Ascendance

1

I was trying on eyeshadow swatches on my arm. I had recently turned 21 and my friends wanted to take me out to the club. I didn't like any of the colors so far. 

"Damn, Erika. You take forever to get ready." Lydia spoke, face covered in setting powder. 

"Leave her alone." Miranda had her hot hair curlers on. "The girl is trying to figure out which colors fit her." I finally started to do my eyeshadow. 

"I can't wait to be old enough to get with you guys." Jodi was dressed to go to dinner with my parents. 

"You'll get there. I want you to behave, okay?" Miranda tells her. Jodi nods. I finished the gold smokey eye I was going for and put on red lipstick. I was wearing a short-ish black dress with a plunging v neck. My dad would kill me if he saw him right now. 

“I will.” Jodi says. “Be safe, y’all.” 

I nodded as she was picked up by my parents. We finished getting dressed and headed to Nightowl’s. I got carded (of course) and we were allowed to enter. The club was full of people, bartenders were making drinks, the DJ was playing music and there were people in VIP spots opening up champagne. 

“Where do you wanna start, Erika?” Miranda asked me. I look around to see one of the men at the VIP table staring hard in our direction. 

“Let’s get drinks.” I suggest. I get a tequila sunrise, Miranda gets a gin and tonic, and Lydia gets a mimosa. 

“I’m glad that we get to spend some time together. Sometimes I feel like we don’t see each other that much.” Lydia was a biomedical major at NC State and Miranda was studying fashion design. I was alternating between classes for bartending and one that focused on making jewelry. Jodi was planning on being an engineer, just like our father. 

“I know. Especially with it being my last year as an undergrad. I’m not looking forward to grad school.” Lydia took a sip of her drink. 

“I still don’t know what I want to do.” I sighed. Everyone I knew was either working, in college, or doing something. I was working as a receptionist for a lawyer’s office and doing school for now.

“You have plenty of time to figure that out.” Miranda took a drink of her gin and tonic. “Let’s just enjoy your birthday for now.” 

“You’re right. Cheers!” We clink our drink glasses together. The man from the VIP booth approaches us and I see a guy give him a funny look. 

“Hey, is it just me or is it hot in here?” He raised his brows at us. Miranda rolled her eyes and Lydia looks at him. 

“I suppose it’s hot in here.” She spoke. “But an introduction would be nice.” 

“I’m Rick Harris, the owner’s son.” He looked at us like a dog looking at his bowl of food. “Which one of you is single?” 

“Not ready to mingle but I appreciate the interest.” Miranda continued to drink. 

“I’m not interested, sorry.” Lydia said in a firm yet gentle tone. 

“Yeah, sorry, same game here.” I take a sip of my drink. 

“Wow, okay, playing hard to get, I see.” He shook his head. 

“I’m not playing anything. We’re just not interested.” Lydia said again. 

“Well, maybe you’ll be interested in what happens next.” The man’s voice sounded distorted. Tentacles emerged from his back and Miranda threw her drink at him. Some people started to freak out and run everywhere. Some of the people in the VIP section ran towards us. Lydia smashed her glass and stabbed him. 

“What the hell?” I threw my drink at one. I feel something grab my ankle and pull me down. It’s a tentacle. I scream, grabbing a piece of glass and stabbing it. I notice Lydia and Miranda struggling against the people. Suddenly, the room fills up with gas. My limbs are going numb. I manage to grab some napkins and shove them against my face, trying to shield myself. One of the creatures runs out in front of me. 

“Stay still!” It shouted. I grab a chair and half-ass throw it at the creature. I notice that Lydia and Miranda are being taken away by the people. I notice that there’s a man in a struggle with one. I try to decide who I should save. 

“Save Brendan!” Lydia yells, half drugged. I can still feel the effects of the gas getting to me. I manage to run to the guy and find a discarded gun beside an overturned chair. I grab it, trying to figure out how to shoot it. I manage to shoot the creature as it’s halfway through choking him. 

I get knocked over by one of the possessed people (I don’t have a better name for them) and a creature emerges from the back of their head. 

“The Leader will be so proud of us…..” It grins at me, showing off needle like teeth. Suddenly, blood and flesh splatters everywhere, including my face. 

“You alright, miss?” He asked me. I nodded, trying to wipe the blood off my eyelids. He offers me a hand and I get up. We both hear sirens in the distance. 

“We should get going.” He spoke. Normally, I wouldn’t be so trusting but he did save my life. Besides, what would I say to the cops? We ran out of an alley. 

“Here, wipe the blood off.” He hands me a tablecloth. I wipe the blood off me and throw it aside. We reach the parking lot area and manage to sneak past the crowd of people having panic attacks, calling people and crying. 

“I have to go home.” I look at him. I have to let my parents and Jodi know what happened.

He looks at me. “That might be a smart idea.” 

I ran towards the apartment we’re staying at. As we walk towards the entrance, there’s cops interviewing the receptionist who’s in an oxygen mask. Oh no.