Millie went missing three months ago. Police suspect the worst. Penelope refuses to give up.
When she finds the cryptic note Millie left for her, she finds herself on a wild chase through worlds she never thought she'd know. Through a love story tha...
A/N: I'm so damn excited for this entire scene (next chapter too). I hope you love it.
the desperate carnival aesthetic:
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Chapter 3, Part 3: Decent Into Madness
Walking into the nightclub was like walking directly into a fantasyland of horror and sex. Penelope had never felt so physically attracted to and terrified of a place as she followed Nina and Haley into a steel door, down a violently red staircase, through a thick red curtain, passed a muscular bouncer with the flash of student IDs, and finally, into what could only be described as madness. It was clever, really—a literal 'decent into madness'. She had simultaneously fallen into a rabbit hole, was whipped around by a tornado, and lost her innocence in a burlesque dance held in the middle of a full-blown circus.
Everywhere she looked she was met with the glow of the red lights—and there was a lot. From the chaotic sitting zone, the matching circus themed bar, the sleezy-but-sexy lounging area, and the checkered dance floor, to the traditional cabaret stage that stood in the middle of everything; it was all filtered in a dark red and a rich gold glow.
The stage was a whole other world in of itself. Blood red curtains surrounded the stage, revealing a lit up live performance with the club name 'The Desperate Carnival' up in lights up top. The loud booming music died with one last clash of symbols as the live band finished their set; the next performers waiting to set up in their spot.
"Holy fuck." Penelope breathed out; her eyes wide as she shook her head in a complete loss of words as she looked around at all the nameless faces surrounding her.
In the mirrors lining the walls along the chaotic sitting zone, she could see herself. Her backless crystal-sequin top paired with ripped, faded jeans sparkled wildly in the red lights above her. Each mirror was of a different make and shape—like a fun house, the mirrors distorted the images until she didn't know which one was reality and if there really was such a thing. Reality felt more like a subjective idea of concepts the longer she stood in the reality-warping club.
Nina grinned, grabbing Penelope's arm as she readjusted the black latex bralette under her jean jacket. "Right? It's sick."
Haley approached Penelope's other side, wearing a leather jacket over a large obscure band t-shirt (made into a mini dress thanks to her long, unending legs) with black thigh-highs to complete the look, "If you think that's cool, look who the next performers are."
As she spoke, the atmosphere suddenly dimmed into an eerie ambiance. The dangerous, erotic music started up slowly, gaining speed until the spotlights turned onto the two young women on center stage. Penelope took one look at the pink haired girl with the blonde on her side and laughed—amused but not exactly surprised that they were the ones on a stage.
The two of them together, however, she was admittedly shocked about.
Poppy and Chloe both wore skin-tight pastel-pink dresses and looked like something straight out of a magazine with dazzling gold jewelry all over them and heels that Penelope would have broken her neck in. With seductive voices and eyes, they made toxic stories of love and crime sound like a delectable taste of heaven.
"Welcome to The Desperate Carnival, Penelope." Haley grinned as Penelope laughed in awe.
"Let's go dance before the boys get here!" Nina shouted over the music, pulling the two girls towards the swaying and gyrating bodies within the middle of the dance floor.
Penelope wasn't a stranger to dances. Millie would pull her behind her every chance she got. The difference? When Millie was in the room, the focus could only be on one place—Millie. She was a natural magnet, and no one could look away from her pull... not that they'd want to, of course. She was hypnotizing and people loved leaving their realities to chase whatever fantasy she was feeding them.
The Desperate Carnival was like temporarily stepping into Millie's shoes; suddenly people were drawn into her circle like she was her. They danced with her. Not just around her or beside her; they were pulling her in, twirling her under the many blinking lights and dancing with her.
The girls grabbed her hips, laughing as they all found themselves synchronizing their movements, dancing like they were the only ones in the room. The more they tuned into their own little circle, the more people saw them—joined them. Sweating, losing her breath, and never wanting it to stop, she finally felt like she understood Millie a little better than before. She understood why Millie chased after it so often—the high. For once in her life, she felt a sting of regret—regret for living so dully.
It was like it clicked in place, this notion of 'living', and she felt oxygen flood into her lungs as if for the first time.
She understood why everyone was dancing, talking, and drinking themselves into an oblivion around her: because who wouldn't want to experience temporarily going mad inside of a madhouse? Who didn't want to lose themselves to the fantasy that promised happiness, joy, and fun?
Who wouldn't want to disappear into a fantasy like that?
A/N: I LOVE this fictional club. Like jeezuz. It's so sexy.
Thanks for reading! I know it's short, but I needed to break it up for suspense reasons. The next part (still at the club) is literally my favourite part I've written so far. Incredibly excited for you to read it next. The characters and the setting and the mood... ughhhhh. CAN'T WAIT. Might post early again I'm so exciteddddd.
