There is a line outside of the club and a strong-built bouncer who inspects the ID of everyone with a clenched jaw and spread legs. To Camila the club is a box of anxiety, you are inspected like an animal in a zoo, then lunged into a box of loud music and alcohol that clouds your senses.
Marie shows the card Moon had given Camila. He looks at them and grunts in approval letting them inside. When they enter, they are greeted with soft EDM music, and exotic dancers in revealing clothing. To the far left, is a bar with a bartender serving patrons and giving them a show, as he twirls the alcohol bottles and dances for them.
The exotic dancers are on silver pools and circular podiums that glow red. Camila smells the scent of cherry and citrus that mixes with the sweat of their body. Their veins whoosh with force, as they twirl on the pole and do tricks that cause loud cheering.
Camila can only imagine how they taste or how much blood pumps through their veins with each sensual yet quick move. The thought of losing her cool and sinking her teeth in an unexpected neck without the smell of fear is alluring.
Next to Camila, Marie grimaces, “I thought there would be more…people like a rave.”
In an instant Jin appears moving towards them with a wide smile on his face, “You guys made it.”
Marie nods, “Yeah.”
“This is the top level called ‘Red’. The actual party is at the bottom.” He points to his feet. “Underground.”
Marie gives Camila a grin, “Take us.”
He stops and scratches the back of his neck, “My bosses want to…to speak with you, first.”
Camila raises an eyebrow at his words but nods, “All right.”
He smiles and leads them towards the back of the club, through double doors. They take a left down a dim hall and another pair of double doors before reaching a dimly lit office.
The walls are painted a deep charcoal gray, which seems to suck in all the life any outsider may bring. As they enter, they step on a slate-black carpet that muffles the sounds of footsteps and creates an ambiance of quiet intimacy. To Camila's surprise on her left, a wall of shelves full of books stand, that range in every color and thickness. The four walls are white, and in the corner where an office table stands with a computer, a painting of a white bird on top of a turtle looks at them. Her heart pulses, and she can feel vile rushing up her throat when she feels the familiarity of the painting.
She stops when they’re greeted by a young man, and Marie immediately greets him with a wide smile. The man is tall, and well-built, with deep almond eyes and thin, spaced-out bangs that tease a glimpse of his forehead. He gives Camila a crooked smile, with teeth and extends his hand. Camila catches a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his upper bicep neatly hidden by the short-sleeved t-shirt.
She hesitates but gives him a handshake knowing the words that will leave his lips before he can conjure them. He blinks rapidly, when feeling her skin, then retracts his hand back, moving to rub his hands together as if creating a fire between his palms.
“Tonight seems colder than most days,” He says, humor laced in his words, “I’m Nico.”
“Camila,” she responds with a thin-lipped smile.
He gestures them to a sleek black leather couch and sits on the loveseat close to the end that Marie takes on the couch. Camila observes the way he looks at her, and how his heart quickens when she smiles and maintains eye contact with him.
Nico turns his attention to Camila, “We invited you as a formal welcome.”
Camila lets her back hit the couch, “We?”
“Yes…Yohan,” He stops, and the doors swing open. Camila and Marie turn their attention to the door and see the presumed ‘Yohan.’ When Camila lays her eyes on him, the smell of citrus and pinewood invades her senses. The smell is so pungent as if she is standing in front of him with her nose outlining his neck.
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She does not pay attention to Nico introducing her and Marie to Yohan, only sitting up when Nico and Marie do. Instead, she focuses on his skin and how soft yet rough it looks. Her fingertips begin to tingle, and when he walks to them with a flat expression and extends his hand to her, her knees buckle. He does not comment on the coldness of her skin, but his heart quickens, and his lips slightly parted.
Camila revels in the warmth of his skin, and the correction of her predicting that his skin would feel rough against hers. The sudden urge to lick his neck and his fingers from the proximal to the distal phalanx makes her panic, and quickly retract her hand. They sit down and she drinks in his appearance. Yohan is more muscular than Nico, and taller too. His hair is cut in an ‘asymmetrical fringe’, which Camila notes due to a curious dive on male haircuts. His cheekbones are sharp, his nose is straight as his eyebrows and his eyes are deep almond monolids.
