Sno Whyte and the Fantasy: Realm of the Panthers

By Ton’ya Felder

For two young men growing up in the streets, Central City was no fairytale but fate had definite plans for them. Anarchy and mitigating circumstances expose their lives as a flimsy smoke screen that fell apart and shattered them into an unimaginable reality. Now they’re at different ends of the spectrum but tied by murder and the secrets kept by a street pimp and a skin merchant that once revealed will ignite fury and cause explosive consequences, pitting them against each other with devastating effects in an undesirable haven of whores and drugs where there’s no turning back once set in motion.
For one of them the fantasy is real.
She even has a name but can he share it with a man that means to have the fantasy and her with or without his sanction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781543498332

Ton’ya Felder

Reader ADVISORY::: Ton’ya’s Novels are EXPLICIT GRAPHIC and RAW with a hardcore SEXUAL CONTENT in the storyline the adults characters do adult things and are in adult situations. Ton’ya is working on several more novels. She wants to know what you think! Please leave feedback, questions, criticism, or comments at e-mail [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2010 by Ton’ya Felder.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/13/2021

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Un Affected / Not Offended

What did u just call me!

Let me break it all the way down 4 U

So there’s no question in your mind

Who I am and what U will never be,

And there’s an extensive line of em

But none are ahead of me!

I got references:

Prince sang Irresistible - - - - -!

Johnny Guitar Watson said, Ain’t that a - - - - -!

Elton John sang Raising Cain picking brains and dropping names

cause the - - - - -is back stone cold and sober!

Christina Aguilera sang, Some days I’m a - - - - - up to my old tricks!

Even Will Smith said U saw my blinker - - - - - !

Here’s my pedigree:

I was raised with 8 other - - - - - es

Valerie Chris Vicky Twila

Tanika Alonda Danielle and

Michelle. Our mother’s

Elaine and Carole were no joke!

Elaine was taught by her

mother Mae, a capital - - - - - !

On October three in 79

I birthed a natural born - - - - -

Cherice EN Felder Patterson!

The seed didn’t fall far from the tree

cause she has two - - - - -es,

One in training 8 years old

The other already teaching

had just turned three,

Ochalaya and Layocha!

Don’t underestimate any of us.

The roots are deep N strong,

U can see it in my eyes

attitude and complexion

when U bumped in 2 me!

So YES I am

Being

In

Total

Control

Here!!!

I was born what U will never achieve,

we are few, the proud, and surly to boot,

so, I’m Unaffected and not Offended

by your ignorance, and yes,

Stone face, Cold hearted, and Sober mind,

A capital Bitch I will continue be.

T-RED-U

Original poem

10-11-89

The Ole mans Analysis

Don’t let it be true of you

Son. The ole man said, The treasure to life is knowing when to get out of the game, even the one your playing. You’re a selfish narcissistic bastard out for your self, you’re a user that tramples hearts and feelings, you ain’t man enough to take responsibility for your own fuck ups, and would sacrifice long time friendships to gratify yourself for the moment or just to be right in front of people that don’t matter, you don’t give a dam about nobody, and you won’t help if you don’t gain nothing from it.

The younger mans face-hardened, he said, Thanks for the de-nigger-i-zation old man now answer my question.

The ole man retort with disgust saying, Its denigration.

Aboriginal

Knowledge of the Beast

Stone and Old Nick

A Helluva Start

Echelon 1

Addictions

Gray Matter

Space

Wild One

The True Deceiver

Le’dux Echelon

The Reminder

Hard Knocks

Bullshit and Lessons

The Choosing

Echelon 3

The Temper-Tantrum

A Friend In Need

Friendly Drug Dealer

Limitations

Echelon 4

The Circuit

Mending

The Left and Right of It

Daisy Chain Products

A Shared Situation

Blacque Stone

Echelon 5: The Fantasy Realm

Angel Wings \ H. N. I. C.

Tale of the Halcyon Empress

Hecho Especial

Wittleman

The Golden Goose

The Buttress

Echelon 6: Realm of Reality

The Red Baroness

Christmas Crush

Fairytale Island

Cereal with an S

Animal Cuisine

The God File

Reality

The Third Man

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Aboriginal

She woke in a strange place full of greenery, huge trees, with a varied quantity of animals and knew it was called a jungle or rainforest; HIS light was in the sky. She looked at her skin and knew that she had chosen well liking the darkness of it. She touched her body looking down at it, then ran her hands through her hair, it was longer with a blue black luster and the feel of it was now course, she was laying on a firm floor pallet in a white stone rectangular structure, the voice was in her head but it sounded as if it came from all around, it felt like thunder vibrating through her.

HE IS YOUR COMPANION FOR A TIME. MULTIPLY.

There was a man lying on the other pallet he was still out, she liked his built, he was dark haired, his body was pale as hers was brown and both of them were nude. She left the structure to look around and find food. HIS light had left the sky and returned twice before he finally moved; she was laying in the darkness and knew when he woke. She felt it. His yell was more a growl, she heard him moving around, touching himself, but for a different reason. He didn’t stand at first, he crawled growling furiously twice as long, then curiously he crept over and smelled her body without touching her, he snarled and was gone running awkwardly into the night.

She was alone for a time.

