Chapter 2

Theme: Radars Over the Ghosts of Chernobyl—Lights Out Asia


Terrifying dreams wrapped her in a sickening euphoria that left Juli nauseas. The medication had kept her just under the surface for hours. Hours upon hours she dreamt and wallowed in her pain. Sleeping it away, sleeping life itself away seemed to be the only antidote to her suffering.

Louis had left far more than a dent in her heart.

He was a bastard anyway…

She convinced herself of it. Over and over, she recited everything that made him a bastard. It was a personal creed, hit list, and testament for her soul. He drank too much. He stole money. He cheated twice. She forgave twice too many, but she had been so lonely. If she'd been a stronger woman, Juli would have kicked him at the curb long ago. The job…it took a toll. Rising to detective very young, Juli Kidman wasn't prepared for the burden of it. The faces of the dead haunted her. The foolish people who beat on one another left bruises on Juli too. Still, she gladly accepted the load and the pay raise. The pay raise meant a new car, new clothes, and a new life. It brought new stress.

Louis badgered her to work more hours. He took most of that pay raise and wasted it on another woman. Flowers, lingerie, paying her fucking rent…

How stupid she'd been. She let him live with her for nothing for eight months. It still killed her inside. It killed her when she caught him in bed with another woman—all because of a forgotten brown paper bag with her lunch in it. The bed was three weeks old. Juli had bought a special one to relieve his back pain; even though it had been so soft it left her with a driving pain between her shoulders every morning. She could vividly recall the empty feeling. That hole in her chest that went from breastbone to spine and punched out her back; leaving her gasping for breath and thought while she reeled from the blow.

Such a bastard… He'll get his. Karma is the great equalizer after all…

Shamefully, she'd taken to mauling herself for such a deed done to her in the end. After alcohol left her vomiting, and recreational drugs were not an option… Juli watched red jewels drop on her bathroom floor from her arms in a moment of utter weakness. Kindness for those who she knew would collect her corpse drove her to crawl into the tub, where she'd make less mess to clean. Cowardice drove her to fear tomorrow alone. Courage had driven her to pick up the phone.

I called Mom.

Mom… always the one person in the world that could be counted on to dial 911, and utter softly how proud she was that Juli had called. How proud she was that Juli had been brave enough to face tomorrow. How proud she was that Juli was her daughter.

I love you, Mom.

Her thoughts were suddenly muted, breath held in tight. Somewhere in the dark, she felt something cold and sharp against her cheek. She froze, a hind with an arrow catching its legs. The thumping of her heart in its delicate cage the only movement found in her form. It felt…comforting. Her head rolled to the side as it traveled down… Along her throat, against where a pulse was visible along her neck. It wandered further, a lost snake in a garden. Across her collarbone, down her breastbone it continued. Along the knoll of her breast, she sighed contently as the cold rolled against the swell.

It wandered further, and vanished at her navel. A mouth met hers, lips brushing as softly as a feather against those pouty and rouged edges. She lightly gasped as a trickle of breath heated her face. Then, a warm tongue parted her lips, like a hungry animal eager for blood after a long hunt. It tasted hot and fierce, her own mouth responding in kind so eagerly. It stole itself away sharply, fleeing the scorch of her mouth, leaving her desperate for more. Her spirit lashed out to break the surface to wake, only to sink back into the darkness of slumber.

She slept on, lonely for the touch again. Her Eros had fled into the night, scared away by the scalding oil of her tongue to his delicate wings.


The morning's light woke her to a new day. A day in a world she didn't want to be a part of in some ways. Other parts of her were stronger, and demanded that cowardice be put aside. Her eyes lifted open to greet the warm sunlight spilling in over her sleepless lids. When she focused, she sat straight up.

She wasn't in the hospital ward.

A very lavish room met her stare. Vintage wallpaper, the flooring was solid wood with sanguine rugs running under the bed and to the door. The bed she laid in, four posts and rich mahogany, bore a canopy of bright red with curtains running along. An older style, meant for privacy. White sheets and a black comforter hugged to her lithe form. It reeked of wealth and history down to the stitching on the blanket beneath her fingertips.

Where…am I?

