Within These Walls

Life After Dark: 24 (WTW Sequel)

Six Months Ago

I didn't know what I was thinking, coming out here. Flashing lights, deafening music, and bodies pushing against one another weren't my idea of a relaxing night. But Janie had us all convinced we needed this. Discovering Pablo and his prediction ability changed everything for us. We didn't have to rely on Janie and Willow to twist and carve our path for us anymore, usually at the expense of whatever poor human was in our way. We could get what we needed—food, shelter, clothes, cold hard cash—by having Pablo read lotto numbers. Enough to keep us comfortable without causing any suspicion.

Janie wasn't convinced we should settle for comfortable. She and the others had lived eighteen years sequestered in an underground facility where her every thought and whim was monitored and controlled by the people who'd owned her. They'd seen the same faces all their lives, eaten the same food, and yearned for the world they glimpsed on television. This Halloween bash was a representation of all of the parties they'd missed out on.

We all wore costumes. I'd gone with a caped witch's outfit with a black mask, although I'd switched out the skimpy leather shorts with black jeans. I wished I'd replaced the tight lacy blouse, too; I'd had a biker with hips that wouldn't quit hit on me in the last ten minutes since Marcus disappeared outside with Adam and Pablo—drunk frat boys picking fights drew Marcus like a moth to a fire—and a thick-shouldered Jason Voorhees had been staring at me from behind his mask while he leaned on the alcohol-teeming bar.

I turned my back on him again. Everyone I'd come with was having a blast, and I was acting like a complete loser as always. Hard to believe that holding a gun to my stepfather's head and commanding Jonathan Blaine to hand me the keys to his vehicles was easier than losing myself in a gyrating crowd of young party-goers, but no one ever said my life made any sense.

I caught sight of Janie on the other side of the room, standing in a circle of enamored people. My gut clenched with foreboding. I didn't like it when she got this way, drunk on power and willing to exploit people's emotions. The burning loathing she'd had for me had simmered to tolerance in the past couple of months, and it'd allowed me to see past her self-absorbed flair to the insecure girl who was afraid of being forgotten. It'd also allowed me to be worried for her. She could get hurt if she pushed the wrong person too far.

"A girl like you shouldn't be alone," said a voice close to my ear.

I whipped around to face the guy in the Jason mask and took a step back at his closeness. He was taller up close. He leaned down to continue, "Your boyfriend is an idiot for leaving you by yourself."

"I don't need anyone to watch over me," I responded curtly, searching for a way out in case I needed it. My skin prickled at his proximity. The bodies crowding us made it harder to move back again, so I tensed my muscles, ready to punch him in the nose and take off if he made a move. No sane guy would stand around in a serial killer's costume and stare at people.

It was hard to tell where he was looking with the mask on, but based on the way his head inclined downward, it was safe to say his line of vision was somewhere around my chest. "Why don't we find a quiet corner and get to know each other better?"

Creep. "I don't think so."

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist and held me in place. "How about one dance?"

"No,' I hissed, trying to wrench my hand away but his grip was tight and I could smell the alcohol emanating from the symmetrical holes where his mouth would be. The music washed over me in violent strokes that fueled my rising fear. I couldn't see Janie anymore. Marcus and Adam were probably still outside and Willow—well, she'd disappeared without a word when we'd first arrived. Probably off doing more secretive things as always.