Tina went toward Mr. Bombardier’s office, having been told by Anilia that she was supposed to at least let him know she was leaving the club’s elite group, The Bitten. She’d heard things about him, mostly good, often mysterious.
She was a nursing major in the university. She was going to be starting her clinical next semester and wouldn’t really have the time for partying with her friends. So it was best to wean herself out of the club now.
Besides, since Jacmes left, she hadn’t gotten a fix.
She knocked on the doorframe, as he usually had his door open. She’d often peeked inside. For a bald guy, he really wasn’t half bad. He was big and broad, nothing like Jacmes who was small and lithe. He was doing something on the computer and looked up at her. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen.
“Oh, hi, Tina. Come on in and sit down. You can close the door if you want.”
She decided not to , and sat down in one of the comfortable chairs across from him. He leaned forward. “Anilia tells me you’re leaving the group.”
She nodded. “I have a lot of work coming up in the university. I have to concentrate on that.”
He sat back. “Tell me about The Bitten.”
“What?”
“Anilia won’t tell me, and you seem like a smart young lady. Explain it to me.”
“It’s, uh…kinda like a fraternity and a sorority. We have pledges and stuff, and initiations and stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, you know, parties and…stuff. Though we really haven’t had one since Jacmes left.”
“Like what?” he repeated, and looked directly at her.
She looked up at him, and something told her that it was safe to tell him everything. In fact, he probably already suspected it.
“We’d have parties. Jacmes would be at the center of it all, and we’d, well…” She waved her hands, a little frustrated and flustered.
“Drink his blood?”
She shook her head. “Oh no. No, we’d…he was wonderful. He was just…he loved us.” She focused on him. “He really did. Each one of us, and all of us together. It was bigger than a frat or sisterhood. We were a family, and he was our guide and our father.”
“All of you?”
She nodded. “We worshipped him.”
“Oh, dear god,” he whispered. Then he said quietly, “So you don’t think I’d be worthy of something like that?”
“You’re not like Jacmes. He used to spend time with us all, see us on the floor, talk with us, take us aside and…take care of us.”
“There’s thirty of you.”
“Twenty-five.”
“You’d all, uh, worship him?”
“Most of us. Some didn’t like to, but they came around usually.”
He looked away for a moment, thinking. “You know, Tina, you don’t have to leave.” He then turned and stared directly at her. “You can come in whenever you want, leave whenever you want. Do you want a ‘Father’? Someone to take care of you?”
She gazed up at him, almost in adoration. “Yes,” she whispered, “Yes, I do.”
He came from around the desk, and slowly shut the door. She watched him like a hawk. He walked over to her, coming at her from behind. She turned away, and he gently brushed the hair away from her neck. She shuddered in pleasure and anticipation.
“Is this what Jacmes did?” he asked, leaning down and kissing her white neck.
“He would…he would…” And then she was lost in the Kiss.
Seemingly ages later, his husky voice seemed to come through cotton. “He would do what?”
She put her head back against the seat and at him upside down. He smiled down at her. Damn, he was hot. She smiled at him in response. “Am I worthy now?” he asked.
“Yes, oh yes.”
“So you’ll stay?”
She nodded.
“What about the rest?”
“Will you have the parties again?”
“Yes, I’ll have the parties again.” He didn’t sound very enthusiastic about it. “I want you to finish your schooling, though. Concentrate on that. The club isn’t going anywhere.”
She smiled again. “You’re really awesome.”
“Nah,” he said with a slight bow of his head. “Do you have class tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t skip classes.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
He opened the door for her and she got up. Again, watching him like he was God on earth, she walked by him. “I promise,” she repeated.
“Good,” he replied, and she left, glancing back once. He closed the door, and rubbed the back of his neck.
A cult. Jacmes created a cult. I can’t do that, take away their freedom. But it’s what they want. They want to be guided, controlled, told what to do. Part of this, possibly was they thought it was a sense of love and caring, and most of all, protection.
“I need a psych degree,” he muttered, waiting for the next appointment.
words: 820
Inspiration: What happens when you get too old to be Goth? Though this doesn’t answer that.
Music: Elba, e.s. Posthumus
Comments: I’m thinking The Bitten is like a goth social club, except this group takes in the nerds and other outcasts. Bomber has to bite them all? Was Jacmes able to do such a thing? The worship idea came from Lorenco, who keeps filling Bomber’s head with how handsome and wonderful he is. The club is central to Bomber’s development as a Prince.