Hurt Me Daddy, for I Have Blogged

“I suppose you’re still a mundane, then.” “Are you trying to talk me into something, Juancarlo? Because I’m here working.” “I only wanted to say hello. Word had gotten around.” His voice lowered “I know Amanda.” “Well, I daren’t ask what she has to say about me. Not that it matters.” The sex with Juancarlo had been especially hot, but there were even more practical reasons anything other than a kiss was an awful idea with him. “Honey. You’re popular.” Lana remained skeptical and cold. “Do you want a reading? Are you here to bug me? Or is it something else? Because you know I’m not interested.” Unfortunately, her body language was starting to break down. The scent Juancarlo was wearing was enticing. Her ankles were shaking and her feet felt cold. Juancarlo smiled. “Would you like me to shut the door?” “I just can’t get away from you, can I? And no.” She began to lose her cool. “I’m not trying to tell you it wasn’t so bad. You have the right to think and ...

And the winds blew through Night Town, and she loosened her corset to get into the Town Car. “Please stop here,” she asked, after some time passed. Moist gravel crunched. Lana clutched her gargantuan golf umbrella and tightened the plastic wrap around her mask. “Yes. Here.” Lana handed the driver a crisp Benner and stepped out. *** The chateau was lit exquisitely. Ridged shimmering crystals. Large to small chandeliers cascading in each hall. Nance, the coordinator, led her to a room at the back of the second story. “This is mostly a B&B now,” she explained. “And event facility.” Lana nodded. “What should I expect tonight?” “You know the group that is running this, right?” “Correct.” Lana smiled. There was no need for further detail that sub Amanda and she had had a relationship. “And you know that you may encounter some well-known people tonight. But this is a private party. Please no photos.” “Of course.” “Personal climate control is ...

And she heard the soft flapping of crow’s wings, and the touch of fur to wake her. They were in a field. “Why here, Coyote?” “This is where you look for your food. Winter is almost here.” Her heart began to pound. “Girls like me don’t have initiation.” “Think of it as a game. An easy game. It is always a game with me.” “I know you are too clever for me, and will kill me, Coyote.” His forehead softened. “You are here for a reason.” She closed her eyes, and got down on all fours in the grass. Clods, pebbles, mounds. Maybe fire ants. No fear, anyhow. “Good girl.” Hours passed. Or perhaps minutes. Then she heard her call. Rattler. ‘Hello, Rattler.” “My child. Have you come to warm my scales with your hands?” “Yes, Mother Rattlesnake.” She knew what to do. The energy was powerful. Mother Rattler was warm and happy. Better Mother Rattlesnake than Papa Rattler. “What wish granted, little one, young one?” “Food.” “Food for you an...

3. Jenae plopped herself down onto the curb as the world blurred in front of her eyes, rubbing the palms of her hands against the upper back of her head. “Al! Al! I thinkI dranktmuch.” “Probably. We had to cut you off. Just take a seat and take some big, deep breaths, ok? And next fucking time, JJ, no drinking contests with these guys. I’m gonna bring you a bottle of water.” Shots were Jenae’s vice. She was not a big social drinker but when someone offered the challenge, especially a man, she was ready to step up to the plate. Now she hovered just in front of sleepy blackout. One of the PickupPals, Chris, staggered out of the pub. “I gaveyoumnumber, right?,” he slurred. Jenae frowned. She barely knew what was going on, but she frowned. “Have I…have we talked?” At this point the fact that blackout had happened became a little clearer. “Chris. I complimented your necklace,” he said, gently fingering the stone. At least he hadn’t touched her hair but at this p...

2. Jenae knew that she’d had a brother who had been taken and grew up in the system, but that was all she had known. She’d lived a relatively easy life in the suburbs with her aunt and uncle, who were already very proper older folks at the time. Uncle Reggie had tried to raise her on British TV, though Aunt Agnes made fun of him for it and would walk around the house doing the accents. Reggie and Agnes were actually distant cousins of her biological parents, but Jenae knew little else about them. In the dim corners of memory, Jenae would recall scenes at home. Her brother was there, too, yet they were both tiny. Things seemed normal, like the home life with two parents and siblings that most of the people at school had talked about later. Little trouble at home, no abnormal fighting, though sometimes it seemed like her mother would disappear. Other times her father would. One day Jenae remembered a big blackout, she and her brother crying, the police arriving, and then not much else....

1. Jenae plopped down on the couch after a long day and flipped on the TV. She wanted to try to forget the text she’d gotten about three hours earlier. Allison wandered into the living room. “Hey there. How was work?” Jenae could sense that Al needed some girl time, but frankly, she wasn’t in the mood. “Uh. You know. The guys are always ok. Except for Tad, that fucking bro. I mean at least I don’t work with the cavemen most chicks at game stores get stuck with. Luckily they’re not all fat white basement-dwellers. But you know, Tad finally had the balls to approach me today about being their booth babe at ComicsGalore, because he saw me wear the costume that one time when BloodFountain 7 came out. I, of course, told him he was nuts.” “Damn straight. Those fuckers finally pulled that, huh. Well, at least they’d waited until you’d been there two years.” “Like, aren’t guys supposed to get all weirdly comfortable with you during that time and not look at you like that anym...

It was a full-on stupid hour to be at Danny's Diner on a Tuesday. "So...who are we looking for?" said Dalene. "And how the fuck are we out here before midnight." "Just you wait." countered Gabe. "I'm not nearly high enough to be doing this at this hour." "Too bad. No time to deal. You're good doing our work when you're sober anyway. Don't be an addict." Dalene eyerolled. "Trust me. He's going to walk in at any moment." "I trust you. Ok. Ok. I mean at least I can vape in here." "That's gross. I'm pretty sure that will still kill you." "Wow, since when were you Captain Judgmental about this shit?" The man walked in. “Gabe, I want to order a burger. Or at least a shake. It’s way too early for this.” Gabe flipped his shades on and sidled gently up to his subject. The man began to speak immediately. “They did it again....

Yana collapsed on her bed, a weight free from her shoulders. She felt emptied. Voided. Didn’t want drink or drug now. The camper was so utterly quiet. She was sadder at all the hard work they had put into the sister act to get here, only to lose it all.  “But that’s life,” she heard Aunt Lala say. Work so hard only so lose it. That was the life they had chosen, anyway. In the empty trailer, she wished for arms to hold her. No men fucking her, no cold-ass Jorge. She wanted Lala or Uncle. Maybe Mom or Dad. She knew Mara was gone, and they would never hug or sleep close again. Yana wondered at the abyss that Mara might’ve seen in her last moments. Was she free? Was she sad? No way to know. Was it Godless? Did she see the Virgin’s face, maybe? Drained, Yana finally met the shore of dreams. ** It was 4am. Jorge stumbled, with a small flashlight, finally finding the small, raised mound. The moon was a sliver, and it was too dark to see whether there was any blood nearby. He hadn...