I walked into the bar. The place was dimly lit. It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the pitch-black darkness. I sat down at the bar, and a young man with bright pink hair made eye contact with me, gesturing to the massive wall full of half-empty glass bottles. I couldn’t make out any of the labels. I shrugged my shoulders. I could feel my cheeks getting hot, my face must have been bright red. I could hear the clink of the glass being set up on the table. I could listen to liquid hitting the bottom of the glass.

I dug a few quarters out of my purse before putting it on my lap. The leather felt hot and sticky against my thighs.

I heard the shot glass sliding across the table. It sounded like a hockey puck.

I let the lukewarm vodka graze my lips and dance on my tongue. Vodka always gave me that warm tingly feeling.

I heard the creaking of the door that I had come through as it opened. The cool breeze of the spring morning made the hair on my bare shoulders stand up. I nervously listened as the sound of heavy boots slithered into my ears. The vodka and my stomach swirled around at the sound of steel toe boots hitting the floor. They came closer and closer.

A stool beside me made a creaking noise and then the sound of wrinkling plastic.

The man beside me held his phone silently. I can see it was the man that I’ve been chatting with on a dating site.

Looking at this guy’s profile, I wondered what he wanted with me. In the evening, I delivered pizzas and stayed up late into the night to watch serial killer documentaries. And on sunny days, I would take my bearded dragon for a walk on his tiny leather leash.

Alexi, as his profile said, was a 32-year-old photographer from LA who enjoyed lifting weights. I thought he must be a smart cookie. He likes doing math equations. He loved walking his brindle pitbull through the canyons before heading back to his high rise apartment in the heart of the city.

Alexi snapped his meaty fingers. The bartender returned, slamming a heavy bottle unto the top of the bar. Two heavy shot glasses were loudly slammed onto the table simultaneously. The popping of cork was followed by something slowly dripping into a glass.

I could feel Alexi picking up my hands. My hand felt so tiny and delicate in his massive grip.

A shiver crept up the middle of my spine, and I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

My date gently placed my hand on the bar, once again.

He made an uncomfortably loud slurping noise, clearly enjoying that bottle of wine.

I used my fingertips to slowly trace the rose pattern etched into the glass.

Alexi took my hand in his once again. I was still shocked at how tiny my hands felt in his grasp.

I could feel his sharp nails digging deep into my skin at the edge of my fingers and press them firmly in the glass.

My date pressed his lips to my ear and mouthed the words “drink.”

I trembled as his lips pressed against my earlobe. His lips were soft and damp, and his hot swallow breath made my panties wet and sticky.

Thoughts of animal-like lust filled my mind. And, without thinking, I took a long sip from the glass.

The thick liquid slowly slithered down my throat. I ran my tongue against the roof of my mouth to get little bits of mystery goo off my tongue. My tongue tastes like pennies, and it made me gag. At that moment I thought of nothing other than Ted Bundy, Bundy was a handsome man, and he knew it. He would use his good looks and charm to trick women into trusting him, and when his prey would let their guard down, the handsome law student would rape and murder his victims.

I frantically felt around in my purse, desperately seeking my phone. I felt the room spinning and my heart beating like a caged bird flapping its wings.

My date put his enormous hands on my shoulder and forced the cup to my lips. I gagged, but I managed to swallow, and my stomach churned. My date stuck his enormous fingers into the glass, and with the red droplets on his fingertips, he spelled out the words “you are mine for eternity” on the bartop.

My eyes began to well up with tears. Alexi pressed his soft lips into my cheek again. Kissing away the warm salty tears.

My date smiled at me, and to my horror, I could see glistening white fangs. They were haunting and beautiful.