36 Silver Drizzle

The entire town was coated in a fine drizzle. As the rain descended mixing with fog, it brought with it the allure of a mystical place. Loud sounds were muffled under the gentle drops of never ending rain: sounds of life existing in splendor seemed hastened and slowed.

Vail was a beautiful town, nestled in the high mountains, and known for its ski resort, it attracted all types of visitors. As the rain quickened, changing into sleet, laugher, and expedited footsteps sounded heavily in the air. The residents and visitors alike fleeing into the safety of homes, bars, resorts, and shopping centers. Violet watched the town breath cozily through chimneys from the roof of a nearby ski lodge. Midnight was fast approaching and the building of tonight's choice was a clear juxtaposition.

The lower section of the building was one of Vail's most exclusive night clubs. Two flights of high flying fun, debauchery, dancing, alcohol, and the rumor of illicit affairs. The third flight was eerie, undecorated, and derelict.

Eyes seemed to latch onto the first two floors as bodies competed for the honor of partying in such a prestigious club, all while ignoring the existence of the third floor.

The owners of the club, "La Macabra" had always remained anonymous, which often helped raise the allure. They had constructed the building with purpose, the only way in, out, up, or down, was through the club's front door.

Violet watched as an imposing group of men shrouded in underdressed women swaggered into the club bypassing security, time to move.

Her attention zeroed in on the shortest of the men, even from afar there was no mistaking it, Silver had indeed shown his face.

Violet dropped from the roof onto a balcony without making a sound, she continued her descent until she reached the floor.

Violet looked around, she was standing half a block away from Macabra's entrance and the crowd was only growing larger. Prepping herself mentally for the onslaught of bodies pressing in from all sides Violet squared her shoulders and removed her long coat.

She approached the scene with her head held high, smiling softly in a very self assured manner. Her body was decorated in a shimmery romper, short, and enticing. The matching sparkly pumps were more weapon than shoe, as there were very few things those heels could not slice through.

The blonde wig from Alexandria had returned, although it was currently styled with two half-moon buns. Violet had rhinestone stickers carefully placed on her face. They made a line from the tip of her nose arching up, and around both of her eyebrows. She fit in, all while standing out.

Violet approached the door refusing to make eye contact with the bouncer, while ensuring he had a clear view of her. She turned to enter when the nearly salivating man stopped her.

"Welcome to La Macabra's! Are you visiting?"

He received a coy smile in return, "Yes, I have a few friends inside." The man nodded easily, "They'll be up in the second floor, Silver did say he had a couple of astounding beauties stopping by for entertainment tonight."

The man smiled gleefully unwilling to hide his lust, "if you get bored baby, come find me."

Violet laughed falsely while crossing into the club, past the line of astounded faces.

She heard someone whisper, "Ughhh, I can't believe she's here with Silver, I'm so jealous."

Violet made a mental note that this was place often patrolled by Silver, she would be outnumbered.

La Macabra's had an outlandish interior design: goat skulls decorated in mixtures of black and gold paint were the chandeliers. All around objects of the occult were displayed; heathen bibles, blood stained daggers, reapers in rags, smoking cauldrons, paintings of death, etc. They had really chosen to emphasize the name, it seemed that all of the design objects had been chosen for their believable Spanish depiction of La Muerte. The Dj's booth sat in the center of a massive skeleton cloaked In a black shroud. The only pop of color, stark in contrast, shone from the numerous marigolds decorating the skeleton.

The electronic music was explosive and drowned out the many attempts of conversation. Violet was surrounded by interested faces, drinks in hands, almost immediately. She ignored the offers and pressed forward eyes on the black staircase leading to the second floor.

Violet watched as an unsuspecting woman turned her back on her drink, almost immediately a hand came to the drink pouring in a soft powder. Violet altered her course only minutely, so as to knock it out of the woman's hand and into the crotch of the perpetrator. The gasps of anger were swallowed by the music as she continued her walk through the throng.

She reached the stairs and was waved through by a second bouncer, who handed her a drink. Violet took a sniff, It smelled expensive, some sort of brandy, and clearly spiked. She pretended to sip and was allowed upstairs, a requirement for entry?

Definitely.

There was a smaller crowd in the second floor, although not by much. The music was just as loud, and two bodies in a corner were fucking carelessly. The mixture of perfumes, colognes, outfits, and drinks overwhelmed Violet's senses. The only difference from the first floor, apart from the skeleton, was the many doors on the left side of the room. The promise of Illicit affairs were clearly carried out there.

She spotted Silver's group, they were the most rambunctious of the groups. Silver was making out with two different women, hands in holy spaces, groping roughly.

Violet did not bother to hide her contempt, she had to stay away until she found a way upstairs.

"Would you like to dance?" She found herself looking into a clean shaven face, dark heavy set eyes, slim cheekbones, and a strong smile.

"My name is Jake, and you are stunning. Dance with me?"

Violet accepted, he smelled important, the suit was clearly custom made, and that meant he would have a private room.

They danced for some time, he seemed genuinely interested, and if not for the hickies littering his clavicle, Violet would have felt bad for the way she was going to use him.

Once he grew impatient, they headed into his private room. He offered her some cocaine, as he himself snorted a line, she refused still 'sipping' on her drink. Violet looked around, the wall with the door had a one-way mirror, what perverts, they could easily see out into the crowd.

"It's exciting, isn't it? We can do what we want here, yet they can't see us!" Violet chuckled as his arms wrapped around her waist, she pushed him back onto the bed and took off his tie, he looked pleased, "I do like it rough honey."

"Oh, I always deliver." Violet punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, he wheezed in confusion as she wrapped the tie around his neck. He struggled for a few moments before going limp, Violet used a towel to gag him, then tied him to the bed.

She watched Silver's group through the mirror. He had suddenly stopped his sexual advances, and was talking seriously to a large group that had just arrived. Violet left the private room, her dance partner had really selected the best. The room was next to the hidden stairs and while they were distracted by the new arrivals Violet snuck upstairs.

The third floor was one large room, dimly lit and it was empty, with the exception of chairs and a lit fireplace. Violet looked down and gasped in surprise. The entire floor was a one way mirror, they would be able to see everything occurring from this room. Violet was disappointed, she had hoped for a place to hide, she looked around, it would appear she would be hiding in vents once more.

Violet set herself up carefully, procured a camera, and hit record as bodies began entering the room.

There were twenty members in all, although seven of them appeared to be new recruits, and Silver was here as their leader.

"You have all agreed to join the Nightmare Walkers, there is no turning back." As if to emphasize his point Silver used his to ability to create a reinforced wall of ice in the room. "This barrier will not break until I command it, take off the new recruits shoes."

A branding iron was pulled from the fireplace, the letters NW in a circle, shone in bright red. Several of the recruits stiffened, but they were held in place as one by one the brand was pressed into the soles of their feet. The smell of burning flesh reached Violet and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

The last recruit, a woman in her forties, tried to run, "I've changed my mind, I won't speak of this, ever, please let me go."

"She knows of the next attack."

She panicked, as she ran to the door a rope of fire wrapped around her ankle and she fell with a thump.

She opened her mouth to scream as a body landed on her. The scream died in her lungs as a large knife sliced deeply into her throat.

In her hiding spot Violet looked down into the woman's fading eyes, unconcerned, she had brought it upon herself.

"Let's get started."

It was Silver who had spoken and up above Violet shifted her attention.

This was barley commencing.