Ch-5★ Predator & the Prey

[Aulaura]

“What’s the birthday girl doing here?”

He stood there leaning against the cold, brick wall shadowed by the starless night. With a cigarette in his hand, he puffed away slowly, in a daze. Trifling puffs of smoke left his mouth.  There was a small smirk on his face which vanished the instant he saw my tears. I hastily wiped them away. He crushed the burning cigarette in his palm and walked towards me taking a seat next to me on the stairs.

It was just the two of us, surrounded by trash cans and the city lights. The street lights sparkled looking like stars -completing the empty, dark sky. The smell of cigarette smoke lingered in the air masking the rotten smell of garbage.   

He crossed his arms over his long, lanky legs.  He sat there next to me in silence just staring at dumps in front of him while I cried silently. 

He placed his hand inside pocket pulling out a thin, cotton handkerchief. “Here,” he spoke not bothering to look at me. “Tears don’t really suit you,”

“Thanks,” I muttered taking the folded handkerchief from his hand.

He leaned back and took in a deep breath.  “I don’t think you’ll tell me what’s bothering you?”

“Only if you tell me what’s bothering you?”  He couldn’t be out here without a reason. Why would someone want to miss a lavish party and spend it out here in the dumps? Something was definitely  troubling him.

I felt his body stiffen next to me. “Never mind then,”Why would he tell me afterall I was no-one to him.  He got up, brushing himself off. He wasn’t the nice, professional guy I had met at the party. All of that was an act to cover what was inside. So this is what Jay Walter was really like.

“Life is too short to be wasted on tears,” He straightened his jacket pulling out his phone. He stared at its screen with his fingers jotting across it.

“You don’t really have a choice when everything falls apart,” I had caught his attention, furrowing his eyebrows together, he looked at me with a strange expression.

He shook his head slightly returning his attention back to his phone’s screen. “Everyone has a choice.  It depends on you which one you pick.” He stuffed his phone back into his jacket's pocket. “Here, I’ll give you a choice come with me and I’ll take you somewhere where you’ll forget all your troubles and worries,”

“Why do you want to help me?”

He smiled, a bittersweet smile. “Because something about you reminds me of myself,”

~*~*~

Cargo loading site in WestWale, London

 Loud, cheap pop music echoed through tunnels filled with people dressed in skimpy clothes. It was dark inside the tunnel. The only sources of light being the yellow, neon lights tapped to its low ceiling.  There was a large, wooden bar table with large incandescent lights and cheap beer. People were dancing in groups to the music; some stood in large circles in the center of these circles danced one girl and one boy. It seemed like the boy and girl were trying to woo each other.

The entire the tunnel was filled with exuberant amount of energy, people were laughing, dancing, and drinking. It seemed like your typical club but it was so much more. There was so much more dancing going around. The moves these people were pulling off were mindboggling even dance experts cannot pull those moves with so much ease.

I was already feeling so much better seeing these people dance.

Jay leaned down to my level. “Welcome to the London’s street dance fiesta,” He spoke over the music in my ear. I felt my heart pump faster than before. “Where we dance to impress,” There was small mischievous smile on his face as his eyes shined in the light.

He was cut short as a short, bald man with arms rippling with muscles approached us. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. The man had total thug like appearance with metal chains and strange tattoos running up his neck.  He slapped Jay’s back with a loud smack. “Gotta love ya for showin’ up,” He grinned, flashing his gold tooth.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jay ran his hands through his hair, smiling at the man warmly.

The man’s emerald eyes eyed me up. His grin seemed to be getting bigger by the second. “Finally, got a date wid’ ya,” I blushed scarlet.

Jay shook his head silently. “Not a date, friend. Sorry Dale but that’s not happening not since Mel-” He stopped talking, briefly looking at me. He did not want me know why he wasn’t going to date anyone anymore. He quickly changed the topic.

“Aulaura, I want to you to meet Dale the organizer of this Fiesta,”

Dale patted my shoulder. “I hope you can fix this boy,” He looked at Jay with a somber face. “Anyways enjoy the fiesta they say ya find your dancing soul mate here. Keep your eyes open him,” He winked before walking away in the direction of the bar.

