8

 After a few more repetitions of the chant, a loud bang sounded, smoke enshrouded the rave, and left all within four seconds. And with it, it took Praesul along with the return of the infectious beat that easily caught everyone back up in it. A lighter feel entered every person as, as they eagerly returned to dancing, and some started crawling up on the towers, dancing either on top or right on the ladder.

 

Mark and Joeseph were still on the outer edge, now smoking a homemade mix that they created themselves. The usual rush of the rave was being mutliplied through their eyes, as lights flashed faster, yet slower at the

same time. Colors were being born without borders, tempos became heartbeats, and the heartbeats were pounding.

 

With the two friends sat a third fellow classmate of theirs, Jeremy. As they continued to blow clouds of smoke, Mark began to roll in the grass alongside where Jeremy and Joeseph were sitting, for reasons only someone that has been under the influence could comprehend. Mark started loosing focus in the music and looked into the woods. 

 

All of a sudden the music began to dim, and the air of the woods began to speak. A wind blew through, and with it, a whisper. "Mark....."

 

Chills ran through Mark's spine, not of fear, but excitement. He looked into the trees, saw nothing, but heard the same whisper again.

 

"Mark....."

 

The excitement in Mark's chest grew stronger, and he began to be tempted by the sound. All he wanted was to hear it again, it was cool and like water, and his ear was thirsty for it.

 

"..... Mark.... Come here Mark...."

 

A bolder time, he could begin to recognize the voice. It was beautiful, serene, mysterious, and above all, tempting. All his mind could compensate was: go near. As he started to walk into the woods, he heard a mischievous giggle echo from his left, no, his right, now it was behind him, no, in front.

 

"Mark..... Where are you Mark? I can't find you...."

 

The voice was almost singing to him now, a melody he couldn't resist. He wanted to see where it was coming from. He needed to see where it was coming from.

 

"There you are Mark...."

 

Mark spun around, and saw where the music was coming from. In front of him stood the woman who had gave him his ticket, but there was something different about her this time. She was more calm, at peace, sensual. 

 

She came closer to him, an aura of peace surrounded her, she was peaceful and could do nothing wrong. She laid her hand on his shoulder, and electric jolts spread our from her hand into his his arm, and went straight to his heart, disillusioning everything. He saw everything with her, he couldn't imagine his life without her, he needed her.

 

"Please, tell me your name."

 

She leaned in, close to his ear, and whispered "Maive," before enclosing her lips around his. 

 

Mark couldn't control his heart, it was beating more than anything, he could only label it as one thing.

 

Love.

 

"Tell me Mark, what do you think of sucking?"

 

Excited more than ever now, Mark could hardly contain himself while saying ".... Please......"

 

Maive grinned mid-kiss. She slowly pulled herself away, but kept her hands on his head. She stared directly into his eyes, widened her smile.

 

Then, with movements faster than light, she shoved his head to the left, barred teeth that somehow became razor-sharp, and sunk them deep into Mark's neck. She bite once, then once more, while blood gushed from the open wound. Mark screamed from both horror and pain, now free from the trance he was under. 

 

Mark couldn't move, something wouldn't let him run, and something wouldn't let him scream. He saw the glow of lights from the rave not far away, he reached his arm with it, blood streaming down from it, dripping, and all he could do was make barely audible sounds with his throat.

 

Once Maive had drained Mark, she threw his lifeless body aside, stepped over it, and made her way to the glow of the rave.

 

******

 

Back inside the rave the four that were dancing began to grow tired, and went out to seek Joseph and Mark. 

 

"Well there's stoner head 1, with stoner head 2," Eve announced, pointing to two people among a small patch of smoke.

 

As they approached, Alex recognized the second person from school. Not Mark, but Jeremy.

 

"Where's Mark?" Alex asked a particularly no one.

 

"Dude he's right- what the f-"

 

"Alright enough of that" snapped Chris before Joseph could finish. "Now where'd your stoner head friend go?!"

 

"Dude I don't know! He was right here a second ago...'

 

Trying to keep a sense of peace in the situation, Clark added "He could've just wandered into the dance floor, we can keep an eye out for him, it's not like he'd be in any trouble...."

 

"Nah, we didn't come for any stupid dancing, he just came up to blaze it. He wouldn't go out."

 

"He was freakin stoned, as though he'd be thinking logically now," snapped Chris.

 

"So what? Do we look for him in the rave? Or what if he wandered into the woods? He couldn't gone far, we can just quickly check through," suggested Eve.

 

"Dang, why so dramatic? He'll show up, don't sweat it."

 

"Well we'll just keep an eye out then, alright?" Concluded a confident Alex.

 

"Fine." The comment didn't come from one person, but was more of a mutual agreement between everyone.

 

Outside the rave, not 20 feet away, stood the horror that could only be described as unimaginable. They stood there. Watching. Waiting. They could hear hearts beating. They could smell there sweat. Full of rage and fury, they just stood there. Waiting out for the signal.

 

*******

In the Blood Lair.

 

"How the hell could you?! You were told to kill NO ONE until the alert was sounded!"

 

Maive stood there, unintimidated. "I don't have to wait for a signal. I needed blood, so i took it. I wasn't going to wait for the Rots to go in and spill it!"

 

The old man that gave out the flyers stared straight towards Maive, in obvious anger. 

 

"That wasn't your kill to make, I haven't eaten, Praesul hasn't eaten, even your dahm Vixens haven't eaten yet!"

 

"Enough Drandrin! One kill won't ruin everything we planned!"

 

"Oh but won't?" The reply came from nowhere in the room, at least not visibly. 

 

Another blur of light and in entered Praeul, from the main door. A room of large height, wide walls, it could be called a dungeon. Above them was a large chandelier, and everywhere around them assortments of tables and stands, all barely visible in the dim light.

 

"The spirits inside the Rots are already angered enough, they will not take lightly to being pushed off as a second kill. But as the matter goes, what they don't know or what they don't find out won't bother them. It's but a mere mistake that can go unnoticed and without punishment. However, we do need the Rots to move in now. Maive, order some of the Vixens to run the Rots. The living spirits are high right now, we need to take advantage of that. We need to move in."