The Battle of Our Minds: Flesh and Blood

The Storm

Brianna grabbed the edge of the door and pulled it open as if she was making a grand reveal. Suddenly, Everly was hit with the sound of pounding music and a wave of heat. Brianna playfully pushed Everly into the room. Light of all colors filled her vision, and she could barely tell the difference between the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. Everything was booming in music, filled with heat, and bathed in light – she was experiencing sensory overload, but the atmosphere was a paradoxical blend of repulsion and intoxication. As she looked around, she breathed in sweet, sickening air. Bodies filled the room, dancing wildly to indiscernible music. Maybe it was pop. Maybe it was rap. Everly had no idea. Everly tried to focus in on specific details, so as not to get lost in the wonder of it all. In the corner of the room, on an impossibly long white leather sofa, sat a couple kissing passionately. Everly tore her eyes away, feeling uncomfortable with their prominent public display of affection. When she averted her eyes, they landed on the bartender. He had bright green hair and appeared to be pouring a drink of the same color.

Absinthe?

Everly's heartbeat began to quicken. She'd never been in a club. But then again, this place wasn't just a club.

With a flick of his wrist, the bartender slid the absinthe down the bar and into the hand of a gorgeous girl, probably in her early twenties. Hopefully she was over twenty-one, but Everly wasn't naïve enough to believe that people obeyed the rules here. She wasn't even carded at the door. The girl had fiery red hair, hazel eyes, and skin so white, it looked almost translucent. She was curvy in all the right places and wore womanly seduction like it was her favorite accessory. She wore a suede red dress and black high heels with red soles to match. Everly immediately noticed her wrist. On the red-head's wrist was the same key as her own, but with a ruby in the center.

What is it with these keys?

She held her glass delicately in her hand, sipping and savoring it as if she was drinking hot chocolate. Everly cringed, knowing that absinthe doesn't go down nearly as easily as she was making it look.

That's got to burn.

Everly's gaze travelled back across the dance floor, now that her vision had cleared ever so slightly. People were still gyrating, grinding, and dancing on one another as if they were all under some kind of spell. Oddly enough, it seemed like they weren't in control of their own bodies...like they were puppets on a string, dancing to somebody else's song. Everyone danced alike, drank alike, touched alike...nothing was new. She saw dozens of young people, believing that they were wild, young, and free. In reality, they were enchained by something that they couldn't see.

The sickeningly sweet scent of the club filled Everly's lungs and the humidity from being underground was suppressive. She couldn't bear it any longer.

Does anyone else notice how repulsive this place is?

Everly looked around for Brianna and Jezebel. She even looked around for Wyatt. No more than five minutes could have passed.

Where did they all go?

For Everly, it wasn't just the feeling that she got upon entering this place. It was looking around, seeing people losing themselves in music, each other, and drinks. People were acting unnaturally and erratically. She'd never seen anything like it. She knew that people drank, but like this? This was more than alcohol. This was demonic.

A creeping feeling swept over Everly's body, sending chills up her arms. The texture of her skin was rough with goosebumps.

It was a feeling that Everly knew well.

It was a feeling only felt in dreams and in the hazy memories of childhood.

It was the feeling that she felt earlier in the tunnel, but tried her best to ignore.