Nightmare at Club X

Two girls walk down a long dark road. They talk about their day and what has been going on lately. No one dares go down there, because no one ever comes back. They see things long forgotten and better left in the past. They are trapped in their own minds, for it’s a place that only exists in one’s mind. A place you can only imagine and go to through a machine. Dominique had created this machine. She had always been creative, but couldn’t build her inventions. However, her brother could put anything together if given the right parts and the right tools. So, for two years, late at night, Dominique and Post slaved over the machine. Finally, they finished it, and were now testing it. To Dominique’s surprise, it worked. The two girls know this road very well. They walked up and down it all their lives. Ever since her mom had died, Melissa hadn’t actually went back. And that is why the road had become so dark and twisted the farther they walked. Dominique had created this in her mind so they could both go somewhere familiar. She knew Melissa missed the place but didn’t have the nerve to go back so she had created this scene as she was still testing her machine. At least she had some good memories of walking this particular part of the road so it was easy to recreate. Outside was her club. It was two stories high. The first floor hosted the bar, the band, and a dance floor. The second floor had another dance floor and a VIP area where you could hold your own private parties for a price. Beside that area was a closed off room to the public. This is where her machines were. They weren’t open to the public yet. Once everything was running smoothly and all the kinks were out she would open her virtual reality booths to the club. They would come at a price to use as they didn’t have preset places or rides you could go on. Instead they took you to a place your mind thought up and you could do whatever you could think of. If you wanted to go somewhere with someone else then you synced the second machine to yours. This required an algorithm and a key. “Dominique, you shouldn’t keep things to yourself all the time.” “What do you mean, Melissa?” “I realize we’re in a place created by the mind, but it still lets you keep secrets,” Melissa said. “It was designed to do that, so if two people were on at once they couldn’t see everything in the others mind.” “I know, I know, but by the look on your face, I can tell somethings wrong. Plus, you’re just walking and you seem to be very distant.” “Perhaps...” “Perhaps? Is that all you can say?” Melissa asked. “Perhaps I don’t want to talk about it. If I do decide to talk about it, you’ll be the first to know.” “Don’t tell me then. See if I care.” “I know you care and that you mean well, Mel, but I really just don’t want to talk about it.” “Would you at least tell me what it’s about? Just a hint?” Melissa prodded. “It’s life. I’m just sick of it. I’m just tired of everything. Nothing is exciting anymore.” “Yeah, life is getting right dull. Guess all the excitement from two years ago is over and you moving on with your life has just been that. Moving on.” “Can we change the subject?” Dominique asked. “Sure. So, have you had anymore odd dreams lately?” Melissa asked Dominique. “I’m always having them. The same ones over and over. I never get to see what happens next. I must say that I wish I could see the end. I don’t know why I keep having them. Every time I have them, I see things like flashbacks. It’s like I’m recalling memories, but they aren’t from my life. It’s me in the images, but they’re from a past life judging from the way people are dressed, and the way they act. It seems like they only started after I started testing the machine. I mean, am I going crazy? Am I imagining something that I want to happen?” Dominique responded. “You have always had an imagination. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe you are just dreaming up another book. I don’t know why you don’t write more books and try to sell them. You are so talented,” Melissa said. “You know I don’t let anyone read my books. I don’t know why I get so embarrassed by someone reading them but I do. You are the only person who has ever read them and probably ever will. I love to write but I just do it for me. I like to think up stories in my head and sometimes I just write them when the story seems like it would turn out to be interesting. But usually the stories I think of aren’t very long and all the action is up front. I can’t put enough filler in them to make them into a book worth reading.” “I think you could if you tried. I mean, look at what you’re doing here. I never would have thought of this, let alone brought it to life. But you did. And look at where we are. I know you did this for me. I want you to know that I appreciate it. I haven’t seen the house in a long time. I wonder if it’s still standing since no one has lived in it for over ten years. But I know I couldn’t bring myself to go back and see it all run down and probably falling down.” “It might not be like that. You never know. But I can understand why you don’t want to go back. It doesn’t feel the same anymore. I miss the place and your mom and I think that’s why I can’t go back there either. At least this way you can relive the good times, you know?” “That’s true. So, do you think the machines are ready yet?” “No, unfortunately. They are great for a short time, but for longer uses, no.” Dominique was thinking about the dreams she’d been having lately. Why was she having them? They were so odd and out of place with her life. They didn’t have anything to do with her personal life or her business. She hadn’t even seen the mans face in them, so it wasn’t like she