Chapter XI: Attractions

The clock read 21:13 and Yuffie and Shelke were sleeping soundly in their cells. Salem walked around the ship trying Vincent's phone. Maybe someone would pick up and he could at least hear the sound of the persons voice... Maybe it was Xemo...

"Hello. This is Vincent Valentines' cellular phone. If this is Yuffie... Yuffie, This is my phone and you have no right to call it. To everyone else; leave a message after the tone.
-Click-"

"Damn it..." Salem cursed to himself. He paced the deck back and fourth thinking of whom might have been responsible for the abduction of his older brother... But why was it worrying him so much. "Gods!" Salem threw his hands on the back of his neck and pulled back his head and squeezed them. "I need a break!"

"Then take one." Stella said walking past him cocking her eyebrow with a smirk.

Salem shot a smirk in return before quickly wiping it away. "And what are you smiling about?"

Stella continued. "We're landing..."

"Why?" Salem said following.

"I need a drink..." She shouted from her cabin.

"I need to relax... And so do you... That's why your coming with me..."

"So now your ordering me?" Salem said stopping a her door just as she slipped on a purple silk top dress.

"I'm not good with taking orders..." Salem

"It's more a enforced request..." Stella turned around with the same smirk showing.

Salem gazed at her and taking in the sight of the beautiful woman. It was nearly overwhelming to him, but he maintained himself. "I'll get my jacket..." He said walking off after shooting a smirk in her direction.

"Wait!" She said struggling with the zipper on her back. "Could you give me a hand here please?"

Salem nodded and made his way over as she turned around. He hesitated to touch her, not sure where or when. If there was anyone he wasn't good with, it was women, for he didn't know how to act towards them. Though he knew to treat them with respect. A lesson his father had taught him a long time ago.

"Jeeze!" She shouted before giving a shiver. "Are you cold?! Your hands are freezing!"

"Sorry I... They've been like that for a while..." Salem said zipping up her dress and taking a step back.

"Ah... Well, I think you may need some sun or something." She said jokingly. "Though of course... Pale guys are a turn on to girl like me." She said in a mischievous tone.

"I got to go get my jacket..." Salem said hurrying out of the room. A quick get away for a sticky situation. He had never been hit on... This was the exact reason he didn't like socialization; he was new at everything. As a child he never had a friend ... nor a girl friend. He was just a strange child. Always talking to himself, keeping his head in the clouds, drawing strange pictures that were fairly good for someone his age, and hundreds more reasons why no one liked him. The only friend he had... Vincent.

She met him in the cockpit where he had left his jacket. Now she had looked more beautiful than ever. Salem tried to keep his eyes off of her but always seemed to find himself looking at her again.

Stella's purple lips parted and she smiled looking from the controls to Salem as she flipped the switches and pushed the knobs required for a safe landing. "Something on my face, soldier?" She said sarcastically.

Salem smiled slightly. "No, it's just... You look good."

"Well, thank you... I get that a lot... They usually end up on the ground with missing teeth, but I'll let this time go... You were a gentleman about it."

"Ha!... Thanks." Salem laughed and soon she followed.

The ship came to a silent and easy landing and the dark haired woman opened the back hatch. And they quietly made their way from the ship, sure not to wake the other two women. Salem looked out at the town that he had never seen before. Drunkards walked the street and women tried to sell themselves men walking by... And they were only on the outskirts. "I'm not even going to guess where this is..."

Stella laughed and started forward. "Don't worry... Your not going to have to use that shiny gun of yours... I'm known very much here."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Salem said smiling following with his hands in his pockets.

The city itself surpassed what he defined as 'disgusting'. Trash and garbage littered the streets and sidewalks. A few women tried their luck with him only to receive a shake of the head. Dirty looking men scowled at him at the site of him walking long side the looks of a pretty woman, only to get a smirk shot back at them. They finally made it to the club, Stella leading the way and opening the door. Smoke and the scent of alcohol and fragrances hit his nose making him lightheaded. Salem followed her in trying to keep from contact from anyone, physically. The music blared in the air as he tried to hear what Stella was saying.

"What?" Salem screamed, turning his head to hear her.

"Lets go to the bar!" Stella yelled but was heard faintly.

"Okay!" Salem said now regretting even coming there in the first place. Salem followed her to a neon lit bar that a massive piece of glass covered. The neon changed from color to color after every few seconds and gave Salem a head ache almost instantly... He was clearly not a party person.

"What do you want?!" Stella screamed leaned over screaming.

