Red by Yonin P.

Night time was the time of day that everyone looked forward to. For some it's because of the drop in temperature as the sun bade farewell to one side of the earth to say hello to the other. Perhaps, it's due to the pull of dreams and needed rest associated with the dark skies and twinkling stars. For whatever reason, night more often than not was regarded as a period of quietude while the world's whisked away to the depths of slumber. All were trapped in dreamland, except for a particular red-head who nervously locked the door of her bedroom and readied for an adventure.

Hugging her tattered Chanel denim jacket closer, Prixy hesitantly climbed the glass sliding window of her room. The evening air was cool to the skin but then the sight of the silvery moon made her shudder. A night owl by nature, the darkness bathed in the faint glow of the full moon had always been a spectacle for her.

It's like a temptress whispering to follow her to anywhere. All those times the temptress tried to lure her, she always found the will to deny it, but not tonight. She'd willingly trod the route it led her to. ​​This is a good sign ​ , she mused. ​Give me luck dear moon ​ , a wish with the hope that if spirits were true, the moon's spirit would bless her as she embarked on an escapade.

Never religious nor an atheist, Prixy followed none but noticed that she's always drawn to the moon. It gave her calmness when in rage, clarity when things were vague, and a sense of belongingness when lost. Oftentimes too, she pretended to be the child of the moon whether it was a Vampire, Wiccan or Werewolf. These beings fascinated her albeit she knew they were myths. She'd love to meet at least one in this lifetime, but that'd be wishful thinking. She also dreamed to be one of them, except that dream needed to be thrown away in her reality. Still, she strongly believed that she unknowingly could be any of them because it made more sense as to why the moon affected her that way. "I want to be a hybrid though. What do you think moon?"

As if the moon understood her, its silvery light enveloped her as she braved a glimpse below to gauge the distance between the window and the ground. It's not a long drop but for the 20 years of her life, this was the first attempt to secretly escape from her bodyguards. With bated breath, she willed stubbornness to pump courage into her veins. ​You can do this Prixy, for a chance to live.

Regrets flooded her hesitant mind while she bended down to secure the laces of her boots. Being the only heiress and main model of ​​Seduzione ​ ​Couture, ​ her life had been pampered and sheltered more than necessary. Any commoner would give anything to be her, yet she'd bargain all she had for one chance to experience theirs.

Women envied her for money, beauty, and everything that she had. Meanwhile, rich and famous men coveted her and her social status. Each of them vying to be her chosen husband in the future but none truly cared about her. All they saw was the glittering stage set to showcase her perfect existence.

Blessed with a voluptuous body and a beautiful face, money and fame, name it and she had it. However, money couldn't buy everything and those it couldn't were what she craved the most. Her life was a script meticulously written and proofed by her parents, with her as the actress hired to do their bidding. If she was to summarize the plot of her life story, it didn't have any. Instead, it's an outlined documentation of a laboratory experiment with her as the lab rat.

15 years ago, a car accident caused the untimely death of her elder brother. On that fateful day, she was robbed of the chance to live and that one person who loved her unconditionally. The burden of inheriting the family business weighed her down like an anchor and drowned her in misery from there on.

Stripped of her independence and personality, she obediently succumbed to her parents' whims and orders. Blind to her unvoiced protests, she wholeheartedly embraced her prison and dictators without a word. Invisible diamond decked chains kept her inside a golden cage for the world to see and envy. Altogether, she was a pretty bird on display whereas the hands that choked her remained firm on its grip.

Life became a big pretense for her until she became a lie herself. Every day, she lost herself to a fabricated Priscilla Blair. That Priscilla was a mask that lived and breathed and forcefully slapped into her face to guise what her parents thought were unacceptable imperfections. They created a version of her who was an embodiment of either the good and perfect daughter who everyone loved or of the posh and sophisticated heiress worth a million dollars or more. That mask turned into her skin and now she couldn't take it off without bleeding. It became her essence while the real Priscilla ceased to exist except during moments that she's alone to herself.

None in the world knew the girl who hesitated to jump from a window for a taste of freedom. Dressed as a commoner in a simple black cropped top, ripped jeans, denim jacket and black combat boots, she crouched on top of the window base getting ready for the big leap.

There were no traces of the masked Priscilla Blair rather there stood the bare shell of who she really was. Tonight however, that'd be changed, for she would be resurrected from the dead for the sake of her sanity. Adamant on being her true self this evening, she tied hair in a messy bun and in replacement to contact lenses; round eyeglasses aided her sense of sight.

