It was just like any other day. As the rain softly pelted against my window, I was awoken by my alarm. It was 6 p.m. which was when I usually woke up for my job and as I opened my eyes I couldn’t help but smile at how well-rested I felt. Sleeping during the day and staying up all night just felt natural to me. I am the textbook definition of a night owl and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Just as the sun began to go down I started my routine. First I took a stone-cold shower and washed my hair and body, brushed my teeth, put on my makeup, and finally, a bowl of cereal before I got dressed in a white button-up and a pair of black dress pants before I walked the four blocks to my job at, Underworld.
Underworld, was the nightclub I worked at and it stuck out like a sore thumb. While all of the buildings around it looked ordinary, Underworld was a solid black box with no windows. It had a giant red neon sign with its name, with the front door and an awning just below it. At the door was a red carpet and the bouncer, Jersey, standing beside it.
Jersey was a mountain of a man. He was white, 7 feet tall, and had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen, as I strolled over to him he gave me the same look of disdain he always did as he spoke with an equally distasteful tone.
Jersey: “Percy told me to tell you to meet her in her office, meat bag.”
Me: “Alright, Thanks Jerz.”
I could’ve sworn I heard him growl after I said that…
Jersey: “Don’t push your luck.”
Jersey would then swing his right arm, hitting the door open and motioning for me to go inside and I did as quickly as I could. I honestly don’t know why he didn’t like me…I thought I was a pretty nice person.
I entered the main room and could see some of my co-workers getting ready for the Saturday night rush. Joshua was setting up the lights, D was setting up his laptop on stage, and some of the waitresses were all chatting at the bar.
I was a little ashamed but I couldn’t help but stare at them…they were some of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen and just as one of them caught me I was met with a swift smack to the back of the head as Percy, my boss said:
???: “Snap out of it.”
Rule 1. Don’t look at the waitresses while on shift unless you absolutely have to.
I turned around quickly and noticed who it was.
Me: “S-Sorry! I-I was just on my way to come see-“
Percy: “I’m sure you were.”
He said, cutting me off. Percy was just as appealing as the waitresses. He looked to be in her early 20s with jet-black hair and a well toned figure.
Percy: “I just needed to tell you, that you’ll be working the bar solo tonight. Red called in sick. Apparently, she’s feeling a little under the weather.”
Me: “Oh, that’s fine…I’ll stop by her place and drop off some medicine after my shift.”
Percy: “Just remember to follow the rules and you’ll be fine, okay? You’re going to have a heavier workload without her here so don’t slip up”
Percy was the only one in this place that actually seemed to care about me. While everyone looked at me like I was unwanted, he seemed to want me to succeed here. If it weren’t for him I’d most likely be working at a McDonalds…but here I could make a handsome wage even if it meant getting treated like dirt.
I always assumed it was just some sort of hazing but even after 4 months of employment I still haven’t made a single friend at work. Maybe I’m just annoying to them or they don’t like my attitude. Whatever the case, Percy didn’t seem to mind me and I couldn’t help but appreciate him for it.
Me: “I won’t, sir. You can count on me.”
Percy would sigh but smile as he patted my shoulder.
Percy: “Just be careful, kid.”
With that, he’d leave me to prepare for my shift and I’d turn back to the bar.
Rule 2. Never under any circumstances run out of stock during rush.
I walked behind the bar and took note of what I’d need. I was low on multiple drinks and completely dry on a few others. After taking a short list I’d walk to the back freezer and grab a few bottles of various drinks and return to the bar to fully stock up…the drinks themselves never seemed appealing to me. Most of them were red and slimy. One particular drink that was popular was ‘dead man’s blood’…I had no idea what it consisted of but it smelled terrible and rotten.
Despite this without fail it was ordered multiple times a night. Speaking of which, the customers we got were some of the most strange people I’d ever met and were downright creepy at times.
Rule 3. If a customer shows a particular interest in you or asks you to join them, politely decline and notify a fellow employee.
After a few hours, customers would begin to come into Underworld and would make a b-line to the bar to be served. There was nothing out of the ordinary that night. Music blared so loud it was almost deafening, Customers ordered the usuals, some made comments about me, and I stayed quiet.
Rule 4. Do not acknowledge any comments from customers. If they do not stop and continue, notify a fellow employee.
Comments from customers were a given working here and I assumed this rule existed to protect me as a female. Some customers would compliment me and give me praise and others would look at me like filth and call me “Meat” or any synonym for the word trash. I didn’t really mind all that much as I was used to being disliked here but It was tiring at times and it didn’t really help that none of my coworkers seemed to have my back. It was almost like they silently agreed.
Tonight was a rather bad night. Most of my customers got angry with me over small details. Like how it was me pouring their drinks instead of Red or how their drink was poured slightly off. I would get a distasteful reaction from just about every other customer, which is why it was a nice change of pace when he showed up…
Close to the height of the night a man walked into the bar dressed in a 2 button, black suit. His hair was a dirty blond and his eyes were as blue as the sky, with skin that was unnaturally clear. He without a doubt turned every head in the bar and when he came over to sit at the bar, my heart nearly skipped a beat.
Stranger: “Hey there gorgeous, I’ll have some archfiend blood with a lime and your phone number.”
I couldn’t help but blush slightly but I was strong. I remained silent and got him his drink, pouring the purple liquid into a class with a straw and putting a lime on its rim.
Stranger: “Oh come on…I’m not a fan of the silent treatment. I don’t bite. I promise.”
