Stockholm

‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍When the coat check takes Rue’s jacket, she instantly gets goosebumps from the chilly air. All she has on is a little red dress and strappy gold heels that compliment her gold jewelry.  A few steps into the club and she can already feel the heat coming off all the bodies.

The club is illuminated with pink and red lights, they roam the room stopping to make designs on the floor and walls. The whole club is packed, and the DJs music is so loud she cannot think. Valor takes her waist and leads her to a roped off corner. Alexander and Samuel stand when they see her, embracing her with the hugs and kisses that she has started to enjoy.

As she sits down at their table a cocktail server in lingerie brings a tray of shots, which Rue takes without pause. Valor tries to introduce her to the other girls at the table, but it is so loud she does not catch any of their names. She can barely see their faces with the flashing lights. 

The drinks keep flowing and Rue is feeling good. One of the girls at the table with ass long black hair who is wearing a silver mini skirt with matching crop top stands up. She pulls Rue to the dance floor; Rue cannot help but notice the girl’s large beautiful brown eyes.

While the girls are dancing Valor comes down to join. He shows the girl in silver a little white pill, then puts it on his tongue. The girl immediately sticks her tongue in his mouth, retrieving the pill but exploring for a few extra moments. After, he holds out another white pill and eyes Rue, she nods her consent. He puts the pill on his tongue, she puts her mouth on his, massaging his tongue with hers while retrieving the pill and swallowing it. [1]

Rue’s taken ecstasy before and welcomes the trance state. The music becomes vibrations that pleasure her ears, time loses meaning as each flash of light takes her deeper into euphoria. When anyone tries to talk to her all she can do is giggle. She is having a relationship with the music that is leading her in an erotic dance.

The night starts to blur, sometimes she is up at the table and other times on the dance floor. Occasionally a trip to the ladies’ room leads to long looks in the mirror, staring at a lost being she wishes she could hold.

Rue does not know when they left the club, much less when they got to the after party. She finds herself in an apartment, with rainbow lights on the floorboards and a blue strobe light flashing. She can feel her blood rushing too fast for her heart. Valor appears, or maybe he has been next to her the whole time.

Valor: It’s good stuff, right?

Rue nods in responds.

Valor: I’m glad I got to show you the Stockholm nightlife, I know you’re trying to learn all you can about Sweden for the movie. At night things can get dark here.

Rue scoffs at the pun.

Rue: Yeah, it’s fine. It just feels a lot like LA’s...and Miami’s and New York’s nightlives.

The brattiness that Benny has warned her about is coming out, but she cannot hold it back in her state of mind.

Valor laughs.

Valor: You haven’t seen the underground yet, that is where shit gets real. Do you think you can handle that miss LA? Do you want to see?

Rue: Not as bad as you want to show me.

Valor takes her by grabbing her hip forcefully and they walk out of the apartment. There are no lights on in the hallway and she can hear music and yelling from different rooms. People are coming in and out like a fraternity party. Rue is really starting to wonder how she got here. At the end of the hall Valor knocks on a door, it opens slowly and when the man at the door recognizes Valor, he waves them in.

The room is lit by a few lamps covered in sheer cloth to give the lights different hues. There are only a couple people in the room. Valor walks Rue to a door and grabs her other hip, turning her to face him head on. He grabs her face with his hand, caressing it at first then squeezing her cheeks. His lips ghost hers with an unspoken kiss. Rue loses her breath by Valor’s bold closeness. Their bodies are pressed against each other’s, almost entangled like lovers. She knows she should push away, but instead leans into his heat.

Valor: It is yes, or no? If you go in there you are a part of it, you cannot leave until you participate.

Rue’s blood is running so fast she can hear it pounding in her ears. Her proximity to Valor is muddling what little judgment she has left, so she nods, but Valor only squeezes her cheeks tighter.

Rue: Yes, I want to participate. 

Valor releases her face, lifting his hand waving over a man standing in the corner. He walks over and glances at Valor quickly but lets his eyes roam over Rue for a moment.

He takes a key and unlocks the door. Valor holds his arm out so Rue can walk in the room first.

Rue enters the room, which appears to be a bedroom. It is only lit by a single lamp covered in a purple sheet. Rue can hear mummers but cannot make anything out in the dark.

She feels Valor’s hand behind her pushing her forward. She continues to stumble farther into the darkness.  As her eyes adjust, she sees what appears to be a pile of people, she takes another step; their movements are strange, hovering over each other. 

Then it catches her eye, in the middle of all the bodies she sees the shimmering of the silver skirt that the girl at the club was wearing. Rue goes to move back but Valor grabs both her arms holding her in place. Rue blinks a few times trying to make sense of the scene. 

The girl is strapped to a chair at four points, one at each ankle and wrist, her head lies back completely.  Four men are surrounding her biting at her. It is only when one looks up and turns towards Rue does it make sense. Red fresh blood runs down his chin while he licks his lips. The men are sucking her blood. 

Rue goes to scream but Valor’s fingers find her mouth too fast. She kicks but he’s too big for her to fight, he pins her against a wall.

Valor: Now, now, you wanted to see remember? You must join the party before you can leave.

Rue shakes her head making Valor remove his fingers.

Rue: Let me out! You’re disgusting!

He pushes her against the wall hard, his hands gripping her painfully and she suddenly feels a strap around her wrist, that tightens at once. She looks down at the leather restraint, it is like the ones tying the girl to the chair.

Valor: There are multiple ways to participate. 

The original man with blood on his face walks towards her, he has hunger in his eyes.

Valor: So, what are you tonight prey or predator?

Rue has tears in her eyes, but she sniffles her nose and looks up at Valor. Conjuring up the little bravery she can, her voice is weak.

Rue: Predator.

Valor’s smile is wicked, he leads her over to the girl tied to the chair. Now closer Rue can see the girl has a ball gag in her mouth and her eyes are moving quickly like she is speed reading. 

Valor: Don’t worry about her, she likes it.

Rue does not think she likes it, Rue does not think the girl knows what is happening to her.

One man is consuming, biting, feeding at her right shoulder. Another does the same with her left forearm. The man at her left calf spreads the girls blood up to her knee with his fingers, then licks it up.

Rue kneels where the previous man was, there is a cut on her inner thigh above her knee. The blood has started to coagulate, and the cut is barely bleeding. Rue slowly moves her head close to the girl’s thigh. The girl’s body is radiating heat, and Rue can smell a mix of blood and sweat.

Rue carefully takes her tongue and licks up the small trail of blood, then she leans back on her feet. Valor grabs her head grasping her hair in his fist.

Valor: That’s not enough! Again, and this time really enjoy it, and swallow like a good girl.

Valor pushes Rue’s head back down to the girl’s body, then in a single motion cuts the girl’s thigh deep with a blade. Blood pours out covering Rue’s face. She chokes on the hot liquid as it gushes into her open mouth and down her throat. 

Using both hands Rue pushes herself up and backs away, half stumbling, half crawling to retreat from the blood. Rue can hear Valor’s laughter. She wipes her soaked face, there is so much warm sticky blood. It is on her cheeks, in her mouth, and on her hands, arms, and dress. The red of the blood makes her red dress appear orange in the hazy light.

Rue’s head begins to spin, and she loses all orientation, then her eyes blur taking her vision.  The only sensation she has left is the taste of blood in her mouth. She licks her front teeth only for it to renew the bloody flavor. She is lost in a country she does not want to be in, alone and covered in blood.