12

The Fry lot sat parallel to the highway. There was actually an exit that led you directly to it, toll included. You rode in one car, Emmy riding shotgun to you behind the wheel. The security measures were tight passing off of the exit lane, the line of cars sat stacked, rows of red brake lights inched forward towards the cinematically lit grand mansion. It was a bit off to be placed in this environment, an east coast sensibility, ivy round columns blocking the façade in, Georgian windows running in series along the second and third floors broken by patios. There was no lawn, a large triangular fountain served as pool and centerpiece for the driveway, there was enough land on all sides to park freely and meander to the steps that led to the front door. It was the only house in a two‐mile radius, straddling the frontier between Los Los and the dead lands between the next set of suburbs. The guitar sang through the stereo, nimble fingers working over the chords made it hum sweetly, the rhythm joined by drums and bass building to the rip of electric power chords coming over the top of the ensemble.

“Let me talk once we get to the gatekeeper, he’s got a package for me.” Emmy snorted a small line off of the back of her hand, the glint of gold four finger rings shown in the light coming through the windshield, velvet black on the neckline of her dress showed white, she dusted the residue off. “You girls want any?” she spoke into the rearview mirror where Jane, Kaite, and Ren sat in various combinations of red and black.

“How’s it hit?” Ren

“Like a f*****g cannon.” Emmy

“Pass me the lazerbeam,” Jane’s hand parting the space between the front seats, Emmy dabbed out a small pile of white crystal onto the back of her hand. You heard the snort coming from behind you then a line of hands returning where there was one.

“I’m thinking we should just go in, f*****g guns blazing style, waste up the party like, then burn all the evidence.” Ren

“You’re joking and it’s not that funny.”

“Wow look at little miss serious, hello missus buzz kill, can I call you so?” Ren

“Just have a little bump, it’ll make you feel better.” Emmy

“General Lee, you know not what you do.” Jane

“Yeah, Barty gets f*****g bonkers on the blow.” Kaite

“Shut up, I’m just more streamlined. It should be good work while here, there isn’t too much on the line.”

“Yeah, other than our asses.” Ren

“Whatever, here have a hit baby.” Emmy tapped out a mini mountain of cocaine onto the back of her hand. She scraped it straight and level with a card from an unknown source before handing you an opal straw. You took the line and cleaned up the rest with a finger, the powder numbing your face and lips, you felt the drip on the back of your throat cooling till there was nothing in its place. Your senses quickened.

“You’ve got a little booty anyway, Rendolyn.” You took another bump, “and the bigger drug habit, Bebe.”

“Shut the f**k up, Stemps, you know how I get down.” Ren took a pull from her handy mirrored glass flask, a devil’s head stamped on the outside of the container spoke of its contents, the syrupy demon in the blue bottle. It was finally your turn at the security gate. You reclined your seat and let Emmy Lee lean across you and out of the window.

“Sam, how go the black market transactions? Do you got what I asked you for?” She was arching over you leaning out on her elbows, on the sill of your window she pinned down a line of fabric so slightly as to let it pull own the front of her dress when she pressed herself out to the security guard.

“Emmy, Emmy, Emmy, when are you going to let me get close to you, you can’t keep teasing me like this lovie, you’re just too beautiful. I’ve got what you were looking for right here.” He extended a small gift‐wrapped package out of the barn door to the booth where he was bound for the evening. You slipped your hand beneath Emmy and cranked the radio. Her gratuity drowned out by the guitar rift and drum beat, the box in her hand, you sped over the island of grass surrounding the kiosk towards free parking nearly clipping cars pulling into spaces, pedestrians sauntering towards the white doors of chez suck off. Your rig almost rolling over as you pulled into a patch of concrete. You pulled parallel and slid into two spaces. “Alright girls, we’re here, get your goodie bags ready.”

“This is gonna be fun.” Kaite spilling out of the backseat onto the earth, Ren and Jane out the other side. You stepped down from the driver seat and brushed off the sprinkles of white powder from your black suit. Emmy passing around the front of the car, she placed your matador’s hat on her head, she feigned tango towards you, moving slow and swooping closer to you, the blue and white gift wrapped box in one hand. You caught her off hand and gave her a slow turn, she was too tall to hold your hand over you head while she waltzed around you.

