The curser on the screen blinked repeatedly on the blank page in front of Sakura. She had been trying to add a chapter to her book for weeks now. She was planning a release date within the year but at this rate she was sure it would be pushed further. She sighed and cupped her face; no, she wasn't terribly upset about the writers' block but she knew it was more than just that. She had hit a complete stop in her life. Which had been lacking a lot as of lately, social activity being the biggest issue. And her sexual frustration was not helping either. Sakura looked at the screen again and rolled her eyes, sitting here would not make the words appear any quicker. Pushing against the hardwood floor the chair moved back. She stood and grabbed her phone from her back pocket.

She had decided that being isolated would not help her creative juices flow and sent a text to her friend asking if she had plans for the evening. Without waiting for a response, she hopped into the shower. Knowing her friend, she would have already had plans of hitting the strip and go bar hopping. Looking for new and interesting things and people to do. Maybe meeting someone would help her with the final chapters in her book, she wondered what she could get out of this night looking for inspiration. Sakura laughed as she washed her hair and wondered if she would have to credit them in her author's note. She finished her shower and strolled towards her wardrobe. Sakura's friend had responded quickly and mentioned that they should meet up at a slowly dying bar for a pregame plan and then they would just see where the night took them.

Sakura replied with a short message and switched to her music playlist, turning the volume up and placing it down while she looked over her clothes. Sakura picked several outfits out and played dress up in her full-length mirror. At first, she sported a very short skirt and a plain top and some knee-high stockings. Sakura turned to the side and stuck her rear out and tried to display a seductive look. Maybe, Sakura noted mentally. She liked that look and it would attract someone's attention but she also wanted more choices. The second outfit was a tight-fitting dress that clung to one shoulder and exposed the other. It stopped at her knees and the fabric around the lower waist and back was mesh. High heels would be the last thing to put on if she picked this one. Sakura tapped her foot to the beat as she removed her clothes and picked up her next outfit. Her third pick was a slim pair of jeans and a notably small tank-top that exposed her shoulders with its thin straps and it rose up her stomach exposing the curve of her hips and naval. Turning from side to side, Sakura admired the way her waist and hips looked with her jeans hugging them lightly.

Sakura had decided that the third outfit was going to be her pick for the evening. The towel on her head began to slip so she reached up and pulled it away. Her pink locks falling in a messy birds-nest look around her shoulders. Now what would she do with her hair? Sakura wasn't much for actually styling her hair and mainly wore it in a bun or a high ponytail. Playing with it a handful of times before deciding to just have a lazy side braid would work best, plus it would be easy to let down if the occasion called. Sakura pulled and patted down strands here and there until she was fully satisfied, noting that she looked pretty cute if she could say so herself.

Now the other question she asked herself was if she felt the need to go the extra mile and apply makeup. She rubbed her cheeks and smoothed her eyebrows down until they were straight. Feeling a little more on top of her game she decided that minimal cosmetics wouldn't hurt. Sakura had stayed indoors for some long she was rusty at being feminine. She knew trying to go all out would only end in smudging wings, mascara dots, and lousy eyeshadow and foundation blending. She added light liner on her tear line and stopped with that. The black liner made her green eyes brighter and gave them more of an almond shape. Giving herself one more final look, she slid her phone into her back pocket, grabbed her purse and walked out the front door after locking the handle.

She thought about driving herself but didn't want to have to worry about getting her car home safely so taking the bus was her next choice. If she found someone to take home she could also take a cab home as well. Sakura sat silently and watched the trees zoom by and slowly fade into parked cars and buildings. Her friend had asked how much longer she would be, she wanted to leave shortly due to this spot having too little of a crowd. Sakura decided to call instead.

"I'm on the bus now," Sakura replied to her 'hello', "there will be plenty of crowds tonight, lets enjoy our first few drinks and act like we're friends."

"Yeah right, we're only friends because you make me look better." Ino giggled back.

"I don't think so, Ino-pig, you're my wingman to keep the weird ones away but I'll be there in a minute so g'bye." Sakura quickly hung up knowing it would only annoy Ino more that she didn't get the last word in.

