When they arrived at the doors, the security guards did indeed do a pat down and checked all of Brody’s fake knives and arrows. Mina considered asking Jared to make her a weapon later in the night.
Nan and Mina entered the gym and gasped in surprise at the visual wonderland the student council had created, complete with sparkling lights and full-sized set pieces. Rapunzel’s tower had been set up next to the giant gingerbread house and wishing well. Even the bench where Mina and Brody had shared their first kiss now looked as romantic as a fairy tale. Giant gates and an archway sectioned off the areas for pictures, food, and dancing.
Fog machines were hidden around the gym creating misty paths, the colored lights creating ambiance. Even the D.J. was spinning had gotten into the enchanted theme, donning ogre ears and large patchwork clothes.
Dancing on the floor was a visual montage of fairy tale, storybook and mythical animals. A Minotaur was trying to pour punch for a Unicorn. A fawn was dancing with a goose girl maiden. Mina saw various wolves, sheep, and dragons, usually milling about in clusters off the dance floor. Those that weren’t animals had chosen to be a prince, princess or knight. Frank and Steve could be seen pretending to joust, using stick horses and the school’s flags.
D.J. Ogre, his requested moniker for the night, pulled out some slower music, and the dance floor that was hopping began to empty as couples filed on.
“Do you want to dance?” Brody asked.
“I’m not sure you should risk it,” Mina said, flushing bright red.
“It’ll be fine, if you let me lead.” Brody took Mina’s hands and led her onto the floor. He was right, as long as Mina let Brody lead, she didn’t have any problems finding the rhythm or staying away from his feet. It was perhaps the most graceful she’d felt all her life. Of course the dress didn’t hurt.
“See, you’re doing great.” Brody said, encouraging Mina and holding her closer. “You know, I should have thought twice about bringing you here.”
Mina was startled by his words. Was he now realizing that he was ashamed of her? Did she step on his toes? She’d thought that she was doing just fine. “What do you mean?”
“I thought that I could handle bringing you to the dance, but I’m finding that’s not true.” His hands tightened around her waist and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Every Steve, Frank and Larry can’t take their eyes off of you.” Brody nodded with his chin toward a crowd of boys, and Mina snuck a quick peek over her shoulder before turning bright pink with embarrassment. He was right, everyone was staring at them.
“Maybe it’s you. You do usually have a lot of people staring at you,” she tried.
“That’s kind, but I doubt that many boys at our school find me so attractive.” As they circled the room, Brody glared at the boys, and a few actually turned away in embarrassment. Some began texting on their phones, while others refused to budge their gaze.
“I’m sorry; I hope I did nothing to embarrass you.”
“Don’t apologize; this is not your fault. You can’t help looking so gorgeous.”
Mina’s cheeks turned pink. When the song began to die down, Brody had finally had enough. “Will you be safe next to Nan? I really want to go talk to those guys.” Brody walked Mina over to Nan, who was talking animatedly to a short boy with glasses.
Once Brody walked away, Nan leaned over and whispered to her. “Can you believe the attention you’re getting? I’ve never seen anything like it.” She nudged Mina and pointed to another group of guys wearing various animal masks.
“Nan, I don’t think they attend our school,” Mina whispered. She was right; there was a completely different group of students that couldn’t or wouldn’t take their eyes off of her. To test a theory, Mina looped her arm through Nan’s and walked over to a food table. They followed at a distance, trying to not draw attention.
“They ARE following you!” Nan mouthed.
“Where’s Brody?” Mina walked back to where she had last seen him, but he was gone. “I have to find Jared!” Mina called out, feeling herself panic. If she couldn’t have Brody by her side, at least she wanted to know where Jared was.
“I don’t know. He danced with me for a few songs, but then he disappeared. Mina, those guys are coming over her.”” Nan nodded with her chin to the group of guys again. They had stopped trying to blend in with the crowd and now moved menacingly toward Mina and Nan.
The tingling sensation began in Mina’s body and she knew it was time. But instead of rising to the occasion, she lost her nerve. “Nan, I have to get out of here.” She began to pull on Nan’s arm, and together they turned and headed for an exit.
The first door was blocked by Rapunzel’s tower and the second was right between the group of unknown guys. No way was she heading there.
“The stage. There’s another exit behind the D.J. on the stage,” Nan yelled over the music. They ducked under a column of streamers and balloons and headed up the steps to the stage. Once onstage, Mina looked out over the dance floor and saw two groups of people making their way toward the stage. Who were they? What did they want? When they passed through the foggy dance floor and the lasers hit them, Mina noticed a slight blurring of their human form. What she saw for that split second chilled her to the bone. One of them looked up to the stage and saw Mina’s terrified face. He ditched the mask and practically drooled with pleasure at seeing her so scared.
“Here!” Nan shouted, having pulled a curtain aside and found the exit door that led backstage. They ran toward the stairs that led down to the side doors, but were blocked by a large man.
“Eeep!” Nan squealed as someone grabbed her from behind and clamped a fist over her mouth.
Another figure loomed out of the dark. Mina screamed in fright, but it couldn’t be heard over the thumping of the bass.
“Ah, Little Red, Little Red, you strayed from the path.” The one Jared had called Grey Tail moved in quickly. Mina tried to run, but he lunged for her and slammed her against the wall, spinning her so that her head crashed into the brick. Spots flecked across Mina’s vision.
Grey Tail leaned forward and pressed his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. He brushed his teeth against a vein in her throat, following the pulse from her clavicle to chin. “Where’s the book?” he whispered, growling into her ear.
“I told you before, I don’t have it,” Mina whimpered. The way he was leaning on her she feared he might feel it in her bodice.
“She’s lying” a woman said, her gravelly voice echoing out of the darkness.
“Does it look like I have a book on me?” Mina shouted at the figure in the dark. Her vision was swimming, and she heard a slow click, click in her head.
“She may have left it at home,” Grey Tail said hesitantly to the dark figure, while still pressing himself close to his prey.
“You searched her home once and didn’t find it. What makes you think you think she would have left it there now? Use your brain, you worthless dog.”
Mina’s vision began to clear and she could make out the wood flooring of the stage. The clicking sound drew nearer, and slowly a pair of red high heeled shoes came into view. She knew those heels and was about to comment on them when a hand grabbed Mina’s hair roughly, digging the bobby pins deeply into her scalp, and forcing her to look at the speaker.