“It’s gonna be a hot night,” Ren in a thin black suit, single button and white shirt unbuttoned, collar turned up. She leaned down to roll the cuffs on her pants; no socks and shiny black shoes framed her thin ankles. “Come here baby,” she looped an arm around Jane’s shoulder and grabbed Kaite by the flower band on her waist with her off arm yanking her close and nearly toppling the trio on contact. Kaite’s sunset yellow fingernails worked into Ren’s front jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of gold‐rimmed glasses. She placed them on Ren’s face and kissed her open mouth, then dancing away, her black pencil dress twisting and gold jewelry glowing, she was floating in her heels towards the door. Emmy skipped away from you to catch up, the two of them laughing, moving to an unheard song shared between the two of them.

“I wonder what’s in the box,” Jane lit a cigarette, long eyelashes tacked on doed her already slightly oversized almond eyes, red and yellow rhinestones dotted the tip of her lids along the black line. Her arm down around Ren’s waist in security, her gold dress layered in black gem tassels and a single black stone fixed to her forehead. The three of you walked a few paces behind your guard.

“Du, du, du, drugs,” You, “I don’t know.”

“Probably razorblades.” Jane

“Did you make a funny?” Ren

“Probably,” Jane exhaled. You were at the doors now, red clad hired hands worked the door, checking a digital guest list, Emmy and Kaite waved you to the front, she handed over a small bottle to one of the doormen and gave him a peck on the cheek, he turned his head for more but she caught him, meeting his mouth with a head full of hair. He sneered at you as you walked in, your head cocked to the side, mouth open, oops, Ren kissed you on the cheek, Jane flicked her cigarette. The atrium was full of salsa dancing dark red and black, a live band rocking out “I Put a Spell on You” with some mariachi undertones. People stared when you walked in the room, best dressed, most likely to get laid, a three way between E, J, and K, you weren’t sure if the eyes stabbing you were hurting or helping your cause, the attention drawn would definitely set alarm bells ringing but to what end.

“Mee Lee, we thought you were poached, ahahahahahahaha,” Oscar if you could remember correctly, dirty blonde dread locks and gold painted skin, he wore furry pants with hooves and tiny horns. There was a smell coming from him, stronger that alcohol, probably something mixed in with the paint covering him, it was nauseating, your drugs making you more sensitive, you held back the urge to cut into him, your hand running along the hilt of the sword on your hip, behind your glasses your focus was cold cutting through him. “Hello, I’m Oscar the Golden Calf, you may know my work.” He extended a hand towards Ren but she didn’t take it, he could feel whatever was in you and it wasn’t sitting well. “And who are these lovely boys and girls you’ve bound yourself to like a f*****g leech?” His hand coming back, he let it run along the line of your jacked. “That’s f*****g hot to death, blood.”

“I’m Holliday, this is Isa and Claudia.” Ren’s faux Spanish accent was great, she played it well, running with the role Kaite withdrew the flask from Holliday’s pocket and poured some of the liquid down his throat before planting a deep kiss on his lips, tongue included. “Isa likes me a bit,” Holliday tapping the rim of his glasses.

“And who’s this menace?” Oscar made eyes at Claudia, avoided looking back at you, his comfort coming back up.

“My name’s Johnny.” You couldn’t resist slapping him on the shoulder much harder than was necessary to bring his attention around, gold skin rising from where your palm landed.

“Heavy handed much there hombre.” He tried to rub out the sting from the blow, “I guess you’ve gotta be to deal with this c**t, right?” He was clutching his arm to his side, his stare drilling into the glasses.

“Oh this little angel?” Your hand low on her waist, you let it rest next on the inside of her hip bone. She cooed in your arm, leaning over and kissing you softly on the cheek. “She’s simply a joy.”

“Really?” Oscar

“Really,” you grinned from ear to ear.

“Well isn’t that just peachy keen.” He broke off his look first. “Stewie and Tony are wandering around here somewhere. You cats should keep around till two, there’s a little serving of Stew’s new project airing.” He wandered off through the crowd seizing the hand of a dancing girl twirling her a bit before you lost interest in letting him go free. You pulled Emmy into the dance breaking with the tempo of those around you, your movements onto the rhythm, no moves just grooves the two of you sliding in synchronous step. The rest of the girls having a field day till the samba dissolved into
intent.

