My name is Sadie Collins.
A quiet, introverted girl from Montana, who recently moved to Seattle to attend college. Blonde, blue-eyed and naturally pretty, I’ve always been relatively popular but I only had one serious boyfriend before college.
I was the first in my family to go to college. My dad slapped me on the back and called it a “damn miracle” when I got accepted to biology in Seattle. My mom cried. They were hard workers but never had a chance to succeed in life and were happy for me. I knew I had good grades, but I was still overjoyed when I read the admission letter.
Relocating to Seattle however was a different experience for me. First of all, finding housing in Seattle was a nightmare. After dozens of unanswered listings and three scam attempts, I ended up in a creaky third-floor walk-up that smelled faintly of incense, dust, and nail polish remover. But the rent was cheap. And I wasn’t in a position to be picky. I would live there with two other girls. They were… different from me. Dark clothes, heavy eyeliner, goth items—but honestly? They were friendly.

Elise had green eyes and jet-black hair. Luna was more aloof, her dyed blue hair wild and jagged like sea glass, her brown eyes calmer, observant. I immediately suspected they weren’t just friends, but they probably didn’t want to scare off a country girl like me. Or maybe they were just really close friends.
They were a few years older than me and didn’t seem too focused on their classes—assuming they were still enrolled at all. They had a way of making college life feel like background noise to something more important.
Before classes started, I tried to look into joining a sorority—mostly because I was desperate to belong somewhere in that environment. But every house I checked was already full. I was starting to feel like I didn’t belong anywhere.
That’s when my roommates mentioned their sorority still had open spots. It was called Delta Nocturna.
I hesitated. The name alone sounded like a vampire fan club. Did I really want to hang out with a bunch of goth girls? But I didn’t have many options, and they promised it wasn’t that weird. Just… different.
And different, I guess, was better than alone.

So I said yes. Why not?
For the semester kickoff party, I had to borrow one of my flatmates’ outfits—none of mine made the cut given the strict dress code. The only condition I gave them was no black. I thought that was reasonable. So they handed me a shiny red dress, tight and laced up the front. It was… cute, in its own way, but way bolder than anything I’d ever worn. They paired it with fishnet stockings and called it “entry-level.”
I looked at myself in the mirror and barely recognized the girl staring back—fishnets clinging to my thighs, the dress hugging me in ways that felt unusually sexy. My heart pounded, but it wasn’t from fear. I smiled, just a little. Maybe this is what it takes to be part of something. Elise draped a chocker around my neck. “Welcome to Delta Nocturna, Sadie.”
The party was something wild, nothing like I had seen before. The sisters of Delta Nocturna moved like shadows in the flickering strobe lights, their confidence slightly intimidated but also fascinated me. They belonged here, in this haze of cigarette smoke and bass-heavy music.

I noticed that many of them seemed to be lesbians, or at least bi, which alarmed me a bit – I had nothing against LGTB people but I was straight and I didn’t want to end up in a lesbian club. Imagine what would people say!
But… I had fun. I laughed. I got a little tipsy. I danced. I even forgot I was plain Sadie from Montana for a while. I just felt like a cool girl hanging out with my friends. Luckily, they had invited some guys too, from a similar fraternity, also aiming at people with goth/emo-inspired looks. They seemed to be more interested in girl with a heavy goth look though. I drank more than I should have. Not just beer, cocktails of all kinds. Not enough to black out—just enough to relax. Elise did her best to keep my glass full all the time.
Around midnight, I slipped outside and waited in my flatmate’s car. She said she’d just be a minute. The night was not too cool, and the hum of the streetlights felt oddly soothing.
I must’ve nodded off.
That was my first mistake.

I woke up in my bed, still wearing the red dress from the party. My head was spinning, and my mouth was dry—but something else felt off. My nose. There was something in my nose.
Oh God. I stumbled to the mirror, and the second I saw my reflection, I froze. A septum ring. Two nostril studs. No. No no no— My stomach dropped. I nearly fainted. “What the fuck is this?” I whispered, then yelled.
Elise appeared in the doorway, way too calm. “Hey, hey—calm down, sweetie. It’s just… an initiation rite. Sorta. You’re one of us now. We had to push you a little, but look at you—you look amazing. Push me a little?!” I snapped. “You got me drunk. You pierced my face while I was asleep!” I slammed the door and sank to the floor, the tears coming fast and hot.
I thought about packing. Just grabbing my bag and disappearing back to Montana. But then I thought about my parents. About all the people who’d said I wouldn’t make it. About how I was the first in my family to come this far. So I wiped my face. I wasn’t going to quit.

I spotted a tray on my desk, arranged with different piercings. I reached up and slowly removed the ones they had put in while I slept. My nose stung slightly. Carefully, I tried one of the smaller rings. When I looked in the mirror, it wasn’t all bad. I looked… kinda hot? Besides, I could just take them off, right? I turned to grab my clothes, only to realize they were gone. My closet was full of tight skirts, lace, leather, chokers, sheer tights. Mostly black. I stepped out of the room. “Hey… uh, sorry for my outburst earlier,” I said. “I mean… I kinda do look cute.” “That’s my girl!” Elise smiled, lounging on the couch. “Yeah—only one thing… where are my clothes? Are they in the laundry or—?” She shook her head. “No, they’re gone. See, Delta Nocturna has a strict dress code. You’re one of us now. So we had to make some adjustments. What you have now are donations from sisters.” I blinked. “So… all the time?” “All. The. Time.” She gave me a wink. “It’s not just a sorority, Sadie. It’s a lifestyle.” I stood there in silence, processing it. This was starting to feel less like a social group and more like a cult. I didn’t have the money to replace my wardrobe. I didn’t have other friends. And I needed something—some kind of support system in this city. So I nodded slowly.

Most days, I toned things down. I’d swap out the heavier piercings for a simple silver septum ring and pick the most conventional black outfit I now owned—ribbed turtlenecks, pleated faux-leather skirts, nothing too flashy. I still looked a little extravagant compared to the average student, but not too much. I guess it gave me a little more personality and I didn’t mind that at all.
The reactions were instant. A raised eyebrow in lecture halls. A whispered “Delta Nocturna?” from strangers. The funny thing? I’d started spotting sorority sisters everywhere. It was easier to stay in the orbit of my sorority sisters than to explain myself to others. Even if I wasn’t quite like them. Most of them leaned hard into the aesthetic. Dark lipstick, full-black eyeshadow, jet-black hair, spiderweb tights and velvet everything. I was impressed by their commitment. Compared to them I looked quite vanilla. I liked my blonde bob. And I could tell. Some of them noticed. The side-eyes. The quiet pauses. As if I wasn’t goth enough. But I’d found my balance.
Somewhere between who I was before, and who I was now. And for now… that was enough.

END OF PART 1
The complete story “Delta Obscura” was posted on my Patreon in 2025.
If you like my stories, you can find plenty more on my Patreon page!
































































