The Corruption Within

The Corruption Within Chapter 1

The cloudless night sky of Washington state brought with it a biting cold that seemed to penetrate the clothes and strike at the core, in some people causing an uncontrollable shiver. I felt no such thing, cold was no longer an issue for me.

Despite my lack of a need for a coat, I still wore a thin black leather jacket, I had to keep up appearances.

The rest of my attire was comfortable, yet loose and allowed for ease of movement. Blue faded jeans, relaxed fit with a black belt to support them, a black V-neck t-shirt and black hiking boots finished the ensemble.

Standing around six feet four with short brown hair and matching eyes, I struck an imposing figure. My eyes however seemed to be normal, but whenever the moonlight caught the irises, a deep crimson red reflected back, penetrating the darkness like a beacon.

I was still struggling to understand and accept what had happened to me, but right now I had another agenda.

The moon was full and bright in the sky, a dazzling sight to behold, but my eyes were focused on the club sign ahead of me, bright red neon lights labeling the place as 'The Red Den'.

Crowds of people were lined up at the door, two very large bouncers standing guard. One of the men stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest, attempting and succeeding at an intimidating stance.

The other bouncer was going through the guest lists, running a gloved hand down the clipboard he held and occasionally glancing back up at the impatient guests waiting in front of him. With a nod or a slight shake of his head, he held the power of admittance into the club. Both men were well built, easily six feet plus and over two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

As I approached, the one with his arms crossed took notice, looking in my direction through thick sunglasses. Most people would find it odd that a bouncer wore sunglasses at night, but I knew the reason why, his eyes were just like mine. The man stepped aside, pulling open the velvet blocking line and allowing me to enter, dozens of guests beginning to cause a fuss at the door behind me.

As I moved into the club, the entrance was dark, almost to the point of not being able to see your hand. It took several moments of dark hallway before it opened into an amazing sight. Strobe lights of all colors flashed across the club, the most dominate of these being red, matching the club theme. The lights were dim but allowed just enough to see what you were doing clearly.

The music blaring over the massive speakers was a mix, changing every other song between Hip Hop, Dubstep, Rock and Pop. The songs had a strong feel to them, the beat seeming to pound in your chest and causing your body to move on impulse to the sheer energy in the place.

People were sorted into three categories, bar patrons, those who stood around the bar either getting drunk, trying to score a date or hanging with a few friends.

The Second group were those on the dance floor, dancing the night away in heated movements. Their bodies brushed together with sweat, passion, lust and joy all mingled into an overload of the senses like a blow to the face.

The third group were those sitting in the lounge areas, large circular benches with silky red padding that lined the edges of the club. Different groups of people sat in isolated sections, each their own world amid the roiling masses.

My eyes were drawn to a certain group that stood out from the others, all wearing black and deep red clothing. The group moved with a fluid grace few people could claim to have, at least...few humans.

They sat in a semi-circle, heads close together talking quietly. They occasionally would look about the room, hungry gazes settling on a random individual that stood alone. The group totaled twelve in all, five men and seven women. Half the women sat on the laps of some of the men, the other half seemed to hover on the edge of the group's space, seductive movements drawing the lustful stares of both men and women passing by alike.