Exsanguinate (5 page)

Sheridan clapped her hands. “Okay, chicas. Thanks for the gal time. I gotta run. Speaking of getting lucky, that Tech One supervisor at Global Studios is oh so fine, and I don’t want to be late.” She winked at us. “Ya never know.”

“Go get ‘em Sheridan,” I cheered for her. “Maybe we’ll all get lucky tonight!”

Dakota put her arm around Sheridan, and we all clinked our bottles together in one last toast. “Here’s to true happiness, and may tonight be the luckiest night of our lives.”

Luckiest night of our lives, huh? Then why do I have a sick feeling deep in the depths of my stomach?

Sheridan picked up Stormy and gave her explicit instructions how a lady should act around male puppy dogs. She put Stormy down and Stormy curled up inside the doggie bed.

“They’ll be fine. If either of them is doing the humping, it’s her. Stormy always shows her dominance over him.”

Dakota spewed her cider.

“Okay, I’ll see you guys at eight in front of Margaritaville.”

“How will we know it’s you?” I asked her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be around.”

In unison, both Dakota and I sang the
dun, dun, dunnnnnn
music sound effect.

“Laters.” Sheridan waved goodbye as my front door closed.

* * *

“
S
o
… Dakota … when is the last time you went into a haunted house alone? Do you know if Sheridan has done it?”

“Alone? Never,” she snorted. “Are you out of your feckin’ mind? Those things are scary enough with a group of people and knowing the park employees can’t touch you. But damn, are you really planning to do this alone?” Her eyes bugged out of her head, alarmed at the idea.

“Yeah, I decided last year I was going to do this and prove to myself I could. How else am I supposed to understand how fear feels if I don’t test it out on myself? Need to immerse the senses kinda thing.”

Beano and Stormy ran into the bedroom and into my closet. Seconds later, they each had a bedroom slipper and ran out of the room. Stormy had a little more trouble with her slipper, but she was bound and determined. “Hey, what the … ?” Dakota and I both stood there looking at each other and laughed our heads off.

I looked at the sun setting further into the west. Time was moving faster than I wanted. “Thank the weather gods, it’ll only be down to seventy-five degrees tonight or else I would’ve frozen in this outfit.” I looked over at Dakota’s dress. “Aren’t you going to roast in that gown?”

“Nah, I’m going Polynesian – so I’ll be plenty cool.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her. My eyes begged for further explanation.

“Ya know, commando, bare-assed naked.”

“Seriously? Are you planning on finding a quiet, dark, abandoned hallway or room somewhere, Miss Dakota?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Her seductress grin exuded pure sarcastic wickedness. “Not only that, but there’s this guy who is going to be a zombie groom in the undead parade. He and I are going to try and hook up later.”

“Wait. What about that Ludovic guy? Aren’t you meeting him tonight or something?”

“Yeah, sure. He’s a great guy. I like him … a lot, actually. Maybe that’s why I need to back away from him. When it gets to the point where I think I’m really falling for a guy, I have to back out. I can’t get attached, cause I know I’ll fall hard. So, most likely I’m gonna need to cut bait with him soon. It’s just that damn cool Romanian accent of his, ya know? Kinda drives me nutty when he says my name.”

“Oh, yes. I so understand that. I love the way Roxas sounds when he’s all into me.”

Dakota smiled and clinked our bottles together again. “I’m pretty sure Ludovic is bringing his brother tonight though. When his bro tags along – they’re kinda weird, so I was hoping to ditch them in the middle of the night. I just want to enjoy a solid shag in some dark alley with no strings attached.”

“I’ll never be able to keep up with you and your fellas.”

“Hey c’mon, let’s get going.”

Dakota interrupted my morbid imaginations of a guy chasing us around wearing a mask and wielding a hockey stick.

“You’ve got everything already in the truck, right?”

I nodded.

“So let’s get rid of that green
I’m gonna puke look
about you, and into this cool costume makeup.”

“Okay, I’m getting nervous. You gotta promise me you won’t let me chicken out on meeting Roxas.”

We crossed our hearts, set into a series of dizzy handshake gestures, hip bumps and ended with a pinkie swear. It seemed like we added something new every year to the secret sister code and always laughed when we got it wrong. Tonight, however, we were on fire, and we got everything right. We were hot, we were young, and we were ready to live – even if I did have to wear butt floss.

D
akota
and I arrived at City Streets, got our Halloween Scream Night tickets, and heard a wolf man howling invitations to seek out the abominations behind the walls. We looked at one another and grinned with anticipation of wicked enchantments.

A snapshot moment in my life, the evening seemed destined for one of those nights to remember. Dakota seemed eager to get laid, and to meet up with one of her boy toys from the bar where she worked part-time. Me, I knew my life was changing drastically after tonight. It was as if a pivotal moment in our lives unfolded in a churning tempest of time. A portal, a window of opportunity to examine and explore the other side of life. If I didn’t take this chance, would regret haunt me the rest of my life?

Standing at the crossroads of going to meet the man of my dreams, the silver lining to my storm cloud, I should’ve been prepared … but I wasn’t. Instead, I couldn’t shake the dread building up inside me. I knew it was stupid to feel this way, but I studied fear, and losing Roxas was one of my worst fears. Sometimes these kinds of relationships don’t work out in the real world; could my dreams crumble to ash before me? Roxas and I had such an unbelievable relationship online. What happened if there wasn’t any sizzle or chemistry between us? Everything could be lost within an instant.

I tried to shrug off the weird ass undertow trying to ruin my night, and chalked it up to cold feet.