Looking down, she saw that she was still in the hospital gown from the night before. After being admitted, she begrudgingly had donned the gown bearing the crest of the hospital over her heart. Juli had felt very silly wearing it, trading her badge for the near straight jacket. All over some guy…

I feel silly for being Juli Kidman.

A knock on the door, her head snapped in the direction of the sound, brunette locks flicking with the motion. Nervously, she answered the rapping with a shaking voice. "Yes?"

The mahogany door's gracefully long knob turned and the door opened. A balding man, well-dressed in black, appeared and offered a bow of his head before responding. "Miss Kidman, I hate to bother you. However, it is well past two in the afternoon. I wanted to wake you for a late luncheon before the cook left until evening meal time."

Juli could only blink, still stunned.

Am I dead?

The man continued in his bored drawl. "There is clothing in the closet," he pointed to the double doors across from the bed. "You should be able to find something more suitable to wear. Please dress quickly; Mister Victoriano insisted you be fed promptly."

Victoriano? The estate owner outside of the city? What the…fuck…

Completely unsure of how she wound up in the bed of the wealthiest family within a hundred miles, Juli nodded slowly to the man. "Thank you?" The door's clipped shutting caused her flinch. Confusion smeared itself over her face as she sat in the bed. The warmth of the bedding begged her to stay. A hand ghosted along her throat absently.

That dream.

The memory of something sharp…a mouth on hers that spoke more words into her maw than anyone had ever into her ears. The heavy ache in her chest burned itself out, and she put the memory away. With a heavy sigh, the woman crawled out of the bed. Trekking across the room, she fumbled with the knobs of the closet and opened the doors. The light within flicked on with the doors opening, revealing row after row of apparel. The tags were still on every article of clothing, all of it new.

What is going on? Who keeps an entire closet full of unworn women's clothing?

Something in her stomach sent a warning, the bizarre nature of her discovery shaking the woman down to her core. Still, she didn't wish to meet a Victoriano wearing…a hospital gown.

May as well take him up on his generosity…

Stepping in, she filed through the various pieces of clothing. The white stones of her fingers slid over textures and colors.

A lot of red…

Most of it, Juli recognized as wardrobe she could have never bought. Expensive pieces, for expensive women. A red shirt and black designer jeans won out for the attire of the day. Popping the tags, she stripped out of the hospital gown and stuffed it into the laundry hamper tucked in the corner of the closet.

I have to be dead. There is no other explanation. How else would I have ended up wearing a button down laméshirt made by D&G? This thing has to be three-hundred bucks!

Sliding the shirt and pants on, Juli was quick to head out the door. Bare feet pattered against the wooden floors. She had no shoes, and her toes were grateful to be spread for once. Greeted in the hall again by the man who had previously poked his head in, she offered him an awkward wave and smile.

"Hello again, Miss Kidman," The balding man seemed completely bored in tone, turning on a dime to face her. "If you'll follow me, and please… don't touch anything."

Juli nodded, brunette strands bobbing with the motion. "Okay."

They moved in silence, which she wasn't sure if she should be grateful for or not. Hands crammed into the tight pockets of her jeans, she elected to follow his advice of touching nothing. The faces of what she could only guess to be the Victorianos of the past greeted her with their silent stares from oil paints along the walls. The theme was somber, serious, and stern generation after generation.

He led her down the stairs, softly greeting a maid ascending to the floor above.

Juli glanced briefly at the woman passing, and then back to the man ahead of her. "Mister…Victoriano will be joining me? I have questions…"

"Of course you do." The unnamed man almost sounded contemptuous as he strolled off carpeted stairs onto marble flooring. He paused at the twin doors tucked beneath the flight of steps they had descended and a mate stairwell that serpentine in a counter motion. "I do not wish to speculate if he will or not. He did inform me of your…situation. I will try to do my best to answer what questions you have."

Juli nodded, casting her glance to the two men in attendance at the doors. They wore much the same attire as her mysterious counterpart. At a finger's snap, they both reached out and opened the doors. A long and dark hallway bathed in a foreboding red awaited them. Round yellow lights lit the hall in an almost ominous fashion.

