Chapter X: A Taste of Freedom
The Innocence club was an adult night club that seemed to be the talk of this small town, only the people whose names were practically known around town and then some could get in. It was no surprise that poor Alli—who has dreamed of being inside those walls since she was in high school—couldn't get into it. Yet, for someone like Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos, aka "Criss Angel", getting in was a breeze. Hell, with one word, he could own the club. Although Alli was trying not to think about it as in this manner, she was grateful that Criss had called her out to meet him at this club, and she was grateful that she at least knew him in order to get in. When the cab pulled up in front of the entrance way with the young woman inside it, she couldn't help but just sit there and stare at it. It was a dark, two-story building with flashing purple, red, pink, and green neon lights illuminating from the inside, a red rope barricading the open doors where two large, broad bouncers stood, one hooking and unhooking the rope to allow people to go inside, and the other with a clipboard, checking names or invitations for the people to go inside. The name of the club was strung across the front between the long, tinted glass windows in bright rose colored neon letters that said "INNOCENCE." Pounding from the speakers of the club were multiple dance songs, and she watched as people walked through the rope, past the bouncers, and disappeared behind a veil of dark sequence that added a sort of magical touch to the place. Before paying the cab driver, Alli quickly fixed her hair and applied her lip-gloss, feeling completely out of place compared to the other people walking into it dressed in elegant gowns and outfits that seemed to be only fit for a Hollywood party. She was dressed in the same white buttoned-up, long-sleeve man shirt she had worn all day, the same tight, dark blue denim jeans she had worn, and the same black and white Converse she always wore. The only difference is she had buttoned her shirt down just a little to show a little more cleavage, and there was a little more make-up all over her face. She saw a man standing out in front of the club, his dark hair hidden beneath a black baseball cap—the same one he had worn when they first met—and he wore a heavy, black leather jacket, but it wasn't zipped up, showing his chains and necklace that he seemed to wear proudly. He was looking around, searching, and her heart raced when she thought if he was looking for her. Chances are, he was.
She quickly paid the cab driver and then crawled out of the car, approaching where the man stood, his back to her. She stopped just a foot or so behind him, excitement coursing through her like her own blood, and an idea hit her. The child, the fan girl—the immature, crazed, wanna-be-girlfriend that she kept shoving into the closet, bound and gagged—wanted to sneak up behind him, cover his eyes, and ask the notorious, elementary question, "guess who?", but she couldn't. The adult that she was, the mature, responsible—taken!—woman that she was supposed to be wasn't going to let that child out. Instead, she just walked up behind him, and gently tapped him on the shoulder. He at once spun around—his jacket flowed around him practically like a cape, which made her smile and almost laugh—and face her, his lips folded into a very cocky and arrogant grin.
"Hey." Is that all he can say to me? Shut up! Alli thought bitterly to herself, knowing that the fan girl inside her was just dying to jump on him and smother him. Remember! You are still technically in a relationship! Don't get too involved!
"Hey," she responded back, trying to keep her demeanor as calm and cool as possible. He stood back from her—his eyes scanning her in a way that made her feel both comfortable and uncomfortable. He couldn't really comment on her outfit, as what he was wearing was incredibly casual, as well, despite how appealing he may look.
"You look nice," he told her, though the tone of sarcasm could be heard. She played along, as if the two of them were best friends. Wait…were they friends?
"Yeah, so do you," she told him in the same tone, and then he approached her a little closer, his hand coming up and caressing the side of her face. She closed her eyes, her face turning a deep blushing red, as she felt her heart pound like a drum inside her chest. She was also afraid that he might see or feel the bruise that had been newly formed on her face. She really didn't feel like explaining herself to him about it. However, there was no avoiding the question when she felt him pull her hair back, and his fingers—warm, soft—brushed against where the bruise was, lingering just on her skin a little, but meant to have been hidden by the curtain of hair she had made to hide it.
Yet, when his hand pulled away, he didn't ask anything to her, he didn't say anything. She opened her eyes, and found his dark, hypnotizing ones, and she saw within them a look that she not only wasn't familiar with, but one that she didn't like, as well—if that was even possible. It was a look that he knew something, that he suspected something, and he wasn't willing to share it with her. She decided to ignore this look, and she even allowed him to grab her hand and drag her towards the front entrance of it, not even bothering to go through the rope, he just approached the bouncers, who looked at the two of them apprehensively.
