He stands in his bathroom, adjusting the neat bow-tie around his neck. He lets out a sigh, knowing that tonight would be a long one. Every hour that he spent at work was a long one, however hard he tried to stay engaged. A knock at the door, sends his head quickly to the left, as he hurried to open it. The girl standing behind the door smiles brightly, flashing her pearly-white teeth at him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she giggles, he holds her there with love in his heart. "I look stupid, Em." He sighs again, she tuts.

"You look amazing Sam. You always do. I really don't understand why you have to look so fancy though, it's only a small dinner party, isn't it?" She asks, pouting at Sam. He nods, resting his chin on the top of her head. If there was anything that Sam wanted in the world, it was to spend time alone with his Em, the love of his life. She brightened up any day with her smile, and her happy-go-lucky way of looking at things. He wished he could be like that.

"It may be a small one, but the city's elite are there to talk about the wine company again. I swear they make up things to talk about so they can just drink. They're the most bigoted people that I've ever had to pretend to enjoy serving." He says with a laugh, Em follows. He holds onto her for a few moments more, before letting go of her. She reaches up to tidy his red hair, her lip trapped under her teeth. He loved it when she concentrated like that, it made he look more attractive to him. Every time he saw her, he could swear that she had gotten more and more beautiful. She always had him awestruck with her homemade outfits, and her short hair. "I wish I could take you with me baby – if we went as guests anyway. You could wear one of your pretty dresses, and I could pretend that I enjoy spending time with the disgustingly rich." He joked, she held him tighter.

"As much as I like any excuse to dress up like a princess Sam, I also don't want to spend time with people like that. Especially the ones that don't work for their money, because they get it from their daddy," she rolls her eyes, reaching up to straighten his bowtie, "I will pick you up after you're done, and I'll park two blocks away so that you have to try and find me." She joked, he shook his head with a smile.

Leaving the bathroom together, entering their cramped apartment, he pulls on his long black coat. Brushing something off his shoulder, he bends down so that Em can peck him on the cheek, before turning on his heel to leave.

He hated leaving her all alone in there, he had no idea what she did to occupy her time without him. They were soulmates, best friends, and everything in between. Thinking about her made him smile as he made his way down the street, heading towards the rich district of the town. Walking through that part of town always made Sam feel some sort of discomfort, he knew that he didn't belong there. The smart clothes sometimes helped to keep their stares away, but, they still closed their curtains to make it known that they were disgusted by the poorer folk. He tucks his hands into the pockets of his pants, as he nears the boundary.

The richer part of town was pretty much a huge gated community, complete with ridiculously green grass and water fountains that made even Sam's mouth water. He fishes in his coat pocket for his worker's ID; naturally, the rich folk are careful about who they let in. They would have simultaneous heart-attacks if somebody uninvited came in and looked at their million dollar mansions. Looking at their marble walls sometimes made Sam feel sick, knowing that these people had more than enough money to make a difference to the lives of the poorer folk.

His fingers curl around the plastic card, pulling it out, he holds it firmly in his cold palm. The security guard came out of his little hut holding a flashlight, before noticing who it was. He smiled, holding a hand out for Sam to shake.

"Good evening Sam. Working late tonight?" He asks, his grasp firm.

"Of course, Toby. Any news as to who's attending tonight?" He asks curiously, Toby closes his eyes in order to wrack his memory. He would have to inspect the majority of the cars that would come through the gates, just in case anybody that wasn't supposed to be entering managed to sneak their way in.

"Mayor, his wife. Some of the big business people – it's the owner of 'The Wine Company's party, you know, the one with the crazy moustache?" He asked, Sam nodded. He didn't particularly care about who's party it was, just as long as he got his slightly below average wage. "He's not too bad. He came out here to give me a bottle of wine to take home for the wife and I." He smiled, holding his hand out for Sam to put his ID into his hand. He checks, the little piece of plastic, before handing it back to him. "Last house on the cul-de-sac my man, enjoy your night. Try and get some of that wine, it's the best I've ever tasted." He chuckles, as he presses the release button. Sam offers him a wave, before putting his hand back into his pocket, waiting for the gate to open a little more to allow him to walk through it.

He keeps his head up as he walks, looking at the palm trees that litter the pathway. The majority of the houses surrounding him were well lit, their glass fronts allowing Sam to have a quick glimpse into their lives. He doesn't see many people in the houses that he passes, but he assumes that that is because they will be attending the party. He is an hour early, which would be enough time for the evening's events to be explained to him. Rubbing his hands together, he brings them to his mouth, restoring some warmth to them.

~><~

He holds his chin up high, a large round tray full of expensive drinks in his hands, as he watches the guests enter. They are covered in diamonds and other expensive attire, the women holding the arms of the men. An older couple walk towards him, he smiles brightly, "Good evening Sir, Madame." He says through his smile; the couple smile weakly. They each take a drink, sip from their glasses, before making their way into the lounge. The owner of the house was waiting for them there; Sam heard a lot of laughter coming for the room, so I supposed that they were good friends.

