Chapter 7 - A Dance to Remember

The music starts, a slow and sensual song. The woman singing has a husky but sexy voice. I have no clue who she is and do not recognize the song at all. My body moves without my consent. My insides turn in on itself and I am certain I am going to puke in front of all these people. I try to keep myself from moving forward out the door, but my body does not obey.

I step out into to the center of the stage. Ever pair of eyes in the room gawks at me all at once as I sway my hips to the music. The only part of my body I can control is my face and I realize that if I could look in a mirror I would probably look like a deer in the headlights. I watch in horror as I lift the dagger and slide the razer sharp blade down the inside of my arm from elbow to wrist, causing a shallow cut that begins to trickle this blood. I barely feel it, but I bite my tongue, my screams refusing to come out. As I shred more of my clothes, I draw within myself, feeling like I am looking out at the room from far away. The blade slices my skin as I dance wildly and seductively across the stage. Blood drips in rivulets, puddling to the floor. I vaguely register the men’s hungry look. To me, they all look like Ethan, perverted and callous.

When the music finally ends, my panties and stilettos are the only pieces of clothing remaining on my body. I snap back to my senses as soon as I am given control of my body again. I drop the dagger and cross my arms over my chest, backing up, not sure what to do. I turn my back to the room, where the men are talking quietly amongst themselves, and try the door. It’s locked.

I feel a hand on my bare back and spin around to come face to face with Ethan. He smirks at me and I notice I have put my arms down. I cross my arms over my chest again and glare at him. He hands me a knee length black jacket that I slip on gratefully. It buttons up just enough to leave an unsatisfying amount of cleavage.

“Nice job.” Ethan says. “Most of them were ready to jump up on stage and take a drink after two minutes.”

I wrinkled my nose in response. That was not something I cared to know. “Can I go now?” I hiss, not caring if he gets mad. My injures barely hurt, even with the fabric touching them. I feel a light sting against my skin and look under the jacket. I gasp as the cuts pull themselves together and disappear.

“Well, you’re in a good mood. And, no, we can’t go. I have some business to finish taking care of.” He tugs on my arm, dragging me off the stage.

As soon as we are off the stage, I open my mouth to demand an explanation for the whole dance business when he hands me my clothes. I had tossed them at the crowd half-way through my performance. How did he manage to get these so quick? I blush and grab them.

“Go change through that door and clean yourself up. If you’re not out in ten minutes, I’ll come in after you.” He mumbles half-heartedly, his gaze roaming the room. I follow his gaze and notice the way some of the men are looking at me. I do not want to go off by myself but getting dressed sounds like a better idea than staying mostly naked. I reluctantly head off and enter the small room I had been in earlier where Cat Lady put the chip in my neck.

I put my back to the door and collapse to the floor and let the flood of emotion explode. Tears pour from my eyes as I put my head in my hands and pull my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth. I hold back just enough to muffle my sobs making them sound more like hiccups than cries. I think of nothing but how humiliated I am and how inhumane these people are. How do people find this entertaining? How do people get this way? It is insane!

I calm myself and wipe away my tears. I slide the jacket off and find a mirror above a sink in the corner of the room. I look myself over, dried blood covers me from my shoulders down to my feet. A cabinet to the right of the sink contains black rags, which I use to wipe my face and scrub as much of the blood off as I can. I pull what is left of my clothes on, most of them torn from the blade, and let my hair down, soft ringlets fall around my shoulders. I lean into the mirror and use a clean rag to fix my makeup. I take a deep calming breath and turn to face the door I entered in. Cat lady stands between myself and the door, arms crossed and tail flicking behind her.

“I need chip before you go.” She says, walking towards me with another needle in her hand. “No running this time.”

I turn and grab the sides of the sink, preparing myself for more pain. “Yes, Ma’am.” I droop my head to give her better access.

Her cold fingers trace the spot in my neck where the chip is, making me shiver. I feel the point of the needle and then a sharp sting. She waits a few seconds and then all I feel is tugging of my skin. She drops the chip into the sink in front of me to indicate she is done. I reach my hand around to the back of my neck and feel my skin heal itself.

“Your masters creations are fascinating aren’t they, my dear?” Cat Lady purrs into my ear, slithering her hand around my neck, pulling me against her. “He always does find the prettiest of pets.” She says, touching the tip of her tongue to my cheek to lick my face. Revulsion and fear spread throughout my body, freezing me into place. She releases me and backs away. When I turn around she is gone.

I rush to the door and exit with shaking hands. Glancing around, I spot Ethan talking to the creepy guy again. I hurry over, once again aware of the hungry eyes following me. Their conversation pauses when I approach. Ethan glances at me and sniffs, shrugging his shoulders. Cat Lady gets a free pass? The one time I hope you snap at someone and I get nothing. Jerk! I frown at him, fear replaced by anger. He smirks and reaches his arm around my waist, his fingers tracing the strip of skin revealed between my top and skirt. I cringe and ease away from him, glancing over at the creepy dude in embarrassment. He grins, revealing two pointed fangs. Blinking, I return to Ethan.

“So, this is the little stripper. Nice find, Ethan.” The guy cocks his head to one side, watching me with bright green eyes.

“Thanks, Vance.” Ethan’s fingers move up underneath the fabric of my shirt, making me squirm.

Another guy approaches, tall and incredibly handsome with tousled blonde hair and dark brown eyes. “Well, Ethan, you met expectations again. How do you manage to find them so innocent?” The guy speaks with a strong British accent. “I don’t suppose…” He trails off.

