Meow, Meow

Thick, scented smoke wafts in the air. The beat of the chill music pounds into my head as I lounge happy and relaxed from worry in one of the cushioned seats around the hookah and drinks.

The table, which these are sitting on, has been pushed to the side enough for a mini-dance floor to emerge for Maurice, Chris, and Lucia to show off their moves. My cousin and I can't help laugh at their antics, while Erin and a friends from class are off to the side doing their own thing, looking very suspicious.

In the middle of all this I reach up to my ear feeling for the ornate little ring. I inhale sharply, fear making my pulse race instantly. It's not there.

Cursing myself for being so damn stupid, I immediately search the floor, my pockets, my purse, the table, the seats, everything around me. Nothing.

No, no, no. I can't have lost it!

"Hey, have you seen my earring?" I ask my friends and they all say the same thing, looking at me like I'm delusional for going crazy over a little old earring.

This is when I really start to get frantic and desperate. I stare at the ground, not really listening to my cousin because I'm attempting to retrace my steps and remember where and when I misplaced it.

Then I realize that I went to the bathroom during the festivities of the night.

That has to be it!

"I'll be back." I mumble into my cousin's ear. At first she's hesitant to let me go alone, but eventually gives in and I slip from our section.

In the slightly crowded club I try to glance on the ground, looking for her precious earring. The earring I promised I would wear.

I can't have lost it. I just can't.

The lights of the unusually sparse women's bathroom are harsh, making me squint as I walk inside the large space, ready to tear it apart if I have to. I search high and low, in every stall and under the countertops. I still can't find it.

My panic instantly goes to frustration, then fear and guilt. I feel like an idiot, a reckless idiot who can't keep up with one freaking earring. Now, she's going to be mad at me..

I slouch out of the bathroom, turning towards the private section where my friends are at. My head swims with ways to word my confession when I see her tomorrow.

“Narissa.”

At the sound of my name, shivers run up and down my spine. I inhale sharply, turning around to see exactly who it is who called my name.

From behind the shadows to the left of me appears a blonde haired hunk of man in skin tight clothing. Everything about him screams sex, lust, desire, and temptation. Everything, that is, except for his clear ocean colored eyes. They were pure dark, unbridled spine tingling evil.

Inside my gut I already know who he is and what he's capable of. For the second time Penelope's description of him echoes in my head, along with her tentative voice and her scared expression.

This makes my body tremble slightly and my brain scramble for a moment, but I manage to get myself together enough to ask as casually as possible, "Um, hello, do I know you?"

He shakes his head, stepping closer, making me take an unconscious step backwards. "But I think you know someone who does. And you're going to tell me where she is."

"Who?" I ask, trying to make it inconspicuous as I reach my left hand into my tiny purse to wrap my fingers around the bottle of pepper spray inside.

"Oh, don’t play dumb, you know exactly who I’m talking about."

"I just told you that I do not know what you are talking about." My voice shakes and rises an obscene octave higher.

“Don’t lie to me.” He nearly sneers, his eyes seeming to change colors as he does.

"I-I... I'm not lying. I don't know what you're talking about, dude." My fingers clench around the small bottle that is still in my hand as I yank my other arm away. "Now if you don't mind my friends are waiting on me."

"I'm done with this cat and mouse game she has me playing. Tell me where Penelope is. Now."

Suddenly I find myself drug into the bathroom and slammed against an adjacent wall, the air being pushed from my lungs in a sharp, wrenching gasp. A hand as cold as death presses against my mouth, preventing me from screaming out, or really moving for that matter. Struggling to break away, my arm shakily emerges from my purse and aiming it square at his face before spraying.

For a second a sense of relief washes over me as his grip loosens and I try to escape his looming presence over me. This relief is swiftly crushed when his death grip returns, wrapping around my throat.

"Look, Narissa," His claw-like fingers grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. His eyes, they have me caught, pinned into place.

