When i came back to Hannibal, he looked at me with slight disbelief.
"You look like a mess. How did nobody see all that blood?" I shrugged, and placed my bag on his kitchen table.
"Liver, among other items. I took as much as I could." He opened the bag, and nodded approvingly.
"This is perfect. You did very well." He looked up at me, "Now go shower and clean up. The guests will be here in an hour or so." I nodded, and went into the bathroom, and shut the door behind me. I turned the water on in the shower, and undressed. I got in and sighed. The warm water washed away the boys blood, as well as my stress.
I leaned against the wall, and thought about Hannibal.
What's his motive for this dinner party? Will he invite this Will Graham, the bloodhound on the path of the stag? What will he feed them?
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.
"Ariana, I left something in the guest bedroom for you to wear if you so choose to." I shouted my thanks over the loud sound of the shower.
I got out, and wrapped myself in a towel. I made my way to the guest bedroom, and saw a fancy black gift bag sitting on the foot of his bed. I took its contents delicately out, and laid them on the bed and gasped.
The dress was beautiful. In the light it looked like sparks of fire, and they climbed up the length of the dress, with a slit thst went up to my upper thigh. The shoes matched flawlessly, glimmering in the light much like the dress. I hastily slipped the dress on, and stripped the stilettos on afterwards. I stood in front of the mirror, marveling at who was staring back at me.
"A beautiful dress for a beautiful woman." I saw Hannibal's reflection in the mirror, and i smiled coyly at him.
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Hannibal. And i do not see the beauty you talk about." I glanced at my long black hair, and emerald eyes and sighed, "And i doubt I'll ever see it." I felt his hand grab mine, and spin me as in a waltz.
"Only a blind man could never see your beauty, and I know for a fact that you are neither blind or a man. Now, shall we? The guests will start arriving any minute moi chari." He offered his arm to me, and we made our way down the stairs in time for the doorbell to ring.
"And so it begins." He whispers to me before opening the door.