Nightbound

Chapter 2- Life at the Party

I sighed with relief and ordered a Rusty Nail to down the feeling. I never drank more than two shots but tonight, with everything new and flashy around me, I think I needed to break some rules of mine as well. But not to that extend.

Remember what happens when you try to break the rules, Alexandra. Remember what your mother did to you.

Kristin seemed to notice what had gone wrong and she plopped herself beside me, silent for a moment. She knew the worst parts of my life since we basically grew up together. I moved to Seattle when I was five. My mother was a single parent and I had no idea who my father was. I still don't know who he was and no matter how much I tried asking her, she would deny anything related to him.

One day, on my 21st birthday, I had gone down to nearly hurt myself in front of her and she had relented to some ends.

You father and I spent a night together. I had you. I never saw or heard from him again. I don't think he even remembers me but whoever he was, he left a copy of himself through you. You look exactly like him. The only thing you got from me is my stature.

Suddenly Kristin squealed and I almost jumped from my thoughts. She rushed from her seat and hugged a woman who had just arrived. She was taller than Kris and when my friend detached from her, I found a pleasant looking woman with kind eyes, dark in colour matching her cafe-au-lait skin. Her hair was clubbed in a polished bob cut and she wore very posh and sophisticated clothes with a pair of vintage gloves in her hands. Her eyes found me and she sent a gentle smile in my direction, "Hello. You must be the birthday girl."

"Hey." I shook hands, feeling warm from contact with her gloves. It felt as if her skin was searing, "I am Alexandra but call me Alex."

"Vera Reimonenq." She introduced herself. Her top was an envious shade of lilac lace and she wore them with an ankle length straight black coloured skirt. Her appearance was stylish and so was the way she carried herself.

"It's so good to finally meet you!" I said, "Kristin has told me how awesome you are in the old ground here."

Vera took a seat beside me and replied, "She has bitten my ear off about you as well. Especially about your hair." She trailed off, glancing at my open silver length, "My...is that real. It seems like...moonlight."

I eyed her gloves, "They look gorgeous. Are they vintage?"

"I am not sure." She laughed, but it seemed a bit off, "I have a large collection. I tend to forget what they are."

Kris joined in, "Vee's a kind of glove connoisseur. Never spotted in the wild without a stylish pair."

Vera replied with the same chuckle but I noticed that there was a nervous edge to it. Her eyes insinuated to scan the crowd as if she was looking for someone...or trying to look for someone to stay away from. From what Kristen had told me, Vera was a native to New Orleans. She had left her city a few years before and had stayed at New York the whole time. Perhaps coming back here was bringing her some memories. I wondered if she was particularly interested in avoiding certain people of the past.

"So how are you two liking New Orleans so far? Seen anything crazy yet?" she asked, looking at me in particular.

Kris had arrived a day before me so she had some interesting starters, "Ohmygosh! Yesterday I was at this cabaret where I saw a guy getting paddled on stage. But the paddle was on fire!"

I slurped the last of the drink, "Well, nothing interesting in my part." Then thoughtfully I added, "I did strangely notice someone changing her face to something...else" I shook my head, "I mean I was probably imagining it but I saw a woman with pointy ears and weird vibes."