Surrender Your Sensations

I grinned before I stride towards the sea of party-people with blurred faces. This was exactly what the real meaning of living this life was all about- to go for it when yourself was telling you not to do it.

“Let’s live this life, shall we?” I told myself before giving off a big smile. I tried looking straight to everyone, faking eye-contact even though I could not see their faces.

Sweat. Smell of alcohol and cigarettes. Clashing bodies. Banging music. These were the things that greeted me the moment I let myself get drowned by the crowd.

I let myself drown in the ocean of rejoicing and free people. I lost all the inhibitions in my body along with the loud screams I let out of my mouth. I jumped when everyone jumped because of the loud music. I danced, swaying my hips from left and right. I felt someone’s hands hold my waist and I did not bother to remove them. I let myself be lost to the accompaniment of music and to the never-ending shouts and singing voices.

The next thing I knew, the music died out along with the crowd’s wild shouts and cheers. A high-frequency sound echoed throughout the whole club as a set of instruments were being set-up by a group of males.

I was in complete awe as I stood right in front of the center stage where a band was setting up their instruments.

I didn’t know a band would perform tonight.

“Are you ready party-people! Shall we get the party rolling?!” the guy with a mohawk hairdo and holding an electric guitar shouted.

The whole crowd responded with a roaring cheer of ‘Yes’.

“Oh yeah! We are the Vulture and join us as we rock tonight!” The man next to him turned to his right where a man with naturally messy hairdo was standing. The man with a mohawk hairdo tapped the latter’s shoulder before he left the microphone to him.

The vocalist, I guess?

“It is so nice to be back again. I am Rupert, the vocalist of Vulture. Join us and let the Vulture rock your night!”

The man in the drums raised his drumsticks in the air, tapped the sticks together, and counted, “One, two, three!”

“We are the Vulture! I hope you enjoy our music!”

A shudder ran through my skin because of the hoarse yet sexy voice of the man standing behind the mic stand, whose name was Rupert. I could not see his face clearly even though I was in the front of the audience area. The dancing lights in the bar made it harder for me to see his face.

But then, his voice… I like the sound of his speaking voice. It sounded familiar- hoarse and manly.

The sound of the electric guitar roared and I suddenly became attentive. I waited in anticipation for the vocalist’s voice to fill the whole bar along with the rock music being played by his band.

People started shouting when the vocalist’s voice rose. The Vulture hyped the crowd and I found myself enjoying the voice I was listening to. His voice was really majestic and he sang so well.

| They say before you start a war

You better know what you’re fighting for |

I found myself with a grin on my lips, tapping my foot on the floor, nodding my head along with the beat and later on, actually singing along with the chorus.

Oh, I love The Cab’s songs, specifically this one- Angel with a Shotgun.

| Don’t you know you’re everything I have?

And I, wanna live, not just survive, tonight |

I couldn’t agree more. With everything I have been through; after surviving breast cancer- yes, that’s what I wanted to do: To live, not just survive.

The spectators and listeners started jumping along with the beat when the song’s bridge was reached. I must say that was the most hyper part of the song and the vocalist’s voice killed every note with such grace and prowess.

| And I’m gonna hide, hide, hide my wings tonight |© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

My eyes widened when the vocalist suddenly jumped down from the stage. I was stopped from jumping and screaming when my eyes met the vocalist of Vulture. He was standing in front of me, just an inch closer to me. I had the chance to see his face much clearer in this distance. I could not recognize the features of his eyes, nose or facial shape but… I noticed a shiny thing on his lips. There was something shiny on his bottom lip that caught my gaze.

| If love is what you need, a soldier I will be |

He ended the song while looking directly at me. The microphone was the only barrier in between our faces. I found myself memorizing the playful and familiar glint on his brown eyes.

“Let’s start the love tonight!”

From Rupert the Vulture’s vocalist, I averted my gaze on the people around me. I frowned as everyone started counting out of nowhere.

“Ten!”

What the heck is happening? Why did everyone face each other in pairs?

“Nine!”

I looked at the man standing in front of me, Rupert.

His face was blurred except for his eyes which were looking at me intently.

He was in front of me. We were a pair. And this was definitely awkward.

Was there anything to say? What’s going on?

“What the heck-”

“Eight,” the guy named Rupert suddenly said before I felt his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. “Seven,” he continued counting along with the people.

“What is this about?” I asked in panic and tried to free myself from his hold. But he held me tighter and his face inched closer. “Are you stupid?!”

“Just get along,” he said before he mouthed the word ‘six’.

I gasped and immediately pushed his chest to make a bigger gap between our faces.

“Five!”

“Get off of me!”

“Four!”

My eyes widened when he chuckled with my guarded reaction instead of letting me go. The crowd cheered for ‘Three’ and he pulled me even closer until the tip of my nose touched his.

I sighed as his fragrant breath touched my face. For a person with prosopagnosia, my other senses were much stronger than my eyesight. This was my way to remember people I met. Instead of their faces, I used my other senses to remember them, like how they smell, sound and feel against my touch.

His minty breath stunned me for a while before I felt the comforting warmth coming from his arm around my waist.

“Two!”

I stared at the shiny and sparkling thing on his bottom lip when his free hand cupped my cheek. His rough yet warm palm caressed my skin, sending an unexplainable tingle on my body.

Why the heck am I reacting this way?

“One!”

There was no hesitation when his face leaned closer to mine. At the same time, sudden darkness enveloped the whole surroundings when all the lights suddenly turned off.

“We met again, woman,” the guy named Rupert said before I felt something warm touch my lips.

The next moment I knew, my gasp was ended by a warm set of soft lips.

In the middle of the darkness, I saw his figure so close to me. His hand held my nape, strong enough to pull my face closer. His other arm around my waist trapped my body.

This Rupert guy was kissing me!

I felt something cold on his lips- like a metal ring- as he gave me a scorching deep kiss.

“Uhmnnn…” I moaned when he entered my mouth with his hot tongue.

I could not believe I was letting him kiss me like this. I could not believe I was enjoying this!

“So sweet,” he whispered before claiming my lips again.

That was when I wrapped my arms around his neck, while responding to the torrid kiss we shared.

Maybe a Rockstar was the guy I was looking for tonight.