Two hours in. Alexis body had been taken away, leaving a pool of crimson blood, a violent contrast to the bone white marble floor of the grand ballroom. No one was allowed to leave. Letting them go would mean letting the murderer go free. This entire incident came as a shock to the community, common or otherwise. This event was filled with the best of blue bloods. The finest lords and most elegant ladies. It dumbfounded everyone that one of them was actually capable of murder. Frankly, they thought these people would be too scared to do something this.. courageous. It took guts to kill someone. Clarice had stopped her theatrical bawling and reduced it to a soft sob. Honestly, she couldn't possibly have known Alexis THAT well now could she? It seemed so fake. Like she was covering for something. It seemed..suspicious. Then there was Peter. Poor Peter. He had sat beside her body, broken and sobbing until the police came. He then refused to let them touch her, move her. His blue eyes were filled with hatred, on the verge of madness. He almost attacked the M.E that tried to examine her and it took 3 men to wrestle him down as they solemnly covered her body and carried her away. It seemed that now she truly was gone for good. The reality of it made him retch, his dry heaves echoing throughout the ballroom. There he sat beside the splash of blood where her body was. He looked like a broken man. Which he was. To lose someone that close to you, to lose your only friend in such a horrid way.. Even those as heartless as Donovan and Diana felt sympathy for the poor piano player. Now, Donovan and Diana was a different story all together. Diana was sitting on a plush leather couch which she DEMANDED for. A small disturbing smile played on her face. Like she actually found something about this gory situation amusing. With Alexis gone, the world would once again be her oyster as it rightfully was in her mind. And that included the pearl at it's center, Donovan. He would see the error of his foolish ways and come running to her. Or so she thought. Motive for murder perhaps? Donovan sat by the bar, nursing a glass of double scotch on the rocks. He was casually having a conversation about soccer to a rather pale and somewhat ratty looking bartender, acting as if the woman of his supposed dreams wasn't just lying dead covered in blood a mere 2 hours ago. He wasn't horrified, nor was he sad. He was just.. calm. Eerily so. Connor was sitting at one of the tables. He was..quiet. His eyes were vacant. He seemed horrified yet calm, sad but not crying. He seemed aloof. Neither here nor there. Alice sat curled in a ball by the corner of the room. Everyone was by themselves, all trying to figure out who did it. Aren't we all? Annie stared at the spot where Alexis had been, where poor Peter was sitting by. she was terrified. She knew everyone thought of her as the prime suspect and that was driving her insane. She had been blamed for many things before but murder? She couldn't possibly be capable.. Could she? She absent mindedly fidgeted with something around her neck. A delicate pendant of a fairy carrying a small diamond... Wait. What's this? That necklace, that necklace belong to Alexis! She never took it off, she believed it was a charm, a symbol of hope. Why did Annie have Alexis most prized possession? How did she get it? She absently played with it, attracting Diana's attention to the piece of jewelry that had belonged to the deceased. This was when the gates of somewhere dark and unpleasant opened up.
Diana started shouting, creating a ruckus. Rambling on and on about some necklace and jabbing an accusing finger at Rebel Annie. "What are YOU doing with Alexis' necklace? Everyone look! You sly fox! You killed her! Your wearing the proof around your neck!" Diana raced forward and ripped the necklace from Annie's throat, bruising her slightly. Diana turned and put the necklace up for display, a satisfied grin stuck on her obnoxious face. The necklace Alexis always wore. The necklace that Alexis was wearing.. just before she died. Rebel Annie stood and started sobbing, trying to no avail to get the necklace back. "No! Give it back! I didn't kill her! She gave it to me! Please, please give it back!" Now, by then everyone had gathered around to watch the drama that had unfurled, even the pale, rather ratty looking bartender. Diana snarled. "LIAR! As IF she was going to give YOU her most precious stone. I thought you would be better at lying Annie! Murderer! Just admit and be quick about it so we can go home." It was Connor who spoke up. "I don't think she did it. Annie's alot of things but not a murderer. Alexis loved her, always talked about her cause she saw so much of herself in Annie. But please Annie, for your sake, tell us the truth. Tell us why were you and Alexis were arguing earlier." Just a note before we go on, Connor had trouble saying Alexis' name. Whenever he said it it sounded pained, like his mind went to somewhere he just didn't want it to go. Memories of his beloved perhaps. Now where were we? Ah yes.. "Why bother?!" Said Diana. "She OBVIOUSLY did it! Why waste time on pointless explanations when we -" "Shut up Diana!" Connor snarled. Diana couldn't believe she just got snarled at. Annie looked around at all the accusing stares, scared out of her wits. Finally,she crumpled to the floor, her sob bubbling through her speech as her story was told. Turns out