Melissa stood helplessly in the lobby, breathlessly looking around for somewhere to go. There was a restaurant on one side, and on the other was the bar. Deciding against dining solo, she marched downtrodden into the bar, not noticing the heads she turned. The nearest free stool away from the males was beside a lone female, and Melissa took the seat, ordering a simple beer. Suddenly aware of the probable wet streaks on her face as well as the redness of her eyes, Melissa quickly hunched over the bar intent on being alone. Of course, the only person who seemed to have noticed her, with the exception of the bartender, spoke to her.

"Rough night?" Melissa barely looked over to nod with agreement at the phrase. "Men?" The female inquired further. Melissa nodded again, this time raising her head to see who was speaking. The girl was young, surely not old enough to be at a bar, with spiked aberrant red hair, clad in black and nothing but. Melissa recognised her as one of the Goth set of the south, a rare breed who sometimes had no choice but to wonder out of their cavern like rooms in the daytime, but preferred the coolness of the sensuous night. They wished they were dead, or undead. Melissa had a lot in common with them, she suddenly realised.

"Why are you here?" She asked stoic curiosity. The girl shrugged.

"It’s as good a place as any. And they don't check ID." She whispered quietly, though her youthfulness couldn't be mistaken. "I'm Pandora." She waited for a response from Melissa, and prodded when she was greeted with silence. "You are?"

"That’s a vampires name. Why'd you use it?"

"I like it. It suits me." Pandora responded simply. "And you look like a Melissa." When she noticed the dark look from her, Pandora quickly covered. "It suits you."

"How'd you know that?" Melissa asked her harshly, looking her straight in the eyes until she had no choice but to gaze away. Pandora's eyes had turned from brownish to a threatening shade of blood red.

"I know about you, Melissa…and Matt, upstairs. He thinks nothing can hurt you." She whispered above the music that overflowed from the bright jukebox in the corner and drew closer. "He's wrong, you know. I can hurt you." Strangely, Melissa wasn't frightened. Her brain formed an idea that surely Pandora couldn't refuse.

"You're like him then…A vampire?" Melissa heard a slight laugh escape the vampire's lips, and she smiled. "Then you can help me."

A cool breeze seemed to float past Matt as he still lay on the bed. He wasn't sure what had caused it, but then a presence grew below him. Another vampire was near. The presence of Melissa that called to him through their shared bond was close to the vampire. Praying they didn't find each other out, and praying Melissa didn't act upon her parting words, Matt leapt up and rushed down the stair well to stop what could be a tragic mistake for all parties involved.