Everyone has an arch enemy, but until now, you never knew who your enemy was. That all changed one grueling night when, while on vacation, your evening was ruined by your enemy. What’s more peculiar is that your enemy is a famous celebrity! Write about your evening, who your famous arch enemy is and what you did to redeem the night.
* * *
The Masquerade Ball is the highlight of the fairyland year, coming as it does on Samhain (that’s Halloween to us). Jenny had brought me here as a mini-vacation, and even let me have a free hand in designing our costumes. We were a robo-couple, and I have to say I had the most gorgeous robot in fairyland on my arm.
When we got there the party was in full swing; apparently it had started almost a week before. Jenny, my wood-sprite exchange student girlfriend, introduced me to dozens of the people she’d grown up with. I hoped there wouldn’t be a test later. But I did notice one strange thing.
“Jenny, why are there so few guys here? It’s almost all girls.”
“Girls outnumber boys about 40 to one in fairyland. Boys have to be promiscuous, especially since only a few girls like me understand normality enough to get a human boyfriend. The competition’s pretty fierce.”
That explained why all her friends greeted me with hugs and kisses, and why Jenny stayed closer to me than my left arm.
* * *
A while later, Jenny suddenly went quiet and pulled even closer to me than the slow dance we were doing merited. She looked terrified.
Darth Satyr was striding purposefully across the dance floor, bee-lining it for Jenny. He had the black helmet, chestplate and cape, but the goat legs and obvious masculinity told me his intentions. As he passed, the crowd parted and turned to watch. When he arrived he took Jenny by the shoulder and turned her to face him.
“Jennifer! I hoped you could come! You’re forty-nine now, and for a wood sprite that means ‘legal’.”
Jenny was shaking as she held my hand in a death grip. “Lord Pan, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Tim.”
“I’m sure I don’t care. Now come dance with me, my lovely. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
It didn’t take a Ph.D. in biology to see where things were going. I thought of running with her, but that would be stupid. I wracked my brains; Jenny’d had me studying all manner of fantasy creatures, even Greek gods. There was only one thing I could do.
“Let go of her, Pan. She doesn’t want you.”
“Try and stop me, mortal.”
He looked at me and I could sense his eyes narrowing even through the mask.
“I challenge you to a contest, Pan.”
He stopped tugging. “Go on.”
“The first one to kiss Jenny stays with her.”
“Deal.” He immediately snatched her away from me.
That’s when I activated The Surprise. I’d intended to use it later as a cute stunt, but it was needed now. Jenny flew out of his arms and slammed into me, her chest and thighs impacting mine with a jarring metallic clang. My lips found hers while everyone, including Jenny, was staring in astonishment.
Pan growled incoherently at me, but kept his side of the bargain. He left without a recognizable word.
When we came up for air, Jenny looked stern. “That was very dangerous, Tim.”
“You’re worth it.”
“Um, why are we stuck together like this?”
“Powerful electromagnets. It was supposed to be a romantic surprise.”
She blushed. “Mission accomplished, lover-boy.”