When Life Begins Again

Chapter Seven

Hours later I find myself back at the club with the other girls. I have this feeling of dread coming over me. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it.

Rose walks over to me and takes my hand. “You look terrified Annabelle. Is everything okay?” She asked, looking concerned.

I shake my head and say, “I’m fine. I just have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen tonight. Do you remember what I told you at the park today?”

“That weirdness you told me? Yeah, what about it?” She asks.

“Well, I need you to remember that and do what I said, no matter what might occur. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt,” I told her seriously.

“Alright, I understand,” she tells me, pulling away.

Jasmine looks over at us and says, “Are you two dating now?”

I glared at her and said, “Like that’s any of your business. No, we’re not. We’re just friends.”

“Whoa, who pissed in your bed,” she asked.

I shook my head and turned my attention to Dalia who had just walked into the room.

Dalia looked over at Jasmine and said, “Jasmine, don’t pick fights with Annabelle. And Annabelle please don’t let other people affect your mood. We need you happy and lovable for the crowd. They won’t want to see a pissed off beauty, that’s not what they came to see.”

I force a smile and say, “Yes madam.”

She then walks over to me and grabs my face, saying, “Lovely. Thank you, Annabelle.” She lets go of my face and turns to the room. “Now let’s start another fantastic show and get our butts out there.”

Myself and a few other girls go out onto the stage.

As I look out into the crowd of people in front of the stage I spot the man from my vision. I really didn’t want to see him tonight. I was hoping that this would be one of those visions I got that happened later in the week or maybe another week. On a day that I wasn’t going to be here so that it would never occur. I take a big breath in and let a long breath out. I couldn’t let this vision stop me from performing or Dalia would lock me up again until I started to behave. I just have to trust that Rose will listen. With that in mind I take my place on the stage and began singing and dancing along with the music. I watched over the crowd, trying not to look at the man from my vision. Staring at him might give him the wrong idea and I didn’t want that.

The music stops and my song comes to an end. I move back with the other girls as another song started up and we began dancing together.

Suddenly a man jumps onto the stages shouting something I couldn’t quite hear. He rushes over to me, and grabs hold of me, knocking me onto the ground, he grabs at me and starts putting his hand up my dress, telling me that I’m his.

Rose walks towards me and I put my hand out as I kick at the man, trying to break free.

Angelia comes running over and I watch as Rose stops her.

A few minutes later Dalia is on the stage holding a gun and shoots the man in the head.

He falls on top of me and his blood pours out onto my dress.

I stare in horror at the man lying dead on top of me.

The crowd of people start to scramble and rush out of the club.

Dalia walks over to me, kicking the man off me and says, “Nobody f***s with my girls.”

Rose and Angelia rush over to me, helping me up.

I stand up straight, looking around the room in shock and horror. I knew it was coming and it could’ve been worse. At least Angelia is alive, and Rose didn’t get hurt. They’re okay.

Dalia looks around the club and down at the dead man now lying, bleeding on the floor. “Well, it looks like we’re closing for the night. You girls can go back with the rest of them but don’t leave till I’m ready to take you. I’m going to get the guys in here to clean up this mess,” she tells us.

I quickly go into the back room with everyone else following behind me. This night was the worst one yet.

Rose runs over to me once we’re in the back room and grabs onto my arm. “How did you know that was going to happen and why didn’t you let us help you?” She asks.

I pull away from her and pull off my dress, gathering up my clothes that I had on earlier and put them on. “I can’t talk to you about that right now,” I told her in a whisper, silently reminding her that we were being watched.

“Right, sorry. s**t thought;That was crazy,” she tells me, walking with me over to the sofa.

I sit down and let myself sink into the sofa. Then I close my eyes and picture better days, times when I’m not here in the back of a club that I’m forced to perform at. “We’re still going to be stuck her all night,” I tell her, sighing.

“You really think it’s going to take all night to clean up one body?” She asked me.

“What exactly happened out there?” One of the girls asked.

“Some guy jumped up onto the stage and tried having his way with Annabelle,” Jasmine said, with an attitude.

“Seriously? Then why did we hear a gun shot?” Another girl asked.

“Because Dalia shot him in the head,” I told her. “He fell on top of me, got blood all over my dress and then Dalia kicked him onto the floor. Now you’re all caught up. We’re stuck here till they’re done cleaning up the mess that guy made then we get to go back to our rooms for the rest of the night.”

Everyone stared at me, shocked.

“Annabelle, are you okay?” Angelia asked me, looking worried.

“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me, he couldn’t get to me because of the kind of dress they get us to wear. Aside from the shock of having a man's dead body lying over me and bleeding onto the top half of my dress. I just want to go back to my room and go to sleep. I’m not even hungry. I just feel sick,” I tell her.

Rose wraps her arms around me and gives me a hug. “Everything will be okay,” she tells me.

Angelia gets on my other side and hugs me as well. “I’m here for you Annabelle,” she tells me.

“Thanks,” I tell them, not feeling like talking anymore.

Jasmine looks over at us and says, "honestly, I think you were asking for it. The way you go about that stage and how you look at everyone. you should've known someone was going to come for you."

Angelia and Rose look at her with disgust. Rose stands up and walks over to her saying, "How dare talk about Annabelle in that way. Like anyone would as for something like that to happen to them. you are truly scum, you should be ashamed of yourself for even having that thought." She then slaps Jasmine's face, leaving a red mark on her cheek. Everyone gasps, shocked she would do that.

I stand up, holding my hand out and say, "That's enough from both of you. I've had enough. There's no need for any of us to be mean to each other. none what do ever. we've all been though it and then some. please can we just sit quietly and wait to leave?"

"I'm sorry," Jasmine says, holding her face. "I never should have said those things. I let my jealousy get the better of me." She then goes over into a corner and sits down on the floor.

Rose walks back over to me and we both sit down on the sofa, sitting together with Angelia on my other side. Waiting for the night to end.