Meticulous Originality

The number on the bricks was marked in a succession of what needed to happen first, and Charlotte watched Stone carefully as he pulled out the first brick needed to open the door somehow.

Charlotte was still quite skeptical of how a door was going to pop out of nowhere, but for now, she kept quiet while Vincent worked diligently to yank out all the bricks, actually making a little pile to the side.

She didn't know where the bricks were going to go since they definitely couldn't leave any of their traces behind, but Vincent straightened after grabbing the last brick that was practically on the floor and brushed his hand down his button-up shirt.

All of the sudden, the motion of the bricks started to retract on its own making Lucia jump back startled, and Charlotte flicked her eyes to the wall that was shifting on its own to form a doorway. There was no magic, but the technology that had advanced made it possible to happen. 

There was a thin glass film in the doorway that opened up for them, and Charlotte reached out to touch it only for it to turn green. She turned around to Vincent to ask what it was.

"It's just another layer of protection. If someone was to walk in that was not permitted to, they would have gotten electrocuted," Vincent said slowly.

"But how did the screen know that we are able to go in?" Charlotte asked.

"We have our databases," Vincent replied.

Charlotte sighed knowing that she couldn't push any further because the vampires needed their own security measures as well. "Okay, hurry up then."

She walked through the film first with Lucia following behind her, and they entered a small empty room that had a skylight overhead. Charlotte stood off in a corner with her arms crossed, and Vincent and Stone hurried inside with the spare bricks in tow.

As they both came in, Vincent stacked the bricks down in the doorway where there was a moving belt underneath taking the bricks and moving them up in succession to rebuild the wall once more. It was interesting to see, and Charlotte took in the sight in amazement.

"We need to head inside," Vincent said. "Sonya should be waiting for us at the front desk."

Charlotte nodded, and they followed Vincent out the only door in the room after the odd doorway had closed into a small hallway. It was dimly lit, but it may also be the fact that it wasn't waking hours for most yet as well. 

She kept her fingers on the wall to keep her pacing since she couldn't see well in the dark as the vampires do. Lucia was nipping her heels, but Charlotte didn't mind, because the hallway walk was faster than she thought when they abruptly stopped at another door which Vincent opened with a palm reader.

She didn't even see the palm reader there in the darkness, but as the reader turned green allowing authorization, she heard the door unlock with a crisp click, and daylight started to stream in. 

They had arrived at the boutique in the most roundabout way, but they had finally made it. The glass windows of the boutique were tall, and the curtains were still drawn as the store was still closed. However, the upper windows allowed the light of the dawn to come.

The walls were a rich white with dark wooden accents around along side all the clothing displays, and there was a woman standing by an ebony check-out desk with her hands resting on the ledge.

She was well-dressed with her long grey pencil skirt along with a navy blouse that had silk string tied in a bow along her neck. Her dark brown hair was slicked back a bun at the base of her neck, and the woman smiled at them as they approached.

"I see that you have all made it safely," Sonya said.

"Have you prepared everything?" Vincent asked.

"Yes. There is a right outside the boutique. Once you all change and grab your luggage, no one will give you a second glance," Sonya answered.

Vincent nodded. "Where are they?"

"Allow me to lead," Sonya said and motioned for them to follow.

Charlotte trailed behind them as she took in the beautiful boutique. It seemed as though Sonya had already put out all the racks needed for the day with all the clothing pieces meticulously placed to draw the eye.

She would describe the boutique to be a style along the lines of modest, professionalism with originality due to the different cut of the clothing. 

They walked passed the fitting room area which entailed rooms that only had thin cream curtains to cover and over to the storage room. Sonya pushed the door open, and Charlotte inclined her head when they made eye contact before Sonya turned back around to go over to the corner rack that had a long silk cover on it.