CHAPTER ONE: THE TWO WAY MEETING
Serena took in a huge breath and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to get rid of the sleep that still remained, her nightmare long gone after falling asleep once more.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Alright, already. I'm up! Go away!" She grabbed a pillow and threw it over her head to drown out the noisy alarm. "Stupid alarm." She muttered.
Giving up, she threw the covers off of her and rolled out of bed.
She turned off the alarm and drowsily made her way across the small room to the kitchen to grab herself a bowl of cereal.
The blinking red light on her telephone signified she had messages.
Serena stared at the message button, contemplating whether to press it or not. Lately all that that thing had in store for her was final notices… nothing especially in the realm of 'good news.'
"What the hell?" Shrugging in resignation, she pressed the button and then turned to put a spoonful of lucky charms into her mouth. Filled with just the whole grain stuff because she was now at the bottom of her box. The marshmallows were always on top. It was depressing how they disappear as one gets nearer and nearer to the bottom
"Message one. Five thirty-three P. M." the answering machine commanding automated female voice drowned the silence of the morning inside the small room.
"Hello, Miss Tsukino. This is the bank calling as a final notice. We would appreciate you calling back or visiting us concerning your situation..."
"Just what I needed to hear this morning." She muttered as tried to salvage the last of the marshmallows in her plastic bowl, continuing to listen to the monotone voice of the lady on the machine. "Well what was I to expect?"
"Message Two. Six o one PM"
"Hello, this is Robbie." Serena's head perked up with this. "Look, Serena, I hate doing this over the phone, but I can never seem to get a hold of you. This relationship just isn't working for me. Serena, you're great and all... but... you are always busy and I understand that..."
"Jerk." Serena said aloud with her finger pressed on the delete message button.
She then turned and sat down with her bowl of cereal and continued eating.
Oh well. I was going to break up with you anyway. You got lucky and broke the news first.
"Message three. Seven fifteen PM."
"Serena? Serena, are you there?" Pause. "This is your mother calling. Serena please. Listen to me. Come back home." Another pause. "We're sorry. I love you Serena. And I know your father does too. Well... Good bye, dear...and take care of yourself." Click.
"End of messages."
"Oh mom. Stop it. You're only making it harder on everyone."
Sighing, she continued to clean her bowl, then she got into the showers and prepared herself for the day.
Only after dressing in a short jean skirt and a black halter covered with a jean jacket, Serena entered the kitchen again. This time taking her purse and keys. Before leaving she paused at the doorway. She noticed her brown couch, in her small living room matching the navy colored floor, about the only thing that matched. Her living room at her dad's house was bigger than this place.
Quickly, she yanked her hair into identical buns, one on each side of her head. Her hair almost reached her knees, this was the only way to keep it to a modest length.
'My life is just crap. Why bother working?' She sighed at her self-pettiness and fervently wiped a tear that appeared and was sliding down her cheek. "I don't need this right now." If only someone would listen.
Finally she left with one last glance at her apartment.
"Thank you for joining us for breakfast, Mr. Shields." An older man, who looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, greeted Darien with a swift handshake.
"Please, gentleman, call me Darien. Mr. Shields sounds like we're at work." The gentlemen chuckled and they walked inside the brick building.
"So, how did you come about finding this place, sir?" Darien asked another gentleman that was standing on the other side of him.
"Oh, it's famous around these parts, especially for their bagels. I, myself, prefer their pancakes. Although, I had to recently cut back on them when I realized my cholesterol wasn't going any lower." The men smiled and walked over to the mousy waitress to have them seated.
The woman who seated them was quite ordinary Japanese girl who smiled slightly under the presence of five very important-looking men. She shyly walked away, promising that they are to be attended to momentarily.
Serena ran into the locker room that was also used as a back room for storage. She threw off the clothes she was currently wearing and slipped into the dress that occupied her locker. All the while muttering in obscene language under her breath about the traffic.
While she was tying the string to her apron around her waist, a familiar figure walked into the room.
"You're late."
"I know. I know. I'm sorry. I actually left early this time..."
"Look, there are some guys out there, and they're waiting for their waitress. I expect to see them satisfied. You are pulling on my last bit of patience, Serena." The elder woman said. Her fake nails scratching what Serena liked to think of as her wig. "Trina already took their drink order. Now hurry up and serve them their drinks."