"Either you tell me where she is or..." Suddenly his facial expression changes. He inhales deeply, leaning in and pressing his nose against my skin.

My heart pounds inside my chest. My knees wobble, and tears start to leak from the corners of my eyes.

"Mmmm...you're her mate." He comments, using his free hand to play with my hair. Said hand shifts from my hair to my cheek and down. My body trembles violently as he begins to fondle me almost delicately. I manage a whimper even though he's restricted my airway.

“I think I know the perfect little present that'll make her listen.” He murmurs against my ear, trailing his hands backwards to my chest.

I gasp, feeling something very cold inside me, spreading from my chest, constricting my heart and spreading out with icy tendrils across the rest of my body.

My knees turn to jello and he releases his grip allowing me to collapse onto the ground. I can't seem to force enough air into my lungs. Clutching my chest, I look up at the smirking man standing above me.

"What-what did you do to me?" I gasp out between ragged breaths. Then just as suddenly as the feeling came, it disappears.

"It's really not how I like to do business, but when an opportunity presents itself then I have no reason to turn it down." He reaches done and grips me by arm, yanking me up onto my unsteady feet.

"Now, I want you to go in there, calmly and make it so that your friends aren't causalities. Then I want you to go straight home and stay there." He commands, brushing off my clothes, straightening my clothes and fiddling with my hair once again.

Thoughts of what he could do to them flash before my eyes. I bite my lip, hard enough to draw blood, and nod.

He presses his lips to the side of my forehead, making me flinch away from him. "Good girl." He praises, pushing me out the door and back into the hallway adjoining the men and women's restrooms.

-

"Are you alright?"

"What's wrong?"

"Don't leave just yet."

All those closest to me are really worried when I announces that I had a great time, but I'm going to take a taxi home. I apologize profusely several times over, explaining that it's exhaustion from all the days of no sleep and little time for myself.

"You have all weekend to sleep." Erin slurs as she slips her arm loosely around my neck and tries to guide me back to the seats.

Slinking from her grip, I edge back to where I was standing and begin to explain again before Lucia interrupts.

"She said she's tired." My childhood friend snaps, getting up from her seat and coming to stand next to me. "I'll take you home." She offers, with Chris piping up as well.

"No really, guys." I try to plead and beg with them both, but neither seem to fond on listening to anything that I say. So finally I give in and let Lucia drive me home with Chris as tag-a-long.

-

"Bye Lucia, bye Chris. Thanks." I state, stepping out from the car in a rush and nearly sprinting halfway up my driveway before they have a chance to even get out.

"Hey, Riss are you sure you're okay?"

Lucia with her damn perceptive eye, I groan inwardly turning towards the pair just as I begin to climb the steps.

Both she and Chris are walking towards me, both with visibly concerned expressions on their faces.

"Yeah, I just need some sleep. With school, work, and everything else I'm just not feeling my best." I explain, attempting to keep my eyes from darting around so wildly.

For a second I start to believe that she's not going to let this go, but finally, she nods her head with a bright smile. She leans in slowly and wraps her arms tight around me. I grip her back tightly, biting back tears.

"Call me, okay?" She breaths as we separate.

I nod my head vigorously, giving her as reassuring a smile as I can manage. "Yeah, girl, of course."

Chris also gives me a quick hug and an awkward kiss on the cheek. He smiles at me playfully, giving my butt a squeeze as he pulls away. I humor him by punching him in the arm before he can return to Lucia’s side.

“Bye guys,” I wave them away, smiling to show that I’m totally fine. “I’ll be alright. And I’ll call you both tomorrow.” I promise, watching them as they walk to Lucia’s car and hop inside.

Within moments they’re gone. I let go of my inhaled breath, looking around quickly. I see nothing but immaculate shadows being thrown off by my automatic porch lights. Panic and fear begins to course faster through my veins.

Go straight home and stay there.

His words drift through my head as I turn on my heel and dash inside, shutting every door, window, and entrance possible.