Castles In The Air: Quinn Cullen's Scribble's

Come One! Come All! The experience of a lifetime awaits! Jerry read the tasteless billboard ad from the comfort of his office chair. Every year the Masquerade Ball blew into town on the tail skirts of the Catskills Circus and every year a tacky slogan advertising the event stared him in the face from across the street.   He'd never attended. He couldn't be seen at an event as sissy-like as that; not a tough guy like him. But this ad was different. As he ogled the billboard it became clear to him, this picture was more sensual, sexy and erotic than any before it and the theme this year was to hide your identity behind a grotesque mask, not a frilly, pretty or handsome one. There would be dancing, gourmet food, alcohol, gorgeous men, women, and sex, lots of uninhibited hot sex. On the stroke of midnight, not before, the masks would come off revealing the identities of those in attendance. He started to think he just might have been missing something. That perhaps this ye

Perched on the widow’s walk overlooking Rockland Harbor, Amanda peered into the twilight. Mother Nature was angry. The ocean roiled violently, and the horizon blazed; ignited by the explosion of lightning bolts against its onyx backdrop. Her husband Tad feared heights. He never joined her here high above sea level. She didn't care, she enjoyed the solitude. Amanda watched Tad scramble below boarding up the lighthouse windows, securing against the wrath of the late autumn nor’easter. Crazy bitch , he thought as he spotted her. Sick and tired of her, Tad just couldn’t deal with her looniness any longer. Assuring him of her sanity, she begged him to believe her, insisting she had the visions ever since she could remember, only they had become more vivid and happened more often. Tad accused her of suffering from delusions and hallucinations. She agreed to see her doctor to prove him wrong; get him off her back. In addition, she enjoyed her time with Dr. Kirkland; he listened to

Mrs. Collins paced, the scowl on her face revealing her frustration. "I'm a failure. They'll let me go now for sure. How could this have happened?" She muttered, glaring at Danika. "You're a disappointment young lady. You not only let me down, you disgraced the entire school." Until now, Danika had not said a word. She merely sat watching Mrs. Collins, head mistress of Mystic Creek Manor, an institution for the gifted. She expected her to spontaneously combust at any moment. "I'm sorry Mrs. Collins. I promise to behave from now on." Danika stared at the floor, her long jet-black hair shielding her face. "May I go back to my room now? Please." "No. Your parent's are on their way. They'll help clean this mess up." "You called them?" Danika uttered. "Of course I did. You do understand the seriousness of this don't you Danika?" Her sapphire eyes still fixed on the floor, D