Author's Note: This is a new story of mine. I am thinking OH GOD - about potentially entering this story in a writing competition. So any feedback / thoughts / things you love, things you hate, things that are good or bad - please do let me know!
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Chapter 1
The sweat poured down my back as I stared at the gorgeous lead singer through my camera lens. He grabbed the mic stand and pushed it against his well-built chest as he serenaded the crowd. For a second, I got distracted by his lips but I quickly pulled myself together and continued snapping photos. After all I had a job to do. I focused on the band performing, the music was vibrating through my body as I pushed myself closer to the stage and continued to take photos. I knew that I needed to get a few good close-ups if I was going to get paid. I let my camera drop down and started to scan through the pictures I had just taken, a girl next to me pushed towards me trying to get closer to the stage.
"Watch what you are doing," I snapped at her, holding my camera further away from her swaying arms. I couldn't afford a broken camera right now.
She continued dancing as if she hadn't heard me over the loud music. I looked up as I felt someone's eyes on me. At the other side of the room, barely visible over the dancing crowd stood a tall guy. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes seemed almost illuminated in the dark club. I felt an energy come off him, it was as if my eyes could not tear away from him. His brown hair was trimmed short almost as an army haircut. I felt my skin tingle as I stood pushed up against the stage. I grabbed a hold of the side of the stage, almost feeling my knees buckle. My eyes drank him in, his eyes kept locked at me and they glowed softly. Something about him felt unnatural to me. I felt my breath catch in my throat as a storm of pin needle pricks ran across my skin.
"Did you get those shots?"
The voice broke me out of the moment.
"Yeah," I stuttered.
"So do you want a beer then?" Shaun asked.
I looked over at the other side of the room, the smouldering stranger had disappeared.
Shaun grabbed hold of my arm and led me through the crowd, towards the bar. The bartender poured us two pints of London pale ale without even asking. He gave me a sly wink as he handed me the glass, having seen me here with my camera countless times before.
"So what's up with you?" Shaun smiled over his pint of beer. I looked him over, he was slim to the point of bony but he had always been good to me. He worked as a promoter, booking bands for a lot of the smaller venues around town and had always been willing to line up photography jobs for me.
"Not much, just trying to get more jobs," I said.
"You know if you wanted to work in one of the nightclubs I could arrange that easily," he countered.
I smiled at his offer, but shook my head.
"You're one stubborn girl," he sighed.
"I'll see you later," I replied and downed my drink.
"See you later. Don't forget to email me those photos."
I rolled my eyes at him and shot him a small smile before leaving.
As I step out onto Shoreditch High Street, I pushed my camera down in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. The lights from the cars driving along twinkled at me in the darkness, as a steady stream of people passed me by. I breathed in the mixed scent of wet concrete, exhaust fumes and the spices from the street food vendors up the road. Looking across the street, my heart almost stopped when I spotted the stranger from the club. He was standing on the opposite pavement, his eyes yet again locked on me. I felt a shiver pass through my body, as I pull my jeans jacket closer around me trying to shake it off. As I pushed the strap of my handbag further up on my shoulder, I tore my eyes away from him. As I started walking I felt like my feet were held down by lead, each step feeling like a struggle. I could feel the pull of his presence, pulling me back towards him. His energy tugged at me, as he moved towards me not giving me even a second to consider what was going on or question if someone could have spiked my drink. The wave of energy rolled over me as he crossed the street. Even though I was trying to walk away from him, I could feel how I was being pulled towards him. His hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.
"So you are going to leave without saying hi?"
A spark of anger charged through me. I didn't know who this guy was or why I felt such a pull towards him, but that still didn't mean that he had to be arrogant.
"I'm going home."
I shot him a blank stare.
"I saw you looking at me earlier," he smiled at me.
Something about his smile almost disarmed me, until I reminded myself that he was a stranger.
"I just wanted to introduce myself..."
He stretched out his hand to me, "I'm Taylor."
His brown eyes were locked on me as I reached my hand out.
"I'm Cara."
When I shook his hand, something jolted through me. A surge of electricity rushed through his hand to mine. As if his touch had burned me, I released myself quickly from his handshake. His eyes twinkled as if he knew something I didn't.
"I have to go now," I pushed out before bolting down one of the many alleyways.
As I hurried away only one thing kept passing through my mind – what had happened? Never before had I felt that kind of energy. I had never felt pulled towards someone like I had him.
I ran down another alleyway, before stopping abruptly. My hand pushed against the uneven gravel of the brick wall as my upper body folded over and I retched onto the street. My body was shaking and I could feel my eyes tear up. I pulled my handbag further up on my shoulder and continued to hurried down the small street. I needed to get home. I started to feel more and more disoriented.
