“You look miserable.”
Briony jumped. They were the first words anyone had said to her all evening.
“I’m Davina,” said the girl through long dark hair, leaning close to be heard. She wore heavy eye makeup and a black dress.
“B-Briony.”
“How do you know Dave? Or Chloe or Jayden or” – she shrugged – “whoever’s house this is?”
“I … don’t? They’re my cousin’s friends.” Cara had brought her along to this house party, out of pity, but almost instantly pried her loose and disappeared into the noise with the other cool people. Briony had wandered through the pulsating rooms, taken a beer from the bath and found a dark corner to hide in.
But now this pretty goth girl had found her. Briony smiled.
“What do you do?” Davina asked, puffing out a long cloud of vapour.
“Economics.”
“Art school.”
“Cool!”
“It’s boring. Do you want some?” Davina held out a glossy red box. Briony had never vaped before. “It’s weed.” Briony had never had weed before. It filled her lungs and made a satisfying cloud as she blew out. She coughed, but only a bit. This party wasn’t so bad after all.
“Yeah, this party sucks,” Davina said. “Wanna fuck it off? I know somewhere that’ll put you out of your misery.”
She smiled, took Briony’s hand and led her out of the room. Briony blushed and felt her head spin. Was this what she thought it was? She’d never been with a girl before. She’d never been with a boy either.
But then Davina said something over her shoulder about a youth club.
“Youth Club?”
“You’ll see.”
In the taxi Davina gave an address in Marrickville, looked at her watch – it was close to midnight – and made a call.
“It’s Vee. I’m coming up in about 10. I’ve got – yeah, I’m bringing a friend. So, you’ll let us in?”
It was a plain industrial building with no light and no sign. Briony supposed it was a very exclusive club where you had to know people.
She felt a pang of desire for home, for her room, her parents. But no – she was going out, this was fun and she had a new cool friend who had brought her to an admittedly bleak-looking but probably very cool club. Maybe she was about to make more friends.
Davina checked the time again and pressed a number on an ancient intercom. After 10 seconds, a click and static.
“Speak.”
“It’s Vee.”
“Password.”
“I will encounter darkness as a bride.”
“That’s the old one.”
“Oh … Look, it’s Vee, just – you know, let us in?”
Static. Davina looked flustered. Briony hadn’t thought Davina could be flustered.
“OK wait, it’s – ‘I am a forest of dark trees’.”
“That’s not right.”
“Oh for …” Davina stomped in frustration. “I am a forest and a night of dark trees?”
“There it is.” The door clicked open.
Davina said “phew” under her breath.
They took the tiny lift to level 3 in silence. Briony expected to hear music, but there was just a droning that grew louder.
The doors opened on a large warehouse space filled with black drapery and lit candles. The droning came from two small speakers. Five young women in black sat in a circle, drinking and chatting.
They looked up. Briony smiled, her face rubbery, like a mask.
“Vee, you found one,” said a tall girl, nodding to the others. “Just on midnight. Didn’t think you’d make it. We have a new club member!”
The girls were milling around Briony now. They slipped black bracelets around her wrists, then gently fastened them together behind her back. They walked her into the middle of their circle, and Briony dimly noticed the floor was covered in plastic.
“Don’t worry,” said another girl, kindly. “We’re just going to put you out of your misery. It’s very quick.”
Before the blindfold went on, they turned her round to face the door.
Above it hung a banner that read “Euth Club”.
About the author
Penny Durham is a journalist who lives in Sydney with a tall man and a round cat. She hates puns.