Well, this would have been up a few weeks ago, but a few things prevented it. One thing was the big ass power failure. Yay power failure. Stupid power. .
Anyhow, as promised, here is the next chapter! I apologize profusely for it's lateness. Hope you enjoy it though! ^_^
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Stopping in front of her cousin's door, Meiling listened for any sound. Not hearing anything, she continued on her way to the stairs. She crept down to the ground level, and looked out the front door window. There was no car sitting out front, to her relief. She quietly and quickly exited the house, keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings. Just because she couldn't see the man, did not mean he wasn't there. She forced herself to jog at normal speed, as her body instead wanted to run as fast as she could. She made it to the club at the usual time, and slipped inside, to sit at the bar and have her usual drink. She looked quietly over the crowd, relieved to not see the man anywhere.
"What's on your mind, sweetie?" She turned to face the bartender, smiling at him and shaking her head.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"You looked worried, I noticed the same thing last night. Are you sure everything is okay? Is anyone giving you any problems? I can fix that for you, you know…" She smiled again, standing up.
"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me, you have enough to worry about." She winked, then retreated to the dressing room. She opened her locker, and set to changing. Tonight would likely bring her some extra money, as it tended to be the most popular day of the week. She just hoped the man wouldn't be here again. She would be fine as long as she didn't have to see his face.
"Hey sweetie, back to the grind again, huh?" Meiling turned to Rina, forcing a smile to her face.
"Yeah, hopefully next week will be my last."
"That close already, you're so lucky. You just make sure that you don't blow it, you make something of yourself. I know you will though. I have faith in you." Meiling nodded in thanks, as she took her place by the stage. As much as she had grown to like Rina, she was determined to never turn out like her. She would follow through with her plans, and she would make something of herself, and she would prove everyone wrong. Before she got too caught up in her thoughts though, she reminded herself of the task that still lay ahead of her tonight. She would go all out this next week, and do whatever it takes to make as much money as possible. In one week's time, she hoped to be on her way to her goal. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she bumped into Atsuko on her way up to the stage, shrugging her shoulders apologetically as the Japanese woman scowled at her. Standing on the stage, she stared around the crowd, scanning for that one man. Not seeing him, she settled into her routine, working the crowd around the stage for as much as they would throw her way. Once finished, she walked off the stage, counting her tip money and smiling happily. Stuffing it into her purse, she tucked it safely away in her locker, than sat back and waited for her next assignment. It came quickly, as she was again requested in the red room. She skipped up the stairs, still quite happy about how close she was to being done with this place. She certainly wouldn't miss it.
She pushed open the door, noting that the lights were turned off. She scanned the dark room with her eyes, still standing in the doorway. She considered calling out to see if someone truly was in here, but the need for that confirmation was quickly cut.
"Come in and close the door. Keep the lights off." Meiling did as she was told, wondering if she was stuck with another weirdo for the night. "Do you see the flashlight there, on the floor? Pick it up and turn it on." Meiling had noticed the flashlight as soon as she had entered the room, so she knew exactly where it was. She picked it up and turned it on, keeping it pointed at the floor. "That's a good girl, now keep it on yourself, and don't think of flashing it over at me." The moment the words were uttered, Meiling groaned internally. This was definitely going to be another weirdo. To her surprise, the night went by rather quickly, and the man's demands, while strange, weren't really all that bad. To her surprise, he never laid a hand on her the entire time. When the two hours were over, and she bid him a goodnight, he surprised her by running towards her and knocking the flashlight from her hand. She tensed, preparing herself to fight him off. But again to her surprise, he simply grabbed her hand, and stuffed a wad of bills into it. "Thank you, for being so compliant. I have searched over for a girl as wonderful as you are. You have given me faith in the female gender." Meiling nodded, edging her way to the door. She stopped before opening it, looking back.
"I'm probably only here for another week. So if you want to schedule me for the remaining nights, that could be arranged." She wasn't sure why, but she felt somewhat safe in this man's presence. Every time she was performing, she was on guard, waiting for some problem to arise. But with this man, she truly felt as though she had nothing to fear, that all he wanted was simply to look at her. If she could manage to get him to schedule her for her remaining nights, then she wouldn't have to worry about the other man. Not to mention, if he continued to tip her, she would have that much extra money. She was suddenly compelled to ensure he would schedule her, and keep her busy.