that Rebel Annie had come to the party that night with a plan of leaving. Leaving for good. Running away from the stage play that was her life. She wanted to be free, and that freedom was in 3 bags and a few thousand dollars she had stolen from her father's safe. All of which was sitting outside the ballroom. Alexis had found out somehow and tried stopping her. Said that doing this would not bring freedom, it would just bring about more running. She would be running her entire life. You couldn't run from you family name, but you could change the way others saw you. Alexis wanted to help. Wanted to give Annie another chance but Annie wouldn't hear of it. She didn't want her help and that's why they were fighting earlier. Alexis had given the necklace to Annie as a symbol for a fresh start. "Take it. This gave me hope when there was none. It helped me. Let it help you now." Alexis had said to Rebel Annie. "LIAR! You expect us to believe that?!" Diana spat. Diana was being the shrew that she truly was. Connor shouted over her. "I believe Annie. She didn't kill Alexis." Diana, who was on the brink of fury screamed and yelled. "How can you possibly believe her?! Your fiance is dead and your standing there DEFENDING the prime suspect! Or is that because you have a reason to protect her?? You don't seem all that shook up about your dead girlfriend Connor. For all we know YOU did it! For all we know you were IN ON IT! You outsiders probably planned the whole thing! Get Alexis out of the picture, swipe her fortune and run away together with Annie! Have I called you bluff Connor? I bet I have!" Connor strode up to Diana, his face a violent purple and slapped her hard across that much deserving face of hers. Finally someone managed to shut her up. "BE QUIET! HOW DARE YOU!! I LOVED HER! I never cared about her riches! It was her I wanted! A part of me just died tonight! HOW DARE YOU! And your one to talk! Everyone knew how much you hated Alexis. Jealousy is an ugly thing Diana, and jealousy that turns into rage is murderous." Diana stared at Connor in disbelief and fear. Right then Donovan walked up to her, drunk of course, and said "Ah..my dear, it's sweet of you to think I was worthy enough to kill for but I still think your somewhat of a witch. Or a whore..I can't decide. And plus, I don't like sleeping with a madwoman. Now that we know who killed the bitch(Actually, no one had a clue) can we please go home? I'm tired." Connor lunged forward, punched him in the mouth and broke 2 of Donovan's picture perfect teeth, blood spilling for the second time tonight. "Don't ever call Alexis that again! Just cause she turned you down and embarrassed you does NOT give you the right! Did you do it Donovan?! DID YOU KILL THE WOMAN I LOVED?! Donovan shouted back "I wouldn't waste the time outsider! That's all you are right?! An outsider who doesn't belong! A dog that is more than capable of killing!" Donovan then spat at Connor as Connor grabbed Donovan's thousand dollar silk shirt, ready to rip him to pieces. All hell broke loose then. Connor and Donovan went head to head, Diana started screaming and shrieking for no apparent reason and Annie rushed up to try and get the now winning Connor off Donovan. Clarice had scampered off to call for police assistance.
The ballroom echoed in chaos. Chairs flying, tables toppling. Peter, who had been sitting alone, grieving in a corner was the one who stopped everything. It started with him whispering. Whispering turned into mumbling, mumbling turned into shouting. No one paid any attention to him, all too engrossed in their petty drama. That is, until he screamed. Now, his scream was something to talk about. People said it was so loud that it echoed throughout the city and there are even old maids who claim to hear that very same chilling scream coming from the now abandoned ballroom on the anniversary of Alexis' death every year. Back to the story shall we? Or rather, Alexis' story. Peter's scream turned everyone into gargoyles. Silent. Unmoving. That was the first time anyone had ever seen those elegant pale fingers of his tremble. Donovan broke the silence. "What the hell is your problem? Screaming like a mad man! If you have nothing to say then I suggest you just sit there and sob while we -" Peter cut him off. "I did it. I killed her." He said, barely a whisper but carrying throughout the ballroom. Silence dawned on the ballroom a second time. It lasted what seemed like a lifetime before the morbid truth was told. For the first time that night. Peter had always loved Alexis as more than just best friends. Always been too afraid of telling her. He didn't know which would hurt more if he told her, facing her rejection, or never having the relationship they had now ever again. But it didn't matter cause he was going to stay her closest friend. It's not like he minded it. No one knew Alexis better than he did and soon he came to believe that they were meant to be, that they would end up together. All he had to do was wait and until that time came he had his music. His 'wife' until Alexis came and took it's place. Or so he thought. When she met Connor, Peter wasn't the least bit worried. She had had her fair share of men and this was just another one of her adventures. But it was different with Connor. When she talked about Connor to him, her eyes lit up. The same way they did when Peter played for her. It was a tell tale sign