was dreaming about someone she knew. “Um, Dominique, what’s happening?” Melissa asked. Dominique looked at her and then around her and realized she had been thinking way too hard about those dreams. One was playing out while they were standing there, almost like they were watching a movie. “Sorry. Guess I was thinking too hard about something,” Dominique answered, letting out a nervous laugh. “It’s okay. Heck, let it play out. I’m interested to see it.” “Okay. This isn’t the bad one anyway. I won’t play that one. Especially since it’s me in these dreams.” A young Dominique was walking down a dirt road when out of nowhere a horse ran out of the trees and she fell backwards as she tried to get out of the way. The pail of water she had been carrying was now dumped all over her and the ground. She stood up slowly and cursed as she saw the mud on the bottom of her dress. She yelled at the rider and the horse, which had slowed, and was now turning around. She looked around but there was no one else around. Her father always said her temper would get her in to trouble one day. The man astride the horse had seen something go flying as he came out of the woods but didn’t realize it was a person until he had slowed and looked back. He realized it was a peasant woman as he turned back around. When he heard her call him an inconsiderate fool he felt his blood boil. He would put her back in her station when she found out who he was. But as he got closer, he saw a beautiful young woman. She was now wet and partially covered in mud. But her golden hair shone in the sunlight. The wet dress hugged her curves, of which she had an ample amount. Her face, while beautiful, was obviously set in anger. “I apologize, my lady. On my normal afternoon rides I usually do not encounter anyone. However, I think you should mind your tongue when you do not know who you’re talking to.” The girl bowed as she said, “My apologies good knight. Forgive my insolence. My tongue does get carried away with itself when my anger arises.” The knight couldn’t help but smile. The sarcastic tone underlying her apology told him that she had charisma. No one spoke to him like that except his father. She obviously was forgetting her station. Perhaps he should remind her of it. “Your apology does not sound sincere. Perhaps we should speak to your father about punishment.” He watched her face pale. He could think of many things he wanted the girl for but none of them had the intention of punishment for her attitude. He was also not like some of the knights in his command. He would not force himself on another. He held his hand out to her. She looked at it and then put her hand in his. He felt a shock go through him. He knew the feeling of desire but had never had it hit this hard. “I am going to haul you up on the horse. Just throw your leg over.” She simply nodded. He pulled and she threw her leg over as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She had gotten on the horse like she had done it many times before. He looked down and saw her dress was up far enough to show her upper thigh. Not proper for a woman but nothing he minded. He could feel the heat of her body on his back and the push of her breasts. She laid her head on his back. Rose pressed against the knight and felt her face flush as a wave of desire hit her. His rugged good looks would have made any woman melt. She was sure it had many a time. She had never been interested in any of the men in her village even though they had taken an interest in her. Her father had said she was going to die a spinster as she was already 18 and unmarried. Since women were normally married off at 16, she had fought her father who was ill. She was the only one tending the farm for him. So she had persuaded him not to marry her off as he would be left alone to die as he could not take care of himself and the farm anymore. Now her sharp tongue had gotten her in to trouble and she was to be punished for stepping out of her station. What could his form of punishment be? Would he whip her? Make her work in his kitchens or clean the castle? She would take the whip to those things. She could not leave her father. Rose knew she needed to learn to mind her tongue and her place in this world but she had never been able to. Thomas had always liked her for being straight forward but she had never reciprocated his feelings. The knight asked her where she lived. She told him which village and he rode there. She told him which way to go. As they rode through the village, everyone turned to look. Everyone bowed to the knight who was next in line to take the castle and all the lands in his possession. She knew they were wondering why the brash, naive, fool of a girl was with him. She had heard so many talk this way about her. Her tongue was very sharp and more than once her father had to set things right with the men she had offended. When they arrived to her home she was getting ready to dismount when the knight placed his hand on her thigh. She felt heat move through her at his touch. She was a fool if she thought he would want her. Of course, the knights were allowed to take the women they wanted rather the woman wanted to be his concubine or not. “I will get down first and then help you down.” “Sir knight, I thank you for your offer but I ride all the time. I know it is not considered appropriate for women to ride like this but I do. I also know it is not appropriate for a man to put his hand on a lady as you are now.” “What is your name girl?” “R-rose,” she stammered. “Well, Rose,” he said as he got off the horse, “you need to learn to hold your tongue.” He yanked her off the horse and slammed her against him. “And I am more than happy to teach you that lesson.”