“Is that true?” I spoke as I tried absorbing my surrounding. I wanted to start dancing right away but I didn’t want to look like a joker dancing alone.

Jay shrugged his shoulders. ”It’s something they say for fun. It gives them a reason to dance,” Dancing didn’t need a reason. Dance itself was something extraordinary. It lets one express themselves without words. In simple or extravagant moves, the sole purpose was to bring out what’s in the one’s heart. I wanted to know what’s in Jay’s heart and there was no better way to do it than dance.

“You don’t need a reason to dance,” He was too busy looking at the dancers to have heard me speak.  

He grabbed my hand, holding on it tightly and pulled me into the crowd of dancers. “The dancing ring is starting,” he began in a manner of explanation. “It’s where everyone in the tunnel forms a large circle in the center of it one person dances with several others till he finds the person with whom his moves match perfectly,”

 “That sounds like fun,” He lead me through the masses of people to the outside of the tunnel.

He smirked. “It’s not fun when you don’t find the person with whom your moves match,” He pulled me out to cold London air. We were standing on an abandoned ship’s deck.

There were large, rusted oil cans which were filled with coals and wooden chips. A girl in a revealing, black dress and leather boots was lighting the cans with a lighter. The entire ship’s deck was lighted with these large cans. It was beginning to snow but everyone was too pumped up to care about the cold. Tiny, glittery flakes landed on my hair instantly melting away into tiny droplets. Jay was still holding onto my hand.

Dale, who holding a wireless microphone, called for everyone’s attention. “Dancers, Are ya ‘all ready for the dancing ring?” He was answered by cheers, yell, and hoots. He held up his free hand. “I got it. Now I want all you feisty girl dancers on the right and all you guys on the left side of the deck,” There was a great bustle as everyone rushed to their spot.

“Okay, go to the right.  After the dancing ring is over, I’ll take you back home,” He whispered into my ear. I nodded my head. “Meet me by the entrance of the tunnel,” He spoke for the last time before disappearing into the crowd of men.

I walked to the right into a group of girls that were chatting animatedly. One of the girls who was wearing an edgy, short purple dress and black boots came by my side and stood next to me. She had a clean, crisp bob cut and dark skin. 

“Jay Walters huh?” She grinned. She seemed friendly enough to talk. Like everyone here, there was a tattoo on her arm. It was white daisy under the tattoo these words had been printed Elegant but not weak.  “Girl you’re so lucky,” She was still talking about Jay.

“Um no, he’s just a friend,” Her grin dropped a bit.

“Aw I was hoping lover boy had found someone new,” She crossed her legs, leaning back onto the railing of the boat. “He hasn’t found his dancing soul mate either. No girl can match up with his fast moves,” Maybe it was because no girl tired understanding him.

“That sucks,” I really didn’t know what to say. I didn’t really know this Jay Walter to make any statement about him.

“It does. He’s always here alone and doesn’t let anyone get close to him. I wonder why does a rock star like him has so high walls around him,”

“It’ll take forever to break those walls,”

“Yah if you wanna break them so desperately. We ‘all just let him be,” She quickly got off the railing. “Oh by the way I’m Tepica,” She did a quick twirl on her feet. “I’m a regular here,”

“I’m Aulaura and this my first time here,” I did a little wave dance of my own.

Her brown eyes widened. They looked two miniature golf balls “No way, you have go first in the dance ring,”

I held up my hands “I don’t really know what you do in the dancing ring,”

“It’s easy you just have to dance,” She snapped her fingers together. “Till your feet click with another pair,”

“How do you know they match?”

She smiled a knowing smile.  “You have to experience it to know,”

I was about to ask if she has found dancing soul mate but Dale started speaking again.

 “Okay let the dancing ring begin. Everyone quickly assemble into a circle,” And with that all girls and boys moved around the edge of the deck. Tepica was on my right and this other girl wearing a green, neon top and pink leggings was on my left. Across me stood some random hulky looking guys with arms covered with shelves of tattoos.  The circle was big at least comprised of fifty people all together. My nerves got turned on at thought of dancing in front of all these people.