“If you’re a fighter, would you ride me?” A firm hand gripped onto your butt, short stubby fingers pressed into you hard and released. Your first urge was hair trigger response, you would cut it off at the hilt, you paused, your hand not on your weapon. You turned, it was Anthony, the tiny pot bellied troll with a feedbag attached to his face and no pants on. He was equipped like a small pony, his dick swinging down, his body painted in blocks.

“I’ve got the white if you’ve got the green, Mr.?” you played your part patting him on the chest close enough to have your weapon between you and his little head.

“It’s Montana, and just give me the light gorgeous. How do you know this character?” his fingers around your wrist pulling you closer, you jammed your sword into the ground close his foot.

“Oops,” you faked the mistake, Anthony’s eyes down on the splintered section of marble nearly between his toes. “What were you saying its so loud in here, do you want to go somewhere more quiet.” The magic words, he moved off of your wrist to your face finally, cornering this one would be as simple as one, two, three, bait trailing behind you, he’d seen your card but had been trick into knowing you pulled it. Steering you out into the sandscape of the backyard, the frolicking attendees less dressed than the dancers you had just left, a ring and stands constructed a mini coliseum, a play party for the good‐looking boys and girls. “Wait, wait, wait, Tana. I’ve got to get my friends out here.” You drew your line in the sand and stood firm.

“What?” This pause was missing from his body language, nervousness setting in on him for a second, then hostility. “Fine, you know what c**t, that’s fine. F*****g go grab your little skeeze friends and get your a*s back out here.” You were close enough to touch, hit, and had wandered far enough from the fray to not disturb, hell worse come to worse someone saw and you were in a fight. You didn’t hesitate. Your sword passed into stomach skin and across in one smooth slant. He didn’t make a noise until you
repeated the motion, spilling his guts into the dust, your hand clasped over gnashing teeth, you made sure it hurt. He crumpled after the first seconds of the fight, gored through, light dimming on his face and your hand greasy with insides, you left him on the ground empty, you slit his throat for good measure. Walking back inside you checked your shoes for bits of the scene but they remained spotless. Your hands marked the spot of Anthony’s end, you pocketed them passing through the door, your dry cleaner would have a fun time with this one.

“Where’d you go off to,” Kaite pulled you across the floor, you grabbed on for dear life, “We know where Stewart is. Janie has been getting the goods, the grench who stole gold is trying to give it to her something crazy.” You stopped her cold, the music was too good, Janie would be alright, another wave hitting your face, the drips from this stuff was dreamy, Emmy had stardust.

“Do you feel it too?”

“That’s why they call it euphoria.” You missed on the first look, Kaite’s eyes solid walls, luminescent blue orbs, it may have been you, her exhales cold and dusty clouds, her skin cool, you moved her hand to your face, her cuticles peeling off the same color light. She smiled and moved her hand up your head and pulled off the hat keeping your hair hidden.

“You’re blue, it’s okay.” She flipped your hair; dusty hazy static broke into the sides of your vision and over Kaite. “It’s beautiful, like the sky close to the horizon” She kissed you on the forehead, “You’re so chill.” She pulled your arms up to her shoulders and wound them around her neck.

“I killed that fat guy,” You moved into her, your back against her front, with the heels on she was the same height as you, drips of ice water hit your skin, ice cold breath felt good against the back of your neck, it was a part of you. “His name was Anthony, he didn’t have anything worthwhile, I gutted him and left him outside.” You moved her hands up from your thighs over your ribcage her fingers a layer under your skin.

“I can smell it, you’ve got some sick on your hands,” she unbuttoned your jacket, you rocked your hips back into her, your veins nitrogen smoke, you let it out, your eyes rolling into the back of your head you pushed through to the next level. You spun around, sunk your mouth into hers hard, your tongue down her throat, she kissed back with the same vigor, her hand held a mass of your hair the other squeezing tight to your chest, your arms around her neck. She pulled back from you; you leaned in and kissed her on the nose. She moved her hands down, fingers locking behind your neck, she kidded you soft, pulled back looking into your eyes, another little peck and she let a hand run down your chest. “Jane’s over there.” She moved slow through the crowd, she twirled your hat with an off hand, looking over her shoulder back at you, she was budding, tiny blue bubbles floating past your face and popping in your hair. You scanned the walk up for Emmy Lee. “You want another hit, you look like you’re in eclipse, it’s beautiful.” Kaite tossed you a pouch and kept to the path. You bumped a few off of the back of your hand, the on lookers staring you down, whispers, blown kisses, head nods and handshakes, the alarm bells weren’t ringing yet. You could see Jane at the end of a row of people wrapping themselves up a staircase. She held herself on the higher ground over the encroaching Oscar, there was no budge while you watched his face twist and shout in appeal. She smoked, lit a bit of the decorations on fire and waited while he smothered the flames; she yanked a group of locks from his skull and hung it from her waist as fur trapper’s trophy. He gripped onto the side of his head; you couldn’t make out the noise, half yelp and half laugh when he checked his fingers and saw the blood and hair on his hand. He raised his arm to retaliate but in the time it took him to bring it down he was stuck in pit fall. You blinked so you missed the first part, Kaite stroking your side while the two of you tuned into the golden piñata the was Oscar, the grouch had himself swinging over the edge of the staircase by a collar while the beat went on. It was time to enter. A hard charge into your side made you swing your sword, Kaite sliding across the floor, giggling.