My hands shook as I forced the key into the lock, twisting it and pushing down the handle. Pulling the door shut behind me as quickly as I could. The hallway was littered with post, but I ignored that. Quickly walking past our neighbours' door and up the stairs. I unlocked our front door and finally allowed myself to sink down to the floor. My hands continued to shake and I could feel an energy vibrating through my body.
"Cara?" Matthew rushed to my side. "Are you okay?"
I looked up at my roommate and gave him the only plausible explanation I could think of, "I think someone slipped something in my drink..."
Matthew scooped me up from the floor and led me on shaky legs towards my bedroom.
"Thank God you got home alright," he whispered into my ear.
~*~
I stared up at the crack that ran across the top of my cream coloured wall, threatening to creep into the ceiling. The shading around it almost looked like a cobweb. Thinking to myself for the hundredth time that if I had some money left over at the end of the month I should really paint it over.
Rolling out of bed, I expected my head to be heavy and suffering from the effects of last night. I had never had my drink spiked before but I assumed it would be the worst kind of hangover. Standing up, I looked out of the window and my head felt surprisingly clear. I spotted a couple of children walking across the street in their school uniforms. Strangely, I actually felt completely rested and filled with energy.
I pushed open my bedroom door, walking through our messy living room and into the kitchen.
"Feeling better?" Matthew asked as he bit into a piece of toast.
"Yeah," I admitted as I tipped a few brim filled teaspoons of instant coffee into the mug, before pouring over the steaming water from the kettle.
"What are you up to today?" he asked me. A question that always had a different answer for me but not for him, his nine to five job kept his schedule very predictable.
I pulled out my iPhone and swiped my way to my calendar.
"I have a job today in Mayfair," I said and scrunched up my nose. I hated those jobs, being at posh events always forced me to dress up and be all polite.
"Have fun with the snobs," Matthew laughed at me when he saw my expression.
As I got ready to leave I groaned internally, I hated these posh events but I needed the money so I couldn't turn it down. I pulled on a basic black dress and scrolled through my emails finding the event details. It looked like this was some kind of yearly breakfast conference and they wanted shots of people mingling around and enjoying themselves. I rolled my eyes – rich people.
Parking my bike outside the towering brick building, I glance up at its imposing structure. I pulled down my black dress that had slid up during the bike ride and pushed the strap of my handbag higher up on my shoulder.
My eyes danced across the black and white tile floor as I stepped into the lobby of the hotel. It was so beautiful, I reminded myself to take a few scenery shots for my own collection when I was done with the job. I walked across the lobby to a man that looked like he was in charge, wearing a well-fitted black suit and a lightly coloured striped tie he looked over his black glasses at me.
"I'm here for the conference," I pulled out my camera, "to take the photos."
"Right this way Miss," he walked up the grand staircase and I followed.
He led me down a hallway to a grand room. The beautiful windows opened up to the street downstairs and the room was filled with well-dressed people milling about. Shielding my face with my camera, I stepped into the room. I started to snap photos, trying to protect myself from any interaction. I always felt uncomfortable doing these kinds of jobs, a constant feeling of not belonging. But I kept snapping away, even being this kind of photographer was better than not one at all. The beautiful, rich people kept grabbing little breakfast like hors d'œuvres from the waiters passing through the room.
About half an hour later the crowd started to settled along the great oak table in the centre the room. I got a few shots of everyone sitting down before I let myself out of the room. Closing the door gently behind me, trying hard not to disturb their meeting.
Walking along the corridor the hotel suddenly seemed quiet, as if there was no one left. As if everyone had headed off for the day. I let my hand grace along the mahogany banister about to walk down the grand stairs to the lobby when something stopped me dead in my tracks.
A beautiful, blond haired guy in an expensive suit was having an argument with another man.
"You won't get away with this," the blond haired guy said.
The thin, very pale guy pushed back his crow black hair and stared him down, "Do you really think that threatening me is a good idea?"
"Aaron, you will pay," the blond haired guy growled. His suit jacket had risen up and crinkled around his shoulders as he squared up, ready to fight.
"Don't threaten me, Lucas," the guy who clearly must be Aaron said.
Both men stretched their hands up in front of their bodies, like some sort of absurd fight stance. They pushed their open palms forward.
I felt myself hunching down at the banister, completely engrossed by the scene that was playing out in the lobby.
They both spread their fingers out, opening out their palms even more whilst scowling into each others' eyes.
The energy flowed out of their open palms, from Lucas' hands blue lighting was streaming out freely met by a red flash of energy from Aaron's. I felt a hum of energy pass through my body. The two men pushed their palms forward making the rays of light and colour rush out even faster. Something within me, pulled in my stomach as I watched the energy hover in the air, before it turned darting up towards me. A wave of light forcefully crashed into me, before evaporating. My body hummed with power as the energy pushed through my veins. I stared down, both of their eyes were fixed on me as a look of disbelief marveled across both of their faces.
Song: Zella Day - High