Mythica

Lost and Found

Allie stood bobbing up and down lightly to the beat of the bass, mainly trying to get a good look over the sea of heads around her. The club air was hot and stuffy with the swell of bodies inside it, and neon lights flew around the dance floor, illuminating people's faces momentarily. It was difficult to make out who anyone was, though. Besides that and the strobe lights, it was completely dark. She clutched her drink to her as she moved, the red liquid inside it lapping roughly inside her cup.

Abandoning the project altogether, she stumbled through the crowd to the bathroom on the other side. She wouldn't be able to find Lia in the thick mess of sweaty people. Just one of the many reasons she hated clubs, among other things. She gratefully pushed open the door to the women's room, music still pounding in her head. There were a few people at the sink, none of whom were Lia. Disappointed, she headed over to the stalls. Her movement was sloppy, however, and she had to admit to herself she was a little drunk.

"Lia? Are you in here?" She called to the closed doors. She vaguely heard the sounds of someone puking coming from one, and tried not to let herself picture the mess that would be in that toilet. "Lia?" She shouted louder. No one answered her but the sound of flushing.

Frustrated, she emerged back into the club dance floor. There would be no way Lia would hear her calling her in here, she knew. The music threatened to give her a headache as the dj played a booming techno remix over the speakers. As she tried to shove through the crowd, she felt a pair of hands come up and grip her waist roughly. She spun quickly, preparing to slap the person across the face. A man greeted her with a sleazy smile, some of his teeth missing. He leaned in close enough for her to hear him, "Saw you looked lost. Thought I'd help lead you home." The smell of alcohol was pungent mixed with his sour breath.

She shoved him away hard. Hard enough that she fell back into the people behind her, causing them to fall over along with her. She tried to duck her head to avoid the impact, but ended up bumping it violently on someone's knee. Pain shot up her neck as she tried to collect herself enough to stand up, but her vision was black and she felt herself getting faint.

"Ow," She breathed, rubbing her head where it collided. She felt someone haul her to her feet underneath her arms, holding her steady. Her eyes flew open to see a boy who looked to be her age, his dark skin and eyes glowing under the neon lights. His face wore the expression of someone who just watched a car accident and didn't know if there were any fatalities.

"You okay? You just took a pretty bad spill." He said loudly over the music.

"Yeah, thanks." She lied, glancing around her for the person she fell onto, hoping to apologize. The man who had embraced her before looked like he was out for the count, his limp body on the dance floor. Some people were trying to wake him up and had cleared a makeshift circle around him. Luckily, she thought, the lights were too dim for anyone to make out exactly what happened to cause the fall. She didn't want to end up getting in legal trouble over some sloppy drunk guy.

"You gave me a good scare," The boy snapped her attention back to him, still holding her by her arms gently. It dawned on her slowly that he was the one she had fallen into, his nose bloody from where her head must have hit it.

"Oh God, I'm sorry." She said hastily, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to fall." She knew she looked as well as sounded drunk. Her black velvet top dipped dangerously low on her chest, and she hoisted it up quickly, realizing. Her drink had spilled in the fiasco and some of the red liquid soaked through her black jeans and shirt, smelling of fruit.

"It's no problem," He let her go. He had soft features and a warm smile, inviting trust without even knowing them. "I'm Maurice."

It seemed an odd time for introductions, she thought, but nonetheless said "I'm Allie," back. He brightened at her name, glancing over his shoulder toward the bar area away from the music.