Sakura thought that if they hadn't spent so much time together as children they wouldn't have been as close as they were now. They had a slight falling out when they were preteens over a boy, that lasted a handful of years, and they reconnected when they were almost out on their own, following their dreams and goals. The bus started making turns and once it was close towards the bar, Sakura pulled on the cord to signal the driver she was ready to depart. She had arrived at the bar after a short walk away from where the bus had let her off. It was still early enough that the sun wasn't quite setting and the bar seemed to look dirtier from the glare on the buildings. Long blonde hair draped around the shoulder of a skinny woman at an empty table with two full glasses of some orang-ish liquid.

Sakura snuck up behind her and placed her hands over her friends eyes and whispered into her ear, "two drinks and only one lonely lady, date walk out on you?"

Ino laughed and pulled her friend down closer towards her for and awkward upside down hug. She let go of her and Sakura took to the seat across from her.

"What brings you out to my neck of the woods tonight so suddenly, you don't do fun." Ino circled her glass with her finger.

"I have fun," Sakura slightly blushed, "I don't have to have a reason to come and see you." She didn't need to know that she was also out for some action.

Ino shrugged and took a sip of her drink and they went on talking about their plans for the evening. She had told Sakura that a few shots at each bar and if they were the ones who paid for their own drinks then they would leave shortly afterwards.

"If a guy doesn't buy me a drink within the first ten minutes then it's time to switch locations," Ino said after taking her only shot she said she would be buying for herself, "no girl should ever pay for her drinks if it's a girl's night out."

"But girls night out for you is, like, every other weekend," Sakura swallowed her shot and set the small glass onto the table and winked at her friend, "how often do you even pay for your own drinks?"

"It's always hit or miss, forehead, if you're around we may get drinks within the first few minutes of being there. Men tend to approach women with other women rather than a single lady sitting alone at the bar; the lady sitting at the bar is probably single for a reason." Ino smirked and set her purse onto the table and sat her money into a check book and stood up.

They walked to the next bar and chatted about new things going on about life and how their families were. They both lived alone since graduation and nothing special had really changed. Ino was still working on getting her master's in business, planning to own her own shop one day. Sakura was private practice at a hospital and writing on the side but not a soul knew about it. She wrote short stories online since she was a lovesick teen and didn't profit from them but she was doing her best to try and change that. Like Ino asking so many questions in class, Sakura was funding this herself and was going to put every ounce of her soul into this.

The women arrived at the next location and it seemed to be attracting more people as the night grew closer. The music inside was slightly louder and people were laughing and slightly dancing. Ino and Sakura went to a table and sat down, she had told Sakura that this was just the waiting part of their night. She mentioned her ten-minute rule again and they both smiled when someone set a pair of cosmopolitans down at their table. The employee said it was from a man sitting at the bar who waved at them. Ino was right, only being there within a few moments and they had already attracted someone attention.

"Wow, this guy is a total creep, ordering a lady's drink without so much as a hello or even asking what she wanted." Ino snagged the drink off the table and rose it slightly, acknowledging the man with a shy grin and sipped the girly colored liquid.

"Maybe he's shy or doesn't want to come off too despite." Sakura checked out the drink before tasting it.

Ino gave a half grin, said "whatever", and waved the man to come over and sit with them while they finished their drinks. If the man was nice enough for a drink on him than a little small talk would not hurt anyone. Half way through a conversation the man had received a call and had to leave. They thanked him and he gave Ino his number and hurried away. Sakura asked if she would ever give the man a call and she responded that she liked to have options. Once they were finished with their drinks they looked around the room and it seemed like they didn't see anything, or rather anyone, worth their time. Plus, Ino had already claimed the first number of the night.

They stood up and Sakura could feel her stomach getting warmer. She wasn't a big drinker and she didn't often mix lights and darks. She reminded herself to slow down and pace herself before she ended up being that girl having her hair held back, while she cried face down in a public toilet. She always found those "woo" girls annoying and didn't think that would be a way to someone's bed either. Or at least remembering going to someone's bed. She wasn't aiming for blackout drunk.