"Hi, um, I think I talked on the phone with one of you. Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos?" he told the bigger of the men, while the other with the clipboard approached, scanning the names on the papers he had, flipping it over, and then he paused.
"Do you have an ID with you?" the bouncer asked.
"Yes, I do," Christopher released her hand just to reach into his pocket and pull out his wallet which was chained to his belt. He opened it and showed the inside to the bouncer with the clipboard, who nodded and wrote something down on the paper clipped to the board. He then looked at Alli, and gave her a dark look.
"And what about you, ma'am?" he asked of her, and she felt completely ashamed of herself—she always carried her ID with her—but she didn't make any call to the club before. Thank God Christopher had spoken for her.
"She's my date," Criss told him, though Alli's heart nearly beat out of her chest when he said the word "date."
"Alright. Go on in," the bouncer told them, and his comrade stepped aside from them to walk past him and through the colorful, sweet scented, silk-soft veil and into the spinning, whirling lights, dancing, crowding figures, and pounding music. Alli's heart was pounding almost as hard as the music as she realized she was finally in that one place she had always dreamed of being. Criss pulled her closer to him, and she looked up into his face, finding that his dark eyes were looking into the distance, not really staring at anything or anyone, just a blank, empty stare that looked on into whatever world he was seeing. She touched his hand gently, and it seemed to bring him back into reality. He looked at her, and smiled.
"You know, this one of the only clubs I'd ever been to that asked for ID," he told her calmly.
"Maybe they don't want people sneaking in that are underage or not on the list," Alli told him softly, and he smiled a little—she loved seeing his smile. It just made her heart flutter.
"I guess so. Come on, I want to dance!" he started to drag her towards the dance floor, but Alli was blushing and was becoming really nervous. She was a horrible dancer, everyone knew this, even Sam. That's one reason why Julian or any of her previous boyfriends never took her to clubs, or if they did, they would never ask her to dance. She really didn't feel like embarrassing herself in front of him, not to mention in front of all these people.
"No! Wait, Criss, I can't…I can't dance!" she told him over the pounding, blaring music, trying to pull out of his grip. He stopped and turned to her, apparently looking interested. He obviously didn't believe her.
"You can't dance?" he asked her, and she shook her head. "That's a shame. Well, I guess I'll have to teach you then."
"No! Stop!"
Too late, Criss had already pulled her to the dance floor, and he spun her instantly on the spot, forcing her to be locked in his gaze, and no quicker than this had happened, his arms were around her—her heart was pounding into her head—and it seemed like the entire club disappeared into a blur of spinning neon lights and music. She found herself stumbling over nothing, and she fell into his chest, her face turning a bright shade of red when she felt the warmth of this man surround her, and the sweet, powerful, addicting scent of his cologne filled her mind, giving her a high that no drug could ever give her. She bowed her head, trying to shield her embarrassment from him, but he didn't seem to notice anything, nor did he seem to care. His hands were around her waist, and it felt almost too perfect, his arms holding her in the perfect way, and her body seemed to melt into his warmth, becoming a part of him, and that scent seem to surround her. She closed her eyes for only a moment, enjoying this sensation that had started to surround her, but it didn't last long.
"Okay, Alli, seeing as how you don't know how to dance, I'm going to teach you," Christopher released her, but not even as soon as his hands were gone from her did he grab her wrist and spun her in front of him, as if using her like a display for a masterpiece he had created, seeing her from all sides. He spun her only three times, but even so, he did it so fast that she felt dizzy when she finally stopped, her head spinning wildly, and the pain that she had not been able to feel since he called her at the apartment suddenly came back to her in a brief sting.
"No! Stop it!" she was half-laughing, but she was also half-serious when he pulled her back into him, and she had to lean against him in order to make sure she wouldn't trip over herself. She looked up into that face, and she saw that arrogant smile, and she suddenly understood why he had done that. He didn't care if she knew how to dance or not, if she looked like an idiot trying to dance like some amazing female music celebrity or didn't, he brought her here not because of that. His real reason was still unreadable in his face, but the longer she was with him, she was starting to obtain hints and clues as to it. She only had a few pieces to the puzzle, but before the end of the night, she was going to have it solved completely.
