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Marissa could feel her heart thundering in her chest as she stepped off the bus, her left hand instinctively rubbing at the currently bare spot on her right wrist that usually held her monitor, now thankfully vacant. She was confident if she were wearing it right now it would be screaming at her, and she'd be forced to go for an overnight stay at the hospital for yet another fun night of monitoring and blood tests. She shuddered at the thought, the scent of rubbing alcohol and sterility burning in her nose just at the thought of that place. Fortunately, or perhaps not, the scent pulled from memory was washed away by the scent of the city around her as she stepped onto the sidewalk, the recent rain bringing all the fetid scent of city life to her nose, a sickly sweet rotten odor that had her freckle spotted nose crinkling in distaste while she looked around. She let out a small squeak of surprise as she was pushed forward by the person getting off the bus after her moving impatiently past her, bumping into her as she stepped forward to catch herself from stumbling, and she took another to give anyone else room to leave. While part of her was annoyed, another part of her enjoyed it, that invisibility, as if she weren't there at all, just someone in the way. It was so starkly different then the eyes of doctors, nurses, students, and on occasion documentary crews all bearing their gaze down upon her making her feel so...inhuman. Here she was just like everyone else, just another person on the street, nobody looking at her like a lab rat, or worse, with nothing but pity in their eyes, knowing her entire life would be nothing more than a chapter for most others.
She looked around herself, checking her surroundings as her shoulder length coppery hair swayed with the turn of her head, her grassy green eyes standing out brightly against her ghostly pale skin, only highlighted by the spattering of freckles that stood out clearly across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks, set against the stark whiten backdrop of her pale skin which seemed as though it had never known the sun's existence. Her gaze focused as she saw the road signs of the intersection the bus had stopped at, and turned to check her direction while pulling her thick black hoodie tighter around herself, the fabric doing what it could to shield her from the chill autumn air whipping up some stray garbage along the street behind the bus as it pulled away. With her goal in mind and a direction confirmed, she moved along the sidewalks, her plain white sneakers carrying her soundlessly along aside from the occasion crinkle of litter as it fell under her steps. She lifted her head at each intersection she came across, pausing on occasion to pull out her phone from her hoodie's pocket to double check she was going the right direction until she no longer needed it, as she began to hear the thumping of bass, muffled by the walls of the building but undeniably heavy and loud enough to only belong to a club. She confirmed her guess as she turned the corner and spotted a line of people just outside a single red door set into a large brick building, easily four stories tall with a neon sign proclaiming itself the 'Cherchez La Femme'. A club catering to a specific clientelle, easily guessed by the line being packed full of women of all sorts and shapes. Considering the sub category of the club, she could only imagine what some of them were wearing under all their long coats, though she didn't have to imagine with some who were bold enough to face mother nature's autumn chill with courage, clad in outfits she wasn't sure were really allowed to be worn in public, and if so they certainly teetered on the line.
For a moment she felt discouraged, wondering if she would even be able to get in, but she knew she had one trick that worked on almost everyone everywhere. She strolled forward, her tiny five foot three slender form barely even reaching the chest of the bouncer at the door. She gently tapped the larger woman's shoulder, her shoulders raising up as she found herself shrinking under the larger woman's sudden attention, before she bit her lip and held out a laminated card. On it were a few symbols of some rather prestigous medical institutions, as well as a summary surmounting to one thing. Marissa was dying, and sooner rather than later. She certainly had the bouncers attention now, and she used this to explain herself, how she wanted to experience a taste of life while she had the chance, without going into to much detail about her situation. It was clear she had at the very least earned the bouncer's pity, along with a healthy helping of puppy eyes, she knew she'd won when the bouncer sighed, and nodded her head, opening the door for Marissa who flinched as she was suddenly bombarded with the full force of the club's speaker system. With the card back in her hand, she tucked her small plain black wallet back into her hoodie pocket and stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat as she was suddenly transported from the chilly autumn air into the heat of the club, the combination of climate control mixed with the heat of a swelling crowd of bodies on the dancefloor just feet from the entrance, she stood there frozen, her eyes roaming across the beautiful people, some wearing finery suited for a gala, while others wearing so little she wasn't sure why they'd bothered dressing at all!
