How Far Down

"Walk with me to the end." He urges me on through the party's commotion. People are staring, laughing, and joking around us, behind us. They are consumed by bitterness, jealousy, or drink.

They frighten me. I'm afraid of their eyes and his. Afraid of his thoughts. His judgments. I'm new here after all, and I'm a star. At least that's what he told me. I danced like a dream.

He is focused and determined, and I try to keep up. We keep walking, ignoring the distractions, and eventually, we reach the balcony. He turns to me, a satisfied smile on his face, and says, "You see, you can make it through anything."

My sapphire dress drips through his hands on my back, around my waist, clutching me closer. I'm new here, I can't afford to keep a distance. I'm jumping in, I'm letting myself trust him.

We walk further out on the balcony towards the railing and my head spins from the wine or the height. I'm woozy but I keep my back straight and grip the cold metal bar with my pale hands. The wind catches my shimmering scarf and pushes my black curls off my face. I'm on top of the world.

"What do you see, Cherie?"

I look over at him and for a second I think I see his green eyes flash like the neon lights dancing below.

"Not me," he says. "Out there, into the abyss."

Though now I would rather look at him, his viper eyes, his sly smile, I pull my eyes away and look below at the crowded streets from the diamond suite view at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas. Flashing signs plaster every building, cars block the streets, their lights gleam in the afterhour grid lock. Holograms flicker in the sky with pictures of guitars and advertisements for the Hard Rock Cafe across the street. In their own mischievous adventures, people yell and scream. Everyone has a different reason to be on the strip.

I for one, came here to dance. I came here to be discovered. "I see people, cars, lights..." I stutter and pretend to shiver, though the August air is warm. He takes his arm and wraps it around me.

"I see that too," he says. "But what else?"

I panic because I think he's testing me. I was invited here, I belong here, I tell myself. I regain my confidence and look at the strip again. "I see success. I see money everywhere."

"You're getting hotter."

He casually kisses my neck and I hear him hiss.

"What did you say?" I look over and his eyes flash neon green again. I think I'm drunk, I'm hallucinating. My pulse quickens and I try to remember if I took my medication. I never forget to take it. Did I forget this morning? Is it the wine? The height?

"Do you feel like letting go?" he asks as he motions below. "How far down do you think it is?"

"What?" I slur.

"You see, people like them, they've got places to go and nothing's holding them back. I think you and I have places to go, Marcella, places you've never seen before. I'd like to help you find those places. I want to show you what life can be like without limitations or fear. I want to help you discover what you're capable of."

I hear him speaking but the words drift around in my head like a crossword I can't solve. I'm just a dancer, I think. I'm here to dance.

I stumble back away from the iron railing. My knees barely keep me standing. I turn around and see an empty diamond suite. Did everyone leave? My ankles almost buckle beneath my weight and in my confusion I can't take another step before I fall.

He catches me and bites my shoulder. It stings and I don't flinch, but maybe I can't flinch. I try to move my arm and hand up to push his head away from my neck but it's no use. I'm immobilized. I feel my body surrender to the weightless sensation as he lifts his mouth off my collarbone. Two long fangs hang under his lips and drip with venom. They retract and his tongue flickers at me like a snake. Scales appear on his cheeks in waves before he smiles and they disappear.