"That is a welcome idea. I should speak to your manager. I will see you tomorrow night then." Meiling nodded, leaving quietly out the door, careful not to look back at him. In the lit hallway, she walked down towards the staircase, quickly skipping down the stairs, a smile on her face. The bar was cleared out of customers now, and she sat down in a chair to count her money. When she finished she was shocked, he had tipped her more than her entire earnings for the night. She glanced around quickly, feeling suddenly very protective and paranoid of her earnings. She made her way to the change room, stuffing her money in her purse. She got changed quickly, and walked back out to the bar area. She picked up the rest of her money from that night, said a few hasty goodnights, and left, preparing herself for the run back home. As soon as she stepped outside, however, she noticed the black car sitting directly in front of her. She stood, paralysed, momentary shock taking over her system. She noticed the window roll down, and she saw an arm jut out, shaking the ashes off of a cigarette. She knew she should either go back into the club, or run off before he had the chance to do anything, but she felt compelled to stand there, waiting for him to say something. She waited until he finished his cigarette, certain he would say something to her. But when silence continued to reign over them, she began to wonder exactly what was going to happen. Why wasn't he speaking? Why wasn't she speaking? Just as she was about to say something, he put up a hand to halt her speech. She was stunned, not having expected him to anticipate her words.
"I know what you're going to say. I have no answers for you. Not at this time. Soon enough, however, everything will be crystal clear to you, Meiling. As for now, don't fear the future. It will always find you." His window rolled up, and to her surprise, the man drove away. She was left to mull over his words on the sidewalk, contemplating their meaning. She was still deathly afraid of this man for some reason, and she could feel her nerves bunching up inside of her. She stood on the side of the street for a while, unable to move. It wasn't until a car rolled up beside her, and she heard someone call out to her, that she came back to the present.
"Hey sexy, you looking' for some company?" She stared at the man leaning out of the car before her, shooting him a look of disgust, before darting off down the street. She ran until her feet could feel it, until her lungs started burning. She wasn't pacing herself at all, she just sprinted in the general direction that would take her home. She ran through the woods, until she could see the light from the back porch streaming through the trees. She stopped, staring at the house in front of her. It wasn't until then that she noticed her cheeks wet with tears, and she gave in to her emotional state, crumpling to the ground and crying into her palms. After a while she calmed down a bit, and rose to her feet, stealthily making her way towards the back door. She slid it open, closing it behind her and climbing the stairs to her room. After changing into her pyjamas, she went to the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, not liking what she saw. What she saw was a scared little girl, unable to handle to slightest bit of confrontation. She was determined not to cry anymore, and not to be scared. As she continued to pump herself up, she actually began to feel a little better. But then she looked out the window, and saw a black car sitting out front. She fled from the bathroom, locking her bedroom door behind her as she ran for the safety of her bed. She pulled her covers up around her, and told herself she would not cry. She clutched her comforter to her, hugging it tightly. She could feel it begin to get a little damp, so she moved her face to rest in a dry spot. When that spot also became damp, she tugged a new piece to her face. She continued this process until she finally fell asleep, too exhausted from the day's events to think anymore about her situation.
Anyhow, as promised, here is the next chapter! I apologize profusely for it's lateness. Hope you enjoy it though! ^_^
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Stopping in front of her cousin's door, Meiling listened for any sound. Not hearing anything, she continued on her way to the stairs. She crept down to the ground level, and looked out the front door window. There was no car sitting out front, to her relief. She quietly and quickly exited the house, keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings. Just because she couldn't see the man, did not mean he wasn't there. She forced herself to jog at normal speed, as her body instead wanted to run as fast as she could. She made it to the club at the usual time, and slipped inside, to sit at the bar and have her usual drink. She looked quietly over the crowd, relieved to not see the man anywhere.
"What's on your mind, sweetie?" She turned to face the bartender, smiling at him and shaking her head.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"You looked worried, I noticed the same thing last night. Are you sure everything is okay? Is anyone giving you any problems? I can fix that for you, you know…" She smiled again, standing up.
"I'm fine. Stop worrying about me, you have enough to worry about." She winked, then retreated to the dressing room. She opened her locker, and set to changing. Tonight would likely bring her some extra money, as it tended to be the most popular day of the week. She just hoped the man wouldn't be here again. She would be fine as long as she didn't have to see his face.
"Hey sweetie, back to the grind again, huh?" Meiling turned to Rina, forcing a smile to her face.
"Yeah, hopefully next week will be my last."
"That close already, you're so lucky. You just make sure that you don't blow it, you make something of yourself. I know you will though. I have faith in you." Meiling nodded in thanks, as she took her place by the stage. As much as she had grown to like Rina, she was determined to never turn out like her. She would follow through with her plans, and she would make something of herself, and she would prove everyone wrong. Before she got too caught up in her thoughts though, she reminded herself of the task that still lay ahead of her tonight. She would go all out this next week, and do whatever it takes to make as much money as possible. In one week's time, she hoped to be on her way to her goal. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she bumped into Atsuko on her way up to the stage, shrugging her shoulders apologetically as the Japanese woman scowled at her. Standing on the stage, she stared around the crowd, scanning for that one man. Not seeing him, she settled into her routine, working the crowd around the stage for as much as they would throw her way. Once finished, she walked off the stage, counting her tip money and smiling happily. Stuffing it into her purse, she tucked it safely away in her locker, than sat back and waited for her next assignment. It came quickly, as she was again requested in the red room. She skipped up the stairs, still quite happy about how close she was to being done with this place. She certainly wouldn't miss it.