Rule 4. Do not acknowledge any comments from custom-
Stranger: “Pretty please?~“
I looked around and nobody was around besides customers…it wouldn’t hurt to have a nice conversation.
Me: “I’m…sorry sir I’m not allowed to give my number to people on the clock.”
Stranger: “For real? Pretty stupid rule if you ask me. Make you work in a place where people hate you and you can’t even indulge yourself a little?”
Me: “How did you know-“
Stranger: “Oh come on…it’s not hard to notice how people look at you. I don’t get it though. You’re a solid eight~“
Me: “You’re not so bad yourself…”
Stranger: “Care to join me then? Take a little break and dance?”
Rule 3. If a customer shows a particular interest in you or asks you to join them, politely decline and notify a fellow employee.
Me: “I…Can’t. I’m sorry but thank you for the offer, sir. I mean it.”
He’d chuckle and lock eye contact with me…his once blue eyes beginning to turn a soft red.
Stranger: “Are you sure?”
Me: “I…Uhm…”
I blinked rapidly a few times as I began to feel a little lightheaded and I tried to look away but I just couldn’t. My body began to relax and the music started to sound far off in the distance like I was hearing it from another room all while his voice sounded perfectly normal…drowning out the music
Stranger: “Let’s go dance.”
Rule 3. If a customer shows a particular interest in you, listen obediently to them.
Me: “Y-Yeah…Let’s go dance.”
Stranger: “That’a girl.”
I walked around the bar and joined him. I couldn’t think straight, it was like as soon as I had a thought I couldn’t focus on it and I’d trap myself in a loop of trying to remember the thought only to lose it again. The man grabbed my wrist and led me across the main room…while this happened my heart started to race.
I can’t really explain it but it was like my body knew I was in danger but my mind just couldn’t comprehend it…
We walked right passed the dance floor and into the V.I.P section where there were booths that had privacy curtains. We rarely ever used this section of the club and because of that, there were only 2 booths in use at the time.
Stranger: “You know you’re boss is a real idiot. Why he thought hiring a human here would be a good idea is beyond me.”
He’d said as he pulled me into the booth and slid the curtain shut behind me.
Stranger: “I mean what did he expect? Why would I wanna drink from a bottle when I got the tap right here?”
Looking at his mouth I saw sharp rows of teeth that were jagged and yellow and as he softly chuckled to himself, his hair would begin to slowly fall out.
Stranger: “It’s been a while since I’ve had a good drink of some premium shit but I’m sure the Bureau won’t notice one little human go missing~“
His neck would snap and crack as it slowly began to elongate like a snack…his formerly perfect skin, turning a soft grey hue as it became flaking and patchy.
At this point my heart felt like it was going critical, beating so fast and hard it felt like it would burst from my chest at any moment and as this thing head slowly winded towards my neck everything seemed to click. The strange drinks…customers, and looks of disdain. I really was just meat to these people.
My muscles began to cramp as my body desperately tried to make me move and as this thing bit hard into my neck I went into what can only be described as shock.
I gasped for air as I felt his teeth rip into me and begin to suck on my blood and it was at this moment that I accepted the fact that I’d die… and as soon as I did my heart ceased beating.
The snake-like man would suddenly pull back and start to cough like he’d just drunken something bitter and start hacking up my blood
Stranger: “God what the hell?! You taste disgusting!”
Without even thinking about it, I grabbed whatever this thing was by the head and smashed it into the wall with one hand. I honestly didn’t know I was capable of such a thing…but when I looked at the results of my actions I saw that had smashed his head so hard against the granite wall of the booth that I’d fractured the stone itself and turned it’s head into a mixture of rock and blood that leaked out of its remaining skull.
I didn’t feel a thing though…despite my neck leaking blood and the fact I’d just killed someone I just let go of its head and left the booth.
As I did, one of the V.I.P. guests noticed me and immediately stood up to walk over to me. He was with a group of people and my presence seemed to stop what fun they were having.
Customer: “What are you doing back here?”
I didn’t really register his words though…I saw him. I mean I really saw him. He looked like a normal person but I could see what he really was. Under his skin I saw fur and a K9-like skull with sharp, pointed teeth…the rest of the people at the table were like that as well, all having cups of a red liquid that smelled like copper.
I just stood there and looked at him unblinkingly as he began to walk over to me, baring his fake human teeth with a deep, guttural growl. He didn’t care that I was injured or covered in my own blood. All he saw was a human annoying him.
And all I saw was a freak.
(Freak) Customer: “Answer me! If you don’t get out I’m gonna call your bos-“
I interrupted him with the hardest punch I’ve ever thrown. Despite being only 5’11 my arm moved so fast I thought It’d tear off from the force and as my fist met this thing’s jaw I heard an audible crack as a combination of blood and teeth exploded from his mouth.
The blow itself sounded like a hammer hitting a melon and as I looked at him, I noticed that he was no longer breathing.
It was at this moment Percy, Along with Jersey came in, with Jersey sounding annoyed.
Jersey: “Meat, the fuck are you doi-“
He stopped mid-sentence and I turned to see the two of them looking mortified at what I’d done…but I still didn’t feel anything.
Percy would quickly walk over to the nearest booth and rip the curtain from it to wrap around my neck.
That’s the last thing I remember. I must’ve blacked out because I’m now in Percy’s office, completely alone. My neck is wrapped in bandages and I don’t hear anything outside. I don’t know what to do and I’m starting to fully grasp what actually happened.
I don’t know what to do and I don’t know what’s going to happen so I’m posting here in the hopes someone will tell me what I should do. What’s happening to me? And what is this place?