Saturday 23/10/21

Scarlet's P.O.V.

Uh, why do I always show up to these things so early? Where does my paranoia of being late even come from? And Kadin always rocks up late to these things. Meaning I'll have to wait even longer. And I don't know anyone here. So I'm stuck here, at the bar, waiting for him. Drinking a coke; knowing it'll be the only nonalcoholic drink I'll have tonight. Kadin is always so fucking pushy. 

I find myself admiring the place a little. They did a good job at spookafying the place. With the fake cobwebs and spider fairy lights littered around the place. And the weird special cocktails. They even put a smoke machine in their 'VIP' rooms. Guess as much from the smoke spilling out of them.

Why did I even agree to come?

I love Halloween parties. I do. I love the spooky decorations.  I love the dressing up. And the weird thyme party games. But that's with friends. In small groups. Where we all know and like each other. 

I don't like this type of party. Alone in a room, full of people I don't know. Where half of them are already drunk. It makes me uncomfortable.

And I can't shake this feeling that someone's watching me. Felt that way since I got here. 

I'm probably just being paranoid.

Ah, the little fucker decided to show up. "Hello, brother. Why'd you make me wait so long?" Standing up. I need to stretch my legs; I've been sitting down too long. 

"My neighbour just wouldn't stop talking. And it's not my fault you showed up half an hour early." Pointing his finger at me.

"I showed up fifteen minutes early." Correcting him.

"Wow." Rolling his eyes. "Really?" Giving my outfit the once over.

"What?" Looking down. I think I did a good job. Black leather shoes. Black jeans. Black belt. Black Leather jacket. Long sleeve white button-up shirt covered in fake bloodstains. My pail make-up. Dark-ish eye make-up. Red lips, of course.  Fake bite mark on my neck. And the cheap necklace, that I just so happened to walk past, with the red jewelled pendant. And my curly hair is tied up in a ponytail (I hope it doesn't get too frizzy tonight).

I don't see anything wrong with it.

"A vampire? Couldn't you have chosen something else? You always go as a vampire."

"At least you can tell what I'm dressed up as. What are you supposed to be?" Seeing that he's just dressed in a black hood thingy. 

Giving me a sideways look, he pulls the hood over his head. Pulling out a very plastic-looking scythe. "The grim reaper."

"You could have made a better scythe" further inspecting the thing.

"I did. But my neighbour, quote on quote, said that it looked 'too real'. It kinda bummed me out. It looks really cool." Ordering us some drinks.

"You'll have to show it to me sometime." Trying to cheer him up a bit. Taking a sip of whatever he got me. It doesn't taste bad, it doesn't taste good either. What I'm mostly tasting is the food colouring. I guess you would have to put a lot into it to get it this red. "What exactly is your plan for tonight, Kadin?"

He downs his very black drink before answering me. I feel sorry for his insides. "Don't have much of one. Just go with the flow. Have fun. Hang out. Move on to the next place when we get bored. And maybe get a little drunk on the way."

I just shake my head at him. 

"Ok. So. I just came up with something. You're the Grim Reaper. And I'm a vampire. We're besties. Normally you can't be seen by those that reside in the living realm. But something went wrong when I was turned, making me be in the land of the dead for a long time. Knowing that if you took me to the next realm, my soulless body would wreak havoc on the living. You stay with me and we just chat, until my soul is pulled back to my body. You think that that's that. But. I can see you. And I can hear you. I like having you around you're just really nice and wholesome. And you like hanging out with me because the only other contact with people you have is leading confused and distressed souls to where they need to be." Quite liking my half brain idea.

He looks at me like I'm crazy, and laughs. Shaking his head. "How do you come up with that shit?" Ordering more drinks. 

"Don't know." Shrugging my shoulders.

"Here. Drink up." Handing me a shot.

"What is it?" 

"Does it matter?"

"Fuck it." Downing it, only to be handed another. And I do the same. He tries to give me a third. "Uh ah." Shaking my head. "That's all you're getting." Waving down his offer.

He shrugs. "More for me then." Downing it in a flash. "Woo! Let the fun begin!" Holding his hands up in the air.

Making me laugh.

The nutter.

Yes. Let the fun begin.

-

"Kadin?"

Of course, he ditches me now.

"Kadin?"

Where the hell did he go?

I saw him leave with someone. I hope he's ok.

He's a grown-up. He'll be fine.

But he's drunk.

If I call him, will he even pick up?

But what if he's hooked up with someone?

What am I supposed to do?

I'll call him. Yeah, I'll call him. Taking out my phone. About to put my pin in. 

"I like your costume." An unfamiliar voice breaks the silence once held by the alleyway.

"Huh?" Looking up in its direction. Finding a pale-ish guy, with dark hair. 

Well, he's rather good looking.

"I like your costume." He repeats.

"Oh." Looking at my costume for the second time tonight. "Yeah, I think I did ok. Considering that I put this together last-minute." Putting my phone away.

