Chapter 5

Mic looked up at her friend, noticing the odd shade of pale white that she was fashioning. "God what's wrong now?" she asked rushing over and perching on the edge of the couch nearby. Things were just getting crazier, as long as Mic had known Gia, she'd always have episodes that she could shake off, but this time something was very different.

Gia shivered as her eyes met the crystal blue eyes of her friends. "It's not just dreams anymore. There's well something more intense, more real happening."

Mic saw the serious fearful gaze of her green eyes spell it out. "What happened Gia?" she asked as she focused her attention on her friend..

Her hand went up to her neck as she studied her friend. "You know usually I only know how someone feels or maybe once in awhile a past memory. But its all just visual right?" Gia paused, her hand still rubbing the line of her neck, "This time I heard them talk to me, felt them touch me. Its never happened before and I'm not sure why its happening now."

Mic's eyes widened in horror as where Gia had rubbed her neck two tiny holes were. "What the fuck are they?" she exclaimed as she pointed shakily to Gia’s neck.

She shrugged, "Not sure to be honest, it was like something bit me, he bit me, but they don’t exist, the Shilmulo* are just myths and fantasies the elders use to scare kids right?" She looked up at Mic and pushed away the unusual happenings. "Awww hell Mic, you know me, I have odd happenings around me all the time. Lets just get ready for the concert."

Mic nodded trying to reassure her friend. "Yeah just a myth" for the longest time Mic had always believed that the Shilmulo had existed, but had never voiced it as it was bad practice and not acceptable to the elders. IF one had really started tracking her friend down through her dreams and through her thoughts, this was not good. Mic remained silent on the subject and agreed. "Yes lets, go see some men in tight pants and bare chests" she teased.

Gia stood and started to her room to dress. "It's just dreams Mic, once I figure out what they mean and get done whatever needs doing the dreams will vanish." She opened her closet door and yelled back through to the living room, "Now what do you wear to impressed men in tight pants?"

Mic nodded "I hope so" was all she said, she didn't want to tell Gia that if a Shimulo was after you if was either one of two reasons, to hunt you, or to claim you. "Um, something revealing? Hell I don't know depends if they like boobs or bums" she joked.

She rolled her eyes as she looked through her closet. She finally decided on a skin tight pair of leather pants topped off with a dark purple halter. "Well that might grab attention," she muttered as she dressed. With a few twists of her brush her flaxen hair lay like a curtain of silk around her shoulders.

Stepping from her bedroom she looked at Mic's door. "Oh come on, you gotta be ready!"

Mic called out "Just a sec!" as she pulled her teal slip dress over her body and pulled up her black leggings that hugged to her body tightly. Fashioning some gold hoop earrings to her ears, she teased out her blond hair so it flowed around her shoulders buoyed with body. Slipping on her sandals she swung open the door. "Ready!" she breathed.

Gia let out a low wolf whistle. "Have Mercy there." She winked as she picked up her keys "You'll get that blondies attention for sure."

Mic rolled her eyes "That's not what I want, I'm just gonna show him what he's not having" she teased as she studied her friends own good looks, "Speak for yourself hussy, what's with all the jewelry and dangleys" she teased.

Gia started laughing, "Its the gypsy in me, I just looooove the sparklie and the dangly Mic."

She shook her head with a grin, Gia was all gypsy for sure, Mic tended to not be as obvious. "Well ya look gorgeous, surely there will be a man or two for us that's not drunk off his ass"

Gia laughed as they walked to the car. "Well it don’t hurt that there’s a few charms against evil hidden in all the sparklie right?" She slipped into the driver's seat and cranked the car. "So if its evil it CAN'T get near us."

Mic snorted "You always come prepared, damn I wish I had a special power" as she strapped herself in the car. She hit the stereo as the DJ a shout out to all going to the Bon Jovi concert as one of their songs filled the car.

~~~~~~

Richie stood in the dressing room of the Jovi dressing room, the sounds of the opening band filtering slowly down into the room. He shook himself, a bunch of nerves twisted in his stomach, he never got nervous before a concert, it was usually the polar opposite, excitement usually flowed through his veins but not today. "Pull yourself together buddy" he muttered to himself.

Jon walked from the shower towel drying his hair only to encounter a sight he'd never seen before. His good friend acting like he was going to before the firing squad. Damn he'd never seen him act so nervous before. "What the hell is wrong man?"

Richie shook his head "Dunno dude, I am shivering all over, something's totally odd, I'll be right, maybe I am just coming down with something" Richie closed his eyes, it was as if things had become so clear and crisp all of a sudden.

"Man you cant be getting sick. Maybe you're just tired."

"Yeah that will be it, maybe I gotta lay off the booze tonight, I dunno" Richie guessed. The humming in his brain started to grow louder. He looked around and saw David's beer sitting there so he picked it up and took a swig.
"Ahh see much better," he tried to be convincing to Jon.

Jon snorted "Yeah drinking beer is laying off the booze dude."

Richie flipped him the bird and went back to recomposing himself, tuned his guitar, and before long they were ready to burst onto the stage. They waited in the wings as the crowd hit fever pitch screams, and in a flash Jon had given the nod as they erupted onto the stage. Richie wondered out with his guitar and held it high in the air, the colors and the night all seemed to sharp and vibrant. The hue of the night sky had set in, and the sea of colors in the crowd swept over him, blues, golds, and the colors that usually would be red and green to most bright to his eye and sharp as a razor blade.

He breathed in and took in the fresh air, waking his senses to the music that began to blast from the band. The intensity of the audience pulsed like a heartbeat in his mind, they were breathing and hanging off every movement they made. He turned to Kidd and nodded as his ripped into his guitar solo to start them off. His fingers once again glided down the beloved wooden neck as he began to play. Closing his eyes to focus on what he was doing, he was suddenly aware of somebody watching him. Opening his eyes, he registered that there were thousands watching him but only one set of very surreal green eyes leapt out at him or mattered.

Gia pushed forward onto the railing her eyes focused on the group playing. She couldn't help but dance as the beat of the drums washed over her. The lead singer wasn't half bad either. She looked over at Mic and poked her. "Look its the blondie."

Mic swayed to the music and nodded, her eyes taking in his tighter than tight pants, long coat and no shirt, his hair all aloof down his shoulders with the cutest blue eyes to boot. Well damn, he isn’t half bad, but as she watched him hold sway over the ladies in the crowd with that arrogance she had seen on the video. She felt her blood rise, as he seemed to sure and cocky in himself. "Yeah it's blondie alright" she said watching him closely.

Her brow arched as she watched Mic damn near fall under the thrall of the lead singer, she wasn't paying attention to anything outside of the furry chest and way too tight spandex. She thought of teasing her but the decibel level of the music suddenly seemed to rise.

Turning her head to the stage her eyes widened. Riffs wailed and blasted from a guitar held by the man whose face she'd seen just that morning in the mirror. The same man who had been haunting her dreams for days. She wanted to get closer, but the burly security guards told her how unsuccessful she'd be.

*Shilmulo ~ Romany word for vampire