I honestly try to ignore it, walking in the opposite direction than it’s pulling me. I’m not going to follow some fucking weird feeling anywhere, thank you very much. That sounds like a terrible idea. Like the beginning to a horror movie. The further I walk away from it, the harder it tugs, until it’s almost physically impossible to continue forward.
“Seriously?” I look down at my chest, expecting to see a rope tied around my middle, but nothing out of the ordinary sticks out.
I push myself ahead, and this time the invisible tether tugs insistently, begging me to listen and follow.
“I don’t have time for this supernatural voodoo bullshit.” I snarl.
The tether tugs in response.
“Okay, you know what? Fine. Fine! But if you lead me somewhere fucked up I’m going to be really upset.”
I heave a sigh, resigned to following this stupid tether wherever it wants me to go. It’s clearly not going to allow me to ignore it.
As I walk in the other direction, towards where the tether wants me, a sense of peace and calm floods through me. It feels like there’s warmth spreading outwards from where the tether is connected to my core. Like this is what I’m meant to be doing at this exact moment.
It leads me down different streets, telling me when to turn. After about twenty minutes it pulls me to a stop, right in front of Blood Rose.
“Uhhhhh?” I look down at where I feel it connecting to me, searching for answers.
It urges me forward, wanting me to go into the club. I’ve already followed it this far, I guess I might as well finish whatever this is. When I reach the door, I jerk on the handles but they don’t budge. I even try pushing the doors inwards, with no luck.
“What am I supposed to do now, oh magical tether?” I say snarkily. “Looks like the club doesn’t open for another hour.”
The tether pulls against me harder, knocking me off balance until my face smacks the door.
“Owww, fuck. That’s not how doors work!” I grunt, rubbing my tender forehead. It’s definitely going to bruise after that.
Apparently, whatever magical bullshit this is doesn’t care that I can’t walk through solid objects, because it yanks at me persistently. I literally have to brace my hands against the door to stop my head from banging into it again with the force of the pull from the tether.
Suddenly, the door swings open and away from me without warning, and I end up landing on my face inside the entryway to Blood Rose.
“Jesusssss…” I cry out, my hands and knees aching from my harsh fall.
“Do you not know how to read?” A bored voice comes from above.
My eyes trace up the feet and legs standing in front of me. I crane my head, trying to look at their face.
“The sign clearly says we open at eight. And it’s currently seven. But even if you can’t read, you’d think the locked doors would be a clue thatWE AREN’T OPEN.” The guy scowls down at me.
I thought I had the dark and broody thing on lock down, but this guy takes it to a whole new level. His long black hair sweeps along his shoulders, his grey eyes flashing down at me.
Oh! “You’re the bartender that helped Kip the other night.”
“No shit?! Really? I can’t believe it.” His tone is mocking. “The Kip? Wow. How did I get so lucky?!”
“And I thought I was an asshole.” I grumble, trying to push myself up off the ground. I hiss at the pain in my hands and legs, but manage to climb to my feet, rather ungracefully.
“Oh good, you’ve cleaned yourself up off my floor. Now, you can take yourself right back out the door. Good night.” The bartender begins to shut the doors, even though I’m still blocking the way. The right one bangs into my side, and the left one closes behind me.
“Ow, what the fuck, stop hitting me with the damn door!” I push against it, stopping it from ramming into my side again.
“You’re still here? What about ‘we’re closed’ and ‘get the fuck out’ did you not understand?”
“Listen, I have to be here okay? You’re a vampire right, so you know all about this supernatural shit? Well, there’s this tugging sensation in my chest, telling me I have to be here. I tried to ignore it but it wouldn’t stop.” A week ago, I would’ve thought what I just said sounded insane.
“Riggghttt…another weirdo who thinks vampires and magic are real. Now listen to me really good, I want you to understand what I’m about to tell you.” He begins speaking very slowly, over-enunciating every word. “Vampires. Aren’t. Real. You. Are. Cuckoo. Please. Get. Mental. Help.”
Damn, is this how I act when I’m a grumpy asshole to people I don’t like? Yikes. How is anyone friends with me? Never-mind, it’s not the time for an existential crisis.
