Strobe lights flashed as the dancers pulsed to the beat. The sea of bodies bounced as one, almost as if they were waves in an ocean. Many had their eyes closed, giving themselves to the beat rolling out of large speakers around the dance floor.

It was a typical scene in a nondescript nightclub on an ordinary Friday night in the never sleeping city of New York.

A balding bartender filled glasses with alcohol off to one side, as customers shouted their orders over the blaring music. Plush red couches ran along the other edges of the room, some carrying hordes of drunk women getting hit on by sleazy older men, others with small groups of younger men having a few beers with their mates and eyeing up the pretty women who cast curious glances at them before dissolving into fits of giggles with their friends.

One younger girl sat by herself on one of the couches. There was nothing typical or nondescript or ordinary about her. If anything, she was the opposite. With her long wavy honey coloured hair and beautiful face she could have been another face in the crowd. What set her apart was the look of utter boredom mixed with annoyance on her face. She fidgeted with her dark purple and low cut dress, sipped a glass of water and blatantly ignored all advances men tried to make her way. A nightclub wasn't a place you came to to be bored. It was a place where inhibitions and caution were thrown to the wind, and you replaced yourself with a carefree and untroubled version. The girl was obviously not at home in a place like this, or was wishing she was somewhere else.

However, to the brown-haired tall man seated at the bar, there was something else that brought her to his attention. To be more specific, something they wanted from her brother. With a sigh the man downed his shot in one go. As his boss had said, second time's the charm.

Shelly's POV

I had the worst friends in the world. Not only had they abandoned me to go dance with some guys but they had also dragged me into this nightclub in the first place when they knew I had just broken up with my boyfriend and was in no frame of mind to party. I also had the worst headache, which meant I couldn't even drown my sorrows with alcohol. I was in a foul mood and sent death glares at any guy that approached me, after I while I gave up on that and just ignored them.

I considered leaving but my ride home was currently gyrating against some random on the dance floor. There was no way I was walking home in these heels either, not unless I never wanted to walk again afterwards. I silently cursed them, I could have worn my other ones which were much more comfortable, but no, I had to go for stylish, didn't I? Today was obviously not my day.

I was having the worst luck today...wait a minute. I narrowed my eyes. This was all Ben's fault! I can't believe I hadn't worked it all out sooner! I slammed my glass of water down on the low table in front of me.

"Stupid Ben with his stupid luck..." I muttered under my breath as I got up to call him. He was going to pay for this, big time! With all my fuming I hadn't noticed a cute tall guy approach. He snaked an arm around my shoulders and pulled me back down on the couch.

"What's up beautiful?" He said with a wink, as he placed a glass down on the table next to mine.

"If you don't get your arm off of me in exactly two seconds I'll snap it off and shove it where the sun don't shine." Normally I was a lovely person, but I was a little grumpy at the moment.

"Hey, there's no need for that. Can't a guy buy a drink for a pretty girl?" He was trying to be charming but I was still pretty close to following through with my threat.

I gave him an especially threatening death glare. Don't underestimate a girl in a foul mood wearing killer heels. I swear that death stare could have stopped a team of highly trained ninjas in their tracks.

He held his hands out in front of him, "Ok, ok, I'm leaving..." He picked up his glass and left, leaving me alone to continue coming up with ways to murder my brother.

I took another sip of my water as I mentally brainstormed. I could stab him with a fork... back my car over him... I swear I was a nice person normally, honest.

What else? For some reason my head was starting to feel heavy and it was getting hard to think. I looked at my glass and saw it wasn't my glass at all. What had that guy been drinking? Elephant tranquilizers? My vision was starting to go to and I was starting to lose control of my limbs. I slumped back onto the couch and struggled not to black out. What...was...going...on? I couldn't remember who I was anymore. I felt strong hands lift me off of the couch, and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

I saw the lights on the ceiling of the nightclub flash by overhead. I think I was being carried, but I everything was fuzzy and constantly going in and out of focus. I felt cool air brush my face as we exited the building but then my vision went completely.

The last thing I remember hearing was a van starting up and then nothing.

AN- Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! Shout out to Magnira for allowing me to pitch this story to her and letting me bounce ideas around. You're awesome! Please review, the next chapter's going to be interesting! :D