HIS light and the darkness blended; she ate fruit and walked among the forest animals, drank from a clear cool pond and bathed in the river. The nights that he didn’t come to the stone hut, she didn’t sleep alone, two or three female panthers lay with her for the scent. He watched her constantly from the cover of the jungle and followed her. Stalked her. Countless moons have lit the dark sky in passing and several times his distinctive roar filled the night air disrupting the sounds from other animals, but she felt no fear from the menacing resonance, although the forest animals fled or sought cover, and she may have looked towards the sound of it, but then she went back to whatever she was or was not doing.

She had not bathed for the past five darkness’s because it was not allowed. Tonight there was all the regular rambunctious activity and noise from the jungle and creatures that stalked here but it was subdued, she took her time in the forest, reaching the hut just as the last of HIS light graced the sky, there were no panthers around so she lay there waiting. He was quiet but she knew just before he lay atop of her, she held her arms out and he folded in them, the difference was he didn’t touch her with his hands and the time of their coming together she relay her passion with touch caresses and moans. She nuzzled him with her face and met him while they hip to hip and she held him accepting the pain of the first time. He paid her no mind; he only sought to ease the persistent hard ache racking his body, he needed to alleviate the brash pain in his head and he needed her body to achieve that.

He looked at her in the fading light licking the paw print over her heart, when his chest pressed against hers, he was blinded by the frenzy and gone astray in the way he felt. He completed the joining weary and slept, spending that darkness in the stone hut, but once they were finished mating he crawled to the pallet he woke on. By days break he was gone, but after that she would spend HIS light by herself and if he was coming to her in the hours of darkness, even if it was just to smell her while she slept, the female panthers didn’t lay with her.

She had not seen nor smelled him in a while but she felt his presence, her body was full and round, they moved in her causing great pain of mind and body, she lay on his pallet and the identical offspring came from her. She woke from the deep sleep and he was there, sitting by his pallet holding the males. They were earth toned just as she, but their eyes were grass green just as his are. He watched as she took one of his progeny and placed his mouth to her chest, the small one took her nub eagerly and suckled her and then she did the same to the other male holding them and nuzzling him.

When the younglings slept he laid them in her pallet, HIS light was low in the sky as he crawled up her smelling, nuzzling her body and face, causing her to lay back he sank to her chest and did as the small ones had done only he used his teeth and hummed bracing her hips and touching her as he had grown accustom to doing. She ran her hands through his hair and for a moment he looked at her, then switched and emptied the other as well, this time his actions were more aware of her needs, he was not mating with her and when their joining was at the peek, he held her and together their hips met in the frenzy of the moment as he hip to hip with her, sinking his fingernails in her skin unaware of the pain he caused but she took it and him.

He smelled and nuzzled her for a long time then pulled her to her knees, claiming her as his by mating in the fashion he was familiar with, growling to her, this time relaying his primal feelings as he gave his all to her while taking what belongs to him now, then he folded her in his arms and she smiled, he smelled her hair deeply nuzzling her back and head with his face using his hands to touch and caress her body, licking her, they slept.

Now when he came to her it was more frequent, at times she would wake and he would be in the hut quietly bonding with his offspring, youngling, or laying beside her or coupling with her out of her sleep. When she finished feeding the newest little ones if he was there they would couple and he would take the milk from each nub till it was empty and then sleep next to her, leaving always before HIS light was in the sky.

Countless times now, the fullness of her and the excruciating pain claimed her body and tormented her mind and his progeny flourished.

Time.

The village was now merged with another tribe and she still used the rectangular structure only it no longer stood alone. Now if he wanted to lay with her it was done in the forest away from the small tribe they formed. A leopard or panther would sit on the boundary to get her attention, it led her through the jungle to his lair inside a cave, she would uncover then lay intimately with the white green-eyed panther while thee other panthers watched them intently. Each time after the joining she would be scratched and bruised, bloody and aching; because of his thick inhuman size in this form, but after the mating, he would ease the pain by lapping her until she slept. When she woke it was surrounded by panthers, she made her way back to the village, the char would tend her wounds and give her a dark drink that she stirred with the thick knurled root of a valerian plant, it caused a deep calming sleep to take hold of her, giving her body time to heal itself.

Time.

They were now a thriving culture and she has long since stopped bearing his offspring and still she lay with the white green-eyed panther but the final time he was enraged abusing both places on her body, by the time she made it back to the stone hut she was near death, this time the panthers did not escort her and the char did not provide the dark bitter drink, she was helped to the hut and there was a fine brass cup of warm golden brew, she used both hands to pick it up and drank until it was consumed to the last drop and then she lay on the pallet feeling the warming effects of it course through her body, the voice that was everywhere said, THERE IS ONLY PEACE. NOW SLEEP.

Her thoughts swirled.

