Chapter Text
The incessant droning coming from the fluorescent lights that illuminate the campus library are what eventually pull Max out of her stress-induced nap at one of the many empty tables that occupy the space. As she slowly begins to regain her senses one by one she is hit by a wave of pain to both of her temples. Great. This again.
Max was currently in the middle of a particularly trying stretch of long days and even longer nights.
She brings her shaky hands up to rub her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the walk home to her apartment. Once her eyes unblur, she takes a look around, only to find that the library was a complete ghost town, save for the poor soul who is fighting to stay awake at the front desk. She looks at the analog clock on the wall beside her.
2:25am.
Fuck.
Haphazardly, she gathers her textbooks and various loose sheets of notes and shoves them into her backpack carelessly. After slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she rises to her feet and trudges towards the lobby.
As she passes by the front desk she waves to the attendant. “Goodnight.”
Her voice must have pulled him out of his trance enough for him to give her a nod of acknowledgment, but nothing more than that. She pushes her way past the double doors when she is hit with the brisk evening air that has been commonplace in Salem for a few weeks now. It shouldn't shock her senses as much as it does, but her skin erupts in goosebumps at the sensation nonetheless.
The 24-hour library situated on her college campus was a blessing and a curse. More often than not, all of Max’s freetime was spent there. Whether it was in between classes or her day off she always found herself gravitating to the library. Something about being in a public space rather than in her isolating apartment brought her comfort.
Frigid, piercing air floods into her lungs, making her a little bit breathless. The feeling is akin to how it felt when she smoked a cigarette for the first time a few years back, a satisfying burn that settled in her chest. Too bad the chilly air did not also bring along that light-headed feeling you get when you smoke.
Her legs were operating purely on muscle memory. The walk back to her apartment was like a dance, one she had performed time and time again. The winding roads of Salem that had once seemed so enchanting were reduced to nothing more than a means to an end.
Luckily, her apartment is only about a ten minute walk from the library, and considering what time of night it was, the roads were pretty quiet. Although, quiet roads aren't characteristic in Salem, considering its a college town and a weekend.
Max’s headache still hasn't subsided, her temples throbbed in time with the heartbeat in her chest, making it hard to focus on any of her surroundings. In an attempt to take her mind off the pain in her skull, she observed the foliage on the many trees that lined her path. Considering it was early October, the leaves on the trees had already morphed from their usual lush green color to something more similar to burnt orange, but Max’s days had been so occupied with school lately that she hadn't been able to truly acknowledge the change in seasons.
As she rounded the corner that led to the main area of town, she could feel the vibrations thrumming in her ears, coming from none other than Club Nocturne. She had never given the club much thought. She had just accepted that it wasn't her scene and moved on. Considering the library is the only place she has found true solace, a loud, crowded club didn’t seem like the kind of place for her to even bother checking out.
Even though she was on the other side of the street, the closer she got to the club the more anxious she started to feel. A stirring pit was beginning to form in her stomach, an uncomfortable squeeze to her heart was slowly beginning to tighten. What is my problem? Max thought to herself. She tried her best just to focus on the sidewalk ahead of her, hoping and wishing away the feelings swelling up inside her.
But something, no, someone pulled her attention away from the pavement in her line of sight.
The club was surrounded by its usual suspects, people in dark clothes with dark makeup, laughing and crowding around the entrance or sitting by the side of the road. Tonight, the club didn't seem particularly busy, she had seen it much more packed before, at least from the outside.
But something still felt off, like she was being watched, her casual walking speed had all but plummeted to a halt. She peered behind her, wincing, she mentally cursed herself for her own sudden movement, only making the headache she has been nursing pound through her skull harder.
She saw nothing, at least, nothing unusual in particular.
Now mindful of her headache, she slowly turned her head back around and took a few tentative steps forward, and guided her attention back over to the club. She halted her steps once again, but this time her icy eyes were fixated on the narrow alley that separated the club from the building next to it.
Her breath hitched in her chest, in that moment, she was not expecting someone to meet her gaze.
She could feel the telltale burning heat rise to the surface of her cheeks, she looked like deer caught in headlights, almost like she was frozen in place. She couldn’t will her feet to move.
The figure, or rather, the woman in the alley had an unreadable expression on her face from what Max could see, the bottom half of her face was blocked by her hand, which was holding on to the cigarette between her lips.
With only a street light illuminating the dark stretch of road, Max could only make out her most prevalent features. The woman wasn't by any means dressed scantily clad, but what she was wearing was mildly suggestive. She was gothic, her eyes were surrounded with dark and smokey makeup, her skin was pale, almost pearlescent under the glow of the street light. Her medium brown, just above shoulder length hair was slicked back, revealing the distinctive planes of her face. She had a black leather trench coat hanging off of her shoulders, under the trench coat she was wearing a lacy black and red lingerie top, which was effortlessly hugging her slim waist. The only things keeping her legs covered was a short black slip skirt accompanied by ripped up tights.
