Masquerade (Hosie)

Chapter 10: Every Game Has a Reward

"She doesn't feel warm, but she doesn't look as pale as she normally does." A somber melodic voice floated through the encompassing darkness. 

"I mean yeah she doesn't look sick, but it doesn't mean she isn't. Are you sure it wasn't something she ate?" another voice, a bit more calmer then the one before said followed by a slow sigh. 

Josie walked toward hope, taking off her glove. She looked at Hope fondly, calming down slightly as she placed the back of her hand onto Hope's forehead. She had been feeling the older girls skin three times in the corse of thirty minutes, trying to find a change in temperature but nothing. She didn't know if the cool night air was helping. 

"What if we, I don't know splash water on her? Always wakes me up." Josie said. 

"You wanna get her sick?" The voice said walking closer to the two. The twinkling light shone brightly, giving the man a small spot light. Jed only shook his head, looking past his shoulder at the few people outside minding their own as they continued their own conversations. But everyone was in the mansion still enjoying the party.

 So many people having a grand ol time, no one had thought of Hope's absence. 

"I know why don't we use this" Jed laughed plucking a small piece of silky fur from the side on his mask. Josie took it from the boy, and began to tickle the tip of Hope's nose. 

The auburnette squirmed a bit, winkling her nose. Her eyelids finally opening slowly, trying to make out the two blurry figures in front of her. It wasn't long, her vision was quick to come into focus from the dark swirls in her vision earlier. Her head felt heavy, her thoughts disoriented. 

Jed gave a small pat on the girls shoulder before standing to his feet and began to walk back towards the party. Both Hope and Josie watching him.

Josie turned back to Hope, the corner of her lips tugging upwards, a bit relieved that Hope wasn't seriously hurt or sick. She smiled at her, and it was the friendly sort of smile that reached every corner of her face, especially her eyes as they crinkled. 

Hope swallowed, feeling a small tremble in her heart, and a small heat in her cheeks. During their dance she was quite entertained by the girls swift and elegant dance style that she really didn't pay attention to how beautiful the girl in the jester outfit looked. Even with the mask, something about it felt a little familiar, but for some odd reason her mind couldn't make sense of what it was.

In Hope's mind, it looked like a familiar presence was right in front of her, but the image was blurry. Her tongue knowing what it was yet couldn't say anything. She hated that feeling. The feeling of forgetfulness. 

Josie took a seat on the cold grass in front of Hope. She picked a flower from one of the bushes right next to them. Then she twirled it between her fingers trying to think of something to say. It was never this hard to make a conversation with the older girl and yet here she was trying to blurt out how beautiful the weather was. 

"Glad you woke up when you did" Josie chuckled. "It be awkward if I had to use the water" she said. 

"Why would you throw water at someone?" hope asked as she cocked a brow. 

"Why wouldn't you throw water at someone?" Josie mimicked hope's raised brow. "It gets the job done. Cools them down if they might have a fever, wakes them up, and hydrates them if they're thirsty. It's a win-win" she shrugged. 

"I hate how it makes sense. Just don't say that around my family. They take that and run with it, tossing water at each other as their new remedy" Hope laughed, leaning back on the tree behind her.