By: Jessie Sha

“So, what’s the catch?” I asked.

“The catch?” The mysterious man let out a chilling laugh. “There is no catch, as long as you follow the plan.” He smirked, straitening his navy-blue suit, and turned around. Darkness enveloped him completely. “Why did I agree to this? Oh, I know why! It’s for my life.” I clicked on the single light over the small wooden desk. The thin paper fluttered in its pool of light, the contract that signed off my life to this stupid mission. “I will get out of this, and if not, I will go against the plan, and hope the catch won’t be my death.” The man reappeared wearing a mask.

“Joanne! Hurry up! We need to explain the plan, so YOU don’t screw it up.” The man yelled, his fingernails digging into my arm as he dragged me to another room. There was a chalkboard with messy drawings all over it.

“Here,” the man said and tossed me an earpiece. Reluctantly, I screwed the hard plastic into my ear. “That is for cues… in morse code so it isn’t suspicious. It’s also to communicate if the plan goes wrong.”

“Ok,” I responded.

“First, we’ll infiltrate the party separately. You will find a random boy, and spend the party flirting with them. Then, excuse yourself when the big announcement happens. Ask as many guards as you can where the bathroom is, and I’ll sneak into the lady of the house’s room. I steal it, and then you go back to the party and meet up with the person you were with before. Then, I’ll come out and act like your angry father and take you away. Got it?” I nodded, not trusting my words. “If he’s going to be going to the lady of the house’s room, I can warn them when I’m at the party, and set up a trap.”

I spent all afternoon pacing my cell, thinking through each part of his plan, and trying to make one of my own. After what felt like days, but must only have been hours, the cell door rattled and a box was roughly through the food slit. I unwrapped the box with trembling fingers, hoping it was a note from my family. Instead, out fell a waterfall of shimmering silk.

I held the beautiful blue silk dress to the light. It was glittering like the galaxy and fell to just above my ankles “I wish I could wear this for something that’s not an undercover party.” It had shorts under it with secret pockets for weapons just in case. I stashed a dagger. I checked and through a hidden slit in the side, I could grab the dagger almost instantly. I braided my hair back into a French braid.

“There you are,” the man said. I could see his anger flushed face, even under the mask. He threw a mask onto the floor by my feet. I picked it up and looked at the swirling design.

“Is it a masquerade party?” I asked, slipping the mask over my eyes.

“Yes.”

We rode in the carriage in silence. I tried not to look at the man in the mask. He seemed too busy wringing his hands to look at me. As soon as the massive mansion came into sight, the man stopped the carriage. He gave me a final glare shoved me out the door, and disappeared out the other side.

The gates opened, and people poured into the massive mansion. I followed in, being pushed by the crowd. “First mission, find the mistress of the house.” There were huge stairs lining up to a balcony where I assumed to be the mistress. The music started, and I realized just how eye-catching my dress was. Everyone was wearing black, silver, or white. “Great.” Someone behind me tapped my shoulder. He was wearing a silver suit and a silver mask. Even so, he managed to look just a little disheveled, and he was clearly not much older than me.

“You’re going out of dress code,” he said.

“Yeah, don’t like to be the ordinary, you know?” I cringed internally. The last thing I wanted was to drag attention.

“Hey, could you help me?” I blurted out. To my surprise, he agreed.

“Sure. What would you need help with?”

“Can you maybe get me to the mistress? I have something important to tell her.”

The boy laughed. “Sure thing. I know the mistress, Lady Genevieve well.” The boy left and shortly after he came back.

“Oh, hi,” I said, waving at them forcing a smile.

“Mom, this young lady would like to tell you some important information.” “Mom!? Oh, no that is not good. Out of all people, the person I talk to is his son? What good luck I have.”

“Ma’am, you might want to check your room before the announcement. You are going to be robbed of your crown.”

“Why, how do you know this?”

“I’m a part of it. It was a deal, to help him get the crown and get rich or my life of pain. Please, set up a trap but don’t make it obvious.”

“Oh, honey, I will get it sorted out. Thank you for telling me this.” She left strutting back up the stairs and into the hallway behind the balcony.

“Hey, are you ok?” The boy asked.

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to hide my face.

“It’s ok, you can tell me.” I touched the earpiece and sent clear in morse code.

“T-take me to the bathroom. I’ll tell you there.” He took my hand and guided me around the maze of a house. We made it to a marbled bathroom.

“Tell me.” I took in a deep breath.

“The man, I don’t even know his name, but he’s here to steal the crown. He’s the boss and there are other criminals; it’s like the mafia. I joined to save my family since he threatened to kidnap them and expose untrue things that would destroy their jobs and lives. Everything they built. At first, it wasn’t dangerous, but I knew this one I could escape.” I said quickly, gasping for breath.

“It’s ok. We’ll get him today.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, a tear falling down my face. Moments later, there was a crowd outside watching the crazy man.

“No! Let me go!” The mysterious man screamed as the police dragged him away.

“So, what’s the catch?” I asked him, but this time with confidence.

“The catch? The only catch is your life!”

“No, the catch now is your life in jail.”