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Dark Temptation
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Dark Temptation
D. S. Molinari
Title: Dark Temptation. vol. I, 1ª ed. 2018, 2° ed. 2021
Author: D. S. Molinari
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
La Plata, Buenos Aires. 2017.
1
From the shadows
Johnny Elliot's fingers trembled slightly as he read that letter. He was still standing in the hall of his house. It was there where he had found it along with many other bills, which he forgot on the little table in the corner as soon as he read the sender of the last one:
33 rue Saint-Charles
92101 Boulogne Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine
France
Alanis, who was going down the stairs for breakfast, stood behind his father trying to find out why his usual mask of extreme impassivity had cracked like a wall of ice that had just been hit by a violent blow. She had barely managed to read a fragment — they already know it — when Johnny noticed her presence and folded the paper again.
“A friend of mine has passed away” he explained at his inevitable strangled expression. “I am sorry…”
After a deep silence, he retreated to his office under the stairs with three long steps.
Alanis heard the same sound of the key blocking the door she had heard during her seventeen years and knew exactly what that meant. Her father used to shut himself up every day to work in his private office —which she was strictly forbidden to enter — but when he locked it he wouldn't leave all day, even if God himself came to look for him.
“Dad... Are you okay?” She made a few taps on the door with her knuckles “Fancy a cup of coffee or something?”
“No Ali, thank you”. His voice was distant and devoid of emotion. “Don’t worry, I'll be fine”.
“ I'll be with Jess if you need me...” Alanis informed, resigned.
Sitting in the kitchen, Alanis reviewed the plans for that day while nibbling her last toast. It was not just any day, but October 31, which meant a big problem to which she seemed doomed while living with her father. Halloween was pure fun for all the normal people of Salisbury but for the former priest and religious fan Jonathan James Elliot was the climax of the world's demonic activity, the avant premiere of the apocalypse, something so heretical that the simple fact of seeing a child disguised as a vampire provoked an irrepressible verbiage of sermons of which his daughter was the only and painful listener. Alanis had tried unsuccessfully to participate in the collection of night sweets in countless opportunities and always ended up crying in her bedroom. The previous year, the discussion had resulted in her father locking her up after placing ridiculous protective amulets on doors and windows. Against Johnny's furious rigidity, Alanis never dared to ask him if a man with his studies could truly believe that his daughter was at risk of being kidnapped by a legion of demons. It was simply absurd, but she couldn't find another explanation for such exaggerated precautions that, moreover, were not limited to that day alone.
But this time it'd be different. She wouldn’t even try to ask for his permission. For several weeks now she had been pretending to complain about a colossal exam scheduled for early November. Since then, every night she locked herself in her room and pretended to be studying with background music. That night she planned to attend in front of her father a call to invite her to a party, reject it under the excuse of her study plans and add a dramatic "anyway my father wouldn’t allow me to go", to finish with a sigh, all worthy of an Oscar for best performance. The truth is that, despite the isolated tantrums, Alanis had always been a docile and obedient girl, educated with the strictest Christian values so it was unlikely that Johnny suspected the deception and went to her room to check.
What nobody knew was that the cause of this unusual rebellion had a name: Chase Bradley.
The phone rang at nine o'clock.
“I'm Jess...” murmured the voice in a bored tone on the other side of the tube.
“Hey! How are you?” Ali answered trying to get her voice heard until the office where his father was still held.
“Fine. I was calling to tell you that Lucifer and his friends are waiting for you here in his infernal chariot to take you on a diabolic ride full of orgies all over England...” joked Jess trying to delay the time in which she was supposed to communicate the invitation.
“Oh no, Jess... I'm sorry! I won’t be able to go. I´ve got a lot to study and the exam is the day after tomorrow” Alanis lamented in a very convincing way. “Besides, you already know that my father doesn’t approve those parties... And today we're not for discussions” a dose of guilt pricking her chest; she knew that was true, unfortunately.
“I'll wait for you at the entrance” her friend said goodbye. Alanis could almost feel her smile widening on the other side of the phone.
“Yes, maybe it's next... I really can’t... I'm sorry too... See you later”.
Jess had already hung up the phone by the time Ali finished her performance and hung up as well.
After eating a quick meal and offering his father in vain, she said goodbye to him behind the door and climbed the stairs, dragging her feet heavily. A couple of yawns provided the final touch.
Alanis ran to get a bag from under the bed as soon as the door was locked. She put the music a little high like every night and began her transformation. The relaxing Celtic melodies didn't match the chosen custom at all. A plentiful amount of black shadow and long lashes just as dark bordered her blue eyes. Fast waves here and there with the hot curling machine in her jet-black hair and a little bit of silver glitter sprinkled randomly. A short dress, tight by a Gothic corset and leather high heel boots that Jess's mother had lent her, all in black. And as a distinctive touch of color, she ended up painting her lips a more intense red than blood, which highlighted her natural pallor of skin.