Max distinctly noted in that moment that she was beautiful , beautiful in a way she didn’t know existed. An almost otherworldly beauty that she wasn’t well equipped to handle.
Max can’t even begin to describe, better yet understand the feelings that are washing over her. She’s caught in a limbo between euphoria and something much, much darker, the latter is unlike any sensation she’s familiar with.
It felt like the sole reason Max was staring at her was because the woman had granted her permission to do so, like Max was at the will of her grace.
This all-consuming trance Max has found herself locked in only comes to an end when the mysterious woman breaks eye contact with her. She takes one final drag from her cigarette before letting it fall to the pavement, before crushing the remains under the weight of one of her chunky, patent leather boots.
The woman shoots Max one more, albeit devious look before disappearing completely, slipping further down the alley into the cool night.
In that moment, Max is finally able to tear her eyes away from the alley. Like the veil of her spell had been lifted. She let out a shaky breath, her heart was racing rapidly beneath her chest. She looks down at her feet, putting in conscious effort to move them, Max is relieved to find that she could.
Max felt out of breath, even though she did nothing to warrant that kind of reaction. She brought both of her hands up to either side of her heated face in an attempt to soothe herself as she continued her walk.
Then it hit her, the headache that had plagued her since she woke up in the library had all but vanished into thin air. The foggy feeling that was weighing her down had evaporated. What is going on? She questioned herself, but no answers were coming forward. How could any answers come forward? Everything she has experienced since waking up in the library has been inexplicable.
Relieved to find out she made it to her apartment in one piece, she scaled the flight of stares, longing to finally sink into the comfort of her bed. Once inside, she threw her backpack on the kitchen counter and disappeared into her bedroom.
It was dark, she stumbled across the room and sat down on her bed, punctuated with a satisfied exhale. She kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her jeans before getting under the covers and turning onto her side.
It didn't take long for all of her thoughts to flood back into the forefront of her mind. The most prominent thought of all being that woman in the alley. Who was she? Better yet, why did just a look from a total stranger have such a vice grip on her? It truly felt like Max could not shake off the feeling. Beyond that, how could her headache dissipate just like that? Like it never even existed? None of it was adding up…She didn't know what to make of the situation. She couldn’t figure out what all of it meant.
With the fleeting thought of that woman clouding Max’s consciousness, she finally trailed off to sleep. She hoped to regain some semblance of normalcy when she woke up in the morning. Considering everything she has experienced since waking up in the library has been anything but normal. Maybe that encounter didn’t mean anything. Perhaps she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Back at Club Nocturne, Jane finishes smoking her cigarette before stomping it into the asphalt below her. Turning on her heel, she can’t help but feel the corners of her mouth quirk up into a small smile.
Jane knew, even in her human life, that she had a very piercing glare. Most adults she encountered at that time in her life made sure she was painfully aware of it. She didn’t mean to have such an intense stare, it's just how she was, it was part of her. There was never much she could do to help it.
When she became a vampire later on in life, things like that manifested into what would eventually be her powers. Something that she once didn’t particularly like about herself would ultimately become her strength. Just looking at someone with the intention of what she wanted was enough to subtly control people.
Sometimes, it wasn’t even on purpose, she found herself doing it by accident. Although, that was in the early days. When she didn’t know how to control herself as well as she does today. These days, she is a much more refined version of herself. She is very in tune with her abilities, including what she could and couldn't do.
That's the funny part about vampirism, it doesn’t manifest the same in everyone. Aspects of your once human self play a part in how you will behave and interact with the world as a vampire.
It was a blessing and a curse.
It was a blessing because she has never felt such a strong sense of harmony between her mind and body before in her entire life.
It was a curse because it meant she had to rely on others to fill the gaps she couldn't fill herself.
She rummages through her bag until she finally grabs her keys, and flips through them until she finds the one that corresponds to the backdoor to the club. After shifting the key into place she grabs the cold handle and pulls the heavy metal door open. She is immediately greeted with the sound of heavy bass music and the powerful aroma of cigarettes wafting from the main room. Most people would find these sensations and environment to be very unpleasant, simply a nuisance that comes with going to the club, but to Jane it just felt like home.
Regulars and strangers alike turn their attention to her subconsciously when she opens the door, While Jane has never been super fond of the idea of so much attention on her, she pays them no mind and makes her way down the narrow club hallway and into the main area of the club.
It’s Friday night, the beginning hours of the weekend. It wasn’t overly crowded at Club Nocturne, but it was still quite busy. Considering Club Nocturne was only open to the public Friday through Sunday night, people were always eager to show up nonetheless.
Once in the main area, Jane scans her surroundings in hopes of finding her dark-haired friend. She had been hanging out with him earlier that evening, she couldn't imagine he had gone that far in the time she went outside to take a smoke break.