“Damn girl, good thing I’m faster than you or I’d be really hurt right now.” Ren with Emmy on her side, long limbs draped about Ren’s neck and chest. The both of them were around midnight tone, the air around them on fire, blue coals smoldering in the two of them almost blackened.

“She rocked my world.” Emmy

“F****n right I did, baby,” Ren. The pair kissed, “I forgot what good girl sex was like for a while there.” Emmy mouthing behind her magic fingers. “It’s already been an three hours, where is this f*****g cooze.”

“Yeah what happened to Tony?” Emmy purred nibbling at Ren’s ear. You mimed your slaying motions and sheathed your weapon.

“Jane Bangs is killing Oscar right now.” Kaite felt around your front before settling into your pockets and pulling you against her. You blinked again and Jane was sitting on the steps above Oscar on the line. He wasn’t dead but he was definitely stuck in place, Jane poking at him, calling down to her quarry. No one below paid much attention, she poured something over his head, streaks lining into his painted skin mixed into a grimy metallic goop matting into his hoofed lower half.

“Why does she look like that, Emmy?” Even in full light it was almost impossible to see Jane exactly, you only caught the after glow, her mass moved onto the next task before you could track it.

“Well I’d say your friend is having an out of body experience from the looks of it, but you know everyone is different of course, you’re really centered right now aren’t you?” Emmy

“Yeah, Stempy, have you seen yourself lately?” Ren, “You look like death.”

“In the best way.” Kaite whispered into you ear.

“Does it look like something is wrong?” Any move toward self concern right now was false, you really didn’t care enough to make it a matter for a mirror to see your reflection, their mood was enough to tell you something was out of the ordinary, you may see sooner or later but something more interesting was happening. You watched Jane’s specter bring a flame into existence. She kissed her hand and placed it on Oscar’s forehead, his body a little more limp from hanging around but faint kicks cued you into what was going to happen next. She set the light on his head and his body went up like a dry Christmas tree, the stonewalls catching the flames no scream just the smell of burning hair and the beat went on.

The spirit was leaking off of Jane while she walked down the stairs, a crew of cameras snapping up shots of the metamorphosis, she was almost as milky white as your sister, light blue eyebrows and the tips of her hair glowed a low light through the building haze. As she made her descent the living path pulled at her, she kept her eyes trained on you taking in the advances from the left and right. When she made it back to earth it was almost all gone from her, stray bits of shimmer stuck to her hands, she ran them through her hair and it was gone. Finally it was too much, the partiers moving outside where the air was clear.

“I think our friend is crashing,” Kaite

“No, she’s gonna pop soon as she gets over here, I guarantee.” Emmy

“Where did you get this stuff from?” Ren

“Scientists.” Emmy. You leaned back into Kaite, your head rolling back against her neck, the points of your body at attention, you brought yourself out of your head and into your body again. Kaite was much warmer now; you were melting over her surface.

“There’s no video, not anymore.” Jane, “Why is she black?” You caught the finger pointing towards you; you brought your head up.

“What?”
“You, why are you black, what did you take Barty? It looks f*****g amazing on you,” she was sandwiching you between herself and Kaite, “Give me a kiss.”

“I thought you were supposed to be my girl tonight,” Ren

“Well, we’ve switched teams, girls can do that.” Kaite. Jane was falling into you lips pressed to yours. You took her in. She was cashmere soft.