She found herself instinctively pressing in against the wall, her heart now hammering in her chest as she debated to herself weather this had been a good idea after all, almost all of her senses overwhelmed. She stood there, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the mass of people while she looked around, trying to figure out what she would do next. Finally she decided that she'd already come this far...and it wasn't as if the bus back home was going to be showing up for another few hours, she might as well get herself a drink. The thought of that perked her up a bit...she'd never had a drink before. Gods know what her doctors would say if they ever found out she had, she could already hear them lecturing her now about how controlled her diet had to be, as if that wasn't the same for every single aspect of her life. That bitter reality helped strengthen her resolve, and she found it easier to move as she pushed herself off and away from the wall, though not to far as she used it to guide herself around the crowd, keeping herself in the shadows of the ring of the building's interior, only occasionally having to make her way between a pair of ladies to occupied with each other to pay her any mind. Finally she found her way over to the bar, tucking herself away into the very end where she leaned on the counter, awaiting the attention of one of the woman preparing a variety of drinks. Some were plain bottles, beer she'd guessed, while others worked on colorful concoctions, some even had flashing lights mixed into the drinks and she idly wondered if the people who ordered the drink got to keep whatever was making the lights. Maybe she'd order one of those and keep it as a souvenir, something to remember the night she'd actually managed to live for once.
After what seemed an eternity, one of the bartenders finally noticed the small and timid thing down at the end of the bar, and unsure of what the drinks name was, Marissa merely pointed at one of the drinks with the flashing lights in it. With her choice made, she reached back into her hoodie pocket, her hands trembling with nerves as she pulled out her I.D as well as a single twenty dollar bill. With her choice confirmed, she let out a small sigh of relief, counting the moment as another victory in tonight's adventures. Weather she'd find herself bold enough to go through with everything she had planned when she'd left her house tonight, she could at least say she'd done this. She offered a meek smile, full of nerves and jitters as the bartender took the money, and she stood there, watching with full focus as the woman began pouring things into a silver cup, only to close it and begin shaking. She saw the woman dropping in a couple of plastic balls that instantly began turning the ice into a party of it's own with it's multi-colored lights flashing over the ice, only to be muted as the woman than poured the contents of the silver cup into the glass. Marissa accepted the drink with a sincere smile, before her eyes went wide and a blush quickly crept up along her face as the woman winked over at her, which only made the bartender laugh. Marissa found herself laughing nervously as well, unaware of the many eyes already lingering on the young lady like a pack of hyena's eyeing an easy meal for the day. She brought the cup up to her lips, her eyes going wide as her mouth was suddenly hit with the sugary tang of the drink, sweet with a splash of sour, mixing together delightfully on her tongue. Wanting to savor her personal trophy, she took slow sips from the glass, smiling each time the taste struck her taste buds, and found herself lost in her own little world with her drink on her tongue, the music in her ears, and the scent of bodies moving together, perfumes and colognes mixing with the natural musk of life. So this was what living could be like she mused to herself, unaware of the hyena preparing to pounce on it's prey and the start of her new life approaching her.
She looked around herself, checking her surroundings as her shoulder length coppery hair swayed with the turn of her head, her grassy green eyes standing out brightly against her ghostly pale skin, only highlighted by the spattering of freckles that stood out clearly across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks, set against the stark whiten backdrop of her pale skin which seemed as though it had never known the sun's existence. Her gaze focused as she saw the road signs of the intersection the bus had stopped at, and turned to check her direction while pulling her thick black hoodie tighter around herself, the fabric doing what it could to shield her from the chill autumn air whipping up some stray garbage along the street behind the bus as it pulled away. With her goal in mind and a direction confirmed, she moved along the sidewalks, her plain white sneakers carrying her soundlessly along aside from the occasion crinkle of litter as it fell under her steps. She lifted her head at each intersection she came across, pausing on occasion to pull out her phone from her hoodie's pocket to double check she was going the right direction until she no longer needed it, as she began to hear the thumping of bass, muffled by the walls of the building but undeniably heavy and loud enough to only belong to a club. She confirmed her guess as she turned the corner and spotted a line of people just outside a single red door set into a large brick building, easily four stories tall with a neon sign proclaiming itself the 'Cherchez La Femme'. A club catering to a specific clientelle, easily guessed by the line being packed full of women of all sorts and shapes. Considering the sub category of the club, she could only imagine what some of them were wearing under all their long coats, though she didn't have to imagine with some who were bold enough to face mother nature's autumn chill with courage, clad in outfits she wasn't sure were really allowed to be worn in public, and if so they certainly teetered on the line.
