Lady in Red.

Today is going to be a good day.

Percy thought this as she checked her hair and makeup in the mirror attached to her vanity.  The vanity itself was riddled with various items to make people appear to be young.  There was easily over five-hundred dollars in her skin care lotions alone.  Counting in the make-up and make-up accessories would just cause a migrane.  Today she was putting on her finest of all categories.

Now what am I going to wear...

Percy opened the door to her walk-in closet and proceeded to walk in.  She clicked on the light and looked at her impressive array of overpriced clothing.  Dresses from Europe, mostly Italy and France.  Normally it only took her moments to pick out her attire for the evening, but today she needed something just right.

She traced her fingers down the row of clothes waiting for something to jump out at her.  Tommy Hilfiger, Cashmere sweaters,  lady's attire from Armani.  She was starting to get worried.  Her finger had almost traced the entirety of the closet without any of the clothes speaking out to her.  Percy thought she might have to make a second round when her finger stopped on an elegant red dress.  This was the one.

The dress was long but not long enough to cover the entire length of her slender tone legs.  The dress on top was strapless but still hung low enough to reveal an ample amount of cleavage.  Enough to be enticing but not too much to look trashy or desperate.  She was neither.  Sam had been trying to get her out on a date for months.  Now he was right where she wanted him.

Percy was not the kind of girl who needed a man (nor did she really want one), but with men came money and gifts, and her bank account was starting to get on the lower side.  Sam was a prestigious lawyer, no kids, never divorced.  He was perfect for what she wanted.  Investing a year or two into a man to get him to fall absolutely in love with her is what Percy did.  Then accumulating his wealth through a divorce or other circumstances was also what Percy did.

With her dress on, make-up set, hair laid down slightly below her shoulders, Percy smiled into the mirror.  "Show time."  she said as she winked at herself.  She stood up and started to open the door of her bedroom.

Today is going to be a...

"...Good day."  The voice came from a man dressed in black standing in front of her bedroom door.  Percy stumbled back nearly tripping over the bench in front of her vanity.  Her throat was trying desperately to scream out of instinct, but nothing would come out of her mouth except a small squeak.  Even though every flight instinct was triggering in her body, a relaxing calmness was also beginning to envelope her body.  She felt as if she had just taken a valum.  Or four. 

What the hell is happening to me?

She gained her composure and looked at the intruder standing in front of the entry to her bedroom.  The man was dressed in a black suit.  Even with her extensive fashion knowledge the particular tailoring of his jacket and slacks did not look familiar to her.  His skin was nicely bronzed.  He had a strong jaw-line, his pitch black hair was slicked back, and his cologne was intoxicating (but also unfamiliar).  His eyes are what perplexed her most.  The were dark with shades of grey, as if dark clouds swirled around his iris.  She had begun to think it was his cologne that had cause such a calming effect over her, but now she was convinced it was his eyes.

"Hello Percy.  I have been looking for you.  Or should I call you Shantia?  I am not certain we are good enough friends for me to call you that yet."

Shit, I'm in trouble.  If he knows my original name, he has to be one of them.  I thought the Brotherhood wiped them out long ago.  Or maybe they just told us that to throw us off our guard.

"The Brotherhood is unaware of my existence.  And I would like to keep it that way.  Now please, have a seat."  His voice did not even so much as waver, and its tone was as peaceful as the ocean at night.  She sat obediently.  She had never met a Ni'Tan before, but if the stories were true she had little choice.

"Thank you.  I am going to start off by saying that I have no intention of killing you as long as you cooperate.  You Shanken are of little trouble to me.  No offense, but I view you like I view a tick on a dog.  You latch on to others, gorge yourself full, then leave for another victim.  A parasite yes, but not a threat.  What I do want however, is the location of the Sisterhood."

Panic overwhelmed the calming effects this monster had induced upon her "BUT I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE WHER----"

His hand was around her neck so fast she thought it might break from the impact.  Shanken were stronger than average humans, but everyone has their limits.  His movement 10 feet into the room was so fast the drapes around her bed fell to the floor.

"Now Shantia, you must cooperate.  You know something, you just do not know you know.  Let us delve deeper."

The grey in his eyes began to twirl.  The room began to fade around her.  She knew what he was doing but had little options to stop it.  Soon she would pass out and he would be free to poke around her head  Before she completely blacked out she saw a glimmer of what his true from was.  It was the most awful thing she had ever seen.  At least she wouldn't be conscious much longer...