Inside our secret room, Alese and I get dressed in silence, the Phantom and his Ghost, the codename I have given her at the suggestion of Rudolph. The name suits her. Like myself, she reminds me of a ghost, someone who exists as a memory of herself, a shadow of the soul that once existed before men like Valdimir came into our lives. Perhaps I feel so strongly for her because we both share a common factor: we are victims of circumstances beyond our control. “Let me help you get ready,” Alese offers and comes to stand in front of me. Picking up the eye pencil on the countertop, she moves slowly while applying the dark eye makeup we use to assist in hiding our eyes behind the masks we’re both going to wear. She can take as long as she wants. I enjoy sitting here and basking in the faint scent of her freshly washed skin, knowing in a couple of hours we’ll both be baptized in the blood of our new life together however somber the thought of doing so may be. I find a strange sense of relief in knowing someone else like me will accompany me on a negotiation this time.