Dakota waved at her friends. We stood waiting for them by the candied cinnamon almonds kiosk by the stone tower. We walked back towards the Magaritaville restaurant to meet up with Sheridan. It seemed like an opportune time to get a head start on the night’s tequila consumption.

Dakota grabbed her peach margarita from the walk-up window cashier after I got mine frozen with a shot of Chambord. We sat down by the copper-patina wall fountain and waited for Sheridan to arrive.

Slurping a sip large enough for a brain freeze, Dakota winced at the icy shock to her frontal lobe. Recovering, she patted the empty space beside her for Ludovic to join her. Dakota’s date, Ludovic Zyryanov, came dressed as the Scream guy, not incredibly original in my opinion. His brother Edric, however, had put thought into his costume. He dressed up as Sherlock Holmes complete with the pipe. I was somewhat impressed.

Snogging her good, Ludovic grabbed Dakota around the waist and pulled her in close. Edric looked as uncomfortable as I felt. My eyes searched for a water hose to turn on them. He politely glanced away from his brother and sipped on his drink as well.

After my sister wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, I grabbed her arm, and whispered in her ear. “Hello, are you like gonna get a room with this guy or something?”

She faked laughter. I shook my head at her. I just hoped she didn’t do that to Briggs one day.

Edric studied City Streets as if he had never seen anything like it before. His eyes caught mine, and I smiled. “This your first time here?” Bright strobe lights reflected off his face as he nodded. It was cute to watch him be mesmerized by the energy of the night. I remembered my first Halloween event here. Edric’s excitement reminded me of how much fun this event truly was to those who didn’t know what scares lurked behind the walls.

Global Studios had a nightlife area separate from the amusement parks called City Streets, complete with restaurants, dance stages, designer shopping, and movie theatres. Sheridan, Dakota and I went clubbing, at the parks, quite a bit before I started my master’s degree in game design. When school started, that was the end of clubbing for a while.

Three bands rocked the stages throughout the City Streets that night and their music echoed off the lake across from the Hard Rock Hotel. Neon strobes cascaded over every surface. Spooky beacons, LED stage lights, special effects laser bursts, fog machines, you name it. Nothing was held back, and the result was simply intoxicating, or that might have been the tequila in my drink having an effect on me.

Every conceivable costume and disturbing combination of frightful ghoulie was out masquerading in the parks. This was the place to be. Some people were dressed in jeans with bloody t-shirts that said, ‘I’m Okay’ and other party-goers went full-out Hollywood gala style.

“What are you looking for, Cheyenne?”

I turned back and grinned at Dakota. “Oh you know – a tall, handsome guy with coppery hair, a vampire cape, fangs, and a katana.” I winked at her and laid down my drink between us.

Situating my hienie on the rock ledge, I tried to scoot closer to the bush beside me in order to provide some discreet cover. I needed to re-adjust the butt floss, and I didn’t want anyone to see what I was doing. The bush beside me growled and attacked me, pushing me forward onto the ground.

The next thing I knew, I was on my back scrambling the crab walk from my Jr. High P.E. class. My costume snagged onto a branch from the bush. In my haste to get away from the man-eating vegetation, I barely noticed when the branches tore several strands of mummy wrappings off me. Sprawled on the ground, in my high heels and Lycra, I sat stunned and completely exposed for the entire world to see. I must’ve looked like a roll of toilet paper left unraveled all over the bathroom floor, exposing the inner core of the tube. Mortified at thinking Roxas could be watching at this very moment, I hustled to get myself righted.

Dakota, Ludovic, and Edric howled with laughter. I thought for a moment Dakota might pass out since she snorted margarita out her nose, and it seemed to take her breath away. I looked back towards the fountain and saw the bush had already settled itself back into place, patiently waiting for its next victim. I so fell for the man-eating bush gag, and I never even saw the attack coming.

“GAH – bugger off!” I yelled to them. I sat on my ass, waiting for the cacophony to stop and for Dakota to compose herself long enough to help me get up. I tried to stand in my stilettos, but they made me look like a crab with roller blades trying to Zumba. I stuck out my arm to Dakota for assistance.

The bush got up from its perch on the ledge and offered to help me. “Seen any cute little shrubberies around tonight? You might want to take care for any poison ivy or Lily of the Valley. Especially take care around the fly traps.”

“Sheridan?” I peered into the bush, never having expected it to communicate, let alone speak with the voice of my older sister.

“Deadly – that is fantastically savage!” Dakota stood and clasped her hands over her mouth.

I gawked at both my sisters. Sheridan was dressed in a black bodysuit covered in branches and leaves. “Unholy hell, Sher, that is some serious bull shite. Look at you – damn that’s impressive.”

Sheridan grabbed my drink I’d left behind on the ledge and took a sip through a slit on her face cap.

“Here, help me before Roxas shows up. I don’t want to look like an eejit messed up like this.”

“Aw, but you’re such a cute little idiot.”

I smirked at her.

“Gotcha, lil’ sis. I had to come up with something no one would expect me to wear. So when I saw the backstage crew gearing up the other day, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”

Still not quite sure whether to be blown away or pissed, I tried to re-wrap myself where the gauze had torn off. “Well, you had an impact, that’s for sure.”

“Come on into the park and check out what I set up to scare people. I have a special bench area where we wired cameras to monitor the action. Global Studios has a few more of us strategically positioned around the park to scare people tonight. It ought to be epic.”

“So you’ll be scaring people all night in this costume?” Dakota checked out Sheridan’s leaves and branches. The entire outfit looked real, but it was fabric.

“Yes. It’s called a ghillie suit or something like that. Hunters and military personnel use them for camouflage. I can’t wait to study the stream later on and see how people, like you, fall for the gag.”

Hmm … I wonder if she’s videotaping us right now.