade ball.

   The next morning, Vesper overslept and had to rush out to school.

   “Bye, Grandpa!” she said as she shut the door behind her.

   It was Thursday, and on the way into school, everyone was really chatty about what they would wear that evening to the masquerade. Vesper listened attentively but never revealed what her mask was—she was waiting until tonight to show Sadie first, just as they had planned:

   “I’m wearing a cat mask!”

   “Mine’s a bird!”

   “Mine is blue!”

   “Blue? I’m wearing all red!”

   “What about you Vesper?” her classmate Maija asked as they filed in the school entrance.

   “Oh, me? I’m not sure yet,” Vesper replied.

Maija was nice to Vesper, always including her in conversations and asking her opinion. Maija lived the farthest from their school. Vesper once heard someone say she lived in a lighthouse with her dad, but it sounded so unusual Vesper never got up the nerve to ask if it was true.

   Most of the day Vesper spent in the library again, catching up on homework. Her teacher, Ms. Mackie thought it was the best use of her time since Vesper loved to read, and was always earning top grades.

   The school day was a blur, and at the last bell everyone left the school excited to go home and get ready for the evening’s event. The sky was gray, but no one’s spirits seemed to be dampened by the gloom. Vesper walked home with Sadie, as usual.

   “See you tonight at six o’clock; I’ll come by your place,” said Vesper, confirming their plans.

   Sadie lived two blocks from the school and Vesper walked three more tree-lined blocks home to her grandfather’s house. She had a couple of hours to get ready and when she got home, she went straight up to her room to get dressed.

   Vesper quickly changed into her dress. The white dress had wide tank straps and a shirred bodice. It flowed out from just above her waist to her knees. She wore leggings under it because it was still so cold out, and planned to wear her white Converse high-tops. Having Sadie’s wardrobe advice in times like these made getting ready stress-free. Sadie always gave good advice about what to wear and how to wear it, and most importantly, how to look like you didn’t think too hard about it.

   Vesper sat in her dress on her bed brushing her hair, trying to get it just right so it would behave behind the unicorn mask. Her full-length mirror was framed with an old, thick wooden frame. She loved the decorative vines and flowers carved into it, and how there were layers of old, flaky paint still stuck to the wood from its previous lives. It rested on the floor and leaned on the wall, tilting slightly upwards. From her vantage point on her bed, she decided it would work best with the mask if she kept her hair down. So she tamed her bangs using water, pins, and hairspray, and held the unicorn mask up to her face to study the effect.

   Suddenly, the lights in her room flickered and she jumped at the sound of thunder. A rustling wind sound came from the corner of her room. At first she thought she had left her window open, but that wasn’t the case. She glanced toward the corner as a cool gust of air whooshed across her shoulders, giving her the shivers.

   In the wind she heard a voice whispering, but it seemed to get louder and quieter and she could only make out a few words: lights . . . flickered . . . wind . . . corner . . . shivers . . . whispering.

   It only lasted a moment, then faded.

Vesper noticed her grandfather’s book sat open on the bed beside her.

I’m sure I hid that book under my pillow, Vesper thought.

Fear rose up in her chest, like the tingling feeling you get at a haunted house when you realize things are not safe, and someone or something is watching and waiting to jump out and scare you. Vesper slammed the leather cover shut and immediately stood up off her bed like it was on fire. She stood a moment staring at the book. The silence was broken by her grandfather’s voice:

   “Vesper! Are you ready for the ball yet?” Arthur called from downstairs.

   “Almost!” Vesper answered as she stuffed the book in her bag. She checked herself in the mirror one last time, holding the mask up to her face, then replaced it in its box, and put it in her bag with the Noominian book.

Vesper descended the stairs like a herd of stampeding llamas.

   “You look wonderful,” said Arthur. “Do you have your mask?”

   “Yep, it’s in my bag. I’m sleeping over at Sadie’s after the ball, remember?”

   “Yes, I remember. Have a great time tonight,” Arthur said.

   “Thanks, Grandpa. Bye!” And with a wave she was out the door.

The looming rainclouds blocked out the setting sun, creating an eerie, orange-green glow through the street. A constant breeze pushed the clouds across the sky. To Vesper they seemed to be moving unusually fast.

The streetlights had come on early due to the dark clouds. Vesper tried to shake the feeling someone was watching her, and she glanced around nervously. No one was out on the street, not even the neighbourhood dog owners who seemed to brave all kinds of weather to get those dogs outside and running around.

