The Glass Room in Rosslyn Pond

A brilliant yellow spark soared over the frozen pond, then bursted into a thousand bright lights. The glassy surface reflected each light, despite the distance of the fireworks in the sky. It was the best spot to watch the display. The view afforded quite a bargain, for each firework was doubled in the darkness. If one ignored the bare trees and snow along the embankments, then the pond disappeared completely. Anyone gliding on the surface would appear to be suspended in midair, with the starry sky above their head and below their feet.

The gazebo, dead center of Rosslyn Pond, was a short stroll from from Rosslyn Manor. The house was built two centuries ago by a wealthy family. The gothic style made the house closer to an American castle, and it’s splendor attracted wealthy patrons from all over. Tonight, the Masquerade brought them in droves. Industrialists, software tycoons, corporate CEOs, and famous movie stars would fly in for the most expensive extravagant celebration. Most of the guests would gravitate to the back balcony, choosing not to venture too far from the 4 star hors d'oeuvres and marble bathrooms.

Maggie Haygood, however, was not among the balcony crowd. She spent most of her time running their errands and setting up their meetings, so it was the last place she wanted to be for the evening. The exquisite Venetian glass gazebo, would be her seat for the night. The icy weather had afforded her much needed privacy, even though she nearly fell twice before reaching the center. She stood, grasping on to the railing, staring up at the magical fireworks exploding in the sky. She patiently waited for her main reason for attending the party, a secret admirer she knew only through text messages.

“Boom…boom….kaboom” the sound of the explosions were louder than the music blaring from the house. The sound grew louder and more frequent, as more an assortment of colored explosions engulf the night sky. The light from each firework cascaded in all directions, making the shadows of the trees shift. The thin twisted branches seem to stretch and recoil back, like the trees were dancing. The sight of the trees swaying made Maggie think of ghouls and goblins and other nightly tales. She wondered if this was the inspiration for many made up creatures prowling the night.

It was only natural to think of scary stories, considering the view, but Maggie wasn’t terrified. She had convinced herself that fear was pointless, in her situation. She was much more excited at the prospect of meeting the man, she had been communicating with for the past year. When he first suggested the meeting, she was nervous. However, her nerves calmed when beautiful gifts began to arrive. The hand made glass Venetian mask was a tasteful and frivolous gift, that only the extreme wealthy would consider. The etched and clear alternating diamond patterned on the mask and the matching glass shoes, only proved that he had paid attention to her childish interests. He never teased her about her obsession with harlequin motifs and Cinderella fairy stories. He always encouraged her love of fashion and design. He was the first to mention the masquerade and supported her going. There was a brief moment where she considered not attending, but that was because she didn’t want the fantasy to end. Until she saw him, he could be anyone. He could look anyway she wanted in her head. Then an epiphany burn into her mind, like a firework. She was tired of fantasizing. It was time for something real, and the fear of being hurt wasn’t going to stop her. She pushed all negative thoughts to the back of her mind.

Maggie felt her phone vibrate in her hand, and she turned it over to the brightly lit screen to see the words,” almost there.” She quickly texted back, 'I’m in the gazebo. Please be careful. The fireworks are hard to see from the hospital in town.” She slipped the phone back into her pocket and peered over her shoulder. A small shadowy figure in the distance moved closer. She turned herself around and closed her eyes. The sound of rustling next to her, prompted her to reach out her hand out into the void. Within moments, her hand collided with the cloth covered fingers of another person’s hand. A soft male voice whispered in her ear, “You looked lovely.”

The voice was so gentle and the words were so sweet that Maggie couldn’t resist opening her eyes. She stared up at a fair face and dark eyes. Each blast of light, accentuated his fine features and handsome profile. He was dressed in the nicest tuxedo she had ever seen. Nothing she had ever imagined, could compare with what her eyes were gazing upon.

“Your dress is perfect. Where did you find it?” He asked.

“I made it.” Maggie answered. “I designed the fabric and ordered it online. I wanted to match the gifts you gave me.”

He starred down at the elegant light blue gown. The bodice raised over her chest in a high arch, almost touching her neck. A subtle blue and light blue harlequin diamond pattern adorn the bodice and descended down the center portion of the skirt. Large volumes of solid blue silk layers spilled over the sides. Raised white embroidery pieces rested at her waist and drifted down over her hips. “Perfection,” he said. “And, how do we’ve like the Roslyn Lake?”

“The snow and the ice are beautiful, but maybe we should’ve waited for spring, for safety reasons.” Maggie said with a laugh. “The fireworks were everything you promised.”

“The fireworks are essential for your surprise.” He stepped back and pulled a small flat metal rod that hung from the railing. He inserted the rod into the floor and lifted a panel of glass flooring. He looked up at Maggie and said, “I’ll go down first and light the way for you.” He disappeared down a latter, below the gazebo. He held his phone up and revealed a metal latter, for her to crawl down and join him in a secret room. She moved slowly down the latter and jumped off the last rung to a solid tile floor. Clear Glass walls surrounded them and the light of the fireworks illuminated the water outside the glass walls. Thousands of fish swimming throughout the pond could be seen with the rapid succession of blue and red light flashing overhead.

“Do people know about this?” Maggie asked. “I didn’t see this on the internet.”

“Everyone who knew, has been dead for years.” He replied. “Enzo Milano built his home and named it after his beautiful Scottish bride, Rosslyn. She loved the house but grew sad, because she missed the lochs of her native home in Scotland. Enzo was desperate to please his wife, so dug deep into the grounds behind the house, in order to construct a pond. He was very concerned that the pond would freeze in the harsh winters. Fearful his wife would not enjoy the pond, he came up with a wild idea. He hired a glass artisan from Italy to build a glass room in the center of the pond. It needed to be large enough for people to fit in it, and strong enough to withstand the water around it. Intrigued by the idea, the artisan agree to build the glass room. He also promised to crown the room with an elaborate glass gazebo and ornate glass bridge that extended to either side. The entire project cost more than the house and took twice as long to complete. It was a beloved attraction for visitors, but Enzo only told his wife about the secret room beneath the gazebo. It was a impossible undertaking, but when you love someone you do whatever it takes to make them happy.”

Maggie watched him with curious amazement as he told the story. She glanced around the entire room, at the abundance of life encircling them. No words could describe the wonder she was witnessing.

“I know it’s a drastic change for you. I would understand if you wanted to stay, and enjoy your life as is. I wanted to show you this to help you realize what it’s like. What you are accepting. It’s like this lake, and the trees, and the ground in winter. The ice and snow doesn’t kill these things. Nothing dies. It just pushes the life deeper inside. Everything becomes still and quieter. It feels like time stops.” He moved in closer and took Maggie’s hand. “Is this what you want?”

Maggie smiled and said, “I hate it here. I hate those people. They only care about the stupidest crap. The only time I’m happy is when I text you. I appreciate you showing me this, but you didn’t need to. It’s sounds crazy, but I wanted it as soon as you told me. I’m ready now.”

He pulled Maggie close and brushed his lips against hers. He kissed her deeply. He broke away and pulled her head gently to the side. Maggie closed her eyes. She felt his mouth on her neck and two sharp teeth pierced her skin. Her blood ran cold, like ice water in her veins.