Black studs decorated her ears as substitute for gems. She didn't want any of those glitters and gold that reminded her of her desolation. Determined to be rebellious for once and live as she wanted she smiled to the moon for support. A sense of eerie calm coursed through her as she closed her eyes and took the plunge.

Comparable to a cat, she landed soundlessly albeit ungracefully. Thankful to the heavens for the combat boots she wore, the soft soil where she landed conveniently molded around its soles to aid the impact. She was glad to successfully snuck it in the mansion in spite of her mom's biased disgust for it. She strongly refused to let her near one or even allowed it inside their home.

The boots got stuck so she eventually had to pull each leg up while cursing the wind. After several loosened hair curls and swear words later, she grabbed her pouch and checked her phone. It only had one unread SMS which she hurriedly read. Mila, her personal maid and best friend messaged her that she's already in the back entrance flirting with the guard on duty.

"I'm so close", she giggled to herself. She fixed her hair which still ended up messy anyway. Excitement was evident not only on her face but all over her body. Her heart thumped like a rabbit trying to get out of a cage and she could almost taste freedom in her tongue. All that's needed now was for the oblivious guard on duty to fall into Mila's flirting skills and do anything she asked him to. Stealthily, she trotted towards the back gate armed with nothing but pure grit and a three-month long plan being soundlessly recalled in her mind.

The cackle of laughter and hushed voices prompted her to hide behind the bushes. From a distance, she could outline her pink Vespa Primavera scooter hidden behind an unknown tree just beyond the entry. The gate is within reach Prixy, bear with it a little bit more. Now she'd wait for Mila to clear the path for her. It's uncomfortable to be crouched in between leaves, twigs and semi-moist earth but to hell with that. The little discomfort was nothing compared to the reward she'd get once this went as intended.

Three months ago, she remembered Mila agreeing that the best birthday gift for her would be a chance to experience life outside the mansion. They both giggled while browsing through nightclubs where they'd go to get wasted. One caught their attention since it's far enough from the mansion and it didn't look cheap or sleazy.

In fact, it oddly reminded her of vampires and werewolves. "It looks like a place where I can find one." The child in her squealed at the idea. Aware that it's really impossible, she should simply leave their actuality to the world inside books but no! Logic ceased to exist when it came to her unexplainable fascination with these beings.

"Red's Fangs, who the hell would name a bar with that?" she asked her maid. Mila rolled her eyes back then and lightly tapped her cheeks. "Dear Prixy! Who cares about stupid club names? What matters is getting wasted or getting you to experience the real world"

Those words made her blush because she's aware of what she had been missing and the insinuation behind Mila's words. She'd be a hypocrite to say she wasn't curious to do so. Her knowledge about what's out there was from books or what she'd seen from movies. She aimed to change her ignorance of the dominion beyond her prison before she turned 21. She yearned to let her life begin by then.

"This is it Prix, the fruitition." She internally screamed as she waited a bit more. "I waited all my life for this, just a few more minutes won't be too much."

Mila and the guard had it going on for some time now. Prixy regarded herself as a patient girl when she needed to be kept quiet. However, she absolutely would like to keep her innocence intact for the right person and time. Mila's flirting style didn't sit well with her. Innuendos were never cool with Prixy. Call her old-fashioned, a naiveté or worst a shy virgin saving her first kiss till now but she'd never yield to carnal desires for the sake of it.

The memory harked back regrets to her. "I can never change my before but my now needs to be slightly different", she encouraged herself. As planned she sent her an SMS to signal the start of phase 2. She saw Mila pause her flirting to read the message. Her eyes secretly drifted to the bushes where Prixy hid and noticed the red messy bun veiled amongst the leaves. She winked at her direction and returned her attention to the target. As agreed, that's the signal to slowly creep out of her hiding place so she did.

Meanwhile, the guard smitten by her best friend failed to notice neither Mila's smirk nor the unsystematically concealed heiress who by now began walking like a duck towards the entrance. He uttered words that made every cell in the red-heads body stand. Mila replied with her own colorful verses too immersed in her role. "My ears, my poor innocent ears", she whined. "It's already hard work to try sneaking out but these two caused it to be harder."

"I heard enough dirty talk to last me a lifetime, thank you very much!" She reached the base of the metal gate flushed and a little not too innocent anymore. Not wanting to further tarnish her purity, she sent another SMS to inform her friend of her whereabouts.