For a moment she felt discouraged, wondering if she would even be able to get in, but she knew she had one trick that worked on almost everyone everywhere. She strolled forward, her tiny five foot three slender form barely even reaching the chest of the bouncer at the door. She gently tapped the larger woman's shoulder, her shoulders raising up as she found herself shrinking under the larger woman's sudden attention, before she bit her lip and held out a laminated card. On it were a few symbols of some rather prestigous medical institutions, as well as a summary surmounting to one thing. Marissa was dying, and sooner rather than later. She certainly had the bouncers attention now, and she used this to explain herself, how she wanted to experience a taste of life while she had the chance, without going into to much detail about her situation. It was clear she had at the very least earned the bouncer's pity, along with a healthy helping of puppy eyes, she knew she'd won when the bouncer sighed, and nodded her head, opening the door for Marissa who flinched as she was suddenly bombarded with the full force of the club's speaker system. With the card back in her hand, she tucked her small plain black wallet back into her hoodie pocket and stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat as she was suddenly transported from the chilly autumn air into the heat of the club, the combination of climate control mixed with the heat of a swelling crowd of bodies on the dancefloor just feet from the entrance, she stood there frozen, her eyes roaming across the beautiful people, some wearing finery suited for a gala, while others wearing so little she wasn't sure why they'd bothered dressing at all!
She found herself instinctively pressing in against the wall, her heart now hammering in her chest as she debated to herself weather this had been a good idea after all, almost all of her senses overwhelmed. She stood there, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the mass of people while she looked around, trying to figure out what she would do next. Finally she decided that she'd already come this far...and it wasn't as if the bus back home was going to be showing up for another few hours, she might as well get herself a drink. The thought of that perked her up a bit...she'd never had a drink before. Gods know what her doctors would say if they ever found out she had, she could already hear them lecturing her now about how controlled her diet had to be, as if that wasn't the same for every single aspect of her life. That bitter reality helped strengthen her resolve, and she found it easier to move as she pushed herself off and away from the wall, though not to far as she used it to guide herself around the crowd, keeping herself in the shadows of the ring of the building's interior, only occasionally having to make her way between a pair of ladies to occupied with each other to pay her any mind. Finally she found her way over to the bar, tucking herself away into the very end where she leaned on the counter, awaiting the attention of one of the woman preparing a variety of drinks. Some were plain bottles, beer she'd guessed, while others worked on colorful concoctions, some even had flashing lights mixed into the drinks and she idly wondered if the people who ordered the drink got to keep whatever was making the lights. Maybe she'd order one of those and keep it as a souvenir, something to remember the night she'd actually managed to live for once.
After what seemed an eternity, one of the bartenders finally noticed the small and timid thing down at the end of the bar, and unsure of what the drinks name was, Marissa merely pointed at one of the drinks with the flashing lights in it. With her choice made, she reached back into her hoodie pocket, her hands trembling with nerves as she pulled out her I.D as well as a single twenty dollar bill. With her choice confirmed, she let out a small sigh of relief, counting the moment as another victory in tonight's adventures. Weather she'd find herself bold enough to go through with everything she had planned when she'd left her house tonight, she could at least say she'd done this. She offered a meek smile, full of nerves and jitters as the bartender took the money, and she stood there, watching with full focus as the woman began pouring things into a silver cup, only to close it and begin shaking. She saw the woman dropping in a couple of plastic balls that instantly began turning the ice into a party of it's own with it's multi-colored lights flashing over the ice, only to be muted as the woman than poured the contents of the silver cup into the glass. Marissa accepted the drink with a sincere smile, before her eyes went wide and a blush quickly crept up along her face as the woman winked over at her, which only made the bartender laugh. Marissa found herself laughing nervously as well, unaware of the many eyes already lingering on the young lady like a pack of hyena's eyeing an easy meal for the day. She brought the cup up to her lips, her eyes going wide as her mouth was suddenly hit with the sugary tang of the drink, sweet with a splash of sour, mixing together delightfully on her tongue. Wanting to savor her personal trophy, she took slow sips from the glass, smiling each time the taste struck her taste buds, and found herself lost in her own little world with her drink on her tongue, the music in her ears, and the scent of bodies moving together, perfumes and colognes mixing with the natural musk of life. So this was what living could be like she mused to herself, unaware of the hyena preparing to pounce on it's prey and the start of her new life approaching her.