“We can do whatever we want,” Jane. “So there is nothing on either one of you, I made sure of that. The golden calf is dead and he was the bearer of bad news.”

“You’re an animal.” Kaite

“I’m a lightweight, I blacked out for a while up there, I saw, well I don’t know what I saw but it was something, I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Burning someone alive will do that to you” Ren

“I know right,” Jane leaned into you again kissing you harder. She reached around you to feel up Kaite. “Barty, this isn’t a judgment but I think you would be amazing with implants, Kaite’s tits are like heaven.”

“I like mine very much, thank you,” you retorted biting Jane’s lip

“What did you take, I want to be like you right now, I can’t explain it, it’s something perfect.” Jane let you go and floated over to Ren’s side.

“It’s really something beautiful.” Kaite stood you up and moved over with the rest of the fray.

“Really Barty, I think this is case study worthy. I mean, I know what this looks like but, just look for yourself.” Emmy pointed to a section of mirrored glass. Your aura black down to your bones, it hung in the air around you, blue lightening arcing out of your cloud licking at everyone around the room, their eyes blackened looking on you. “You see now? You’re something special there darling.” “That sounds familiar,” you smiled.

You were outside in the forged ruins that made up the back lot of the Fry mansion, your high dissolving into saccharine taste and star shine breaking into your vision. A crowd had gathered around your party, Kaite and Jane entertaining each other while Ren and Emmy hustled little bits of a personal stash onto the locals and slammed back drinks. All around you we’re the well wishers, staring just long enough to look away when you made eye contact, the harder hearts locking in running a finger along glass rims and into mouths. Notes came your way through the vine, bits of contraband enveloped in slick paper pouches sealed with ‘do you think I’m cute?’ Yes, no’s, maybe’s, you ignored the majority, lost in your leisure you wondered what Boo was doing at home, weather or not Oreo was warm right now, and weather Wafer wiggled into your room again. The drugs were good, synthesized but without that harsh after burn you would expect from something that showed you such a good time. A buzz past your left ear, it wasn’t enough to bring you out of your mood, the ricochet against a piece of wall threw flecks of concrete into your hair. Another shot fired and now screams as someone at ground level took a bullet. The crowd scattering as more shots peppered the fleeing bodies.

“YOU F*****G C**T!” Stewart Fry and he was horned, red jacket, black pants, no shirt, the high arching bullhorns shadowing the ground as he pumped off shotgun rounds. “YOU CAN’T LEAVE F*****G WELL ENOUGH ALONE CAN YOU BARTY. WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU EVEN DOING HERE, YOU’RE F*****G DEAD!” Another pop shot and he was out of ammunition.

“I’ll let you reload,” you called down over the fallen, no one around you hit. You felt Kaite slip something small into your pocket. Three shells loaded, Stewart was fumbling over himself, you could see the dust on his face as you watched his hands shake. “Make a f*****g move,” you took your paces, circling to his right pulling him to over compensate. “Pull your pistol,” you were still outside of the strike zone, no surprise. Stewart staggered backwards. You were almost there. The first pump action in and you were still to far. His hand pulling back, you dipped low and planted, propelling your thin sword through Stewart’s neck, the hilt slamming into his cheek blade out the underside of his jawbone. You rolled away from the first blast, the buckshot spattering off of the ground missing you nearly. You parried a second shot as he stumbled blood leaking from the wound. Caught him in a spin, the adrenaline keeping him on his feet, you stopped the third blast, knocking it into the dirt. You kept him stable to deliver the coupe de gras, your sword back in hand, a sharp twist and you popped his head off like a champagne cork. You stood over your kill, blood pumping from the stump of bone and meat, the cheers coming from the observation deck. You raised a hand to your fans; your foot kicked away the twitching limb with shotgun still attached to fingers. You drove your blade through his chest into his heart.

“BRAVO, BRAVO!” They echoed through the yard, the wounded coming to their feet and the rest of the crowd in rawkus awe at the dispatched of Stewart Fry. Your backers made their way to you as you pulled your sword from his chest and raised it in the air. The crowd erupted, Emmy, Jane, and Kaite wrapped themselves around you, nearly knocking you to the ground, Ren keeping you up from the other side.

“Wunderbar, darling, I hear after a bull fight its winners choice.” Emmy. You moved your mass towards the exit. Shotgun blasts echoed through the air as the music blared decibels beyond where it was.

“I’ll have the buffet.”