The guard currently had his arms snaked around Mila's hips while his lips littered her neck with kisses. The maid giggled and bit her lower lip in response, egging him to continue with his ministrations. However, their necking was cut short the minute Mila's phone rang and prompted her back to the mission at hand.

"Would you look at the time?" The maid faked surprise to make it more realistic. "Hey! I have to go now hun, maybe we could continue this later?" Mila pouted and played with the guards tie, effectively melting him into a pile of goo.

"Come on Mila, you can't just leave me hanging like a rock down there babe," The guard raised an eyebrow at her. The maid ran her hands across his chest and undid the buttons of his uniform one by one. "Well maybe I can spare a few minutes and let my friend wait a bit longer, lead the way handsome." Wasting no time, he pulled her inside the guard station and out in the open.

Prixy tried to suppress a curse by covering her mouth with a hand. She never had a chance to witness her friend's antics upfront so this was both amusing and horrifying for her. She couldn't erase the image of her being undressed inside that enclosed guard house. She hurriedly hauled her ass out of the bushes and sprinted to where the scooter was parked.

The increasing volume of moans and grunts alarmed her. "The fuck! Can you guys slow down a bit?" Relief washed over her the instant that the engine roared to life. It drowned the lewd noises that echoed loudly in the darkness.

The low hum of the machine spiked up the embers of anticipation left dormant by the wait. ​"This is it!" ​ The silent scream reverberated from the depths of her soul. Without further ado, she strapped on the helmet to her head, seated herself and maneuvered the Vespa out to the open.

With full speed, she drove away far from her prison and whatever Mila and the guard were doing. Her hand trembled with exhilaration whilst the wind bit into her exposed skin but she didn't care. She continued driving like demons were chasing her. Maybe indeed they were but she wouldn't let them catch her. "So this is freedom?" she yelled to no one in particular, heedless of anyone hearing her since the road was empty except for her.

At long last, for the first time in her life she felt unrestrained, alive and careless. She could get addicted to this. "I'll do this again even if it kills me." She swore to the skies above and to herself. The night was young. She's driving alone and far away from her cage. It's high time to start living dangerously and she intended to savor every second of it.

Unfamiliar with this part of the town, she let a GPS app guide her and it pointed that in 5 minutes she'd reach her destination. "That wasn't so hard." Satisfied with the turn of events and her recently accomplished milestone, she decided to wait for her inside the niterie instead of the café next to it. She's certain that it may take some time for her friend to finish her business, so that's a more practical option than waste her time sitting idly.

At the time she arrived, finding a place to park proved to be a pain in the neck. Every nook and cranny of the parking area was taken but miraculously she was able to squeeze in between a black Corolla and blue Vios with the help of a security personnel. She handed him her helmet and thanked the man for his kindness.

The parking area was in a shared underground with the café beside it. She had to exit through a narrow alleyway that led to the club's main entrance. The long line of people waiting to be admitted in by a lanky man who manned the entry enthralled her but; the sight of the establishment's exterior robbed her breath away as she settled at the very end of the line.

The pictures on the internet didn't give justice to what she's seeing in the flesh. It reminded her of a Victorian themed house, the one with fancy metal fences and wall lamps. The moon was partly hidden behind the building which added an air of mystery to the ethereal aesthetic.

"Beautiful", she unconsciously whispered. "Indeed it is mi lady" a baritone voice scared the wits out of her as it suddenly intruded her musings. "Did I scare ya? I dint mean to hun I'm just concerned that ya stood there like ya died lookin at Red's." A burly bearded man who smelled strongly of something minty stood alongside her, his eyes wrinkled in mirth.

"I am doing fine sir, just a bit awed by its beauty," she explained and beamed at him. He appeared scary but there's something familiar about the man that made her feel at ease. "Aye, yer not the firs hun, ya new here? I haven't seen ya before." She nodded in response.

"Why dint ya say so! Lemme help cut yer wait short, need yer ID ya look too young to be in a club." She felt flattered with his comment but he didn't bother to correct it. Instead she handed him her driver's license.

"Whoah, would ya look at that! Yer turning 21 in three days," he boomed. "Happy birthday to you sweet cakes. Come er, Yer VIP tonight and firs drink on the house" He gestured for her to follow him. She was directed to a hidden passage at the far right side of the building. She emerged in the VIP lounge which was a balcony that overlooked the dance floor.

Loud music, colorful neon lights, the smell of alcohol, sweat, smoke and sex welcomed her the moment she stepped in. It's like another world. Chaotic, dark and alluring were three words she'd associate it with.

