It started with a forgotten text.
Javi glanced down at his phone and winced. “Don’t be late. Meet at LoFi by 8.” The message from Dani was timestamped over an hour ago, and he hadn’t even left his house in Ripon. He cursed under his breath, tossed on a black jacket, and ran out the door, the buzz of downtown Modesto already humming in his ears before he even hit the freeway.
The night was supposed to be simple—celebrating his cousin’s birthday with a small crew: a few drinks, maybe dancing, then back home. But nothing about tonight would turn out as planned.
By the time Javi pulled up to LoFi Lounge on 11th Street, it was already packed. Neon signs lit the sidewalk, music pulsed through the brick, and laughter spilled into the air. But as he pushed through the crowd, something felt...off. Dani wasn’t there. Neither was anyone else from the group.
He texted. No response.
A woman brushed past him, her perfume sharp and unfamiliar. She looked over her shoulder—just long enough for him to recognize her. It was the same girl from the alley behind Prospect Theater the week before. The one who said, “Be careful what you wish for,” before disappearing into the dark.
Now she was here. In a red dress. Heading out the back.
He followed.
Beyond the bar, through the rear exit, Modesto’s nightlife took on a new hue. Gritty. Hushed. Intimate. He passed the alley where the mural of George Lucas stared down from the wall—silent, cinematic, like he was watching something unfold. The woman ducked into a black limousine idling just past the fire escape. Javi stopped short.
The door opened.
“Javi?” a voice said. It wasn’t her. It was Dani.
Inside the limo sat the entire crew, drinks in hand, laughing like they’d been there the whole time. But the woman in red was nowhere in sight.
“How’d you even know we rented a limo for the night?” Dani asked. “We’ve got stops in Turlock, Oakdale, and a surprise destination near McHenry. You in?”
He didn’t know what to say.
Behind him, the alley remained empty. Quiet. Except for the faint sound of high heels tapping into the dark.