Dale got in the center. “So from the girl’s side who will go first?” Tepica held up her hand up.

“It’s decided. Tepica will go first,”

She shook her head and went to the center, taking the microphone from Dale’s hand. “Aulaura will go. It’s her first time here,” Everyone in the circle hooted my name. “She’ll go first,” The crowd erupted in cheers.

I gulped. Gosh Can I do this? I’ve never danced in front of so many people. My mind seemed to have blanked out.   Tepica came back in the circle, giving me an encouraging smile. “Rock it,”

I muttered thanks before walking into the center with my palms sweating significantly. I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of all these people. Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea.

“Tell us a bit about yourself?” Dale handed me the microphone.

I took the microphone, my hands shaking due to nerves and excitement. “My dance will speak for me,” with that I handed the microphone back to him.

“That’s the spirit,” Dale gave me a thumbs up. “Now who from the guy’s side will match up with our newcomer?”

A muscular guy with a baseball cap and blond hair held up his hand. He was quite tall.  I could already tell that I was going to have a hard time matching up to his moves because of his long legs. “Drake has rose to the challenge,” Dale spoke as Drake walked to the center. “It’s been decided Drake vs. Aulaura let’s see if their moves match,”

Up-close he looked like a tough sorta fella, there was thin scar running across  his eyebrow. As soon as Dale walked out to the center, the deck was filled sharp electronic, dance music.

“Doll, you ready for what I got?” Drake spoke looking overly-confident.

“Bring it on,”

And then we began. Drake’s moves were aggressive while mine were soft in comparison. I moved my arms to the side, doing a sharp pirouette. He was dancing in anger and was using dance to vent his anger out. His moves were simple and straight but he applied a-lot of energy in each and every step. Moving side to side, leap to leap we danced but we did not match it was as if a bird was dancing with a lion.

There was so much aggression in his moves. He gripped my waist and spun me to the side catching me the instant I was about to fall. I moved my hands to the front stopping him and swung my arms to do three twirls at once, my feet were matching the beat of the music but not the beat of my partner. It was like we were fighting with each other through dance, trying to prove who’s better than the other. Two egos were clashing against each other ruthlessly.

Our fight ended with the end of the song.  Dale came into the center once again. “That was one sizzling performance but it seems Drake could not match his moves with our newcomer,” Drake moved back in circle still looking as angry he was in the dance. “Who would like to go next?” I still hadn’t recovered from the previous performance but there is no stopping now. 

Another guy stepped in. He was a thin, scrawny guy with a blue shirt hanging from his figure. He looked like a walking skeleton. “It’s Ethan,” The crowd cheered for him. “Let the dancing continue,”

Then came on the next song, it was upbeat song with hints of flute and drums like a tribal rhythm. This Ethan guy was a brilliant dancer. His moves were smooth and crisp and his transitions between each step were magnificent. He moved like knife on a brick of butter. I tried keeping up with him but it was impossible. My moves were choppy and unfinished in his comparison. He was flowing like a river while I was acting like a rock disrupting the flow of the river.

The song ended soon to my relief. Then came another guy after him came five more guys came but none of them could match up with my steps. Either I was too fast or they were too slow when I was slow, the guy would be too fast. I was exhausted. Jay was right the dancing ring isn’t fun if you don’t find your match.

“Here comes Hunter,” Dale spoke as the crowd cheered wildly louder than before for this Hunter guy. They were still excited about this while I just wanted this torture to stop, my muscles were aching. I was surprised to see that I still had the strength to go on. Maybe it was the magic of dance.

Hunter, that named sounded so familiar. Maybe I’m just being paranoid there are probably like millions of Hunters in London but I don’t know why I got this terrible feeling just by his name.

Hunter walked towards the center with a strong aura of strength and power surrounding him. He seemed like a gravitating presence, the center of attention of the whole crowd.  He looked at me as though a cougar observing his next prey.  He had long, brown hair which had been tied into a tight ponytail and his eyes were probably the most piercing pair of honey colored eyes I’ve ever seen. His skin was a deep, rustic tan.