She pushed open the door, noting that the lights were turned off. She scanned the dark room with her eyes, still standing in the doorway. She considered calling out to see if someone truly was in here, but the need for that confirmation was quickly cut.
"Come in and close the door. Keep the lights off." Meiling did as she was told, wondering if she was stuck with another weirdo for the night. "Do you see the flashlight there, on the floor? Pick it up and turn it on." Meiling had noticed the flashlight as soon as she had entered the room, so she knew exactly where it was. She picked it up and turned it on, keeping it pointed at the floor. "That's a good girl, now keep it on yourself, and don't think of flashing it over at me." The moment the words were uttered, Meiling groaned internally. This was definitely going to be another weirdo. To her surprise, the night went by rather quickly, and the man's demands, while strange, weren't really all that bad. To her surprise, he never laid a hand on her the entire time. When the two hours were over, and she bid him a goodnight, he surprised her by running towards her and knocking the flashlight from her hand. She tensed, preparing herself to fight him off. But again to her surprise, he simply grabbed her hand, and stuffed a wad of bills into it. "Thank you, for being so compliant. I have searched over for a girl as wonderful as you are. You have given me faith in the female gender." Meiling nodded, edging her way to the door. She stopped before opening it, looking back.
"I'm probably only here for another week. So if you want to schedule me for the remaining nights, that could be arranged." She wasn't sure why, but she felt somewhat safe in this man's presence. Every time she was performing, she was on guard, waiting for some problem to arise. But with this man, she truly felt as though she had nothing to fear, that all he wanted was simply to look at her. If she could manage to get him to schedule her for her remaining nights, then she wouldn't have to worry about the other man. Not to mention, if he continued to tip her, she would have that much extra money. She was suddenly compelled to ensure he would schedule her, and keep her busy.
"That is a welcome idea. I should speak to your manager. I will see you tomorrow night then." Meiling nodded, leaving quietly out the door, careful not to look back at him. In the lit hallway, she walked down towards the staircase, quickly skipping down the stairs, a smile on her face. The bar was cleared out of customers now, and she sat down in a chair to count her money. When she finished she was shocked, he had tipped her more than her entire earnings for the night. She glanced around quickly, feeling suddenly very protective and paranoid of her earnings. She made her way to the change room, stuffing her money in her purse. She got changed quickly, and walked back out to the bar area. She picked up the rest of her money from that night, said a few hasty goodnights, and left, preparing herself for the run back home. As soon as she stepped outside, however, she noticed the black car sitting directly in front of her. She stood, paralysed, momentary shock taking over her system. She noticed the window roll down, and she saw an arm jut out, shaking the ashes off of a cigarette. She knew she should either go back into the club, or run off before he had the chance to do anything, but she felt compelled to stand there, waiting for him to say something. She waited until he finished his cigarette, certain he would say something to her. But when silence continued to reign over them, she began to wonder exactly what was going to happen. Why wasn't he speaking? Why wasn't she speaking? Just as she was about to say something, he put up a hand to halt her speech. She was stunned, not having expected him to anticipate her words.
"I know what you're going to say. I have no answers for you. Not at this time. Soon enough, however, everything will be crystal clear to you, Meiling. As for now, don't fear the future. It will always find you." His window rolled up, and to her surprise, the man drove away. She was left to mull over his words on the sidewalk, contemplating their meaning. She was still deathly afraid of this man for some reason, and she could feel her nerves bunching up inside of her. She stood on the side of the street for a while, unable to move. It wasn't until a car rolled up beside her, and she heard someone call out to her, that she came back to the present.
"Hey sexy, you looking' for some company?" She stared at the man leaning out of the car before her, shooting him a look of disgust, before darting off down the street. She ran until her feet could feel it, until her lungs started burning. She wasn't pacing herself at all, she just sprinted in the general direction that would take her home. She ran through the woods, until she could see the light from the back porch streaming through the trees. She stopped, staring at the house in front of her. It wasn't until then that she noticed her cheeks wet with tears, and she gave in to her emotional state, crumpling to the ground and crying into her palms. After a while she calmed down a bit, and rose to her feet, stealthily making her way towards the back door. She slid it open, closing it behind her and climbing the stairs to her room. After changing into her pyjamas, she went to the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, not liking what she saw. What she saw was a scared little girl, unable to handle to slightest bit of confrontation. She was determined not to cry anymore, and not to be scared. As she continued to pump herself up, she actually began to feel a little better. But then she looked out the window, and saw a black car sitting out front. She fled from the bathroom, locking her bedroom door behind her as she ran for the safety of her bed. She pulled her covers up around her, and told herself she would not cry. She clutched her comforter to her, hugging it tightly. She could feel it begin to get a little damp, so she moved her face to rest in a dry spot. When that spot also became damp, she tugged a new piece to her face. She continued this process until she finally fell asleep, too exhausted from the day's events to think anymore about her situation.