She decided to take a chance and try dancing, although she knew she would look like an idiot no matter what she did. If her boyfriends didn't dare dance with her, or if even little Sophia didn't like to see her dance, obviously she wasn't a good dancer, but at this moment, she shouldn't have to care. She wasn't here to show off, she wasn't here to impress him. It didn't matter if she did or if she didn't. She was still in a relationship with another man, so trying to impress him meant that she had thoughts or desires of flirting and being with him behind Julian's back, and that was something she wasn't willing to do—not until I break up with him, anyway.
Before she even realized it, five different songs had played by without her realizing it, and she was spinning and moving in a way she didn't even realize she was able to. She didn't care if the people in the club looked at her with strange eyes or with looks of her looking like a complete moron, she didn't care, because whenever she turned to see unfamiliar eyes glaring at her, she would look back to find Criss Angel's eyes, and see that those eyes had warmth within them, comfort, and she knew that he didn't see her as an idiot. She didn't know what he saw her as, but as long as he kept staring at her like that, she didn't care. It was a look that no one had ever given her before, a look that none of her previous boyfriends, or even Julian, has ever given her. It was a dark look, a hungry look, but at the same time a respectful one, a comforting one, and she felt that this look was enough to make her want to do anything—within limits.
In only an instant, the rhythm of the dance club quickly changed, and she realized that the music playing was something completely different from the fast, heart-pounding dance remixes that she has grown to love. The songs that were playing now were slower, steadier, and as she looked around, she either saw dressed up people leaving the dance floor or coupling-up, which made her blush deep red and her core started to dance in her chest violently. She hadn't even realized that this was inevitable to avoid, and although the fan girl part of her was more than excited for this to have happened, most of her kept on reminding herself that she had a boyfriend, and that if he ever caught her with another man—slow dancing for Christ's sake—then Hell will have no furry like Julian's wrath.
"What's wrong?"
His voice came from behind her and startled her, but she tried to maintain her composure and keep herself calm under this situation. She turned and looked him in the eyes—those dark, mesmerizing eyes—and felt herself become anxious when she saw the look on his face.
"Nothing. I just…I'm feeling tired, and I think I better go get something to drink," she told him, coming up with as many excuses as she could.
"Oh, alright, but not yet."
Alli turned to Christopher, and she felt her heart rise up to her throat, singing its beautiful lullaby of excitement and happiness. She shouldn't be this excited, but she couldn't help it. The look in his eyes, the expression on his face, it was all something she couldn't ignore, as the meaning read clearly across it. He wanted to dance with her.
"Why?" Rhetorical question, as she knew why, but he didn't know that she knew. She remained to be this clueless, socially challenged girl that he had met on the bus…yet, why did she have to pretend to be that when it was her all along?
"I don't know. I guess I want you to dance with me a little more."
Ulp. Alli had to bite her lip, having read his lips carefully, though she could hear what he was saying. Had he really asked for her to dance with him? She didn't know how to answer him, she didn't know how to react to this, and she just felt the answer come to her instinctively when he held his hand out to her. She looked up into his eyes, looking, searching for another way out of it, but he obviously saw the fear and nervousness within her gray ones, as he quickly added.
"I promise to keep my hands to myself."
Alli continued to look at him uneasily, but after he gave her a charming, sincere smile, who couldn't say no to him? She took his hand, and he dragged her deeper onto the floor, and then he gently brought her into him and wrapped his arms around her waist, forcing her to flush deep red and her body suddenly became numb, yet warm, when she bowed into the magician's body, allowing him to take control of her. She was so unstable now, her body spinning and feeling faint as he held her.
"Just relax."