A small peal of a stone rang in the window of the room. Her heart sped up at the same time that a smile was drawn on her face. It was Chase, waiting for her down there to help her escape. A second stone was thrown and Ali ran to the window. With a wave of her hand she let him know that she was ready. After checking that the computer was programmed so that the music would sound all night, she climbed out the window and climbed carefully to the nearest branch of the tree that grew next to it. She soon realized how impractical it was to put on her boots before leaving, but at that moment to have a dazzling appearance by the time Chase saw her was the only thing that seemed to matters.
Chase's hands grabbed her around the waist just as the boots made her slide. For a moment, Ali was petrified with her back to him and her hands in her mouth to suppress a shout. She could have sworn that golden eyes were watching her from the shadows on top of the treetop, but the vision lasted only a moment and then Chase turned her around.
“Trick or treat?” The boy crooned with a feline look.
“Well, it will have to be trick...” Ali answered with a defiant smile.
Chase's blue eyes scanned her. His gaze was like fire licking her skin. He squeezed her even harder in his arms and then pulled her violently towards him, stopping a few millimeters from her bloody lips.
“Better not...” Chase muttered sarcastically. “I don’t want to ruin your lipstick”.
He released her. Another impractical thing, Ali thought, mentally reproaching herself for that negligence.
The boy told her to follow him and started walking hidden by the bushes to the other side of the street. Now that his gaze didn’t cloud her understanding, Ali managed to observe Chase's disguise. He wore an elaborate jacket, knee-length, in electric blue, with intricate designs embroidered in golden thread. On his neck he wore a white scarf that covered his entire chest. He looked like an eighteenth-century man, except that, instead of shorts with pathetic knee-length stockings, he wore the usual black jeans and, instead of the even more laughable white wig with loops, showed his natural black hair, always messy with irregular tips that curved upwards. He claimed to be a vampire and showed Ali some fake fangs and red contact lenses he had in his pocket. Except for that detail, until now he seemed more like a prince. A prince of darkness.
“Here” Chase said once they reached the shadows on the corner. He opened delicately a black bag that was waiting there and took out some beautiful wings made of black feathers that hooked on the back of Ali's dress. “Now you are all a fallen angel” he assured with a smile.
“Do you think they look like this?” She joked.
“Of course... If the demons aim to tempt us, they must be very seductive, don’t you think so?”
Alanis felt as if those were her father's words and, for a moment, her smile disappeared. Fear and guilt assaulted her. She looked for the last time at her house, back there, with the lights of the windows and the street lamps bathing the front yard, and then she went straight into the darkness taken from Chase's hand.
Jess waited uncomfortably at the door of the The Cult nightclub, dressed as the innocent Tinker Bell she actually was. Other friends in common with Ali were with her, along with another boy she had never seen before.
“I'm Harry” he introduced himself. “Nice to meet you”.
“Very accurate” Chase pointed as he saw that the boy was dressed in Gryffindor attire. Then, without letting go of his hand, he dragged Ali inside the club and entered the crowd in the direction of the bar.
Ali was dazzled; totally amazed. She had never been to a club before. She didn’t imagine how many people could fit in there. That night, the explosion of color was exceptional due to the varied costumes that people wore: characters such as Jack Sparrow, Freddy Krueger, Cleopatra, Wonder Woman, a very skinny King Kong and the inevitable vampires, among others. The continuous shots of strobe lights, red, blue, green, white and fuchsia, jumped from one face to another and through the dark walls. The atmosphere became heavier and the sudden heat began to overwhelm Ali as she passed by sweating bodies that danced incessantly. Ali raised her face looking for the famous rotating balls made with small pieces of mirror. There were at least five of them. Immediately she noticed that the smell of alcohol was getting stronger, mixing with various perfumes and body moisture. Finally, as soon as they reached the bar, Chase handed her a glass of red liquid and she took it without hesitation. It was sweet but strong. All this was an overdose for the senses. Suddenly she felt free, forgot everything else and let herself be led to the dance floor by Jess, ready to go into a tide of fun and madness. Or, at least, that was what she believed.
“This is my night” Jess shouted near her ear. Even so, the excessively loud music didn’t allow her to hear well. “I'm going to tell it to Martin!”
Ali just put on her best surprise face and raised her thumb as a sign of approval. Speaking there didn't make sense. It was obvious that her friend's love was reciprocated to such an extent that, five minutes after she left in the direction of Martin, they were both intertwined in a passionate kiss. Then Ali knew that she had lost her for the rest of that night. Her gaze automatically went to Chase, who had been waiting for her leaning on the bar all the time. But he was no longer there. Desperately, she turned around in all directions and even stood on tiptoe to see beyond the taller heads. In the distance, hidden in the shadows of a lonely corner, a boy caught her attention. His arms were crossed over his chest and gold curls covered his face as he looked at the floor. His disguise — if that could be called a disguise— was poor but his black wings were really impressive. Then she noticed that one of them was broken and that there were missing feathers in a corner but even so she couldn’t help feeling envious.