Again the comfort of the nothingness.

~~~~~

Knowledge of the Beast

The knowledge. He woke with it. Before it, there was only the primal need to survive, hunt, eat, mate, stalk, fight, and protect the herd. His body felt weak and unusual, he was not in the forest among his kind, he sat up in the darkness and couldn’t make out anything, his form was different, he had skin hands and two legs. The anger boiled within him, he released it with a sound. He could hear and feel, smell another presence. It was not food. It stirred him causing awareness, he left the confines of the hard place and sought his own in the jungle but it was not the same.

He was slower, weaker, he couldn’t keep up with the herd and his sight was bad, they fought for him because several other animal packs noticed his form was wrong and crouching didn’t help but his nose was sharp as ever and he knew their minds as well, besides he could communicate among the panthers naturally so they accepted him in the fold and several females allowed him to lay among them even in this form and they coddled him with their tongues but he was constantly drawn back to the female. He watched her. Her scent was sharp and clearly distinctive, she was pleasing to look at and although she walked on only two, he liked her prowl, she didn’t like the stone structure either, once HIS light was in the sky, she left it walking in jungle un-harassed by the beasts that rove it.

He was not happy in this form.

He was unaware that he spent his days watching and following her. Curious. Drawn to her. Her scent was even stronger now because it was mingled with his kind. The panthers took to her naturally nuzzling her for affection that she gave nonchalantly; they kept her company protecting her while she slept in the open only allowing him to approach her. He crept in the stone hut while they slept in the darkness and smelled her mane, her essence, and now all his thoughts were of the brown skinned female. His mind and this body were yearning for her and what he required could be ignored no longer, he had fought the need as long as he could. He waited until the darkness was at its depth; he went to her prepared to take what he desired. She opened herself for him and he was mislaid in the rite of mating, it was as if she were designed to fulfill all his carnal animalistic needs.

This dark two-legged creature was his.

He slept in the open among the panthers, not liking the closed space of the structure, when they hunted he took a share of the meat without challenge and when her scent obsessed him and the hardness needed to be eased he took his two legged mate to satisfy that need then left, needing to be in the jungle.

The young ones were different.

They were his, she was not alert so he had come to the sound of their irritation and nuzzled them sharing his scent that they would know him. HIS light left the sky and returned three times before the heat left the females body, he made her drink the cool water, he and the cubs laid with her in the night and he could not keep his hands off her, her form and the feel of her was pleasing to him, he admired her soft deep russet skin and raven course mane, he licked her mouth for several minutes during the darkness and slept at peace with the smell and feel of her against him. When she woke the reddish tone to her deep skin was gone and the small ones fussed for her attention, she stroked me getting mine, then took one of the young, put him against her and he could smell the nourishment her body gave them, the young ones were full and he knew it, he knew that he needed to suckle from her too.

The ache was apparent but this time it was different because he desired her, they nuzzled each other and he took the sweet nectar from her body on both sides then they mated hip to hip but the need had not been fulfilled so he took her the normal way on all fours and that satisfied him. He held the woman knowing that she is his mate while he is in this form.

After that, he went to her often because she is all that he required.

He needed to be near her, feel her hands on him, touch, smell, and lick her. He took oft the sweet thin nectar till she was empty each time aware that it enhanced the knowledge he possessed, it made the body stronger. The swell of her belly came numerous times followed by the screams of pain, the heat and limpness of her body, each time, he stayed until her face and eyes were aware, he gave her water and caressed her in the manner that she had him until she could sit up and feed his offspring, touch and mate with him. She would not eat the raw meat he brought her but she ate of the fruit and greenery. When her eyes could focus on him, her strength returned, she cared for the young and coupled with him, his offspring were now a herd, they all knew his scent and him, they had not to fear of him, he and the panthers protected them from other predators of the jungle and they thrived.

Time.

Humans.

The scent of them was peculiar, but they were to be allowed, he still visited her in the night not caring who was around and he would nuzzle all of his children and younglings and they cuddled him by the fire, sometimes he would sleep out in the open center of the village with his brood all around him. Then he went to her. The swell of her body had long past and HE would allow it not-again. He still craved the embrace of her, the look and feel of her and the smell of her rough long mane, when he took her now it was to appease the desire she still in sighted in him and he wanted to please her, see the changes her face made and the sounds that filled her throat when they were mating, he would stay until she slept, sometimes longer, but he would be gone before HIS light was again in the sky.

The last time he lay with the brown skinned one in human form the voice filled his head and said, GO IN THE JUNGLE AND BECOME WHAT YOU ARE MULTIPLY AMONG YOUR KIND AND RULE IN YOUR NATURAL DOMAIN.

Until he woke again in his own strong form on all padded four, able to see again in the night and dissect each microscopic scent, he had not understood, he let out a frustrated growl ferocious and long that shook the jungle to the foundations, the voice spoke again saying, MULTIPLY AMONG YOUR OWN. I WILL SEND HER TO YOU.

Time.

He mated with the females of the herd and their number quickly increased.

The first time she was sent, the enormous white panther sat and watched as she came then went into his lair, even in his true form he ached for her dark hands on him and longed for her scent and the intimate taste of her. He followed her in after a while and there was no fear of him in his natural form, she embraced then nuzzled and rubbed him baring herself and crouched, he mate with her wanting to be in the two-leg form to hold and caress her, taking from her with his tongue, then laying next to her smelling her mane long after she slept even suckling and lapping where she no longer held the nourishment knowing that even now she is the only satisfaction that he would get.

When the voice that was everywhere told him that she could come to him nevermore he ravaged her body during the final coupling, he marked her and wet her with his scent, shredding her mane, then licking the blood from his claws and hating. Purely hating. He refused to mate with the female panthers any more and when he knew that she was gone he ruined the inside of the stone structure causing fear among the humans because of his guttural fierce long growl and only his brood dare to comfort him. When he wanted her scent he went to the village among his two legged offspring, they were now in his keep and he would walk amid them until HE saw fit to take that also.

The knowledge of the beast remained.