I watch the guy curiously, noticing something strange. His ears are pointed! Things just keep getting weirder… I catch him staring intently at me.

“No.” Ethan says abruptly, pulling me against him. I catch the hint of what they are talking about, but I would rather not think about it. Besides, Ethan has his whole hand up my shirt and, and I am kept busy trying to squirm away from him.

“Well, then offer still stands. I’m sure she’d get much better treatment with me. At least she wouldn’t be trying to get out of my arms.” He looks at my uncomfortable form pointedly and I blush.

Ethan gives the guy a dark look. “****off, elf! She’s not for sale.” He nods to Vance and leads me out of the room.

Elf? What the hell? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. The stares I was getting before seeming to be held back after Ethan’s outburst. My mind is still wrapped around the elf thing that I barely hear what Ethan is saying to me. “… Sit here and I’ll be right back.”

I glance down at the comfortable looking black sofa he has directed me to sit down on. “I’ll be right over there, so don’t try anything. Some of the vampires look hungry enough to eat you.”

I shudder and sit down, thankful the room I am in only contains two people, both conversing in a corner where Ethan is headed to.

The couch is soft with big cushions that I sink into. I yawn, tired from all the activity. I sit up, knowing it would not be a good idea to fall asleep here. I feel a soft breeze rustle my hair and I turn to investigate. My face is met with a sparkling dust that makes me sleepier. I slump into the couch and my eyelids get heavy. Exhaustion takes over and I fall asleep.

“She looks really tiny there, like a doll.”

“You sound like an idiot.”

“Well, she does.”

“It’s a shame Ethan left her here all by herself. He shouldn’t leave his toys lying around…they might get stolen.”

“But…ya know, I think this one’s better looking than the other one. Why don’t we just keep her?”

“Because he wants the other one.”

“Oh.”

“Ya know, if Ethan was to think he lost his little pet, but then we recovered her, he might be inclined to reward us…if ya know what I mean.”

My eyelids flutter as I drift between dreaming and reality. I hear the voices, but my subconscious is busy trying to figure out if they are in my dream or if they are real. Hands grab me, lifting me up into a pair of strong arms. I shift, but my eyes are still to heavy to open. Something feels wrong, but I am not sure what it is. The weight of my eyes win the battle and I fall back into the dark abyss.

I jolt awake, blinking to adjust my eyes. I have never been drugged before, but I have the feeling that is exactly what happened. I feel groggy but the alarm in my head is telling me that something is not right. I glance around to find that I am no longer in the club. I am in the back of a car that I do not recognize. It looks like the back of a limousine. I am sitting on a leather seat with a soft blanket draped over my legs. The partition between me and the driver is closed, and the windows are so tinted I cannot see outside.

I sit up and push the blanket off, a nervous feeling creeping its way into my gut. There is a sharp pain on the side of my neck when I turn my head to look out the window. I touch the skin to feel two small holes about two inches apart. I frown and try to think about what might have happened.

The door to the car opens and Vance peers inside. I scrunch back against the seat, beyond startled. His hair falls into his pale face as he regards me.

“Great, you’re awake.” He remarks sarcastically. “You weren’t supposed to wake up yet.”

I frown at him. “Where am I?” I ask, my voice a little raspy.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take you back to Ethan soon enough.” He eyes my body with a smirk. “He’s been looking all over for you. I know you must miss him so much.”

I give a dull stare, wrapping my arms around myself. “Not in the slightest.” I mutter.

“Well, that’s too bad.” He opens the door the rest of the way. “Come on out.”

I hesitate, he convinces me by showing me his teeth. Climbing out, I am surprised at how vacant the outside of the club is. I must have been out longer than I thought. I stumble and reach out to catch Vance’s arm. He grins, but I quickly revert my touch.

He takes hold of my arm and walks toward the building, hesitating at Ethan’s car. “It might make more sense for her to be knocked out when I bring her in,” he mutters to himself. “Now stay still and this won’t hurt a bit.”

“What- “I open my mouth to scream when I see his fangs bearing down on my neck, but he covers it with his hand before I can get any sort of sound out. The sharp canines pierce through, injecting their venom. I kick and struggle to get out of his grip not only to get away but to make the pain stop. It burns through my neck like someone is holding a lighter to my throat. Struggling only made it worst, turning the burning pain into a squeezing sensation, making it hard to breathing. My legs start to go limp and blackness dances around my vision. I collapse against Vance, hovering just over the edge of consciousness. He scoops me up in his arms, and all I hear is the sound of cloth tearing.

I revive enough to hear foot steps and the blaring music in the club, telling me I am no longer outside. My eyelids are still to heavy to open and I find it extremely hard to move. Low murmuring passes my ears as I am carried for a few moments before stopping.

“Found her.” Vance states proudly.

“Where?” I moan softly as I am transferred to another set of arms. I recognize the voice as Ethan’s.

“Out back by some holding pens. She has a couple bite marks and her clothes are pretty ripped.”

“Well, I imagine you want money for finding her.”

“Actually, I had another idea…” He lowers his voice and I cannot make out the rest.

“Well…I guess so. I’ve run out of for that one anyway.”

“Cool. Send her as soon as possible. I have a buyer who’s pretty eager to get her.”

“Fine.” I feel Ethan start to move. Soon I am seated upright against cool leather. I groan and try to open my eyes.

“Just relax, Heather,” Ethan mutters, as he straps a seatbelt over my limp form.

I cannot help but do as he instructs and slowly slip into unconsciousness. A single thought rolling in my mind. Was that worry in his voice?