The sound called him, it was an unusual sound to hear pounding through the small town on a Saturday night. Douglas recognised it as a record in Marie's LP stack, T Rex. He rubbed his hands together, blowing onto them. Westle Lake was famous for it's cold, bitter winters, this one presently worst to date. Snow was piled high in corners blocking entrances to The Herbal remedy shop, the one that closed at winter from lack of supplies and the owners migrated to Canada. Snow and frosted leaves crunched under his feet as he headed towards the sound.
The sound belonged to a small little club with a french inscription in black on a gold plaque on the door. It read: 'Noir au sang, un pour toutes.' Underneath there was a thin gold letter box. The door slowly opened. Douglas stepped inside, he had his mind under control tonight; it was one of his good nights and the musky atmosphere of this place seemed to clear his mind. There was a large dim room, lit with dim red lights and draped with matching sheer satin drapes around tables and chairs. Impeccably dressed men and women sat scattered on the table, watching a Marc Bolan impersonator, by their expressions it was clear that this wasn't the act they were here for. Douglas slipped into an empty booth, no one had noticed his arrival. The boy finished and gave a bow that received limited half hearted applause.
"Now, Ladies and Gentleman the act you've all been waiting for!" A boy in a dark suit and a black tux stepped on stage. "My big sister, Lana Noir."
Douglas' jaw dropped to below sea level; Lana was the new girl, she'd been home-schooled in large mansion in Westle Castle up in the mountains near the lake but moved nearer to town to make it easier for the kids . The Noir family were infamous here, however Lana always seemed sweet and kind. She didn't talk much and kept her head down unlike her brother, Nicholas had left to do business for the Noir's in New York. Douglas figured the boy on stage was Ronaldo, Ronaldo and his twin Cleo were more subject to rumours. They lived at the Noir family home but didn't share the name.
The drum roll was long, a bit longer than nessasary.
Lana stepped on stage, the audience roared. Lana smirked, her honey hair hung in two pigtails that fell off her shoulders and down her back. She wore a black leotard and a sheer black skirt over the top allowing her to dance. Music started, it was slow and kind of opera. She held two sticks, she raised them into the air and twisted her wrists down until the sticks where by her legs. The upbeat music started. She scratched the sticks across the floor and they ignited.
Lana, quiet Lana, was a fire dancer. Douglas was pretty sure this was one of his hallucinations, but presently he did not care. Her and the fire performed an elaborate dance, by the time the music quietened one stick had extinguished. She stood still as the music stopped, she brought the fire to her head and enclosed her mouth on the fire. She took the now extinguished flame out of her mouth and slid it into the bucket with the other.
He thought through what he knew of Lana as she clicked two castanets. She spent most time with the pink haired AP girl, who Douglas believed to be called Valentina. Valentina was crazy, in the most polite way.
Lying on the floor, with one hand above her head, Lana lied with her palm facing the sky. She touched her palm with her ring finger and soon there were shrieks from those nearer the stage in the audience.
A massive grey and black snake slithered onto stage, into her palm and down her arm. She began to stand as the tail of the gigantic beast lapped against her wrist. Lana presented the snake to the audience, her eyes brushed past Douglas, carrying on and returning back to his face. Her jaw dropped.
"Douglas." She mouthed. Douglas smiled. The snake writhed around her neck. She returned to the ground, the snake still wrapped around her neck. She guided the snake into the air, it became straight like a plank of wood. It unhinged it's jaw, and turned it head towards her.
The lights went down as it lundged at her throat.
The lights shot back on, Lana was stood up. Blood lined her throat, she bowed to the audience and gave Douglas a glare that could curdle dairy. She wandered offstage.
Lana was followed by boring acts, so boring Douglas considered leaving. Thats when he heard the scream.
The audience carried on chatting, like this was normal. Douglas decided it was time to leave.
***
Douglas in the side -- played by Douglas Booth