~~~~~

Stone and Old Nick

He didn’t mind the deafening explosions, the loud stuttered angry report from the rapid fire of machineguns and bombs or the blinding glare from the sudden blast and outburst of the detonations that took off in his head on a regular basis strident yet clear when he closed his eyes at night-that he could sleep with. What he tittered on the edge of insanity about was the constant ear splitting screams of torture and the pain he saw on their faces, he couldn’t tolerate the vivid expressions just before they died in his arms or right in front of him and he couldn’t take waking to the dramatic reenacting of having to hide camouflaged among the bloody body parts of the men he was just walking through the forsaken jungle with only moments ago.

He struggled out of the trance state, sweating profusely from the heat of the jungle that his mind lived in. He packed, showered, and dressed.

They were sitting in a Tiki bar at Sangster International airport, having a drink just before parting ways, he wasn’t thinking about anything in particular because no less than sixty two things were always crowding his mind fighting to take top five. He had not even noticed that his brother was staring at him until out of the blue Rampart said, Stone, first of all we’re both quite debonair, it’s a family curse.

He smiled, Ram rarely does.

You look quiet, even normal as appearances go, but I know for a fact that Old Nick has your private number on speed dial and he calls you personally on a regular basis. Ram sipped his drink then went on by saying, That wouldn’t be so bad. The real problem is, you answer.

He said, As of the last debriefing and five days ago your handsome younger brother Stone has left earths atmosphere, he no longer exists and in a few short months neither will Rampart Granite.

Yeah. Ram pondered the thought saying, You’re right and this is going to be a completely new echelon in our lives, I plan on making up for the lost years.

Staring at Ram for a long moment, he said, May be that it’s seeing you in civilian clothes or the sunlight but you’re glowing.

That got a reaction that he didn’t expect. Ram had actually chuckled making him smile. Stone said, I’m for real. Your entire being is vibrant for some reason.

Rampart looked in his drink and said, I feel different.

They were quiet and Stone said, The right woman has that effect.

They stared at each other. Ram was shocked that Stone had figured it out so fast. He said, Fuck you.

He held his hand out; Ram looked at it and asked, What’s that for?

Stone looked at his dad’s wristwatch to check the time, he finished the second drink, picked up his leather duffle bag slinging it over his shoulder and said, My bankbook, there’s upward of fifteen million dollars government issue tax free money, I’ll probably misplace it or some shit. If I need you, I’ll find you, call mom once in a while.

As Stone walked away Rampart said, Get your schisty ass back over here and pay for our drinks.

