Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

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The noise from the music was deafening, and I closed my eyes, savoring the pleasant breeze that caressed my cheeks and the faint scent of the sea which permeated the air.

I knew that this was a vacation and that I was in the middle of a masked party I should enjoy, but somehow… I didn't. There were literally hundreds of people around me, yet I felt alone. It's not that it was bothering me, but my time would be better put to use if I stayed in London and worked on polishing my resume so that I can increase my chances of landing a good job once I leave my parents.

How did I end up here with these three girls?, I wondered. It was my desire to travel and see the world, and it combined with the fact that Ruby, Adele, and Willow came to my house to plead with my parents to let me go. Of course, my mother was not willing to spend money on my vacation, but these three said that the trip is heavily discounted (courtesy of our college) and that the stay will be close to nothing because we will be sharing one room.

To my surprise, my mother agreed. Maybe she grew a soft spot for me after all this time, or maybe she just wanted me out of the house. Anything is possible.

Back to the lively town square in Venice…

I opened my eyes and saw Ruby and Willow who carried two plastic cups each as they weaved their way through the jolly crowd of partiers while approaching us.

"Here you go…", Ruby said in a singing voice and handed me one plastic cup with dark red liquid. Willow gave one to Adele.

Three girls extended their hands, asking for a toast.

"For a good time!", Willow exclaimed and all three of them waited for me to join in.

I joined in the toast and took a sip of my drink.

"What's in this?", I asked when the bitter liquid slid down my throat. Luckily, I didn't take much. I thought it was wine, but it obviously had something much stronger mixed in.

Ruby winked playfully. "It's a cocktail that locals make. The guy assured us that it gives maximum effect with no hangover."

"It depends on what effect you are going for…", I grumbled.

"Take some more and you will see that it's not so bad as you get used to it…", Willow urged me to have more, and she drank her drink as if to prove her point.

My face was still twitching from the bitterness that lingered on my tongue. "Do I want to get used to this?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Do you want to have fun? Or will you sit on the side and watch as usually?"

I'm not the one to cave-in under peer pressure, but I didn't want to spoil the mood. We were on a vacation as college students, and every party includes some drinking.

I took a deep breath before the bitter liquid went down my throat, and this time it was more than just a sip. I decided to finish the drink and get them off my case. It's not like one cup of whatever-is-inside can do anything to me. Right?

It took me a few seconds to realize that I was wrong.

The music sounded off-tune and I heard from the distance Ruby's voice, "How are you feeling?"

"Uhm…", I wanted to respond that something was off, but my mouth didn't cooperate and my tongue felt like it lost its elasticity.

"Look at her eyes. I think it's working.", Willow said, and Adele stood up abruptly like I was contagious.

What is going on?

Their faces became blurry, but I could see that Ruby was smirking condescendingly.

Wait, wait… I knew that they were not my friends, but did they really go to the length of spiking my drink? Why would they do such a thing?

"Is your friend ready to dance?", I heard a deep male voice from my right, and I turned to see who was talking because Ruby, Willow, and Adele looked that way.

Before I could focus on his mask-covered face, he was holding me around my waist and leading me toward the crowd.

I wanted to resist, but my mind was lazy, and my body refused to do anything I wanted.

Shit! I am not the one to cause trouble, but once I get out of this, I will show those bitches!

The masked man who dragged me toward the dancing crowd, turned me to face him and placed my arms to rest limply on his shoulders as he firmly held onto my waist.

Why is no one telling him to let go of me? Oh, right. I probably look drunk. This guy is treating me like a ragdoll in front of everyone, and no one thinks it's suspicious.

If anyone paid attention to us, they would think that we were slow dancing lovers.

I frowned at the man in front of me, but considering my state, I probably looked ridiculous. Is that why he smirked at me?

I encouraged myself by repeating silently how he can't do anything drastic in public.

I did my best to observe his features so that I can identify him later. Considering his cocky behavior, this is probably not his first time, and he might be a known molester.

The silver mask covered the upper half of his face, revealing his strong jaw, peppered with short stubble. His almond-shaped dark brown eyes stirred with something animalistic that made me extremely uncomfortable. 

I wished that he can speak so that I can memorize his voice. From the few words he said so far, I concluded that his English is quite good. I was unable to identify his accent, but it was not Italian.

My legs were weak, and if not for his hold, I would probably fall down.

"Don't worry, sweets…", he told me in a deep raspy voice. "We will be dancing only for a few minutes so that your friends can take a few photos and then I will take good care of you."

He winked and grinned, and I felt nauseous.

Why did my wish for him to speak came true?

Did he say that my 'friends' will take photos? Why? Who cares if I'm dancing with a guy at a party in Venice? I knew that Ruby, Willow, and Adele were not my friends, but was it necessary to spike my drink in order to get me dancing? We were at a party and if a guy nicely asked for a dance, I would probably not refuse. Or did they drug me for some other reason?

The man was observing my reaction as he squeezed my waist, and I could see that he was enjoying it.

A small part of me was aware that this was me reliving memories of my last day as a human, and a thought struck me… I am probably looking at the man who murdered me.

I was in disbelief. Aldus told me that he found me in an alley. How did I end up there? What about my three so-called friends? They allowed it to happen? Spiking a drink might fall into an area of a sick prank, but murder?

No, no… somehow, I knew that those three wouldn't go that far. They are pampered misses from prominent families, and they would not jeopardize their futures by murdering someone.

This man, on the other hand, had a sinister aura that told me he would do anything for a handful of money.

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