She wormed her way further onto the dance floor, she didn’t bother trying to call out his name. Even with his keen sense of hearing that comes with being a vampire, she hardly thinks he’d be paying enough attention to hear her right now. He was still nowhere to be found. She rolled her eyes and let out a huff, and began to retreat from the dance floor.
The only other place she knew to look, and now that she thought about it, was probably the place she should have looked first. The bar. With a clear destination in mind, Jane was on her way. She slipped past fellow club-goers until she was face to face with the bar.
Club Nocturne had a substantial sized bar. Even though it was a nightclub, the bar looked like it belonged in a fancy restaurant. What Jane liked about it was that it contrasted the hectic and energetic dance floor. You could actually sit down and enjoy yourself rather than constantly be moving. It was definitely her favorite place in the nightclub.
She raked her eyes across the bar until she finally spotted him, sitting at the end seat, talking to the bartender. “Found you” Jane muttered to herself while making her way over to him.
Once Jane was close enough, Her friend acknowledged her presence. His dark eyes shot up to meet her own.
“Jane!” he exclaimed, “What took so long? I thought you went to smoke.”
“Mike, there you are.” She exhaled, “I couldn't find you anywhere.”
Jane slinged her bag over the seat back and dropped herself down onto the barstool next to him.
Jane and Mike went way back. While they weren’t particularly close during their respective human lives, the same couldn’t be said about their friendship now. As vampires, they found that they actually meshed together quite well. For the longest time, it was just Jane and Mike. By default, Jane was used to being a lone wolf. It’s what most felt comfortable. She was prone to navigating the world on her own accord, not wanting to burden anyone with her presence.
It wasn’t until Mike found her that she ever considered teaming up with someone else. She would never be caught dead telling him this, but she actually liked having a shoulder to lean on. Even if that shoulder can be an idiot sometimes.
“Yeah, sorry. My ears were starting to hurt. Maybe I should have joined you outside instead.” Mike said.
“Well, actually it's probably a good thing you didn't, I think I may have scared someone half to death out there.” Jane admitted.
Once she said it, she noticed that she sounded a bit embarrassed, like what happened out there wasn't her doing. But it had to be, right? Why else would a stranger stop in their tracks with that look on their face? Jane couldn’t help but feel like something isn’t adding up…
Mike looked at her with a confused expression on his face, his eyebrows knitting together at her previous comment.
“What do you mean? Did something happen?” Mike asked.
“Um, I’m not really sure.” Jane's eyes started to wander away from Mike's face while she tried to think of the best way to describe the interaction.
She shot her eyes back up to him and grabbed his hand.
“Can we talk about this upstairs?”
Mike nodded, “Yeah, sure. But I won’t lie to you, you’re starting to freak me out…”
Jane didn’t waste another second. They both hopped up from their barstools and gathered their belongings. Jane proceeded to lead Mike through the barrage of people in an attempt to make their way to the back stairwell.
Once face to face with the stairwell door which had an “Employees Only” sign plastered on the front of it, Jane released her tight grip on Mike's hand. She then flipped through her keys until she found the one that unlocked the stairwell door.
With the door open, Jane ushered Mike inside, and swiftly locked the door behind them.
Once they ascended the first flight of stairs, Jane pushed past the door that led to the main area of the second floor of Club Nocturne. The second floor of the club has a similar layout to that of a hotel, it is made up of winding corridors with numbered doors.
Jane and Mike make an immediate right turn, quickly making their way to the end of the hallway.
As they approach Jane’s room, labeled with the number 55, Jane inserts the key and lets herself and Mike into her room.
There was nothing particularly unusual about her room, it served its purpose as Jane’s home away from home. She only decided to get a room at Club Nocturne out of convenience, considering how much time she spent there. Besides, when you have been alive for as long as Jane has, money is no object.
Once inside, Mike sits himself down in the chair accompanying her vanity. Meanwhile, Jane locks the door behind them to ensure there will be no distractions.
“Now can you tell me what's going on?” Mike says, his tone laced with urgency.
Jane tossed her stuff onto the bed and sat down. She brought her hands to her head, still trying to process how to describe the interaction that just took place outside.
“I dont know…it’s hard to describe. I thought maybe you’d understand.” Jane sighed.
“Go on…” Mike said, trying his best to coax the story out of her.
“I went outside to smoke, I wasn’t really paying attention, my eyes wandered to a girl who was walking…she was across the street. I was just watching her walk, but it felt like she could sense my presence, my eyes on her.” Jane said, her eyes darted up to meet Mikes.
“She looked over to me and stopped dead in her tracks, she looked at me like she knew me somehow.” Jane exhaled. “I have never seen anyone sense my presence before, you know how important it is to be undetectable in public.”