"Yes, I understand." Serena gave a quick bow before scurrying out of the room and grabbing her notepad.
"How was your flight to Tokyo?" The older man to Darien's left asked.
"Oh, very uneventful. I took a nap along the way."
"So that's where you get your sleep. I heard you worked all hours of the day at your other hospital."
Darien chuckled. "Yes, I suppose they sometimes refer to me as a work-a-holic."
His mind wandered over to the menu. 'Ouch!' A sudden and strange spark trickled up his spine. His senses were on alert. What was that?
Serena walked out to her assigned table. She immediately noticed the five business-clad men siting around one of the tables, each studying the menu, every once and a while making a remark to send the other men into polite chuckles.
She smiled looking at the mostly empty restaurant. At least it wasn't busy today.
She waved with her free hand to a few waitresses as she arrived at her table. "Hello, my name is Serena, I'll be your waitress today..."
"...Are you ready to order?" Darien instantly stopped every thought, feeling the spark fill his body, and looked up.
This women… Something reminded him of… He could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.
She looked at each of the members of her table when her gaze fell on a certain pair of ocean blue eyes.
Her heart stopped and her pulse seemed to freeze inside her skin.
Is he looking at me? He looks like he knows me. Or maybe I know… him?
And then the worst possible thing she could do at that moment happened. She spilled the drinks. Right on top of the gray businessman's head.
That was when she snapped out of her gaze. Oh, no!
"I am so sorry, sir. I am really, really sorry." She quickly took some napkins and started to wipe the poor man off.
"That's okay miss. I'll just go to the bathroom...and get cleaned up." The man pulled away from the table with an obvious look of annoyance and made his way to the restrooms.
"Oh, no...Oh, no..."She muttered. This was definitely not turning out to be a good day. Definitely not.
She quietly excused herself to retrieve more napkins.
"Sere." Was all that exited Darien's mouth as Serena left them.
"Can you believe that waitress? She was a total klutz!" The youngest of the four men chuckled.
"Hey, she was probably just having a rough morning." Darien said casually while searching for Serena, after noticing that she didn't come back yet.
"What, are you sweet on her or something?"
Darien, in response, stood up and took his jacket, coolly swinging it over his left shoulder. He turned and left, but not without winking at the other men.
"Man, that is the most secretive guy I have ever met." The youngest man then turned around and the gentlemen continued their conversations.
Serena walked quietly into the kitchen, quickly glancing around for...
"Serena." Too late.
Serena's boss, Ms. Tanner, stood with her arms crossed, her position totally contradicted her voice, which was calm and quiet. But as the saying goes, 'The calm before the storm.'
"Serena you are FIRED!" Her last word echoed in the kitchen where a few cooks and a waitress looked on with interest.
"Serena I expect you to hang up your clothes and get the hell out of here. You have caused enough trouble as it is. I don't see why I didn't fire you a long time ago."
"I understand, Ms. Tanner." Serena sulked out of the room.
"You may pick up your last paycheck tomorrow." The lady added as an afterthought.
Serena closed the door to the locker/storage room and quickly got dressed. When she finished, she closed the locker's door and exited through the back entrance, forcing her body to travel all the way around the building, only stopping once to let out an aggravated sigh and punched the wall with her fist, not enough to hurt it of course… she didn't want a broken wrist on top of whatever the hell day she was having.
Darien walked outside of the small restaurant. His whole body felt on fire. His adrenaline pulsated with excitement throughout his system with the knowledge of seeing what his princess looked like after so long.
As he rounded the corner he felt a mass seemingly bump into his chest.
Startled, he looked down and noticed two very familiar meatballs.
"I'm sorry, sir." Serena sputtered out. 'Break up with my boyfriend, get fired, now I'm running into people! I need a bubble bath. And some amazing chocolate.'
"Sereni... Serena?" Was all the man sputtered out. Curious to how the man knew her name, she looked up.
Immediately she recognized him as the man she was serving earlier.
Serena managed to say the first thing that came into her mind. "Excuse me, but aren't you suppose to be eating still?" 'Wow that was a little rude, stupid.' Serena mentally yelled at herself.
"Oh, I left early."
"Again, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to spill the drinks on that gentleman. I am really sorry." She managed to take a few steps around him, as to leave, before the man grabbed her arm.
"Hey. My name is Darien. Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Yeah. Around." Was all a very confused Serena said before running off.