He put on the shades, chuckled without turning, and went to board the plane on the way to a new life, ending one beginning another.

~~~~~

A Helluva Start

No place to call home

The police burst through all three doors of the abandoned factory and shouted, POLICE, PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND DROP THE WEAPON NOW OR YOU’RE A DEAD MOTHER FUCKER.

Rico Shatana had the gun pointed at my head. I stood three feet away, we were in triangle to a battered frail body lying bloody and lifeless, Rico gradually spread his arms apart and backed up; as he got down slowly he slid the gun out of his reach lying in a cross on the floor. The officers moved in quickly kneeing him in the back, twisting his arms behind him and cuffing him tightly then patting him down for other weapons while officers roughly did the same to me.

Lieutenant Elvin Crush put his chunky white hand in my pockets and smiled in my face, and then used his finger to push my forehead knowing that it angered me greatly to be touched. Crush was grinning. I detested his lowlife ass; I could smell his funky breath.

But when I smiled his melted.

The Lieutenant called one of the other officers over because he was known for setting drug dealers up if they didn’t make regular contributions to the Crush pocket fund, I didn’t make one donation in the six years I knew him.

He said, Jones get over here and check this ones pockets.

Mark Jones was one of the honest cops and he was serious about his job. Jones knew me by street reputation, he checked all my pockets pulling out a solid square roughly two by three inch block of uncut cocaine and a hefty baggy of weed."

Lieutenant Crush smiled grandly; he blew his foul breath in my face when he talked, but I didn’t back up or turn away because I wanted to remember everything about this day.

What’s up boy, it’s been a while, but I got you now motherfucker and we gone let the time fit the crime.

They stared at the body on the floor, Crush said, Its only trash but we still gotta follow procedure. He looked from Rico to me and asked, Which one a yall want the credit for taking this piece of slimy shit off the streets making my life easier.

Rico said, The gutter trash motherfucker was a done deal, I did to him what he did to people now he’s over. He turned his head to me and said, This snow white bastard right here was about to get robbed and extinguished too if you fine upstanding honest gentlemen in blue had not disturbed me.

He was convincing.

They put Rico and I in different cars, I looked over at Rico once more, up nod and then stared out the window.

I didn’t speak one word.

Three hours later at the police station, they took my fingerprints, now I had a mug shot on file. No one would try to contact me because I lived private, I couldn’t call anyone because all the numbers going out were traced and any conversations were taped. They cataloged all my belongings confiscated the jewelry, drugs, and six hundred dollars that I was carrying. The time didn’t bother me. I was going to have to get use to hurry up and waiting anyway so I didn’t sweat it.

I was sitting in a holding tank three days later when they brought in a skeletal short man wearing a crumpled gray suit and blue collared shirt, his white seersucker tie cost more than the whole outfit he was wearing, including the shoes, it had to be a gift from a thankful female client. Lieutenant Crush and two officers were standing there, he said, Do you two want some time alone.

The tie was all business and confident. He said, Only five minutes.

When they left us the man said, I’m on a paid retainer and everything we say is privileged information it will be kept in the strictest confidence.

I shook the bony brown hand the tie held out and asked, Who sent you.

All the woman would say is call her Fledgling.

The words made me sit up and pay attention.

The penalty for Cocaine in the amount you were holding carries a mandatory fifteen years and the weed is another three to five without question depending on the judge. I’m going to come from the angle that this is your very first offense and request that you and Rico Shatana’s trials be kept separate because he admitted to killing William Robinson and admitted that you had no part in it and I’m going to stress the fact that he threatened your life in front of officers. No promises. At best, like I told the woman, you get off with five years served. My name is Mitchell Tiggins.

That was it. Less than three minutes flat. He called for Crush, when they came in the room; I broke my silence saying, Put this on tape, I’m not repeating it because it will never change, I went to the warehouse to transact personal business with Wiggly, when I walked in he was on the floor in a pool of blood, the man pulled a gun on me and the police showed up as usual right on time.

Four months later, I stood for the verdict. When the judge banged the gavel I was fined three years of my life; I must say Mitchell Tiggins was phenomenal. Before they took me from the room, I looked around and found the strength to do the time because she was sitting there staring at me as they handcuffed then took me away.

A week later after a full days ride he was introduced to prison life, showered with cold water from a hose fingered in his anus by men wearing rubber gloves and his hair was cut in a botched up buzz look. He got the shitty green jumpsuit and in the unwelcome speech, he learned his new name was 6345779. In an undersized rectangular cubical with three inch thick bars for the walls that he would never call home, he took the rolled mattress on the top bunk without speaking to the man on the bottom. On the forth day just before a non-wholesome breakfast of chunky mush in a foam bowl, runny eggs, three day old toast, and black watery liquid that smelled nothing like coffee, a two-ton shaggy haired six-foot five inch white ape approached him blocking his way, it said, From now on bitch I’m yo daddy.

By the time the apes hand came out of the swing, he had used the edge of his tray on the side of his head slicing his ear in half, the ape yelled out in pain as he used his weight to knock him off balance, making both of them fall to the floor, the room was in an ear aching uproar, food was being thrown and several other fights broke out as well. He got up and stomped the ape in the face shattering his jaw with the thick prison boot heels and before the guards could get to them, he jumped up in the air and did a body slam in the apes groin area with his elbow, the ape folded and rolled on his side yelling in pain, one hand on his groin and the other covering his gushing ear. The only real hit he had taken is a hard knee to the chest when he body slammed the ape.

So much for the welcoming committee.

Before they could say anything, he stood and held his arms, out wrist-to-wrist looking at them and breathing deeply. Needless to say, he was in solitary for two weeks but when he came out there was no question of whom the other inmates thought twice about messing with. The gorilla was Magnus Laud he was serving three back-to-back sentences for killing two cops that interfered while he was trying to kill his wife; he had control of a section in prison and had to prove himself again a month later when he got out solitary confinement. But after that, the ape left him alone although he was challenged four more times that first year, they finally got the message and left him alone.

He didn’t talk much.

Every three months faithfully five hundred dollars was added on his books, there was nothing to do so he took up smoking, played basketball, and chess for cigarettes, worked out to keep the buff physique and read. Time creeps by when you’re not having any fun but a beginning is the only way to get to the end and he had a helluva start.

~~~~~

Echelon 1

Addictions

Peach worked the morning shift at the Okalona Plant on Twit Boulevard from 6 A.M. till 3 P.M. When he started, he made nine dollars an hour working regular time on an assembly line nine hours a day, four days a week, adding parts on the conveyer to make video recorders radios televisions cassettes and electrical appliances. They got to buy the finished products at a twenty five percent discount from an in store office within the plant. Peach bought two of everything that he helped make. Two years after coming here the old shift supervisor John Egan decided to step down.

Peach would never have considered the position but he and Egan got along okay not that they were by any means friends, Peach respected that John was fair to all the employees and didn’t separate the work issues by using color or nationality.

John Egan approached him and said, I respect your style Peach, I know you don’t have any family ties that would pose a problem and I think that you’d be a prime candidate for my job, it won’t mean much, and you’ll have to go through the same channels as everyone else, but I could give a recommendation if you wanna toss your hat in the ring.

It took him by surprise. Peach asked when and John said, I’m gonna use my vacation time up so about a year or less, I just wanna do it by the books so I don’t have any shit about my pension.

He nodded and said, I’ll mull it over and let you know.

"Be aware, John said, the downside is five days a week mandatory ten hour shifts from Tuesday to Saturday, one paid three day meeting a year to keep you educated and caught up and twice the bullshit, but nothing you can’t handle or get use to. The upside is five dollars more an hour to start with and a fifty cent raise after each meeting, and its all paid double time after fifty hours no matter what."

John pats him on the back and walks away.

