A Smile With A Bite. DNF

Part Eighteen

The nightclub was as busy as usual, crowded and loud with blinding disco lights and the strong smell of liquor and sweat and saturated perfume. George hated being here tonight. He felt more on edge than he'd ever been in here. Every tall guy with shaggy, dirty blonde hair made his heart race until they turned around and revealed they weren't Dream. George also kept his eyes on the outside of the crowd, looking for hunters that watched from the sidelines for anyone feasting on the dancers.

Schlatt didn't look like he had an ounce of worry in his bones as he strutted through the nightclub. He greeted a few folk, high giving them and shouting shitty nicknames to old friends that made him sound like a frat boy. George kept his head down. He wasn't here to fall into Schlatt's bad habits. He was here to make sure Dream didn't fall victim to said habits if he was anywhere around here.

"You obviously need a drink!" Schlatt yelled over the music as he threw an arm over George's shoulder.

Man, I wish he was still dead, George grumbled internally. Of course, he was never truly dead. He should have been though.

"To the bar or to the dance floor? Pick your poison!" Schlatt joyously shouted, throwing his arms up with a devilish grin. "The world is your oyster, my dear prodigy!"

George's jaw clenched as he glared up at his loathsome sire. He didn't want to give in to Schlatt's sick games, but he was starving. It had been days since he had some good blood and it was taking a toll on him. Maybe it was Schlatt that was making him so grumpy and impatient, or maybe he was losing it because he was starving. George didn't know. All he knew is that he had the most primal urge to sink his teeth into something and kill it.

"I need blood," George begrudgingly confessed.

Schlatt's grin spread and he brought George close, gazing over the dance floor with him. "What's your appetite tonight, Georgie? You want to find some poor, roofied girl and get a little high? You want someone that screams and fights so you can indulge in the killer beast inside of you? You want—"

"No!" George threw Schlatt's arm off of him and leveled him with a glare. "I need blood to survive, thanks to you, asshole! I don't want to prey on innocent people! I'm not going to hurt anybody!"

Schlatt's smile fell as a darkness took over his intimidating features. His jaw tightened as his eyes narrowed and all he could think about was how much time had been lost between them. George had lost his way. When Schlatt took him under his wing, he listened to him and he indulged and he was the perfect prodigy that Schlatt was looking for. He knew he would be. That's why he chose to turn him.

George was pliable. That's why Schlatt liked him. It seemed their time apart had wrecked that.

"Fine. An easy, quick meal to take the edge off," Schlatt said in a voice all to calm compared to the anger written all over his face. "Maybe that's just what you need to remember how things are suppose to be. Follow me."

Schlatt turned and disappeared into the crowd and George hesitated to follow, but he did. He took a deep breath, balled his fists, and weaved through the crowd to follow his sire. Schlatt moved until he found a pretty blonde, hound and drunk. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and locked eyes with her, hypnotizing her with his supernatural abilities that he loved to abuse. She giggled and nodded excitedly before wrapping her arms around his middle and following him through the crowd again.

George kept up behind them, looking over his shoulder just in case Dream was nearby. He hadn't seen him yet. Maybe he wasn't here tonight. Maybe he wasn't out looking for him.

"Oh, how good it feels to be home!" Schlatt hollered as he stepped into the alleyway that George was all too familiar with. He took the girl's face in both his hands and locked eyes with her again. "Darling, I need you to do me a favor or I'm going to fucking kill you."