It was easier said than done. Her mind became fogged and blurred by all these random, racing thoughts, her emotions driving her insane, and her heart was throbbing painfully in her chest, but she couldn't resist the moment. She may not have been able to relax, but she somehow felt amazing in his arms. She placed her hands on his shoulders, keeping herself steady while she tried to balance herself and be able to slow dance with him. She looked up into his face, and his eyes locked with hers, and a sensation came over her immediately. It wasn't a nervous sensation, an uneasy, troubling one, but it was actually something that made everything fade away. She felt warm, safe, comfortable, and happy all at once. She had to keep her eyes locked with his, otherwise she knew everything would come back to her, everything would suddenly return, and she would still remain this clumsy, shy, completely idiotic girl that she had always been. In the peaceful bliss of this four minute dance, all of reality faded away, everything just seemed to disappear in a blur, and she felt no pain, no suffering, her memory had been wiped clean of any thought or feeling of her past, or her present, and all she could think about was a fantasy future with this man, a future that she hoped would someday come. Keeping her eyes locked in his dark orbs, she bowed her head a little, and allowed these emotions to flow over her and crash into her like tidal waves on the shore of a beach, gently caressing her feet and body as she swam in them. With him, there was no such thing as reality, and she was brought back into that imaginary, magical world that was made and meant for only the two of them. This world…this sense of freedom, of shelter, of happiness and survival away from the sick world that was her reality. Maybe…it didn't have to be real. Perhaps only reality was limited to how far one's imagination and mind would take them. Maybe that was what Criss Angel was trying to show her.
"You seem to be feeling better," he whispered in her ear, and this time, she didn't feel nervous, excited, or anxious. She felt fine, safe, and actually able to speak back to him without sounding like a choking amphibian. She smiled back at him, feeling his arms wrap around her a little more tightly.
"Yeah, I am," she answered him. Her voice came out soft, quiet, but she knew that he had heard her. There was no reason to keep herself so locked up and imprisoned within herself. That fan girl wasn't really a fan girl after all. Just the Eve that had been hidden inside her and meant to be brought out whenever she was brought into this Eden by her Adam.
"Thank you."
"For what?" he asked her in response to her words. She hadn't even realized she had spoken anything until she heard him speak in response. She pulled away just a little, and looked back up into his face.
"For bringing me here. I needed to get out and clear my head," she told him.
"Oh. Are you having trouble with your boyfriend?"
Alli had completely forgotten that she had told him before that she was taken, and a part of her was wishing that she hadn't. She really didn't feel like explaining herself to him, she didn't feel like ruining the moment and even thinking about something that would instantly bring her out of this world of illusion he had provided to her.
"Kind of. We're going over a bump in the road," and then she quickly added, "I think I might have to break up with him."
The moment the provocateur's eyes lit up, she knew what he was thinking. The look was there, it was brief, it was gone, but it was there, and she knew why it had come in the first place. She sighed, looking away from his eyes, and bringing her hands down to his arms. The warmth was still there, it still surrounded her, but she was just on the horizon of the world, having the ropes of reality suddenly pull at her back into its existence.
"Oh, well, whatever you do, I hope it makes you happy."
He wasn't going to admit what he was thinking. Not yet. But she knew. She already knew everything he was thinking. He didn't have to tell her. She smiled shyly and closed her eyes, feeling this illusionary world take her again, bringing her back into this dream-like state, and in this bliss she felt him hold her closer, tighter, and she hoped he would never let her go. She had become addicted to this small taste of freedom he had given her….
However, unaware to either one of them in this peaceful bliss, there were eyes set on them, eyes that hid within the shadows that the neon lights didn't touch. Eyes that held within them the darkness of hate, anger, rage, jealousy, envy, and a threat to throw their world into a sea of blackness, threatening, like the hateful serpent of Eden, to bring sin to their world, and bring them to fall from their kind grace. These eyes have always haunted the young woman in her worst and sickest of nightmares, and unfortunately, these eyes had followed her into reality, seeking her out, and soon…the serpent will find her vein, and sink its fangs deep within it, poisoning her with its aberrant venom, and bind her to it, just as the Serpent had bound Eve and her descendents of mankind to sin through the first bite of the lethal fruit. Just a taste…just a taste was all that was needed in order to become addicted to malevolence, in order to bind the woman to evil, though fortunately, a taste was all that was needed to give this descendent of Eve to show her that there was such thing as paradise outside of her reality. Can she escape her serpent, though?