Egan’s position was open ten months later as an in house spot meaning they would hire and train from the employees that qualified. It happens that if three or more people wanted the job then seniority took over. Of the men that applied for the position only seventeen had the seniority in the entire plant that employed three hundred men, the twenty-five women either worked in the office or cleaned the building. Eleven didn’t want to take the mandatory drug test every six months without fail; it was a job requirement and how you got the fifty-cent annual raises. Three men had missed too many days of work in a five-month period and two of the last three candidates failed the written test with a seventy average, you needed seventy five percent of each test, and Peach passed with a ninety-six average on all five categories of the written tests. The physical was easy.

Needless to say, he has the job. The first thing he had done was read the fine print. He was already known for his no shit attitude among the workers and he had just became the only afro American supervisor in the plant, making him number seven, so as soon the situation presented itself, like he knew it would, he had to let it be known several times to the white collar bosses in the office that didn’t get their hands dirty and two other floor supervisors with equal standing all in his first two months. Peach didn’t raise his voice or cuss to get his point across, so it spoke volumes and he gives the respect that he gets, its just that simple. The way he looks at it is, if you don’t want none no shit, don’t bring none and you can leave with what you gave, be it respect, impatience, or foul disposition, he could do all of thee above emotionlessly and get his point across without being loud but making it crystal clear. Peach is a well-rounded person and it didn’t matter to him.

He and two other guys kind of just fell into each other over the first year, the three were all quiet among the shifts and they worked well together but that was the weirdest thing, they came out of their shells so-to-speak but only with each other, the first time was when a color word war had gotten out of hand because of the even pay scale between the employees, the ignorant black ass motherfuckers stood against the limp dick child molestin honkies, and nine men of assorted backgrounds including the three of them had stood against the ignorance and flipped the black and white issue out, that was solidified when Egan stood with the nine men asking is there still a problem.

That had earned John respect through out the plant among the men but of course, it earned him enemies on all sides as well. He shook the nine men’s hands and that evening when they got off, just to make the racial ignorance hit home John corralled them and they had a cold beer right there on the lot as the men got off work. Peach is not a joiner but the testosterone level was high at the time, they got paid by performance and pieces, they clicked bottles then drained them going to their cars not a word spoken only making a statement and he could deal with that.

Peach didn’t mind making a stand as long as it was for the right thing.

Even when a random bar fight broke out the three of them had handled the situation. They started working at the plant together and seemingly not a thing in common, Jesse Brenner is a white red head guy with skin full of freckles, he looks like he just got off the tractor complete with a goofy smile a tan and loads of country charm that women find fascinating and men mistake for weakness. He fights with a smile on his face and his tongue plastered to his upper lip and thinks it a great cure for boredom, he has more interesting stories about his forty years than Peach has socks. Wade Preston is a light skin man with a wide nose tinted lips a neat hair line and light brown eyes, he considered him self a ladies man and so do women. He believes in props in a fight anything close at hand is fair play.

Wade gets mad when he has to scuff up his good looks.

Then there’s Peach.

Quiet and observant, he’s turned a few women’s heads, he didn’t blend nor mix with the crowd and he fit in like a six by nine four inch thick piece of solid stone fits in a flat three inch circumference, but he makes out okay and he consider him self slow to start.

That doesn’t mean that he’s slow witted.

He’s use to handling problems and he’s an action kind of guy, it literally takes him two point no seconds flat to know the outcome of the situation and he plans on being the one to pick up his jacket and walk away.

Problem solved.

They made the Hender a regular Friday night unwind stop after work. Both Jesse and Wade are in situations. Jess is married and Wade is shacking, they flirt a lot and Peach didn’t have a situation since he moved to this part of town. The last person that tagged herself his girlfriend fit the title perfectly, and frankly, he wasn’t down for raising a grown woman that had Peter pan issues. Her name was Jayne Lalas, a lawyer, he took her courtroom savvy for adult status when it was only a cover for her lack of integrity, she was happy and bragging on and on if she won, vindictive and mean spirited and sour if she lost. Soon after they were in the so-called relationship, she flipped on him. She was three years older, childish, and full of drama, when he caught her messing around he was finished. Her self-titled relationship lasted eight condoms and three months after the fifth date, that included the three times he used two condoms before the session ended and she had never been to his house, Jayne had this thing about being screwed in her city apartment on her white chase lounge. It was something to do.

When he left the old neighborhood, he left her.

Hender is an adult bar where music was played at a decent level that allowed you to have a conversation without having to scream over it and you didn’t walk away with a blaring headache at the end of the night. The style of music varied no matter what day you came in because the owner Lillard Vance liked variety.

She stood about five-five, maybe two hundred and thirty pounds with an awkward top-heavy shape, the friendly type, and if you asked her how old she is, she would say, "I don’t look a day over forty-five and that’s what I’m sticking to." When she smiled, it was genuine. Lill wore full makeup nightly that made her triple toned brown skin from legs to arms to face. There were several regulars that she kept company with now and then, each one looked like a trucker; she liked people and was licensed to carry a weapon. The motif was what she felt like at any given month and she played a wide selection of music from blue grass, country, rhythm and reggae, light and hard rock, love songs and plenty of down home blues and Jazz night was a must. Some days if Lill were in the mood she would play Prince or Michael Jackson the entire nightlong and not repeat a song. And at any given moment someone has a bet that she can’t sing what you’re listening too she’ll come over and sing along with the music, Lill is quick to tell you that she can’t carry a tune but she can sing all the words. She has a daughter in another state that she never sees but the phone line gets plenty of use, she treats the people that work for her like family and the people that frequent the bar can call it home the few hours their there.