The facade of the niterie was a complete contrast to its interior. It's the same as what she saw in the movies but more enchanting. It surpassed her expectations and made her eyes grow wide in wonder. Its interior design was an artistic mix of black and red with an enormous sparkling disco ball as a centerpiece.

To the right, the speakers thundered to what seemed like the latest EDM track. Next to it, a black guy with corned rows and stylish braided hair, who she assumed was the DJ, expertly mixed in beats to create a hyped up version of the song.

The dance floor was packed with people, some were drunkenly dancing, a few grinded into another and others were almost doing the deed amidst the crowd. It was a clash of colors, lights and pairs without regard to gender, age and race. In the middle of them all, two equally buff males were shamelessly making out while their friends cheered them on.

The bar was situated to the far right where the sleek black tables and red leather couches were creatively scattered for those who only wanted to chill, drink and be merry. The same as the dance floor, it's full of people. There were those whispering to each other since the music was too loud to properly talk. Some were either necking or making out but one couple dared to take it up a notch. The still clothed girl sat on the guy's lap and was grinding her hips. Scandalized with the scene, she shyly averted her gaze on the circular bar island instead.

A short blonde dude manned the bar with precision, a ready grin plastered on his face. He didn't seem affected with all the blatant sexual acts put on show in front of him. Rather, he focused on serving the lone customers who sought refuge in his company. He chatted with a few of them as he expertly mixed drinks and took orders by himself.

Everything was new and like a sponge she absorbed all at once but still the thirst for more retained. The heavy beat of the drums influenced the rhythm of her heartbeat. The colorful lights goaded her to just give in and lose control. She felt so alive her chest was about to burst with so much happiness. "I love this and it hasn't even started yet.

I am finally here", she mused then hungrily took everything in.

Intoxicated with the overwhelming experience, she didn't notice that the clubbers near her secretly took controlled predatory sniffs of her distinct scent. Neither was she aware that it wasn't her expensive perfume that tempted them to reveal their true essence but that delicious caramel like fragrance that wrapped around her, nor did she realize that she's the only human present.

Oblivious to the numerous pairs of red eyes that glimpsed her way, she confronted the predicament on what to do next after recalling that Mila wasn't with her yet. In no mood to join the bedlam on the dance floor or worried to give an impression that she needed company, she scoured the area for any vacant spot and found an isolated corner across the lounge. Just perfect! She meandered towards the lone space until the feeling of being watched bothered her.

Hell-bent on not giving away the panic it caused, she nonchalantly scanned the chaos before her for the culprit. It's hard to distinguish whoever it was amidst the jumble of faces. Neither the darkness nor the dancing lights helped her. "Fuck! Whoever you are, don't you dare to approach me! I'd scratch your eyes out."

Dithered by the attention, she tucked a curly hair strand behind her ear and licked her lips. "Just fake it Prixy, you're good with this," she mentally chanted. "Don't let them find out that you're scared out of your wits." She squared her shoulders and strutted the remaining distance to the vacant table. For her, these gestures denied her supposed stalker the pleasure of seeing her cower in discomfort or so she thought.

It effectively masked her inner turmoil to any human being, if there were any in the club but not to those currently around her. The spike on her scent gave her distress away and this was too much for a fledging who had been eyeing her since earlier.

The strut to the table was brief albeit unhurried. Once settled, she maintained that air of nonchalance and arrogantly rested her chin atop her hand. Little by little, the discomfort vanished as bratty Prixy possessed her but the unsettling feeling that simmered inside her stayed.

Immersed in her pondering, she got startled with the sudden presence of a dainty waitress dressed like a bunny. "New here darling?" she cheerily asked and gently laid a leather bound menu on the table. She also pulled out a small order pad and pen then waited for either her reply or order. Out of habit, Prixy glimpsed at the name tag pinned on her chest. "Magenta." The name sounded annoying to her though it's a very common name that meant the color magenta.

"What's it with you?" It sounded more standoffish than she meant to but Prixy didn't care. Her nerves were on edge that her brain to mouth filter was non-existent at the moment. It wasn't fear that bothered her but repulsion. The girl had not done anything to warrant her that, so it irked the heiress to not understand her recent behavior.

"Oh! Feisty aren't ya? Keep that up hunny. You'll need it with all the beasties littered here. I'm Magenta by the way" She leaned closer to be heard. Too close that a waft of her citrusy fragrance invaded her nostrils. "​Is that Jo Malone Lime Baisl and Mandarin?" she asked no one in particular. "Shit Prixy, do you even have to think of that now?" Bewildered with her odd behavior or the way her brain functioned, she opened the menu and pretended to scan its contents while sorting out the chaos which was her.

