Prologue
The lights were too bright and the music so loud I couldn't hear Lucy talking next to me. Not that it mattered because she had been talking gibberish since her fourth shot of tequila. I just smiled and nodded along to whatever it was she was saying as we kept swaying our hips back and forth to the upbeat music.
It didn't matter that I was wearing a short denim skirt and a black cami that stopped above my belly button, I was still sweating. Too many bodies too close together. I was thankful I had decided to pull my long brown hair into a high ponytail so it wasn't clinging to my neck and shoulders from the perspiration.
As we danced I looked around the club. Lucy in her short white shorts and bright pink tank didn't seem to notice how many eyes were on her. Not that she wasn't used to it, platinum blonde hair and a tiny waist gets noticed. Guys came up and tried to dance with her but she would just give them a sweet smile and moved to the music in a way that gave her distance from them without coming across as being rude. I never understood how she could do it, acknowledge the attention and push it away with such grace and friendliness.
Moonlight Club was the newest hot spot and Lucy had talked our friend Ash and I into going out to celebrate us graduating from college. It was mostly a large dance floor with tables along three of the walls and a long bar along the fourth. It was dark with all black and red velvet decor to make an almost goth theme that made the strobe lights stand out that much more. I will admit that even though I hadn't wanted to go out I was having a good time. Even if we didn't seem to fit in with the atmosphere.
Well, lucy and I didn't, our friend Ash on the other hand fit in perfectly. She was tall and thin with black hair that she had cut short in a pixie-like cut. She wore a leather black skirt tonight with a black top that showed off her midriff and the silver rod through her belly button. She also had a silver rod through her eyebrow and her lower lip. However, the piercings didn't take away from her beauty, the opposite actually, they seemed to make her features that much more prominent in a way that added to her beauty. She wore minimal makeup, just a bit of eyeliner and dark red lipstick. The whole look seemed to be cliche goth but was also uniquely Ash.
“I need a glass of water!” I tried to yell over the music to both the girls while making a gesture toward the bar with one hand. Lucy nodded and continued to dance while Ash looked at me and nodded and pointed to herself as if to say she too needed a drink.
We pushed our way over to the bar, being pressed against other bodies on our way. When we finally made it I leaned against the counter and turned to Ash while we waited for the bartender to notice us.
“Can you see her from here?” I asked as I tried to stand on my tiptoes to see over the crowd.
Ash also looked, not having to stand on tiptoes, and nodded.
“I can see a bit of the bright pink of her shirt. Glad she decided to wear that after all since it makes her more noticeable in this crazy place”
“What can I get for you ladies?”
I looked up to notice the bartender had finally noticed us. He was tall and had amazing blue eyes that with his sandy blonde hair and big white smile gave you the impression he should be on the beach in the sun instead of in this dark room.
“Just two waters, please.” I said with a smile back.
He kept the smile on his face and nodded as he turned around to get our waters.
I looked over at Ash about to make a comment about how cute the bartender was when I noticed her expression. Her mouth was slightly turned down at the edges as she looked around the crowd. The expression was somewhere between confused and concerned.
“What is it?” I ask as I also start to look around wondering if I could spot what she was seeing.
“I don't see her.” Ash said almost too quiet for me to hear above the music.
“Lucy?” I asked. “You don't see Lucy? But I thought you just said you could see her shirt?”
“I could. But then I turned when the bartender spoke up and when I turned back around she was gone. She has to be here somewhere. I only looked away for a second.”
Our glasses of water were sat down just then and I picked mine up and took a long drink. I wasn't feeling panicked yet but too was looking around and not seeing even a glimpse of pink.
“I'll go check the bathrooms. Maybe she went there. You go check where we were and keep your eye out for her. I'll meet you there after.”
I walked across the floor, pushing my way through dancing bodies to get to the bathroom on the opposite side of the club. I opened the door and saw a few girls in there touching up their makeup but no Lucy. I decided to call into the men's room as well in case she walked into the wrong one in her tipsy state but there was no answer.
I made my way to where I was supposed to meet Ash hoping maybe she had found her and the worry that was starting to creep up was for nothing. When I got there I saw a look on her face that mirrored my own. She hadn't found her either.
“Ellie I've looked all over. I can't find her.” Ash sounded like she was starting to panic.
We went to the front where the security was next to the door and asked if they'd noticed her walk out. Lucy stood out in a place like this. If she had walked out the door, security would have noticed her. But they hadn't seen her either.
We continued to look and ask people until the place started to clear out for the night. Nobody had noticed the person who stood out most leave. Nobody had seen where she had gone.
Lucy had disappeared.
