I didn`t have a choice. I knocked.
I banged and banged, but no one answered. I paced for a moment, hoping someone would soon descend the staircase. But when a few minutes went by and I remained alone, I became antsy.
I imagined Onyx and Scarlet kicking it up on the dance floor, drinking bloody drinks and gossiping about their nightlife activities. My new vampire buddies, Onyx and Scarlet. Why hadn`t I thought of them sooner?
I grabbed my cell from my purse. I scrolled through my Friends List until it hit Scarlet, then I pressed the Send button.
I waited for a moment for the phone to connect. There was so much concrete and stone surrounding me, it was impossible to get a signal. I raced back up the staircase and pressed the Send button again. Ring...Ring...Ring...
Come on, Scarlet, I said to myself. Pick up. I was sure she wouldn`t be able to hear the phone above the club music. I was just a coffin lid away from being back into the vampire club of my dreams.
Hello? a girl`s voice answered.
Scarlet? I asked excitedly.
Yes?
It`s Raven.
Raven. What`s going on?
I`m right outside the Dungeon door. I forgot my key.
I`ll be there in a sec.
A few moments later, the door creaked open and Onyx and Scarlet were standing behind the medieval-looking Dragon.
Each girl took me by the hand and led me through the slit in the curtain, past the crowded bar, and out onto the dance floor.
Strangely, the already dangerous and otherworldly underground club now seethed with tension. The clubsters who once appeared seductive and inviting now eyed one another skeptically, whispering in private meetings.
Onyx and Scarlet, however, seemed unchanged. Scarlet placed a skeleton key in my hand and closed my fingers shut.
This way you`ll never be locked out, she said.
But--
No need to argue--we`re here all the time.
And when we aren`t here, we`re together, Onyx added.
I placed my new prized possession in my purse before they changed their mind.
We were hoping you would come, Onyx said, leading me to the bar. Want some refreshment? Tonight is buy one, get one free. No thanks, I said.
My fantasy was to be a vampire--to live the immortal life, be seduced by the night, to love Alexander for eternity. What I hadn`t envisioned was guzzling down a goblet filled with blood as if it were chocolate milk. I can`t stay long tonight, but I wanted to pop in and say hello.
We`re so glad you did, Scarlet said. So much is happening. Arm in arm, we zigzagged through the catacombs. I tried to remember which path we were taking by making mental notes of the landmarks in the tunnels. We passed a girl bridled with passion, leaning against a tomb, her date kissing her on the neck. A few dozen skulls lined the walls. A group of clubsters were lying in some of the hollowed graves. Then I was distracted as Onyx began to ask me questions.
How was your date last night? she probed.
Uh...great.
We passed an enigmatic figure lurking in the shadows. A few votives lining the floor in an adjacent alcove next to the mysterious person cast a speck of light on a pair of motorcycle boots.
I glanced back as we continued to walk ahead. The figure remained hidden in the shadows.
We ducked underneath a sunken archway and entered a lounge called Torture Chamber. An electric chair, a rack, and a stockade were prominently displayed there. A huge circular wooden platform with half a dozen tables on it revolved ever so slowly. A freestanding bar, the size found at a wedding reception, was off to the side. We sat down at the only unoccupied table.