He was slim and tall, a tight, full sleeve collared shirt clung to his toned torso. He bowed his head slightly in an elegant, formal gesture. “I hope to please you my’ lady with my performances.” He smiled but it never reached his eyes.

I don’t know why but he was making me very uncomfortable. There something that wasn’t right about him. The music started and I never replied to his earlier statement. He was enjoying my discomfort since he was well aware of it.

Just my luck, a slow song was being played. It had piano notes and steady guitar strums. Hunter closed the distance between our bodies by taking large steps. He took my hand and placed his hand on my waist.  He swayed to the music as his feet moved swiftly matching the rhythm perfectly like an expert.

“You know,” He spoke so quietly that only I could hear him. “You shouldn’t stick your beautiful legs into someone else’s business,” What the hell? Is he bonkers or something? I didn't do anything.

“What rubbish are you talking about?” I moved away from him, and began dancing on my own. He didn’t look bothered by my actions instead he acted as though that was a part of his performance.

“Rubbish?” He laughed, bringing his arms to his side and leaning backwards before completing a triple pirouette perfectly without a single stop, he spun continuously. He stopped, leaping towards me taking my hand and bringing it above my head he spun me like a spinning top. Leaning in, he whispered.

“I wouldn’t call accommodating a stranger rubbish,” I froze in my spot. He was Hunter, the leader of the underground miners He was the man who wanted Samantha so he could get a hold on her brother Jake.  He wanted Jake for he had run away with his sister, Joey.

“It’s a really kind thing you did for a poor, helpless girl,” There was a sly smile on his thin lips. “But you see you could have saved any other girl in the world but you choose to save the wrong person,”

I stood there like an ice figurine frozen to my spot while I watched him dance around me. “It took me so much time to find her and I finally did. Yay me,” He spun around me. He danced effortlessly with so much grace. I would have been terribly awed if it weren’t for my current circumstances.

“Just hand her over to me and everything will be snippety ship fine,”

“Never,” I would never hand Sam over to the likes of him. I didn’t save her just so I could push her off the cliff again.

Anger flashed on his face. He quickly covered it with a sugary smile. He stepped closer to me, talking my hands he began waltzing with me across the deck. “You’re so beautiful,” He stroked my face causing an unpleasant shiver to escape my body. Pleased with the effect, he brought me closer to him. The smell of his strong cologne filled my senses.

“It would be pity if I had to harm such an attractive creature like yourself,” He shook his head slightly as his eyes gleamed with lust. “Pity indeed but I can’t resist if you don’t comply with my wishes. Can I?”  He ran his hands across my back. A soundless gasp escaped my mouth. My heart was beating erratically with fear. The look on Hunter’s face told me he wasn’t going to spare me if I didn’t follow him.

He kept on closing the distance between us invading my personal space. There was nothing I could do. My mind wasn’t functioning properly. Hunter had found Samantha and he was going to anything to get his hands on her. He loved his sister dearly but that was not all. There something missing from this story, something that Sam wasn’t telling me. Why does Hunter want Sam so badly? It couldn’t  be just for his sister.

His hand slipped up my thigh. I couldn’t stop him. I was paralyzed by fear. I closed my eyes trying  to find the voice to stop him.

 His hands kept creeping upwards till they disappeared from body? I opened my eyes to see Jay holding onto his shoulder roughly pushing him aside. “Dude the song is over,” His voice sounded strained. His brown eyes were brimming with rage.

Hunter held up his hands and backed away in one large step. “She’s all yours,” he began walking towards the tunnel. Before leaving he looked in my direction and smiled a sweet smile. Under his smile, there was a threat I could not ignore. He was the predator and I would be his next prey...

.

.

.

.

Author’s Note:

Hi there,

 Another plot twist yaayyy,

I hope all these secrets and twist aren’t getting too confusing if they are then be sure to tell me.

I had to break this chapter in two like two pieces of a broken heart. Get it?

Comment! Vote! Fan/ Follow! And keep being happy.

>>>Clarity by ZEDD perfectly suits this chapter