   The whispers she’d heard in her room, she could also hear in the wind as the branches of the trees scraped the sky. The words were not as clear, but it seemed there was a voice speaking about her, and Vesper was trying to figure out if it was all just in her head. She froze on the sidewalk to listen and heard something: trying to figure . . . she froze . . . heard something . . .

   Vesper started to run. Sadie’s house was only a few houses away, and soon she arrived on her doorstep, a bit out of breath and ready for some company. Vesper knocked.

   “I got it!” Sadie called out. The Green’s house had a doorbell but Vesper never used it.

   The door opened. Sadie gasped, “Wow, nice dress, Vee!”

   Vesper stepped inside. “You too, Sadie!” Sadie’s clothes were all black. Her dress had spaghetti straps, a corset bodice, and the glittery, black tulle-and-lace skirt fell just below her knees like a long tutu. She wore tights and Converse high-tops like Vesper, but her shoes were black instead of white. Her shoulders and arms were wrapped in a shrug which Sadie thought looked something like wings, but in a fashionable way. The girls hugged. Neither of them had their masks on yet.

   “I’m ready, just going to grab my mask—whoa, the weather’s weird, isn’t it?” Sadie said as she stuck her head out past the door frame.

   “You’re telling me. Did you hear that loud thunder earlier?” asked Vesper.

   “Thunder? No, I was drying my hair. Hope it doesn’t rain.”

   “Are we ready for masks? And maybe your mom can take our picture?” asked Vesper.

   “Yeah, time for the big reveal,” said Sadie. “Mom! I’m getting my mask on, can you come and take pictures?”

   “Can’t you wait for George? —George, get ready, Vesper’s here and we’re going to take pictures,” Ms Green called from upstairs.

   “No, I can’t wait,” Sadie said sarcastically, and rolled her eyes. “Check this out . . .”

   Sadie turned away from Vesper, tied on her mask, turned, and posed.

   The black feathers of the swan mask wrapped around the cheeks and ended in several long sweeps around her face and up over her ears. The lightness of her blonde hair made the black feathers seem even more dramatic.

   “Wow, your mask is impressive, Sadie. Black swan, very chic!”

   “Thanks! Your turn,” said Sadie.

   “Gimme a second. Turn around,” said Vesper, turning Sadie by the shoulders. She opened the mask box, placed her mask on, and fastened the silk ribbon. With a quick glance in the hallway mirror, she turned back to Sadie.

   “Okay, ready.”

   Sadie opened her eyes, spun around, and gasped.

   “Are you kidding me? Your mask is beyond gorgeous! I never saw that in the mask shop.”

   “The owner said it is one of a kind. And old. He said it glows in the moonlight.”

   “It doesn’t seem old to me; and I don’t think we will see any moonlight with these clouds tonight,” said Sadie. “It totally suits you. We’ll be unstoppable!” She smiled and took Vesper’s arm as they admired themselves in the mirror.

   “Wow, girls, you look amazing!” Ms Green came into the living room taking pictures on her phone. She called behind her, “George! Come on, picture time.”

   Ms Green positioned the girls in the living room in front of their slab marble mantle. George slinked toward them holding his mask.

“Put your mask on, George,” Ms Green instructed, “and get in there beside your sister.”

   “Hey, George,” Vesper said.

   “Hey. Nice costume,” George said to Vesper as he pulled on his owl mask.

Vesper thought it cut a dashing silhouette, the brown, gray, and black feathers across the brow and above the eyes formed short, jagged peaks.

   “It’s a great horned owl.”

   “It’s nice. I like it,” Vesper offered.

   George suddenly felt a bit more optimistic about going to the masquerade. He had never been to one before and was nervous about what his friends would think of his mask.

   The three of them faced Greta and smiled under their masks.

   “Three, two, one.” Ms Green’s phone made several shutter sounds. “I think I got it. Have a great night, you guys!” She kissed Sadie and George on the head. “You, too, Vesper,” and she gave Vesper a quick hug and kiss.

Vesper smiled, “Thanks again for your help with the mask.”

   “Don’t mention it, sweety. You were born for that mask,” replied Greta. “It’s perfect.”

   Vesper knew Ms Green would go out of her way to take care of her since her mother died, and although it went unsaid, Vesper appreciated it.

   The party of three left the house and headed toward their school for the masquerade ball.