that she was in love and a tell tale sign of warning to Peter. Peter thought he was the only one who deserved that look and no one else, especially not some commoner. But he put up with this, knowing that soon Alexis would be his and his alone again. Imagine his shock, his absolute horror, when she told him that Connor had asked her to marry him.. and she had say yes. They were planning to run away and live happily ever after. They were leaving it all behind.. The mansions, the money, him. The thought of not having her, having to suffer to the usual ridicule alone was.. an unbearable thought. She was his reason for staying, his reason for sanity. he had until the end of the night to convince her to stay and he took the opportunity while everyone was in the garden to plead his case. They started arguing, shouting, Alexis on the verge of crying. As a last resort to keep her from leaving, he grabbed a steak knife off the table. Threatened to slit his wrist, saying that if she wasn't there anymore then he might as well die before this God awful blue blooded society did it for him. She stopped him, pleaded with him and promised not to leave. After they were both calm she said that Connor and herself would find another way. She wasn't about to leave Peter alone but she was going to marry Connor no matter what. She wanted Peter to be the best man. As she hugged him she said into his hair "Peter, I love him. I've never loved anyone the way I do him. Oh Peter, I've found the one. I finally feel whole." Upon hearing this, being held in her embrace, Peter's world crumbled before him. She had never said that before. EVER. Even if she stayed, she'd be gone to him and he would have to spend the rest of his day watching his best friend, his true love, in the arms of another. This thought horrified him. His eyesight started fading and he saw everything in a brilliant shade of jade. He remembered blacking out and when he finally came to, Alexis was lying dead. The haunting beauty that she was.
After his confession, everyone stood around him, silent. Connor broke down for the first time tonight and started crying silently in Annie's arms. He had lost the one thing he cared for. His world had been taken away from him. Annie held on to him for dear life. She too had lost something dear tonight. Alexis was the only one who cared for her and it angered Annie that it took her death to figure that out. A sad realisation broke out amongst the guest that night. They thought Peter was grieving over the loss of his friend, when fact was he was grieving over the loss of a friend, a friend HE had taken away from this world. Who knew those elegant, talented fingers that that amazed Alexis, the same fingers that she praised and adored time and time again would be the instruments of her death. There's a certain cruelty in irony isn't there?
Now, years after this grim incident, it is said that Diana ended up marrying a man for his wealth. She thought she finally managed to get her oyster and a very handsome pearl as well. All she deserved. But what she did not bargain for was this man's disturbing fetishes and constant verbal abuse. Some say she became mad and murdered him in one of their 'sessions' whereas other's whisper about how she had an affair with a younger man who in turn left her sad and miserable. Clarice was probably the one person unaffected by what had happened. No one truly knows what role she played that night, no one really certain about the story behind her theatrical crying. She continued life, marrying a wealthy man and showing up and all the extravagant blue blood functions. Donovan was rumoured to have gambled away all his trust fund money and now, to his horror, had to earn his money the old fashion way. Which proved difficult for him because he was as useful as a horse without legs. He had put on weight, had a beer belly and thinning hair and was married to a woman who constantly cheated on him. But he of course could not leave her for she was where the money to maintain that beer belly of his was coming from. Connor still was not married. He was now a successful businessman earning millions. He who had served at high society parties now turned down a hundred a day, not wanting to have anything to do with the society that, in his mind, killed his beloved. The only person that he kept close contact with was Rebel Annie, though she was no longer a rebel. She left her family name and made a name for herself, opening a home for troubled youth, in memory of the only one who believed in her, the one that saved her. She wore a necklace of a fairy holding a diamond which she never took off. There were whispers that Connor and Annie were in love. Perhaps. Perhaps they might find their happy ending's in each other. Peter was released from jail under the insanity plea. He spent his freedom composing a masterpiece named Alexis. A haunting music piece that awed everyone. This was his apology. He also made a last request. He had gone back to the ballroom where everything happened. He wrote a make shift letter on the walls. He had written that he hoped that Connor would find it in his heart to forgive him for what he had done, even though he knew he didn't deserve it. Peter then slit his wrist and died silently in that very same ballroom, leaving nothing behind except for a music sheet that was meant for Connor, and a piece of crimson satin belonging to his love.
The End.