He had never really seen the owner, but he had heard stories about him. He was a tall, pale man with salt and pepper hair, not a wrinkle covering his face. The man had been around for a long time, building business empires here and there. He hadn't spent a lot of time in Sam's city, but, Sam supposed that he was here for the long-haul.

"Hey, Sam, I need a quick word with you." Somebody says from behind Sam, goosebumps spreading across his body from the small fright.

"Can you not wait until all of the guests are here? I don't want to lose my job." Sam says from the corner of his mouth, before he hears a sigh, as small man walks out in front of him. He had dark skin, his dreadlocks he had died white. One of his eyes is milky-white, he had explained to Sam that he had been in some accident or something when he was a young boy, causing him to lose his left eye. "Benny, will you please just go back to your station? I don't want to hear any conspiracy theories until I finish for my break." Sam sighs, rolling his eyes.

"Sam, this is serious. I need to show you something. I can hear this muffled noise, it sounds like talking - "

"Maybe you have a problem with your hearing, Ben. Just, please go to your station and I'll come and see you then." Sam says, shushing Benny, who drops his arms by his side before quickly walking to the left.

Sam had always thought that Benny had an overactive imagination – even his mother thought the same. She would always shake her head at whatever crazy story her son came up with; Sam was always a witness to his stories. Aliens, monsters, fairy tales and the like – Benny had told people about the lot.

He shook his head, focussing on his job. He had to make sure that every guest walked into the front room with a glass in their hand, he had specifically been told this by one of the more senior members of staff. His name was Will, and he had various scars on his face and hands. He didn't like to talk about them, he was a very private man. Sam would see him flit in and out of the rooms as he checked on the staff, it was pleasant considering Sam was relatively new to the company that served people at exclusive events such as this.

Another few couples came in, each smiling weakly at him as they made their way to the main attraction. He never saw a woman without a man on their arm, but he did manage to see a few odd-looking men. Odd faces with terror-provoking looks in their eyes – he shivered for a moment, his fingers holding the tray more tightly.

Will the senior flits in again, looking Sam up and down. He squints, walking closer to him, sending nervous chills up Sam's legs. "How long have you been standing here son?" He asks, looking him up and down again. It is a moment before Sam replies.

"I stood here at close to six-thirty, sir." He says confidently with a smile. One of Will's scars curls, as if to imply that he was smiling. He reaches out his hands to take the tray from him.

"You go on your break. Come back at around nine o'clock. I'll dock your pay if you're a minute late." He says sternly, raising his brow at Sam, who nods quickly.

Turning on his heel, he makes his way to the left to find Benny. If anything, he owed it to him to listen to his millionth little story. Some of them were quite amusing to him, and it certainly would make the long night go quicker and quicker. He squints, as he can't see Benny anywhere. Standing on the tips of his toes, he looks over the countertops to dins him crouching down on the floor, his ear pressed against it.

"Benny, honey, what are you doing with your ear on the floor?" Sam asks, pinching the top of his nose with his eyes closed. Benny promptly sits up, eyes wide, smile spreading across his face.

"Dude, I can hear something down there. There are literally no stairs, or doors, that even suggest that there is a downstairs, but I can hear something down there man. Put your ear on the ground." He says, placing his ear back down on the ground. Sam folds his arms, rolling his eyes, as if to imply that he isn't going to be caught copying his friend. Benny pats the floor, the impact of his skin against the floor makes a slapping noise, forcing Sam to humour him.

He places his ear on the ground, hearing nothing but the echoes of the party in the next room, and the company owner as he begins to address his friends. Sam nearly lifts his head, before he hears a loud, muffled noise. He sits up, frowning, rubbing his head. Benny joins him, smiling. "You heard it, didn't you Samuel? You heard it? I'm telling you man that there is somebody down there yelling at somebody or something and it's driving me crazy. I've been hearing it the whole time that I've been in here." He says as he throws his hands into the air, before letting them drop down to his sides.

"What could it be?" Sam asks, looking Benny in his milky eye. Benny shrugs his shoulders, standing up, helping Sam stand. Sam dusts off his pants, conscious of keeping his uniform clean and smart.

"What time do you have to be back out front?"

"Nine."

"We've got twenty minutes."

The two look at each other, as if to confirm that they were going to go on the hunt for the source of the noise. The talking from the other room ceases, and it is followed by loud music, and loud conversation. They walk the perimeter of the kitchen, trailing their hands along the walls, lightly tapping them in the search of any hollow openings. Sam bites the insides hoping that nobody in a position of power should walk in and fire them for acting like madmen.