Wade was taking to the bartender, Peach came in and said hey Lill, everybody else called her Vance she smiled and gave an up nod. Being a wise ass and just to get her going, Jesse asked Who in the heck chose the music tonight?

Lill gave him an intimidating expression as she used a match to light the cheroot that she took out the box, she cut it in half because they stale easy, after taking a slow drag, holding the smoke and releasing through her nose in his direction she said, You can choose what you want to drink and eat, you can choose whom you want to walk out with and you can choose if you want to tip my staff or not and you can choose if you want to act right or get thrown out, but when you choose to sit in my place of business, I choose the music and if your not in the mood you can choose to leave.

People laughed, she sway her ample hips and went to the private room behind the bar with a thick cloud of smoke trailing behind her and a pleasant cherry smell in the air. Grady shook his head as Jesse gave a thumb up grinning, Wade and I smiled because he could always give Lill an instant attitude. Tonight she was in the mood for soul music and Luther commanded the area with his gentle tone.

Peach had been looking at a waitress that worked here now for over two months. Tonight Jess went all out giving him an instant attitude also because he sat at her station knowing that Peach had eyes for her, but so did several other male patrons including Jesse and Wade. Peach lowered his eyes at him across the room, Jesse was grinning; she was standing there waiting on them to get settled. She was always detached, no comment, come on, or lewd suggestion that the men insinuated, asked, or inquired, had ever received a rebuttal from her, although she was polite, she didn’t smile and none of them knew her real name, when they sat down Wade asked her.

She said, I’m Junk what could I get you.

Wade said, That’s your name.

She said, Listen it’s been a long night and I still have five hours to go, my back aches and these heels are aggravating it, what would you guys like to drink?

Peach stepped close by her sitting down. For a moment, he stared at her not believing it, then he cleared his throat, when she looked at him he held her eye contact and said, I’m Peach, I would like a double whiskey straight we all want a beer chaser with a lemon wedge, the red head drinks vodka and light eyes here drinks Jack no ice, we want two doubles each in separate glasses and the beer in bottles.

She gave him a slow down and up with her eyes as he talked, then said, Be right back.

Jess said, Dam man yo ass so smooth with the women why don’t you have one of your own?

Peach ignored him and watched her hips as she walked away they talked. His mind was caught up when he had to attend the yearly meeting out of town training class on new machine equipment and techniques; it was his training year as supervisor.

Coming back I had a ten hour delay between flights because of an over sight, I went into the airport lounge to have a drink and to figure out where I was going to stay for the night. There was a well dressed young woman standing at the counter by the middle stool trying to get the bartender’s attention, when he finally turned I held up my hand and motioned him over, I asked her, What would you like to settle the tension of the day?

He was expecting her to order a drink but she answered, I would just like to be held, a body massage would be a plus, but I’m going to settle for a drink.

He knew it wasn’t a ‘come on line’ she looked weary, fucking gorgeous but exhausted and she was young. I said, I can pay for the drink and I could hold if you like, hell I would like it, that was a come on line but the body massage would pose a problem, I’m stuck here till the morning because they confused my flight information and all the rooms are booked for the night.

He had to keep from staring at her although her eyes had not left him.

I told the bartender get me a double whisky, I turned to her, she ordered a purple rain double the rain, and I laughed.

He got our drinks and I watched her contemplating.

I paid, and then said, Good luck Babydoll, and I’m definitely sorry I couldn’t accommodate you.

He walked away.

Peach watched her bring their drinks and sit them down; she gave him a lingering look that he returned. Then she walked away. Two drinks later Jess was dancing with a blond and Wade was in a deep conversation with three other guys from the job about the last football game. He waited and got the woman’s attention saying, When you’re ready could I have the damage report.

She thumbed through the paper and tore it from the not pad, wrote on her tab and said forty-six-fifty, he gave her a fifty and a ten saying keep the change, she said thanks and was about to walk away, he asked, Would you go out with me sometime.

A small smile lit her face for the first time that he had been watching her she said, No.

Peach hiked his brows and one shoulder.

She asked, Is Peach your real name.

Yes.

She laughed and said, Whatever.

Her laughter was quiet and shy Peach liked that.

What’s yours? He said, Do you remember me.

She looked down and away then back up into his eyes and said, You’re in my personal world book of records as one of the only men that has ever turned me down.

Where does that put me on the list.

Number two.

A man called to her, she turned and put a finger up then told Peach, Dating is not a good idea for me.

He insisted, Then lets not call it a date. Let me return the favor for sharing your room with me. Besides, I never make a promise that I don’t intend to keep and I made the promise to you not expecting to keep it.

She smiled fully this time and he said, It must be meant, I’m not a liar or fanatic of any kind and there’s no jealous woman or wife and I have never desired a girlfriend.

She contemplated then said; I can’t talk right now Vance will have a fit, what’s your number?

He told her, she wrote it down and said, I will think about it, but don’t expect me to call.