I hate old houses. They creep me the hell out…

She hesitated to move until the man at her left started down the hallway. "I…I wanted to know why I'm here." Her feet fell in step with the balding man as they walked through. The doors closing behind caused Juli to glance over her shoulder.

"Mister Victoriano occasionally extends his estate, his skills with psychiatry, and his extensive connections to more qualified individuals in the psychology community to people who shouldn't have been committed to Beacon Mental Hospital. That place is overcrowded, old, and should be torn down. He speculates that the black mold and lead paint kill more patients than the quacks working there." A gray eye peered at her sidelong. "You needed to be in a real hospital bed, given time to recover and rest your weary mind. He doubted you would receive rest and adequate treatment for your stress while locked up like a wild animal. He is aware of your occupation and is very sympathetic." The man uttered, his tone holding the highest regards for his employer. Hands folded at the small of his back, he cast his gaze down to her. "You are very young for a detective."

Juli cast a skeptical glance toward the man. "I… I'm the youngest ever to reach it in Krimson City." She didn't like tooting her own horn, just being seen as useful and reliable. It gave her a sense of pride to have been the youngest ever in the history of the city to achieve the rank, though she was aware many had misgivings over such an honor. She kept her distance from the others, a career she had so looked forward to had turned into just a "job", where she was counting minutes at times until she could go home.

"You should be proud of your achievement, Miss Kidman." More doors opened, he extended an arm before him, palm gesturing toward the long table of the dining room. "Feel free to sit and eat. I must tend to a few matters."

Panic overtook her face. "Wait, I still have other questions."

"In due time, Miss Kidman. Please, sit and eat. There is no reason for you to starve yourself over inquisitiveness. Satisfy your appetite, and perhaps Mister Victoriano himself will sate your curiosity." With a gentle bow, the balding man departed the room through a door on the far side.

Juli glanced toward the table. Two places had been set: one at the head of the table, the other on the right hand side.

I can only imagine that the head seat belongs to him.

A distant memory of being kicked out of such a seat as a child rang through. Juli shoved it into a mental closet and sat down at the right hand side. She stared down at the setting before her. Too many forks, a spoon that looked to be made of bone next to the polished silver…Juli recalled her father always saying 'Just start with the outside silverware and work your way in.' The clock ticked on the wall, the only company she found being its sound.

A few seconds passed and another gentleman appeared from behind the door swinging wide open from the kitchen. He too was well dressed in black. It seemed to be the uniform for all serving in the estate. Tall, with a swimmer's form, he seemed rather young for sporting silvery hair trimmed in a dramatic blunt cut with a trendy slick to it. His chilly blue eyes held the warmest of expressions—a man that truly enjoyed his work. "Ah! Miss Kidman, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Nicholas, and I will be serving you this afternoon. Can I get you anything to drink? Wine perhaps? The Victoriano family's selection for their guests is extensive."

Her nose wrinkled just a touch at that. "Isn't it a little early for a drink?" Juli asked, pressing against the back of the chair as the man suddenly took the cloth napkin from under her silverware and laid it over her lap.

Nicholas "For some of Mister Victoriano's guests: No. Perhaps you would prefer a cola?"

The brunette nodded, feeling a little foolish in her naïve ways. "I…Sure."

"We do not keep a formal menu but the chef trained in France for many years. Would you care for Choux farci au Saumon de Tasmanie? Or perhaps Salmon en Croute?

Juli blinked. "Turkey sandwich?"

Nicholas seemed almost perplexed as he paused, and then laughed. "Of course, Miss Kidman." He was gone in twenty steps, the kitchen door swinging on its hinge back and forth.


Between bites, she asked every question she could think of to Nicholas.

"Mister Victoriano? Well, he's…thirty-five, quite the shut in. You'll never see him in the city, I'm afraid. He was something of an orphan, sadly. A shame what happens to men who lose everything but their money. Never married, no children…though he does have a pet dog."

Juli nodded at that as she chewed. Mouth half full of turkey with cheese, she had another question. "Does he always keep a closet full of women's clothing?" The tone in her voice hinted to curiosity of just how eccentric her mysterious benefactor was.

Maybe he parades around in some of them occasionally. You never know.