“This is already boring...” complained Chase grabbing her arm.
“Oh, here you were!”
“I've been here all the time” the boy raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Well... What do you suggest?”
The corners of Chase's lips twitched and, with an arm around Ali's shoulders, he led her out of the club through the small door that said emergency exit. They went out into an alley. Now, Ali felt that the air was too cold. She got goosebumps.
“I know a place that will make you think that you just left a playground full of children...”
Ali's eyes twinkled with emotion.
The disappointment was not long in coming when they stopped in front of a mournful building that seemed abandoned, in an old street forgotten by God. There was no sign that there was a club. The uncertainty led her to think that maybe Chase would come up with the idea of taking the relationship a step higher and then she was offended by the idea of taking her to a place as frightening as if she were some kind of cheap prostitute. But before she could object, a door opened and the music escaped from inside the building as if Ali had suddenly regained her hearing, in an avalanche of confusing sounds.
Chase smiled and led her to the door. A tall, sturdy man like a tree blocked their way. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the street and he could see Chase's features, he pulled away like a dog about to be hit by a car and apologized.
“No need to apologize, Steve!” he exclaimed and gave him an even wider smile.
No doubt his charm used to open many doors, Ali thought.
Chase was right: this club was totally different. The intense colors of The Cult were reduced to red and black for the most part. The atmosphere was darker; the lighting consisted of a single intermittent white light that caused a discontinuous locomotion effect, as if everyone moved in a robotic manner. The ages also varied: although there were many young people and teenagers, adult people also frequented the place. Many of them looked like motorheads, dressed in leather pants and jackets, chains and strange haircuts. Ali saw two girls leaning over a table to drink from the same red cup. One wore turquoise blue hair and the other red as blood. Both wore attires so suggestive that her father would have crossed himself when he saw them. Their tiny skirts and prominent necklines bordered on vulgarity.
This time, Chase didn’t go to the bar but stopped in the middle of the crowd that waved their bodies to the rhythm of a more energetic and aggressive music. Ali thought that he felt more comfortable there; dancing that music, but all the boy did was sliding his hand behind her neck and kiss her. It was a surprise and passionate kiss that reduced her world to Chase. She closed her eyes and didn’t see or hear anything else... until something almost torn off her shoulder, if it wasn’t for Chase who managed to get her off in time.
Two men grabbed each other. One of them, the biggest, had thrown his opponent on a table behind Ali and, in the intermittence of the light, could be seen as a fist was raised in the air and the next picture was sunk in the face of the other man. Ali was scared but Chase's indolent expression troubled her more.
“Is this normal here?” She asked.
“Quite...” he replied. “But don’t worry, they know what they do. They won’t kill you if you don’t look them in the eyes”.
Ali couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was about to flee in t
error from that filthy den when Chase laughed and she realized that he was just kidding. Even so, she didn’t like it.
The menu of drinks seemed strange and the names repulsive: "pure blood", "venom of nephila", "dragon's blood", "brew of the seven demons", "serpent tongues", among others. If the idea was to give a diabolical aesthetic to the place they had achieved it. Her father would have convulsions if he found out that Ali was in that place.
However, she wouldn't stay there for much longer...
Ali saw everything as in a quick photographic sequence: a girl rising from the table with an angry expression; the same girl five meters ahead raising a hand; the young man she had slapped holding her by the neck; the girl raised in the air as if she weighed no more than a cat; another man jumping from the other side of the room and in the next second the whole congregation was on them. The flashing lights stopped and a faint red glow appeared in its place. Blows came and went who knows from where in a mob of angry people. They were like raging packs fighting against each other and it was evident that they wouldn't stop until they killed themselves.
Chase pulled Ali's hand to lead her out, skirting the crowd. They walked tight against the wall and had almost reached the exit when a young man roared in pain and blood spurted from his arm. Then one of the scantily clad girls that Ali had seen opened her mouth wide, showing huge, sharp fangs, the best she had ever seen. For a moment she believed that they could be real. A second later she confirmed it, full of panic as well as amazement, when the young vampire plunged them into the flesh of the wounded man. Ali let out a shrill scream and closed her eyes so hard they hurt. Chase lifted her by the waist and dragged her into the street.
“What was that?” She moaned full of horror.
Her chest rose and fell uncontrollably, unable to stabilize her breathing.
“Vampires, I guess”. Chase's voice sounded like an apology.
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