"Last-minute?" Tilting his head at me. Amused?

"Yeah, my brother called me. Midday-ish. Asking if I wanted to come to a Halloween party. But it's turned out to be more a going from bar to bar, club to club, type of thing. They just happen to have a Halloween thyme."

Why am I so comfortable talking to this guy?

"Not as fun as a party, I'm assuming?" 

"No, not for me anyway. Don't get me wrong. I'm still having fun. Just not as much."

He nods, seeming to understand. "Where did you get this last-minute costume?"

Did he just get closer?

Oh, quit it. You're just being paranoid again.

"Um. A few places." Thinking for a moment. Needing to remember where I got it all from. "The jacket and the jeans, I already had. Oh, and the shoes. The shirt and the necklace, l got from an op shop. The fake blood and bite mark, I got from some small party shop."

"You did well. All you're missing is the teeth." Flashing his own.

Fuck. Those look real.

"I gave up trying. The 'glue' never works. And the others look terrible. So, I gave up. People seem to get the point anyway."

"So this isn't you're first time dressing up as a vampire?" 

Is that a smile or a grin?

"No, it isn't. How 'bout you? You seem to have taken the more subtle approach. In black jeans and a grey t-shirt. The only thing that gives it away is your spot-on fangs." 

He huff's a laugh. "That's because they're real, lovely." 

What?

Before I have time to think, he has me pinned to the wall. His hand covering my mouth. Meaning I can't scream for help. So I don't even try. 

Instead, I try to fight against him. Trying to get free. But I don't succeed.

Fuck this guy is strong.

"Stop." Looking deep into my eyes. I feel like he's peering into my soul. It both calms and scares the shit out of me at the same time.

Why have I stopped fighting him?

You need to fight him.

"Don't scream." He says calmly, removing his hand.

And no matter how hard I try. I can't. I can't utter a word.  

Fuck. He's real. He's the real thing. 

I can't even try to defend myself.

I'm going to die.

I can feel my heart racing. Trying to break free from my chest.

"Calm down. I'm not going to kill you. Just going to take a bit of your blood. And send you on your way, none the wiser." He whispers in my ear. Running his hand up and down my arm. Trying to calm me down.

But it does the opposite. It creeps me out.

"Please calm down. I know you're scared. But you don't have a reason to be. It won't hurt. You might like it. So, please calm down. Your heartbeat is.... Effecting me." His mouth, only inches away from my neck. His breath on my neck makes my hairs stand on end.

"Let's get rid of that" removing the fake bite mark from my neck. Wiping away whatever residue that remained with my shirt. Slowly lowering his head to my neck.

I do my best to prepare for the bite. But it doesn't come. Instead, soft lips meet my neck. Leaving a wet trail along it.

He's kissing me?

Why is he kissing me?

Why do I like it?

What hypnosis does he have me under?

For the most part, I fight against it. But then he kisses that spot. It takes everything in me not to give in. Seeming to know that it's my weak spot, he sucks on it. My knees almost give out on me.

"That didn't take much." Wrapping his arm around my waist to hold me up. Leaving a trail of kisses up my neck he stops at my ear. "Didn't I say you'll enjoy it?" Sending a shiver down my spine. He places his hand on the other side of my neck.

Suddenly I feel his teeth puncture my skin.

It hurt. But only for a second. 

I'm on cloud 9.

I shouldn't be enjoying this.

Someone is drinking my blood. I should be terrified. Not enjoying it.

It brings me pleasure. 

I'm getting light-headed.

He removes his teeth. "Your blood is quite something." Licking my neck to clean it. Lifting his head, he stands straighter. His eye still fixed on his bight. 

Removing his hand from my neck. I struggle to keep my head up. Bringing his hand to his mouth, it looks like he's about to bite it. But stops.

His eyes leave my neck and move to my face. Where he studies me. He looks confused.

He puts his hand back on my neck, supporting it. "I think I'll leave that there. Stop the others from drinking from you." Studying me again.

"Look at me." Guiding my eyes to his. "I will stay with you until you find your footing. But as soon as I'm gone. You will believe all of this to be a dream."

I find myself nodding. 

"For now you can just relax. I'll hold you up." Holding me closer to him. It's quite comforting.

-

"Scarlet?" I hear Kadin calling out. Making me open my eyes.

What the hell am I doing out here?

Oh, that's right. I came out here looking for Kadin after he ditched me.

Did I fall to sleep looking for him?

I must be drunker than I thought.

"Scarlet?"

"Here." Pushing myself off the wall. "Where the hell did you go. I was worried."

"Aww." Pacing his hand on his chest.

"So why did you ditch me?"

"My survives were needed."

So, he did hook up with someone.

"I must have done something right. They gave me their number."

"They your next squeeze?"

"I would like them to be. They have a great personality"

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, personality. It had nothing to do with their looks at all."