Darien sighed. Obviously it would take awhile before they were close again. 'But, by God, I promise I'll have Serenity back.'
In the deepest of darkness into what looked like hell itself, glowed the dark shadow, chanting words across the cave.
Across the cave the chants echoed. The echo repeating itself and overlapping the words by the original chanter. All together, creating the illusion that there were several people chanting. Until, that is, it stopped. And in one shrill voice that rang out like wooden bells came the words, "It's time!"
"Mini skirt, black tube, and a white choker." Serena smiled at her reflection. "Perfect!"
As a final touch she put on black eyeliner and mascara, giving a dangerous texture to her face.
"Perfect." She dabbed some lip-gloss and was out the door for some "relaxation."
Lunar Eclipse could be heard from all the way around the street corner. Serena, who was walking down the street, was already slightly dancing to the music, anticipation flowing through her body.
"This is going to be so fun!" She practically screamed. Just as she said that, two arms covered her eyes, followed by a throaty female voice.
"Guess who?"
"Um, Kermit the Frog?" Serena answered.
The friend stepped out behind her to playfully slap her. "No, you loser, don't make fun off me 'cause I lost my voice."
"I'm sorry Julie." Serena laughed out loud.
The two entered the club, each saying to meet each other in an hour to get some drinks.
Serena then proceeded to really let her body flow to the music. She willed her mind to drift and only focus on the music. The soft dance beat shaking her hips left to right and she threw her arms over her head. Ecstasy. Random guys would step behind her and she would grind against them. Not really caring who they were.
In the few moments she was alone, her hair now in a high ponytail, with curls tangling loose, would wrap around her body like a golden cape, some strands sticking to the sweat that accumulated there.
"Hello, goddess. Care to dance." A male tapped her shoulder. Grabbing her hips and pushing them to his.
"Let's." She whispered. She threw her arms around his neck and put one leg in between his. The brown haired male smiled softly and danced rhythmically to the music.
As Serena let herself get carried into the music, she couldn't get rid of the foreboding feeling that was accumulating in the pit of her stomach.
Serena suddenly nervously glanced around. 'Cool it, Serena, there's nothing here.'
Noticing his partner was distracted, the brown haired man dipped down and whispered into her ear, "Are you all right?"
"Huh?" Serena snapped out of her daze. "Yeah. I am." With that the couple continued to dance.
The foreboding only grew stronger, before finally it over took her and she threw herself and the male onto the ground. There was a big explosion. In a matter of moment a lot of people, who were not injured or killed in the explosion, were stampeding out of the two available exits.
Serena looked up and noticed the out line of a man against the cloud of gray and sparks of electricity. As the dust cleared, her eyes met with the most horrific sight she has ever laid eyes on. This most definitely is a bad day.
"What are you?" She yelled to the creature.
It stood confidently on the pile of rubble before whipping its head to look at the petite blonde.
"I am Taperecord." Its high pitched voice answered. Serena smiled inwardly at the irony of its name. For, in some ways, it did resemble a disheveled record player, decorated with black records.
"Why are you hurting these people?" She called out, regaining her focus. Why am I still here? Why didn't I run when I had the chance? Serena looked around at the debris and the bodies of everyone. She notices Julie's body among them.
"I think you, my dear, need to learn some manners!" The monster pulled back its arm and let one of its records fly.
Serena stood in a daze. Something about this was familiar. Her body took over her daydreaming mind. Serena jumped into the air and ran to the bar. She looked around for anything that she could use.
The monster did not hesitate to fight again, and repeatedly attacked the blonde with flying disks.
Serena, in turn, threw random alcohol glasses, martini glasses, shot glasses, even a half-filled bottle of Vodka, at it, desperately searching for the one thing to make it go away.
"This is getting ridiculous, girl. It's time to end this!" Its condemning tone brought a sense of finality to the situation.
Serena looked back at the monster. 'Oh no...'
Taperecord threw it's head back, "SCREECH ATTACK!" It then lowered its head and sent a sound that broke every glass in the already destroyed building right towards Serena.
Serena did the only thing that she could do. She screamed.
Right before the attack hit her. She felt an odd sensation emitting from her forehead. It burned white hot, before she doubled over in pain. There was a white flash. Then silence
As the pain subsided, she looked up. She noticed the weird looking monster was nowhere in sight.
Feeling she was safe, she ran out of the club, with one last thought left floating through her mind.
What the hell is happening to me?