Miracle

Pt. 12

One Year Later: Lily's 25th Birthday

"All my single ladies, all my single ladies, all my single ladies, now put your hands up!" Cherry lip-synced the lyrics perfectly, strutting across the stage in ten-inch red heels, his hands thrown exuberantly into the air. Emily and I cheered him on from the front row. Coming to his performance tonight was the perfect way to spend Lily's birthday, and we loved watching him do his thing. We'd spent the whole day together: first, a pampering session at the nail salon, then dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town, a treat Emily had insisted on paying for because it was Lily's birthday. Cherry's drag show was the cherry on top.

The crowd was massive tonight. Emily, who made excellent money as a teacher and was playfully deemed the "richest" among us, threw a twenty-dollar bill onto the stage. "Our boy only gets the big bills!" she declared, tossing another one after it. I chuckled softly, shaking my head. A blonde man in the crowd stood up, yelling, "You better work!"
My gaze drifted to him, and for a fleeting moment, I was reminded of Alexander. They looked nothing alike, beyond both having blonde hair. I hadn't really kept track of how long it had been since I'd last seen him, but it seemed this time, he was truly serious about staying away. A year. Why was I still so hooked on him? I barely knew anything about him beyond his name.

His absence shouldn't affect me as much as it did. At first, I'd been deeply upset, but over time, I'd convinced myself I'd moved on. So why would he even bother asking me on a date if he was just going to disappear afterward? I quickly looked away from the blonde man, forcing my attention back to the stage.

Cherry had finished his dance and was now sashaying around, scooping up the money. When he reached our section, he blew us a kiss, a wide smile on his glitter-painted lips. Emily pretended to snatch the kiss from the air and tuck it into her purse, making Cherry laugh before he headed backstage. He was the last performance of the night, and as he disappeared, the audience began to disperse, people slowly filing out of the building.

Emily and I stood, then slipped backstage behind the velvet curtain. The other drag queens, used to seeing us around and knowing we were Cherry's friends, paid us no mind. We found Cherry sitting in front of a vanity, starting to take off his elaborate makeup. His wig was already off, his own red hair still tucked under a wig cap.

I hugged him from behind. "Good job out there, bae," I said, pulling the wig cap off his head. His red hair fell across his eyes, and he pushed it back, smiling.
Emily nodded as I pulled away. "I was thinking, since it's Lil's birthday, we could all go out for drinks after you finish changing."

I shook my head. "Girl, I can't go with you guys tonight, sadly. It may be my birthday, but I have work tomorrow."
Cherry pouted, rubbing a makeup wipe over his eye and leaving a smudgy mess behind. "That's cool, girl. I was going to wait here until Cherry got done, and we're going to take my car together to the bar. But if you want, I can walk you down to your car real quick so you don't have to walk alone."

I shook my head again, placing a reassuring hand on Emily's arm. "Nah, girl, I'll be fine. I literally parked right around the corner."
Cherry turned on his chair, looking up at me. His face was a hot mess of glitter and smudged makeup, but I'd never tell him that. "Are you sure you're okay with walking by yourself? It's dark out there, Lil." I grinned, wrapping my arms around my two best friends. "Yes, I'll be fine, guys! Have fun tonight!" I pulled away, and they gave me quick goodbyes before I headed back behind the curtains and out of the building.

The night air was cool against my skin. Outside, the only light came from passing cars and tall streetlights. I clutched my purse close to my body with one hand, my other hand already in my pocket, wrapped around my pepper spray. My mom always told me never to leave home without it, so I made sure to carry it whenever I was out. As I made my way down the sidewalk towards my car, I hummed a soft tune to myself.
Suddenly, I heard soft, heavy footsteps behind me.

Fear coiled in my stomach, and I picked up my pace. Unfortunately for me, the footsteps behind me also quickened. At this point, I was outright running down the sidewalk, panting, my breath ragged. I risked a glance over my shoulder, seeing nothing behind me. Slowly, I stopped, letting out a shaky breath. Satisfied that I wasn't being followed anymore, I turned back around to continue the walk to my car.

But I walked straight into a tall, muscular body. Its skin was a deep, blood-red, eyes darker than the night sky itself. Long, black, oily hair hung about its shoulders. It wasn't wearing a shirt, just simple brown pants. My eyes widened in terror as I stared up at the creature. My hand, still trembling, pulled out the pepper spray.

The red monster hit it out of my hand with casual ease, then let out a chilling laugh before leaning closer to my face. "Were you trying to run from me earlier, Lily?" it said, its voice a deep, raspy growl that sent shivers of pure ice down my spine. How did it know my name? The monster smiled, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

All I could think was...what the hell was this thing?