Nicholas ran a hand over his silvery hair. "Ah… No. That was a special request. Your sizes were found in the clothing you were admitted into the hospital with." The butler did his best to put things in the most delicate fashion possible. "He… personally picked all of it out. There should be an assortment of… other things up there for you. Unmentionables and so on…" He replied, clearing his throat.

Wait… this guy bought underpants for me…?

That caused a brow to raise high. "He picked out…" The sandwich was dropped on her plate, mouth wiped with her napkin. The words 'picked out' almost made her skin crawl. Something about that seemed so intimate. Not even Louis picked anything for her to wear. Nothing like that… He hadn't even liked seeing her wearing lingerie. The one time she had sauntered into the living room in a corset and stockings, he'd smashed her heart on the floor.

"The game is on. Can you move?"

Juli kicked that train off thought off a mental cliff before she imploded from anxiety.

Nicholas realized his error, already functioning as damage control. "This is the first time in a few years that he's offered to help someone that was admitted to the hospital. The last one was an older gentleman…a friend of his deceased father."

"Did he pick out panties for that guy too?" She slid the chair back, finishing off the bubbly soda before rising to her feet. "Okay, I have hit a new low." Cloth napkin dumped on the gold trimmed plate, Juli sighed. "This… this is a new low for me. I try to slash my wrists like a coward because I couldn't keep my boyfriend from fucking other women. Now, some rich shut in… basically sees me as so desperate and pathetic…" Fingers ran through her unruly brunette strands. "He doesn't have to date me to buy me panties." Hands slapping to her hips, she sighed. "And I'm stuck here until…whenever. My parents have to sign me out of the hospital… with Doctor Jimenez's blessing that I'm cured of being so depressed that I won't toss a toaster in with me into the bathtub. I am…a sad case."

The silver haired man stood. "Miss Kidman, I didn't mean for it to sound like that at all."

Juli's expression shifted to unbelieving. "It's fairly hard to misconstrue that sort of intention with such a purchase."

Nicholas pressed his protest. "No, it was for sanitary reasons. It was best that we just… buy everything you needed."

Concern lit her voice aflame. "I couldn't go back to my apartment?"

The butler bit his lower lip. His stare shifted toward the clock. "…Your apartment was sacked and you were robbed while you were in the hospital. The police have been informed and your parents have hired an attorney already."

That went over like a lead balloon.

He raised a hand as she began to protest. "Please, Miss Kidman. Our job is to ensure that Mister Victoriano's wishes are met. His wishes were that you are taken care of and allowed to recover."

Her hands went to her hips as annoyance raised high on her features. "So where is he? Where is my mysterious benefactor?"

"I… I'm sure he's busy working. Please have patience, Miss Kidman. Shall I escort you back to your room?"

Juli's gaze narrowed as her eyes scorched. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted out of the only person that hadn't tried to haul her away. The memory of something sharp in the dark burned along her throat again. Juli ignored it. Trying to retain some dignity, she promptly wiped away the two tears trying to escape. "Yes, please."


The clock quietly chimed a quarter past one. Juli hadn't expected her quarters to be…so dark. After her little angry bout of anxiety, she'd stripped and crawled into bed. Evening meal missed, Juli had a feeling she was better off not trying to eat something she couldn't pronounce the name of. Just as she had dozed back into the comfort of the feather pillow and another dose of medication, she froze.

Something icy cold against her spine, pressure forcing her tender flesh to dip under it.

Sharp.

Breath held, she lay perfectly still.

It moved, hazy and slow downward. Pressure lifting, it drug downward, slithering across taunt skin. As gentle as a lover's touch, yet bone chillingly cold.

Her nails coiled into the fabric of her pillow's case, back gliding into an arch. Dark brows knitting above shut eyes, Juli's breath hitched.

It slid over one spot near her hip, trailing a perfect circle. Round and round…a memory in white painted itself red in irritation.

A wanton moan lifted from her throat, nails digging deep into the fabric. A cry never heard in the halls of that sprawling mansion.

The sharp cold stole itself away, lifted from her skin and gone.

Eros was so flighty…

Juli's eyes lifted open under hovering lids. More awake, she swallowed hard. The chill left a trail that left a razor sharp burn all the way down her back.