Salem paused for a moment thinking of a good drink that would fit him. It had been a while since he had drank. "A Banshee Cry!" Salem screamed back. This drink was a drink that got you drunk, but improved body control and heightened senses, preferably sight. Stella nodded and a tall broody man walked up and instantly began to speak to her, mixing the concoctions of her and his drink and making conversation that Salem couldn't hear but was clearly annoyed by it. Salem sat on the barstool taking in the sights of the hundreds of people on the dance floor, waving their bodies with the hypnotic but fast beating music.

"Here!" She screamed handing him the dark red drink.

"Thanks!" He said taking the glass from her hands and drinking down half the glass. He felt out of place. This wasn't his scene and he knew he didn't belong. "Hey!" Salem screamed to her breaking her from her conversation from the tender.

"Yeah!?" She returned.

"I'm going to head outside! I'm not really enjoying this!"

"Oh no you don't!" She said taking the drink from his hands and laying it on the bar. "Not until you dance with me!"

Salem shook his head rapidly. "No! Sorry! I can't!"

"What?!" Stella said pretending she couldn't hear him. "Come on! The next song is starting!"

The mood in the dark club changed almost instantly. Everyone began to slow, waving and guiding their bodies against their partners. The mood turned more mellow and the hearing grew much better now with the fact he could nearly hear Stella breathe as she lead him onto the dance floor. Everyone looked like they were on some type of illegal drug of some sort. The Banshee Cry began to kick in, making Salem more maneuverable than ever. Perhaps, if he tried, he could dance.

"Now," Stella said throwing her arms around his shoulders and looking up at him. "Let your body move with the music... The beat take you."

Salem paused for a moment. "I reeeally don't think I can do this..."

"Oh you think to much!" She said beginning to sway, making it inevitable for Salem to stay still. "Come on! You can do it... I promise..."

Salem sighed as he tried to make his body sway with the music. It was really hot, but Salem, unlike everyone else, didn't glow with perspiration. His red eyes closed as he began to feel the music take hold. She pressed herself against him, knowing he was now in 'the zone' and began to follow his body. He was dancing like everyone else... Like he was in a trance. The music grew more intense but kept its slow, mellow rhythm. After almost four minutes, the same song was beating and everyone began to dance harder, swaying against they're partner. Salem let his hands fall on her and later began to feel his hands moving up and down. What ever was happening to him sure felt great until...

"No..." Salem said opening his eyes. "Not here..."

"What?" Stella said coming to.

"I have to leave." Salem said breaking away from her and pushing himself through the crowd. Salem burst through the doors and took a deep breath of fresh air, holding himself up with his hands on his knees.

Stella opened the double doors and lowered herself down next to him. "What's wrong?" She said worried.

The feeling was gone. Shadow would not ruin the night tonight... Well, at least he didn't think so. "Nothing... I'm all right now..."

"Are you sure?" Stella returned.

Salem stood erect and shook his head trying to push way the lightheadedness of the outside air. "Yeah..."

The two stood quiet as Salem, once again, set his hands in his pocket. "Look... I'm sorry for ruining your night."

Stella smiled moving closer to him. "There would be only one way to do that..." She said bushing herself against him. "And you haven't made it happen yet..."

Salem felt himself fall into her eyes. Love was something that came easy to him and when it came it hit hard. "What is that?..." Salem said looking down on her with the most serious of expressions.

"This..."

Stella then pushed her lips against his nearly making him fall to his feet. Good thing he had extra body control. Salem could feel himself fall deeper and deeper in love with the woman he barely knew... Why was this happening? At the moment, Salem couldn't care less. Her taste made him shiver with excitement and her skins warmth against his cold pale hands made him still again. A minute passed and Stella pulled away from the kiss with a questioned expression.

"I've never had that happen to me before..." She said looking up at him.

"What?" Salem returned. "Did I do something wro-"

"Your lips are warm..." She said with a smile. "Warmer than any lips I have ever kissed."

Salems pale cheeks turned a light red. "Thanks... I guess..."

"Your welcome." She said leaning back in for another kiss before Salem pulled her away and turned.

"Wait..." Salem said trying to listen to something down the street. "Do you hear that?"

"What?" Stella whispered looking down the street with Salem.

Salem paused for a minute... Did he hear it? Or feel it? "We need to go..."

"What? But why-?"

"Just trust me okay-" Salem halted his words and pulled Orthrus. What ever they were, they were close, many, and coming in fast. "What the hell?"

"What?" Stella said demanding what had now ruined her evening.

"I feel... People... But... They aren't people at all..." Salem said surveying the surroundings.

"Then what are they?" Stella demanded again.

"I think they're... Dead..."