The Demoness of Chengdu

 “Don’t run off. We only have three days.” Alex said as he chaperoned the group forward. He hadn’t had a moment's peace since they arrived. He was the junior teacher though, and so he was basically thrown to the wolves. Hormonal, badly dressed, wolves. Surely school uniforms would have been professional. He buttoned up his own blazer and took a headcount. “Anybody seen Cassie?” He asked. Everybody laughed. She was an exchange student from America, pretty and actually fairly benevolent girl. Not a troublemaker. At least in his mind. He had prayed she would just turn up somewhere. But an hour at the British museum passed. He was sweating, had he lost a bloody student? He had one of her friends call her, but no response. “Sir, do you think Cassie is getting her organs stole?” The students laughed. “Don’t joke about that. She probably… got some stupid idea in her head like going to see a visiting girl pop band. She’ll turn up.” Would she though? How was she going to find her way throug...

As Owen chaffed at the edges of the party, he looked sadly at the three guys next to him. Not important enough to be with the main birthday girl and her well wishers. Not even important enough to be in the kitchen. He was right near the doorway, and it was tempting to use it. His friend had invited him but he was more interested in trying to get with her. A fit as fuck blonde apparently. He was wasting his time, they were both broke graphic designers. She wouldn’t be interested. He sighed as he saw a couple of hook ups leaving. If I leave early I might catch the transfer from Bristol central. He turned to the doorway when he was met with a feminine ideal. She looked Indian, but maybe he was a little racist, did Indian women look like this? She didn’t have a big flat nose or big ears or look like she enjoyed her chip butties a bit too much. She was like one of the diversity models he’d been asked to stick onto his banners lately. Straight glossy hair, a high thin nose and and these sw...