I could sense her here. Even through the all the people. I could feel her presence pulsing through me.
I needed to find her.
A busy club was something I never liked. Too many eye witnesses. And I never went to the same club two times in a row. I was breaking a lot of rules for her.
Kelly.
She was imprinted in my mind. Days after our meeting, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I had to find her and my only lead was Club Titan. I had asked the bartenders if they knew who she was but they weren't very helpful.
I'd find her even if it took the rest of my eternal life.
I searched the dance floor but came up empty-handed. If only I had paid more attention to Kelly's friends. I might've been able to recognize them but Kelly was all consuming. I couldn't even tell you how many friends Kelly had with her last time.
But I could describe every inch of her beautiful face. Those blue eyes that flooded over me. The way her lips parted ever so slightly when she smiled.
She made me forget about my hunger.
I was down to my last bag of blood and I'd either have to go back to my old ways or rob another blood bank.
Robbing blood banks was an impossibility so close after I robbed the first one. All the other banks would be on high alert with a description of me. I always needed to wait for the heat to wear off before trying that again.
The other way wasn't pretty. It was difficult and dangerous. Draining someone almost to the point of death was risky. But the rush you felt afterwards was undeniable.
It wasn't sustainable though. Soon the clubs would close early because a predator was on the loose. I'd have to move to a new city and start all over again. It was a routine that I was all too familiar with. And I didn't want to do it anymore.
Kelly was the key.
The mass of bodies began to thin out as it grew later. I stood by the bar and watched the door. I could still feel Kelly somewhere in here but I couldn't pinpoint where.
I took a sip of whiskey and scanned the remaining people in the club. She wasn't there.
Then why could I feel her presence?
The female bartender with a short plaid skirt yelled out, “Last call!”
Something was wrong.
A woman nudged next to me and called over the bartender. “Have you seen my friend? She's wearing a gold dress, curly long brown hair and blue eyes.
The bartender shook her head and went back to cleaning glasses.
“Are you looking for Kelly?”
The woman spun around and I recognized her from the last time. It was one of Kelly's friends.
“You're that guy,” she replied.
I stood up and threw down a wad of cash to pay off my bar tab. “What happened to Kelly?”
“We were dancing and I kind of lost track of her. I don't think it's anything to worry about. She probably just went home.”
I knew that wasn't true. When I closed my eyes I could see the clearest image of her. She was close. “No, Kelly didn't go home. She's still here.”
“How do you know?” the woman asked me.
I ignored her and went straight to the women's bathroom. Something must've happened to Kelly. The worst-case scenarios ran through my head. I didn't want to picture all the possible bad things that could happen to her. My chest felt like it was going to explode.
I kicked open the bathroom door and there she was. Kelly stood in front of the sink, leaning close to the mirror and applying mascara to her eyes. My heartbeat slowly returned to normal.
She dropped her makeup when she noticed me. “Michael? What are you doing in here?”
Kelly's friend rushed past me. “Where were you, Kelly? I was worried about you.”
“No need to worry, Fiona. I just got stuck in a conversation with a girl in the bathroom. She was having a rough night and I needed to calm her down.”
“Are you ready to go home now?” Fiona asked.
Kelly looked over her shoulder at me. “I think I might stay a little while longer.”
Fiona looked back at me and then her gaze returned to Kelly. “You better be safe. And call me the moment you get home!”
Kelly put her hands on Fiona's shoulders. “Don't worry, I'll be safe with him.”
Fiona nodded and brushed against me. “You hurt her and I'll end you.”
I put my hands up in surrender.
We were all alone in the girl's bathroom now. The sound of water dripping from the faucet cut through the air.
What was I supposed to do now?