#tfkevent

The ingenuity wasn't just a part of her appearance, though Camille would never have guessed at the time. In her mind, clouded with foolish fantasies and hopes of a brighter and happier future, the new vampire believed fiercely that every single part of her life would change and only for the best. She was intelligent, no doubt, but a child still and what should be seen as a curse was turned into her biggest blessing. Beauty and eternal life, how could she not thank for those things, presented to her at such a low price? Her family became unimportant, compared to her biggest concerns in life, such as perform her best act at the high society galas, leading people into the same destiny that she had now. This particular party reminded her of those times, when people preferred to alcohol and pleasure over the thoughts of those who had been lost at war. Years back, Camille didn't worry either --she hardly worried about anything--, but her war was fought later and the memories weren't as easy to forget.

Her mind seemed to trick her into remembering every mistake ever made in her immortal life, but especially those who involved the ones that were long gone. Camille was leaning against one of the walls, holding her glass of wine close to her lips as she heard the music, saw the people dancing, cheering for a happy moment after so much pain. --Between all of them, she saw herself, much younger and unaware of her surroundings. She saw her mother, smiling proudly at the giggling girl, whispering words of affection into her ear. She saw her father, catching her by the waist and twirling the tiny little girl around, before asking for her to give him the pleasure of a dance, however long, as long as it made her happy.

Ironically, the song ended and so did her dream. Shaking her head, a low laugh escaped her now parted lips; how stupid of her to engage in such memories when they should be kept far from her reach. The splendor that surrounded her faded abruptly, leaving nothing but empty air beside her. They wouldn't come back, and she would never be able to see them happy like during those nights, they wouldn't dance together before her eyes, nor ask her to join. No one would have guessed that after going through so much, it had been their death to break her, and nearly sixty years later, she was far from being healed. How could she, really? You can't heal what you don't know, and that kind of pain was as unknown to Camille, no matter how strong.

Doe eyes watered, making her thankful for the mask that could somehow hide the pain taking over her delicate features, but the decision to walk to one of the empty hallways was made, and she nearly ran. Her hand was pressed against one of the walls the moment she stepped out of the party, looking for the support that her legs needed. A sob escaped her lips and others followed quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks for the first time in decades, allowing her to drown into the past. --Just for a moment, until she was able to stand on her feet and lie to herself and the world again.

Annika's outfit: Christmas Ball

Notes: