<span style="font-weight: bold">Continued at the corner pub,</span><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Darcy, Luciano, The One</span><br/>---------------------------------------<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"All humans hunger indeed, but I still do not understand why I should be having this conversation with you.”</span>Luciano crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat, arching his brow in irritation as another stranger approached his table. The man licked his lower lip and raised his eyes to the bold woman. His expression remained neutral as she winked at him. When she introduced herself as Darcy and asked if he was from Munich, Luciano stood up with one idea in his mind and that was to leave. The presence of the two intoxicated him and he was not sure if the sensation was pleasant. It felt painful in the worst way possible. He felt his flesh burn with heat and sweat began to form on the back of his neck. He stared down at the woman from his standing position and found himself cocking his head to the side.<span style="font-style: italic">“Do I know you? I have seen you somewhere. In Italy, to be precise. Weren't you at the Grand Hotel about a month ago?”</span>The man arched his brows and lifted his face to the man. When he met his gaze again, the Italian's concerns steadily mounted and so did his body temperature. There was something in the man's eyes, something of pure evil shaping his features.<br/><br/>Darcy whispered to Zanzibar and he locked eyes with Luciano, rising as well as the man went to take his leave, he extended his hand in farewell.<br/><br/>The man shifted his gaze between the two and now he felt very offended when he noted the display of hunger in the other man's eyes. Not only did they inhabit his space with their filthy presence, but the woman has been ignoring his questions and instead of answering them, she leaned into the other man and whispered in his ear. The power of Luciano's instincts intensified and he immediately knew that these two were trouble, yet he could not leave. It all happened too quickly and the thirty seconds he spent standing felt like three days. Right when he was about to leave, the other man's eyes locked with his as he rose as well and offered a hand for a shake. The Italian's left brow rose quizzically. He did not see any reason to why he should be polite and shake the man's hand. Discretion in this case was his tool and Luciano kicked his self induced resistance in the balls and shook the man's hand. He thought maybe these two hungry vultures would then leave him alone. But just as he did, something moved from the corner of his eye. The cop, once again, making his way to the restrooms. This time he looked different. There was blood staining the front of his shirt and face. Luciano noticed that something was wrong with him. The form as it moved shifted between splotchy and solid looking.<span style="font-style: italic">“No bloody way!”</span>He mumbled and turned his spinning head away. Luciano lowered his gaze to the contact of his hand with the other man and swallowed dryly. For a moment he forgot to breathe, every fiber of his body sensitized. He felt somehow trapped, imprisoned, his existence slowly sliding from bad to worse.<br/><br/>Darcy smiled wickedly, like a black widow spider.<span style="font-style: italic">"Yes, you did see me in the Grand Hotel in Italy. I was recruiting then much as I am today."</span>Zanzibar let go of Luciano's hand and wiped his own palm down the leg of his trousers.<span style="font-style: italic">"You were right, Mother. His good manners were his downfall."</span>Together, Darcy and Zanzibar interlocked arms with Luciano and three abreast made their way to the men's room. The hapless victim was glassy eyed and willing to accompany them and Darcy turned to her abominal creation,<span style="font-style: italic">"Now, we will explore this man as you explored me today. When the two of us experience this together, we will feed from his excitement and essence. He will be fully bound to us and will do as we bid. With his good looks, he will be able to bring us many more candidates, many savory meals who in turn will bring more to us. Now we no longer have to toil alone to turn the souls of men but today, we begin our army."</span><br/><br/>Darcy stepped up and wrapped herself around the man, pressing her ruby red lips hotly against his. She was favored with an immediate response. At this, Zanzibar went to stand behind him and reached between the woman and man to unfasten the man's belt.<br/><br/>Luciano's head fell back against the chest of the man behind him. At that point he did not care who was who anymore. His grey-blues darkened as he inhaled into a scent that the human brain would have discarded. His body shivered uncontrollably, invitingly; his right hand went past his shoulder to touch the neck of the debauched one behind him. Eagerly, he pushed his back harder against the man. He clamped his eyes shut and buried his right hand into Darcy's hair, pulling her tightly to him. When a hand from behind him began to unfasten his belt, electrifying sensations threatened to consume him with each merciless friction the hand had caused, and pleasure surged through his frame and soul in response to the feel of moist lips and tongue licking along his neck. With every sigh, his desire grew. With every groan, he conveyed a tone dying and begging for more; his own voice mixing with the white noise of something ... distant.<br/><br/>His eyelids slowly fluttered open and his hand gripped forcefully the other man's wrist before anything more happened. Luciano's eyes narrowed and his blurred vision clarified as he gasped for breath. He recognized the source of the white noise - the ghostly figure of the cop - standing by the restroom's exit and holding the door open.<span style="font-style: italic">"This way ... This way son ... You are in danger"</span>The voice repeated the same words over and over again in the ensuing silence, each time more audible to his ears until it was clear enough for him to understand it. These entities, he once thought, were a product of his own imagination and solitude. This time it was different. He heard a voice, and he understood it. As for Darcy and her False Messiah, little any of them know that they have unlocked a very new level of the man's Channeling ability. Not only he can see the Dead now, but he can hear and speak to them.<br/><br/>Disgust touched Luciano's features and with a confident force he pulled himself away from their evil grasp, nearly pushing Darcy away from him as he advanced towards the exit in disbelief and disappeared into the white stormy evening.