1 Chapter 1

“Oh, what the hell am I even doing here?” Lianne groaned as she stared at the brick building known as Mercy Lounge. Each year Mercy Lounge held the city’s biggest and wildest Halloween party. She had read a lot on the internet about the sleepy town of Harmonia. According to the rumours, strange occurrences were common on All Hallows Eve. Not that Lianne believed in all of that supernatural nonsense.

“Oh, Le…it’s not like you can walk up and say, ‘Hey! Do you remember me?’” She whimpered, frowning when she rubbed the tips of her fingers through her bleached blonde hair. A throbbing pain persisted in her temple from an impending migraine. “Maybe I shouldn’t have dressed like a tart,” she grumbled.

At first, Lianne decided on a conservative costume. In the end, she changed her mind and settled on a skimpy Little Red Riding Hood outfit. It seemed strange to her that she’d felt so drawn to the outfit since she never wore anything overly revealing. The crimson costume clung to her voluptuous curves and the black lace corset barely hid the problem areas that even working out failed to obliterate. Ever since she was a child, she’d always been slightly pudgy. Lianne tugged at the tight corset with a huff. A matching crimson cape, tied beneath her chin and draped across her squared shoulders, came to rest against the center of her back. A curl toppled from beneath the hood and she quickly shoved it back in place.

“I can’t do this,” she breathed heavily. Lianne made a sharp turn on the long concrete staircase. She rushed down the steps, pushing past several guests making their way inside. With one hand pressed to her stomach when she reached the sidewalk, Lianne tried to calm down. “I can’t do this,” she repeated with a whimper. “Damn it, Lianne. Stop letting your anxiety get the best of you!”

She glanced down the street. The blinking neon lights of a nearby club drew her attention. Lianne blinked, shielding her eyes from the flashing, orange name ‘Hypnotic.’ The glowing sign illuminated the street. “Perfect,” Lianne mumbled. “Just what I need—a place to get drunk.” A wave of dizziness washed over her as the lights flickered and flickered. She shook her head, trying to focus.

“ID,” the burly woman at the door barked. Her outstretched hand flexed and her blank stare betrayed no emotion.

“Oh!” Lianne tugged at the ID nestled between her breasts. She glanced at the woman whose name tag read Trisha. “I’m plenty old enough.” Lianne shivered when the bouncer shoved the ID back at her and motioned towards the door, not saying another word. A petite woman next to the bouncer seemed to size Lianne up when she stepped inside. “Well, thank you too,” she grumbled when she walked through the doors, frustrated with the apathy of one and the judgement of the other. She bowed her head when she saw the smirk that passed between the two women. “Assholes.”

Convinced all eyes were on her the second she stepped into the club, Lianne’s gaze remained on the floor. She was sure almost everyone had seen her face plastered all over the news, given the incident a few months earlier. It was something she would have rather pushed out of her mind and forgotten, although it did not seem like it would happen anytime soon. How could she forget? Lianne roughly swallowed. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before releasing a shaky breath. Come on, Le. Don’t freak out now.Opening her eyes again, she sagged in relief when she glanced around and realized no one was staring at her.

Her glittering red stilettos clicked against the black and white checkered dance floor with every step. The music around her slowed and she was grateful to make it to the bar before someone asked her to dance. Safely seated at the bar, she turned to survey the occupants of the crowded dance floor. It felt as if ages had passed since she’d last gone to any sort of nightclub. She giggled when she caught sight of some of the Halloween costumes. A man dressed in a skin tight Superman costume rocked against a woman whose cheerleader outfit left little to the imagination. The couple’s hips thrust together in a tantric motion and she half wondered if they would undress one another on the spot.

“Hey baby,” a woman’s voice purred. “What can I get for such a sexy Red Riding Hood on this Hallows night?”

Lianne turned, swallowing nervously when she saw the bartender’s menacing grin. “Whiskey,” she whispered. “A double, please,” she added with a shiver.

“Double shot of whiskey,” the bartender grinned as she leaned against the counter, “Coming right up, sugar.” With a wink, the bartender turned to fix her drink.