The Abide

Chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Greetings

    We had always been trained to walk with confidence and our head held high, but until quite recently (about 2 minutes ago) I wasn't sure what real confidence felt like. A wave of power crashed down onto as I took that first new step beyond those doors.

    Single-file line, our best smile presented, chested slightly poked out; yes, the experience did not phase any of the girls from doing what they need to do. My eyes shot over, without second thought, to the group of humans sitting to our right. There were four men and one woman. As my eyes swept from right to left a saw the different emotions drawn onto them. The first I saw was the woman. She was pretty, but she was giving herself wrinkles with such a serious look of distress. Her hair was drawn and held far from her face, allowing her oval-like face to be shown more. The next was a man whom's eyes seemed to be occupied by my fellow sisters' bodies. He didn't seem strong at all. More of a lean build to him, and it looked like he wore clothes too large for him. I lingered on him trying to figure out why his pants were too big and he caught me looking and got the wrong idea, giving me a wink. I quickly turned my eyes to a man whom's face was hidden in his hands. I could sense his anxiety and fear. I could understand those emotions, since he was in a place that altered his realty. All of their realties were altered, and thinking about it, so was mine now that I have a trigger. I knew he was at the very end of the group of people because I felt his eyes boring into the side of my head. I was scared to look at him, though. After I officially looking into his eyes I know the new realty will sink in, and I wasn't ready yet.

    So, instead I turned to the fourth man. He looked incredibly calm. Almost an obnoxious calm. It seemed as though he was putting on a show, like this was all no surprise.

    Now, there was only one left to view. I was kind of hoping The Lead Woman would give me 'stick to neck' for being out of order, but she was right next to me, smiling as though she won a prize and was showing it off.

    I saw him.

    The moment I met his green eye I felt as though a huge body of water crash all around me. The sudden desire to go up to him, lift him by the collar of his shirt and press my lips to his and slip away was growing stronger and more intense each half of a second. I saw the desire in his eyes as well. He had the eyes of a hungry animal about to pounce. There was a small hint of a voice telling me to stay calm and don't move out of position, but the longer I had my eyes on him the weaker that voice became.

    His features weren't lost and blurred together like the others'. Actually, I think that might have been the clearest I've ever seen another person's face. He had a masculine build and large arm muscles that tested the sleeves of his shirt strength. His face had baby-like aspects to it, like big, round and bright eyes. I couldn't tell how many years he'd carried on himself, due to the mixture of man and boy qualities shown through his features. I'd guess anywhere between seventeen to, possibly, his twenties.

    As I was studying his from his brown hair down his strong shoulders and arms, I stopped at his chest, causing me to wonder if he had been marked as I was.

    "Dear guest of Vetten, I can only imagine how confusing this experience may be to you all, but that is why we are here," The Lead Woman began to say to the humans. She added a snap which was a sign for us to turn our bodies in a graceful manner to face the guests. My eyes never left my trigger's as she continued to speak.

    "My ladies have been trained to listen to their customers and, above all else, to please," her eyes snapped over to the human woman as she added, "we also have a selection of males we use on he rare occasion of beautiful women guest such as yourself. I shall have my youngest woman show you to your room and the men should be in shortly." She made sure to add as she addressed everyone, "You can have as many as you want."