"Classes are so lame, no one asks as many questions as I do so I come off as some 'dumb blonde' because I take this crap seriously," Ino put air quotes around dumb blonde and rolled her eyes, "I mean, I'm paying for the class and have dedicated most of my life to school! I'll ask as many questions as I damn well please." She flipped her long, blonde hair over her shoulder.

Sakura laughed, she understood. Medial school was expensive and she remembered paying for extra lessons. The threshold of the next bar was high brass arches and big wooden doors. There was live music and many people standing and sitting around the outside of the building. The windows were steel shutters and they were wide open, making the whole inside visible from the out. It was pretty packed inside as well. The stage was filled with men and women playing instruments and singing well-known drinking song and people in the audience were singing as well. The door man checked their ID's and once they had the 'okay' they walked in.

The inside was lively with wait-staff and groups of people walking about. The women weaved in and out of people and finally found a spot to sit and avoid bumping into anyone. They both picked up the menus at the table thinking about getting something small to snack on since they would be out for a while and decided on three fried items from the side section. Ino had said it was a girl's night and they could get fatty foods and spoil themselves. Sakura lightly scoffed, she had been locked away in her room for so long that this fried meal was normal for her. She hadn't been out in weeks and the fridge was bare, so quick takeout meals and delivery were her regular entrees.

As they snacked the bar grew louder and more people flooded in. They were thankful that had gotten a table before all the spots were taken.

"We'll stay here for longer than normal, places with live music tend to get going once the place is packed." Ino munched on a fried cheese stick.

It was starting to get more difficult to hear. And their table was now getting bumped into more and more.

"How much more packed can this place get?" Sakura had to raise her voice.

"Girl, you should see this place on a Saturday!" Ino laughed, biting into her snack and then brushing the crumbs off of her mouth.

Watered-down whiskey filled only half of a foggy, glass tumbler while long and cold fingers clutched it. He watched bodies bounce and grind on each other as the music got louder and faster. The place was only half as busy as it normally was which meant slim options. Stoic features tried picking out all the faces in the room and it was still a strain to see them all. Less than an hour of sunlight left and then the lights from the bar wouldn't have to battle the reflecting rays. The bar was a massive building and the live music was only in the front, there were a set of stairs that separated the back room so people could drink without having to scream due to the volume.

Even if he weren't behind a barricade the music was just as clear as if he were standing next to a speaker. As annoying as it was it was still perfect conditions to keep coming back and bringing someone home. If you went to a bar alone and left alone that would set off red flags. Besides, having someone behind his closed doors he could fulfill two hungers. The man tossed a crisp twenty onto the bar and stood up, motioned to the bartender about paying his tab and tip and walked to the wrap-around patio outside. He now posted himself at a grated table near the front of the building, seeing into the live music room and watching. He checked his phone and didn't bother with looking at his missed texts from numbers that were not saved to his contacts.

The clingy ones were always the most trouble. He never understood how they managed to unlock his phone, using it to call theirs and then annoying him with reparative calls until they got the clue and stopped on their own or he made them forget. He never prided himself with bewitching women but if they caught on to what he truly was that would present future problems and at the moment he liked the time he was living in. This modern day was interesting to say the least. Summon a ride at the touch of a button, people bragging about their lives on the internet, hook-up apps as far as the eyes could see. He didn't have a personal social media account for himself but did use it to find out information on his prey.

He stalked in a twelve-hour time period, gathering their name and then looking them up. He made sure he was safe, over the centuries people had gotten smarter but also more insane. It wasn't hard to bribe a bartender into telling you who that "hottie" is. They were the ones who had all the real information on their patrons. They were friends with everyone or they knew almost everything the drunks confessed. The female bartenders were always harder to get intel from. In this day and age, they seemed to have a pack mentality and protected each other even if they were strangers. He had seen groups of women grab single ladies in risky situations and used their number to protect them. He had heard many say, "we go as a group, we leave as a group" and he couldn't blame them.

Sick people lived in the world and his kind was not an exception.