Bright neon lights reflected in small puddles at the side of grimy roads, the light vibrating in miniature waves before being broken by a car swerving too close to the curb. Chelsea and Hazel walked near the seemingly endless rows of shops, away from the road and passing traffic. The rain had stopped sometime earlier but the humidity seemed to pull the water from everywhere and nowhere. Chelsea felt dampness in her armpits despite the antiperspirant she'd covered herself in earlier.
"I hate being out in this," Chelsea complained. The young woman wiped sweat from her brow, flicking it to the side with a well manicured nail. The heat was oppressive and, with the rain from earlier, the entire downtown was a sauna. All she wanted to do was go home, turn up the air conditioning and soak in cool water. Her thighs were starting to rub together painfully.
"Come on, come on!" Hazel said, pulling her friend along. "Aaron is waiting for us. You have no idea how long I've wanted to see this club!"
"You could've waited longer," Chelsea told her friend. "And why couldn't we have gotten a ride? This is killing me. You haven't even mentioned this guy before.."
Hazel rolled her eyes at her friend. "I only just met him last week. Trish and I were at Tindal's for shots and he came over with his friend. They bought half of them. Both of them were so handsome and funny, Chelsea, you have no idea."
"You sure that wasn't the Fireball talking?" Chelsea asked her friend. She pulled at her hair to tuck a few frazzled strands back under her hairband. The air felt electric, pulsing with heat and moisture. She felt it pulling at the small hairs along the back of her neck as a single drop of sweat formed and then fell. The young woman shivered as the sweat slid along her spine.
"No, no. He sent pictures later. Absolutely hot," Hazel blushed next to her friend at the memory. The pictures were of the two of them in bed. She hadn't remembered much of what they'd done when they went back to her apartment but the photos helped remind her. "Anyway, no ride because the GPS couldn't find the club. It's too new or something. Doesn't show up on the map."
"Should be close, at least," Chelsea grumbled. "His friend's not there, right? The one Trish met?"
"No, I asked," Hazel told her friend, laying a hand on the other girl's arm lightly. "Just Aaron. I'm not passing my friends around to all these guys. I just didn't want to go alone. Look! We're here!"
The two girls stopped in front of a simple black door with a large, twisted chrome door handle. 'REFLECTIONS' was written in silver block letters above the door.
Chelsea frowned. "I don't hear anything. And there's no bouncer. You sure it's even open?"
"One way to find out!" Hazel chirped. The young woman pulled at the door and it opened quietly. The thick air seemed to swirl around them, cool currents mixing with the oppressive heat. Chelsea shivered as it washed over her and then she followed her friend inside.
"Hazel," Chelsea whispered, clutching at her friend. "Wait."
The inside of the club was empty and completely silent. A single, gigantic man stood by another door set in the far wall. Pale red lights lined the edge of the ceiling, barely casting any light at all. The man was dressed in a pure black suit,complete with a black tie. He was clean shaven and his scalp was bare. He watched the two women impassively, hands clasped together behind his back.
Hazel shrugged free of her friend, digging her small hand into her purse. She pulled out a deep black card and walked toward the bouncer. He took the card from her with a hand the size of Chelsea's head. Thick, callused fingers turned the card over once and then twice. The word 'REFLECTIONS' was the only thing on the card and it, like the writing above the door outside, was silver. Only here it seemed to drink in the ambient red lighting.
Without a word, the man opened the inner door to let the two girls through. Electronic music assailed them, bass thumping while nearly inaudible singing clashed with the computer generated sounds.
Stairs led immediately down and Chelsea could not see the bottom from where she stood.
"No," Chelsea said, again grabbing for her friend. "This feels wrong. I don't want to go down there."
Hazel smiled at the man but glanced at her friend. "I'm going. Look, I'll be there the whole time and we'll keep each other safe. Come on, don't make me go alone."
The young woman pulled at the simple gold hoop at her right earlobe. She shivered again at the cool air in the empty room, her sweat cold beneath her loose top and skirt. Silence fell suddenly and she heard voices below, laughing and yelling and swearing. They were overwhelmed as the music started again. Hazel stepped through the doorway, walking carefully down the steps in her heels. Chelsea groaned and followed.
The music shook her to her core. It wasn't painful but it seemed to resonate through her skull, deep in her bones. Flickering purple, red, white and green colors swirled at the base of the stairs. Light smoke swirled along the floor as people passed in front of the stairway.
"I don't like this," Chelsea whispered to herself. She couldn't even hear her own voice. Stepping out into the basement, the young woman stopped to look around. It was far larger than she expected. Booths lined the walls with small round tables dotting the floor. The bar was to her left with two women and a man covering it, walking back and forth and mixing drinks for people.
A low stage dominated the room. Directly in front of the stairs, the semicircular stage was empty and dark, save for a few brief touches from the overhead laser lights. Four metal poles were arrayed along the stage, gleaming in the ambient light. Behind the stage, the entire wall was a mirror and she saw herself staring, wide eyed at everything around her.
"I don't see Aaron yet," Hazel yelled into Chelsea's ear. "Let's grab a table and get some drinks going while we wait!"
Chelsea nodded and followed her friend. Her shoulders itched. Every time she glanced at the huge mirrored wall, she was sure she caught people staring at her. The two girls stopped at a tall table. Chelsea clutched her small purse to her side before sitting.
Hazel tapped her friend and then pointed at the bar and Chelsea nodded. It wasn't long before Hazel returned with two large drinks. Chelsea grabbed the drink and sipped nervously, surprised at the sweetness of it.
"I asked the bartender," Hazel told her, the girl's lips practically brushing Chelsea's ear. "There's no show tonight. I guess we came in on off night or something. Kinda shitty but the drinks are really cheap so I don't care. And the music is good!"