“I’m surprised that the old house has new owners. The old lady left?” asks Yohan.
Warmth begins pooling at the pit of Camila's stomach. His voice is husky with a velvety texture that feels exactly like the warmth of a blanket on her cold skin. She tries her best to keep her voice from breaking, fearing that a groan would escape her lips from how delicious Yohan's voice felt in her ears.
“She died.”
Her sudden reply makes Marie and Nico cough in surprise. Yohan slowly nods with raised eyebrows, “Our condolences.”
Marie perks up at his reply, “Thank you.”
“As a welcome and our…condolence for her death, everything you order is on the house,” exclaims Nico, a nervous smile following his offer.
Marie thanks him and she nudges Camila's ribcage until she turns Nico.
“Well then…I want a drink. Thank you for your hospitality”, she says with a controlled smile.
When they stand up, the brothers follow. Marie moves away from Camila heading to the door, and as Camila moves to follow, she is stopped by Yohan’s sudden extension of his hand.
Camila takes his hand again, letting her body feel the warmth of a live body. He shakes it but does not pull back his hand and merely looks at her with a tilted head. His lips curl, and in a panic, Camila takes her hand back and quickly runs out of the office, not sparing a second glance at his face. As she walks with Nico and Marie, she can hear his heartbeat, exceeding that of a normal heartbeat and that is enough for her.
Nico leads them downstairs until they reach a door, and the music in Camila's ears changes. It’s rather violently loud, like the repeating thump of a hand against a door. He opens it and they meet with bodies mingling together, pushing, and pulling the crowd in the rhythm of the music. Strobe lights cover the place, flashing an array of colors toward the floor and then back to the ceiling. Along the walls are round tables with stools, and servers in revealing clothing with glowing trays filled with bottles.
Nico leads them to a round table filled with unopened drinks and empty glasses. They’re not far from the waving crowd, but have a good view of people dancing, and grinding on each other.
“Best view in the house,” loudly remarks Nico.
He shares a look with Marie and gives Camila a friendly smile before disappearing into the crowd. Marie turns to Camila.
Her tone is normal, she does not shout. “I should have asked him for a dance. Fuck.”
Camila rolls her eyes, subtle excitement in her voice, “Go find yourself another target.”
It doesn't take long before Marie loses herself in the loud music, and Camila spots a young man leaving the club. Camila waits, hunger pulsing inside her veins. She counts the minutes, then stops and follows. When her flats step on dirt, she begins smelling relief and a hint of dread. She walks along the petroleum road until her ears pick up footsteps and the crunch of leaves. Camila makes her way inside the woods, feet slightly elevated from the ground to avoid leaves and thin sticks. The thick tall trees shade her from the clubs' view, and she soon spots the young man with his back against her.
Dread and piss are all she smells.
Camila stays still watching the young man shake his leg and close his zipper. He walks towards the club, and relief spreads on Camila's ribcage. She had sworn off human blood, arguing that if she resisted enough she’d shed whatever sickness had taken her body. Camila only comes down when she spots a lily-white rabbit hopping towards the light illuminated by the club. She floats above it, sharp teeth slowly contracting from her gums then she drops on it, catching it between her hands.
The rabbit makes a panicked sound, and then her fangs rapidly penetrate the fur skin. There’s a small crunch in the darkness followed by the sound of a bone snapping. When her teeth fully sink in, she begins tasting chocolate. The blood is rich, with a sweet taste. Camila sinks her thumbs inside the rabbit, ripping its skin apart until it’s open wide enough that she sees liver, pancreas, and stomach. Wet squelch echoes around her as she bites into the rabbit's liver tasting smoke and pork with a small bitter aftertaste. Meat clashes with her teeth, and a surge of energy burns in her veins.
Camila briefly stops eating the rabbit, cradling it in her arms like a newborn baby. She thinks about Marie, and how terrifying this would look in her eyes. To live under the same roof as a predator. Her tongue trails its furry cheek, wetting its hair then licks at the flesh of its eyes until she tucks her tongue between the flesh and eye socket, tearing it out.
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