As soon as I arrive for my shift at six, I know immediately that the night is going to be a hectic one.  I've been waiting on customers back to back.  Thankfully since my shift starts relatively early, I've got a few more hours before I'll have to deal with the drunken idiots.

Even though we're busier than I expected, I make sure to wait on my regular customers. A nice hello and a quick conversation always helps with getting a little extra tip every now and again.  As I'm talking to one of my regulars, Jacob arrives for his shift.  He heads for me immediately, cutting off my conversation with the older gentleman in the booth next to me.  Without a word, Jacob grabs my arm and drags me towards the break room. I mumble a quick apology to my customer and try to keep up with Jacob's quick steps.

Before I even have the chance to sit down, Jacob is spitting out question after question. "Where the hell have you been? I dropped you off last night after oh, you know, YOU WERE ATTACKED! And I can't get a little text to see if you're okay?" His hands move frantically with each word.

I stare up at him blandly waiting for him to finish.

"You could have been dead for all I know! That creep could still be out there, and when you didn't call or text," Jacob stops himself, shuddering at his thoughts.

Releasing a huge sigh I respond. "I know and I'm sorry. I've just been so busy. I've just been trying to forget about everything that happened and just focus on school and Gran."

"I know, but next time just give me something. You don't know how close I came from coming to your house."

I wrap my arms around Jacob's waist resting my head against his chest. His arms automatically wrap around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, "I didn't mean to make you worry."

He squeezes me tighter. He pulls back and his hand comes to rest on my cheek. He brushes a few stray hairs from my face, his hand lingering as he stares at me.

"I think you two should get back to work before I have to fire you."

I pull back from Jacob's embrace to find my boss Dean at the opening of the door. A beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Dean raises an eyebrow at the two of us.

"And Chloe, no more funny business. I don't need you disappearing like you did last night. One more shift like that and I'll be forced to let you go."

My lips thin as I keep my mouth shut. I want to defend myself so badly, but I can't. Nodding, I push past Jacob and Dean and head to my station behind the bar. Sweaty bodies moved across the floor moving to the rhythm of the music. As soon as I reach my destination, drink orders come piling in one by one.

This is going to be a great night.

***     

I finish pouring shots for the group of frat guys in front of me. They haven't stopped staring at my chest since they walked up. The blonde one even has to audacity to try and cop a feel when handing over his money.

"Come on. Just come around here and give me a little taste," Goldie Locks slurs as he moves farther on top of the bar.

I roll my eyes at the drunken mess. All four of the frat guy are already wasted as they grab even more alcohol to make it worse. Ever since they showed up a couple of hours ago, all they've been is a pain in my ass.

The other three boys take their drinks and turn back towards the group of girls they've had their eyes set on but Goldie stays seated. I ignore him as I move to my next customer.

"Hey," Blondie flashes forward and grabs a hold of my arm. He jerks me toward him pulling my upper body onto the counter in front of me.

"Don't think you can just walk away from me like that. I'm a paying customer," he throws a hundred dollar bill on the bar, "Now give me a little taste."

Since starting my job here, I've  dealt with a lot of assholes, but this one is doing a great job at becoming one of the most annoying.

I jerk my arm back just in time to see Dean coming toward us. I shake my head at him to let him know I'm okay. I know how to handle douchebags like this.

Just like the night before, my body warms and tingles as some unknown force moves inside me. I feel it as it crashes inside me and finds its home in my home. But instead of fearing it, I welcome it. I know that it will protect me.

I flash a sultry smile at the idiot in front of me. I slowly inch myself towards him using my index finger to call him closer to me. Surprise flashes through Blondie's eye, but he follow my request and moves in closer. Our faces meet, stopping only when breaths apart. I notice that he braces his elbows on the bar in front of him for better leverage to meet my gaze. Our noses gently touch as I move my mouth to his ear.

"If you like what you see now, just wait until I'm done with you."

I don't register his response as my left hand flies up to grip the back of his head. His long blonde hair comes in handy as my fingers lace through and lock into a firm grip. I hear the faint sounds of something burning and my nose is hit with the smell of burnt hair.

Before giving Goldie any time to react I quickly slam his face into the bar. I can feel the resistance in my hand as his face meets the counter but I pay no attention to it. I rip his head back again. A trail of blood dribbles from his mouth, likely from biting his tongue.  My eye follows the line of blood coming from his mouth as if I'm in a trance. More. I want more.

As I am about to release my hold on the man's hair, he lodges a wad of spit mixed with his blood towards my face. My eyes immediately shut at the feeling of a slimy liquid rolling down my face. I use my other hand to wipe the filth away.

I open my eyes to find Golden boy laughing at me, showing me his toothy grin. I smile back as I slam his face into the bar again. Blood quickly engulfs the counter as the sound of bones cracking as the sound fills the room. Even with a full room of rowdy drunks, there is no denying the scream the comes from Goldie's mouth. Bottles exploding mingles with his cries as alcohol flies everywhere, misting my back

I release my hold on the man in front of me, taking with me a chunk of singed hair in my hand. He quickly backs away from me causing him to trip over the seat that was under him. He falls to the ground and the chair goes with him. The crowd that had gathered around us quickly moves out of his way as he scrambled up from the floor. Blood still poured from his newly broken nose. His friends rush towards him as he finds his balance. They try to help him, but their helpfulness just angers him more. He pushes back against his friends, his blood covered hands ruining everything they touch.

Bouncers surround the bloody mess. They quickly take control of the situation by subduing Goldie. Escorting him out of the bar, Goldie fights back the entire time.

For a moment the bar is completely silent. No one makes a sounds as Goldie is taken away. The only thing that can be heard is the music playing in the background. Once he is out of sight, the bar soon goes back to its party stage. The only evidence of what just happened being the pool of blood in front of me.

Jacob rushes over to me his hands coming to face.

"Are you okay?" he looks over me, "I can't believe that just happened."

I wrench my face from his hands. "Yes, Mom" Slapping his hands away, I turn and head towards the bathroom. Jacob steadily follows close behind me.

"I mean it. First last night and now this? It's too much."

His words annoy me to no end. Too much? No shit.  I just burned that man's hair off with my hands! And the exploding glass that keeps happening around me is too much to be a coincidence.

As I reach the bathroom I whip back to face Jacob. The abrupt movement catches him off guard and he almost runs into me. He opens his mouth to speak, but when he sees the look I'm giving him he stops.

He throws up his hands as a sign of defeat. "Fine, whatever. But we will be talking about this."

I flip him off slamming the bathroom door and locking it into place. I go straight to the sink and splash water on my face. I scrub away any evidence of what just happened. I check myself in the mirror above the sink.  Blue eyes stare back at me.  Eye I don't recognize.  The person staring back of me is not who I am. Not who I want to be.

The water bubbles as it begins to boil as it gathers in the sink.  What once was anger quickly turns to fear as I watch it boil. I'm doing this, but how?

I take long, large breaths to calm myself. After a few minutes, my heart race slows. I pull myself back up to the sink and look down. Cold, motionless water stares back at me, any sign of the heated substance gone.

As I stare back my reflection in the water, my mind turns back to the chaos I just caused. What just happened out there should disgust me.  I should feel guilty for hurting that guy, even if he was a total ass.  But I didn't.  The feeling of his skin opening up against the bar and the sound of his bones breaking brought me so much satisfaction.  And when his blood poured from his face, instead of shielding myself away from the mess, I wanted more. So much more. Something inside me raged to get lose.

"What's happening to me?" I whisper to myself.