Red Velvet Revenge

A woman stopped across the street from Red Velvet Lounge Bar. She pulled a phone out of her purse and opened the text messages. She scrolled down and stopped at the picture of a teen girl with her same eyes and a tender smile. The name spelled “Carrie” and the last message of her were two pictures. She opened the one showing the same name glowing in front of her. She put the phone back in the purse and crossed the street.

The woman walked inside the bar wearing the night as dress, and cherry red on her lips. Her walk pulled in all looks and made the nearest bodies orbit around her. She reached the bar, pulled a chair, and sat. Her motion made time freeze; everyone dazzled. A bartender approached. She didn’t wait for him to talk and whispered: “Vodka Martini, dry.”

She examined the place. To her left, a man dressed in a full black suit, shoes to tie, was bent over his drink while his eyes were stuck on her. He was smiling. His teeth shined, and his head glowed back all light coming at it in the absence of hair. He adjusted in the chair to have a more comfortable stare. She repulsed to the other way avoiding his eyes.

Far to the other side was the opposite face. Straightened out with dazzling hair, a man was enticing with his presence. Prying, he had spotted her. She gobbled a shot, took a deep breath, and glanced at her phone. On the screen she saw the same face. He was now a few feet away. She closed her eyes and whispered to herself “You got this. It’s for her.”

“I had never seen a star shine so bright around here.” The man leaned on to her right.

“I’m passing through. Only business.” Her eyes swept him top-down.

“Antoine, pleasure to meet you. And you are?” The man stretched his hand with a smile.

“Claudia.” She reached with her fingers.

The man pulled her hand and kissed it. She stared at him until a smile spitted out from her face.

“What business might that be?” he asked.

“I rather be alone. I’m tired. Thanks, though.” She said turning back at her drink.

“Nobody comes in here if they want to be alone. I know your kind.” He said leaning closer.

She pierced his eyes with her look. All her muscles twitched and fought to keep composed. She finally flirted back with a smile. She sipped from her glass and turned her look away.

“I truly am tired, but I’ll tell you what, you walk me to my hotel, and that’s it.”

“Of course.” The man replied rising his glass.

He slipped a bill over the bar. She stood up and headed out without looking back. He followed.

They walked on a fresh night gently covered in mist. There was no one to be seen on the street, the city was quiet. They reached the entrance of the tallest building in the block. She crossed her arms and turned back to him.

“Thanks.” She said with a shy smile.

“I can’t tell if you are of few words or if you like to make it interesting. I fancy both either way.” He closed the distance between them.

She moved one step away. He smiled at the gesture.

“I’m tired and I want to take a bath.” She glanced at him and looked away.

“I tell you what. You take a nice bath and I’ll order some wine. We drink a few sips and then I’ll leave.” He suggested.

She looked him in the eyes and shied a smile.

“Okay. One glass.”

She opened the door and stepped inside the room. He put both his hands on her waist and kissed her neck. She pulled away and turned back smiling.

“What’s the rush?” she asked.

“I want to make every second count.” the man replied pulling her back.

“Why don’t you start preparing the bathtub? I’ll order the wine.” She slid away.

He took off his jacket and pulled the belt off his pants in a single move. He threw the items away and walked to the bathroom. She closed the door, pulled a chair, and locked it without a sound. She leaned on and put her ear on it.

“Go in the tub first, I need to touch you before I see you.” She said with a seductive tone.

She heard him strip off the rest of his clothes, and to the main room in her tiptoes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With her fist closed, she smashed her lips with a punch. She covered her mouth with the other hand and whined. She shivered and composed back. She closed her fist again and did the same with one eye. She started to cry but drowned the sound. She picked up the phone next to the bed and called the reception. A man’s voice answered. She cried and whispered: “Please call the police. He hit me and he is going to hurt me more, I think he wants to rape me. He is in the bathroom, but he’ll be out any moment.”

She hanged up. She grabbed the side opening of her dress on the legs and pulled it with all her strength until it ripped open. She put both hands in her head and revolted it. She then worked on the room: chairs thrown on the floor, curtains pulled down, pillows torn apart. Her breathing was intense. The veins on her neck and popped out. Her skin turned red.

“Are you coming or what?” A scream came from the bathroom.

“Just a second… Hey you said your name was Antoine, right?” she asked.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You also said you liked my kind but, am I not a bit old for your regular taste?”

“What are you talking about? Come in or I’ll come for you,” he said aggressively.

“I know from a close source that you like teenagers, around sixteen, right Mr. Coudet?”

Silence.

“I don’t know how many girls you have harassed, and I don’t want to know what kind of monstrosities you’ve done, but you messed up with my niece and now you’ll pay for it.”

She opened her mouth to continue but a smash shut her up. A kick slammed the door, the chair held, but not for long. Her heart pounded violently when a knock on the main door brought the soul back to her body. She rushed to open, and a police officer in uniform stood there indifferent.

“Thank God officer! He’s inside. He hit me and he wants to hurt me more. I know he has done harm to others; he has confessed. There must be evidence in his phone.” She cried.

The police officer stepped in with his eyes locked on her. The smashes and the door falling into pieces didn’t bother him. A second man came in. Claudia opened her mouth and covered it with her hands, tears flooded her face. The man was dressed in black, shoes to tie. He held up a police badge glowing as much as his bald head.

The bathroom door gave away and the man wearing a towel around the waist and a smile on his face, came out.

“What were you thinking? You really thought you could harm me? You should have let things go smoothly and forget about your niece. I can’t think who she could be, there have been so many. They all cry in the moment, but deep down they all enjoy it. It’s every girl’s dream to be pleased by a well-positioned rich man.” The man said approaching slowly.

The man in uniform walked to the entrance, turned back and said: “You know the deal, no killing and no big messes.” He walked away.

The bald man grabbed a chair and sat down facing the bed and away from the closet. The man in the towel walked to Claudia and grabbed her face staring with a smile. She tried to move but the grip froze her. She looked around in desperation and noticed a movement behind the other man. The closet doors opened and a girl holding an iron bar walked from inside. She stopped behind the bald man, raised her arms, and hit the shiny target. The man fell unconscious to the floor. The aggressor jumped away from his victim in confusion. He looked at the scene, his eyes opened widely, and his face turned red. He rushed to the girl still holding the bar, with foam spitting out his mouth. He was about to reach her when a stroke shut his eyes and threw him over his friend. Blood poured over the fancy carpet floor. A big, black-solid object fell next to Claudia. She shacked and breathed uncontrollably. She snapped out of it and ran to the girl.

“Carrie! What the hell are you doing here are you crazy?” Claudia cried and hugged the girl.

“I told you I wanted to help. I had to do something to this monster myself.” Carrie replied.

“What will we do now, he is collided with the police, they’ll get us in jail forever.” Claudia cried.

“I recorded them with my phone while I was hiding. Someone will hear, they won’t get away from this.”

by Iván Plouganou

Photo by Aldo Plouganou: https://flickr.com/people/plouganou/