Sam stops. He frowns, stepping back. He could swear that it sounded different, so he taps it again. A loud, hollow noise sounds throughout the room, they look at each other in triumph. Smiling, the two stand in front, wondering whether or not they should push on the wall. They couldn't imagine what hidden secrets could be behind it; a part of Sam doesn't want to know what is behind it.

Benny takes the lead, placing his hand on the hollow spot, lightly pushing on it with his open palm. They hear a creaking noise, as what appears to be a door slowly swings open. They stare at it with mouths slightly ajar, not particularly wanting to venture down there.

"You go." Says Benny, he pushes Sam in front of him, his arm clashing with the door. He looks back at Benny with a sincere frown – he instantly wishes that he didn't listen to his ramblings. The fact that he was correct about something being down here certainly suggested to Sam that something dangerous was down there.

Taking in a deep breath, he walks inside, Benny insisting that will watch and wait for people coming. Nodding, Sam walks further and further into the dark corridor in front of him. He reaches the top of a flight of stairs, his hands searching for the handrail to stop himself from falling down them. He hears a noise, it sends shivers across his spine, yet he continues his descent.

Reaching the bottom, he notices that the room before him now is dimly lit. He turns on his heel, trying to see whatever it is that is being held down here. He half expects it to be a dog or something, but part of him knows that it is a lot more complicated than that. "Hello?' He calls out, scratching the top of his head. He hears a muffled noise, it sounds high-pitched to him. "Hello? Is there somebody down here? Benny! Is this a trick?" He calls out again, the muffled noise is louder now. It sounds eerily like a scream, causing Sam to feel as though somebody is being held down there. He balls his fists, just in case he needs to defends himself, then ventures further and further into the dark room.

He doesn't call out again, as he hears something else. He is nearing towards the back of the room, and he can hear breathing. The breathing sounds laboured, as though they have asthma, or a piece of cloth in their throats. He inches forwards, his steps a lot slower now.

His shoes bang into something metal, and he hears a low moan. Stepping back quickly, he reaches into his back pockets for his keys, grasping the small torch between his thumb and pointer finger. He swallows a lump in his throat, his hands clammy, before he clicks the button.

A chilling wave of nausea fills his body, as the torch casts a dim blue light onto the face of a crying woman. Her hair is matted, makeup streaming down her face. He uses the torch to examine every inch of the woman. Her arms and legs are tied down to the plastic chair she is in with black cable ties, duct tape covers her mouth, tubes jut out of the veins in her wrists. Sam gasps in horror, as the woman screams at him again, tears streaming down her wrists. She begins to scream louder and louder, stamping her feet, rocking the chair as she becomes more and more hysterical. He flicks the torch to the side of her, revealing an older man sat in a chair, his mouth covered, dried blood in the tubes that jut out of his veins. Sam reaches out to place his fingers on the man's neck – there is no pulse. Raising the torch above the woman, it reveals that there are at least twenty people strapped down to the chairs, each in various states. It appears to Sam that the vast majority of them are dead; he steps back.

The woman screams again, stamping her feet, as he backs away towards the foot of the stairs. He feels sick, the metallic smell of blood fills his nostrils – he needs to get out of there. He runs up the stairs, tripping, managing to grab the rail so he doesn't knock himself out. Reaching the top, he throws himself out of the door, to find Benny standing still. Sam is confused at first, until his eyes slowly flick to the left. The tall, pale man with the salt and pepper hair is standing there, a smile on his face. He runs a hand through his hair, before opening his mouth.

"I do apologise that the specimen has been causing you some confusion, Sam. That particular one – she doesn't shut up. I had to resort to more, invasive methods in order to keep her quiet. But, it doesn't seem to me that it solved the problem. Well, if you will excuse me, I will have to go down there and increase the donation. I must admit, her donations do give the wine a richer taste. The guests love it," he says in a sarcastic tone, walking towards the door in the wall, "I wouldn't speak of this, if I were you. Unless you want to find yourselves in next month's batch." He backs into the darkness, pushing the door closed, as Sam clutches at his stomach.

Sam manages to pluck up the courage to march from the kitchen, taking his coat from under the stairs, ignoring the angered calls from Will. He throws the dark cloth over his body, wiping his forehead as sweat begins to drip down it.

He never seemed to be able to get the image of that desperate woman from out of his mind.

THE END
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Song Of The Chapter- Red Red Wine by UB40

Sorry for the long-ass chapter ladies and babes, it wouldn't have worked if it was shorter. I bought a Barbour jacket for £10 yesterday and I aspire to look like my future husband Liam Gallagher because I am that sort of twat...

Just a passing statement it realisation- I hate when people post pictures of their girlfriend/boyfriend on their social media's excessively... like alright twat we get it you're in a relationship shut up we haven't been living under a rock love please and thanks <3

Anyway, enough of me chatting pure shit- let me know what you think of this crappy story??