Mike nodded in agreement. “You’re right, it's a basic survival instinct. Streamlining into human society is what keeps us safe.”
“Then why was she able to notice me? Even if I was trying to control her – which I wasn't, she still shouldn’t have been able to know it was me doing it.” Jane was puzzled, nothing about the interaction made sense.
Mike sighed, “Are you completely positive you weren’t influencing her even in the slightest? Could your mind have possibly wandered far enough for you to control her on accident?”
Jane sat in quiet contemplation, mulling over the events once again. She knew exactly what it felt like to use her powers. She knew what it felt like to control someone. It requires at least some of her energy, or power, none of which she felt as though she used this evening.
“...No, I really don't think so. I guess, what I was wondering, was if you knew of anything like this happening to someone?”
Mike took a beat before responding. “I have never experienced something like this personally , but that doesn’t mean it’s never happened before.” Mike explained, “My best guess would be that you used your powers subconsciously.”
“Subconsciously?”
In all her years, Jane had never heard of such a phenomenon.
“Yeah, subconsciously. I mean, I can’t think of a better explanation. If it’s true that this girl was a complete stranger, there is no other reason why she should be able to detect you.” Mike conceded.
Jane was speechless, not sure what to do with this information.
“Were you acting normal? Do you think she could tell you were surprised that she could see you? Mike continued.
“Yeah, I think I acted normal, I played it off the best I could in the moment.”
Jane thought about telling Mike that she kind of liked being seen by someone, being really seen by someone. Sure, people acknowledged her existence, people knew who she was, but considering her status as a vampire, very few people really knew her.
Ultimately, she decided against telling him.
Mike let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”
Silence settles over Jane’s room. Mike is the first to break it.
“Do you want to get out of here? I think I’m about done for the night.”
Jane pondered on his offer, in all honesty it would be more convenient for her to spend the rest of the night in her room at Club Nocturne, but there was something so satisfying and relaxing about driving around at night. She decided to take him up on his offer.
“That would be great, you think you could drive me to my place?”
“Sure, no problem.”
With that, Jane gathers her belongings, and locks the door to her room behind them. Jane and Mike descended the stairwell and opened the back door to the noisy club. Both of them were hit by the cool autumn air as they made their way to the parking lot.
Mike pushed his windswept hair out of his face and reached down to pull his car keys out of his pocket.
Jane was by no means a materialistic person, but she loved Mike’s car, it was a 1970 Black Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It matched him so perfectly. Jane made herself comfortable in the passenger seat, and they took off.
Once on the main drag, Jane rolled down her window, yearning to hear and feel the wind howling in the dead of night. Something about it brought her peace. Neither Mike nor herself spoke a word during the car ride, rather opting to sit in comfortable silence. This was not an uncommon phenomenon for the two of them, when two people have known eachother for as long as Jane and Mike have, you eventually run out of things to talk about, just simply being in each other's presence was good enough.
Jane’s house wasn’t far from the club, in actuality, nothing she had or needed was out of fingertips reach at any given time. It was just easier that way.
Once they pulled up to the front of her house, Mike shot her a look.
Jane collected herself and wished Mike a goodnight, “Thanks for the ride, and for the advice, I should be back at the Club again tomorrow night after sundown…are you going to be there?”
Mike answered immediately, “Yeah, I’ll be there. Just come up to my room once you show up.”
Jane nodded and let herself out of the car, closing it behind her. She leaned down and looked at Mike through the car window. “Will do. Have a nice night.”
Jane trailed her way up the driveway and set foot onto the porch and unlocked the front door, letting herself in.
Once behind closed doors, she could hear the low hum of Mike’s car fade into the night, now she was left alone with nothing but her swirling, repetitive thoughts.
She trudged her way up the staircase, bringing her hands up to rub her eyes. It didn't matter that she was ruining her makeup in the process, she was too emotionally exhausted to care.
Once in her bedroom, Jane threw herself on to the bed and fumbled through her bag until she could find her pack of cigarettes. After locating her cigarettes and the nearest lighter, she brought the stick up to her lips, ignited the end of it, and took in a nice, long drag of the intoxicating warm smoke.
She replayed the night in her mind, taking Mike’s working theory on the situation into account once again. Something was pulling at Jane’s heart. She couldn’t will herself into believing that what happened was truly an act of her subconcious. Or at the very least, that couldn't be the entire explanation.
Upon further thought, the best theory she could piece together was that they experienced some sort of divine intervention. That possibly, some omnipotent force more powerful than the both of them was pulling the strings, attempting to intertwine them. It was scary, the possibility that Jane was truly out of control, or that she was somehow being forced to obey the will of the universe.
Although, there was something scarier than that lurking in the background of her mind. Jane didn’t even want to entertain the idea, but she couldn't help it.
A deep, hidden part of herself was excited by the situation she found herself wrapped up in.