Magenta detected the signs of rejecting vampire hormones, rather than forcing another attempt she opted for the last resort. "I'll get you a shot of the house's special brew for starters while you choose. It's on the house," she informed her. She dared to sniff her before straightening out. Her eyes were by now dilated with want, she wanted nothing more than sink her fangs into her neck and quench her thirst

On the other hand, Prixy took advantage of the aloneness to understand the latest incidents but the vibration from her left jeans pocket distracted her. She rolled her eyes in irritation, Mila messaged her that she'd be late for another 30 minutes. "That's it? No Explanation at all?" She's about to type in her reply when the waitress returned with a sickeningly intense acrid citrusy smell.

"Hi there hun! Here you go, Blood and Sand for the birthday girl" She leaned closer than earlier and her lips were curled into a seductive grin. "How'd you know?" Prixy tore her gaze away from her and focused it on the drink that looked like diluted blood. "Is it really what I think it is?" She shook the notion off her muddled head.

"Elliot dropped by to tell me about it hun? Go on try your drink" The bunny waitress explained and the same like earlier, she unashamedly sniffed her again. "So good," she moaned. Prixy snapped her head back to her face. Magenta finally had a chance to hold her gaze. Prixy was rendered hypnotized and unconsciously picked up the drink to sip a bit.

The waitress held her eyes in place and bit her lower lip in anticipation. "Go on drink it hun then you'll be mine." She nodded to Magenta and vaguely distinguished a metallic scent as soon as the cocktail was near enough. "Thirsty, why do I feel thirsty? Yes I am really thirsty". Her actions were cut off by a strong grip on her hand.

The waitress hissed with the sudden intrusion then whimpered after she identified the owner. "My my, Magenta this is getting out of hand. You ought to be punished for this." A gruff and sultry voice pulled Prixy out of whatever daydream she was in.

Magenta's lips trembled in fear and scurried away after bowing at the newcomer. Prixy longingly followed her with her eyes but was hit with a wave of confusion. She realized that her head was miraculously cleared out of whatever fog that plagued her earlier. "I'm sorry about Magenta, she's still new and young and that often causes her to get out of control." The last four words were laced with malice that it warranted her nosiness.

"Why..."The smell of woody amber and musky ambergris greeted her the moment she turned to him. Dizziness and heat began to numb her senses but she was perfectly aware of the man in front of her. Fitted out with a chiseled face, thick brows and plump lips, sexy long blonde hair scruffily tied in a ponytail, this man was the epitome of walking sin and she's not trained to fight attraction. Albeit his eyes were regrettably cold, the only drawback she could point out. They were like endless tunnels void of any emotion in spite of being gray. Even so, it ironically added to his sexiness. "God I wonder what's under those clothes'' Those words slapped Prixy back to reality. "What the hell was that?"

"My hand, can I have it back?" she demanded. His grip burned the skin it's on and it started to be too much. The roller coaster of emotions she went through this evening was already getting into her nerves. She didn't feel like being kind anymore. It threatened her sanity and loathed the state of her reasoning. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Well of course you can have it back." The man gently let go of her hand. He stepped back a bit after snatching her drink away and raised both of his hands as if in mock surrender. It was done so swiftly that she hadn't got a chance to protest. "Again I apologise for Magenta's aberrant behavior and for spilling some of the drink on you." Once having said that, only then did she discern the wet trail in between her breasts. It emphasized the size of her two mounds and now she felt naked in front of him.

"Fuck!" she blurted out of frustration. The man raised one of his eyebrows at her, mirth reflected on his reddish brown eyes. "Why are his eyes reddish?" she silently thought. "If it's okay with you, to compensate for the uh little incident" Prixy furrowed her eyebrows in wonder before he continued. "I have a spare shirt in my office and there's a small washroom inside that you could use."

Silence reigned in between them. Immersed in her contemplations and displeasure, she eyed him suspiciously. The man on the other hand remained collected and indifferent under her scrutiny. "It was not a little incident at all" She flipped a strand of hair out of her face since it's blocking her view. "But yes I'll accept your offer. I am not sure if the public toilets are safe enough to suddenly walk into." She searched for his face for any sign of irritation. Aware that her full brat mode was on play, it's a surprise that he's still strangely calm. She thought that this wasn't a good idea but fuck it she needed that shirt.