He looked her down and up, she smiled, he didn’t find anything funny, he hunched his shoulders said whatever drank the last of the beer watching her walk away. She didn’t look back, Peach got up and left.

I finished the night stuffing my tips in the kids box and left after cleaning my station. When I got here to the Cove, I was frazzled. I just needed to think. The first thing I did was to find an apartment on the high side of town because I didn’t know the area. A nine to five job had never crossed my mind. One day I needed to use the pay phone, I had the cab driver stop at the bar, a woman looked out of sorts, I was walking to the booth on the lot, she was opening a side door, when I finished the call she asked, What are my chances of hiring you three days a week, eight hours a night that includes tips and sporadic over time starting now?

I smiled. Actually, I was bowled over with laughter and flattered, she stood there wondering what the joke was waiting patiently for my answer, and then I remembered, I was dressed in jeans and large shirt, my hair was pulled in a ponytail, I had on tennis shoes and I was wearing a baseball cap. I hunched my shoulders still smiling and said, Sure.

It shocked me when she met me in an embrace and kissed my cheek then wiped her lipstick off, saying, Honey you just saved my life. Two of my regular waitresses were in dire straights tonight and I barely made it myself, come in.

I paid the taxi then we walked in, it was warm and brightly painted, tubular glow signs filled most of the walls, the largest one glowed the Hender in all capital letters on the back wall with running colored light that could be seen as you walked in, there was a squared out space in the middle of the bar didn’t have any tables that must be the dance floor, six booths lined both sides of the room, along with small tables that sat two or three and larger tables that sat four or six and to the left there were two billiard tables, two arcade games that stood side by side and three doors past several tables down a short hall that read, BABES, STAFF ONLY, and HUNKS. She went in and to the right going behind the bar she flipped switches that activated lights; I looked around and smiled as Eddie Murphy’s unique sound filled the bar pleasantly. She motioned me in the room next to the bar and sat behind a desk, putting her purse down she said, Honey these lungs ain’t what they use to be, we can skip the formalities but you need to fill out this application so the IRS won’t be breathing down my back. I need to do a few things but I’ll be quick, what do you call yourself?

I said, Junk.

It didn’t surprise her in the least, she said, I call myself, forgetful, slow and hard to get alone with but my name is Lillard Vance, you can call me Vance everybody else does, excluding close friends.

She left. I sat there looking at the application feeling the stupid grin that was stuck on my face. I wanted to keep a copy just to have in my photo album. I filled it out. Vance walked in and said, Don’t take this the wrong way but you look like a size 14, they run a little big, can you fit these.

She handed me two cornflower blue button down shirts with the word HENDER surrounded by small orange flowers with yellow center’s that matched the buttons making a daisy chain. I said, They’ll be perfect, but I don’t have any kind of experience so I left that part blank.

She looked over the paper and said, You gotta start somewhere. You have to get your own black jeans and black skirt, neat is a fashion must, this is a sports bar and I am in the business of catering to men.

I was thinking, so am I.

I require one or two-inch heels worn on the job, boots or shoes, it doesn’t matter long as they’re not tennis, heels adds an extra ump to your strut and that’s what the men come to see for whatever reason and they tip better. Naturally when they get drunk their tongues wag and hands wonder, I suggest that you stop it the first time because it can get out of hand.

I said, I don’t know how long I can stay and there are times that I need to travel with only a couple days notice, will that be alright, or I could just fill in till the lady comes back and you don’t have to pay me anything.

She laughed for a full twenty seconds, stood and said, Come on let me get you use to the place, when they start coming sometimes it’s a mad house but the fun and humor are constant and the come on lines makes a night fly by.

It didn’t take me long to get use to the job and I was enjoying it, there are five other women that worked the floor, they were friendly and talkative, I was quick and polite. We each have a section of tables that don’t change. Vance said, If the testosterone level is to high the man will be moved and if you don’t get along let him sit somewhere else, that way you can keep your regulars, besides people are territorial they like having someplace to come back to that will be there when they come.

I had never thought along those lines in my life but it was true. Men wondered the bar talking to this person or that, the game area was always full, Anitra Patterson worked that area and she was always laughing or joking with people, then you had floaters and people that only sat at the bar but most of the regular customers sat in the same section and that sparked something in me.

I got along with every one liking the open friendliness of the staff, but I got along best with Grady the bartender, he was tan skinned medium built my height with brownish hair and hazel eyes. He was always ready to listen if you needed an ear and women flocked to him as he tended the bar with a flair and showmanship skill that I had not seen anywhere. Sometimes I just watched as he flipped his wrist poured and mixed drinks adding the perfect amount to the blender or mixed it in a silver two pieced carafe, shook it up and filled different sized glasses to the rim adding a cherry, lemon, orange slice, or umbrella, he up nod at me and I chuckled then nodded back. The tips are good but I don’t keep them, I add them to the feed the world tip box.

I had asked Grady why is your tip box [GRADY TIP BOX] bolted down, he said, It’s an easy mark, the second time my cup was taken right from behind the bar during a fight and I watched him hurry out. When I came in next week Lill had this steel box bolted here, she handed me one of two keys and said, I ain’t changing the name if you quit, the box and keys stay.

We laughed.

Tonight was one of the busier nights, but Vance was right, the nights were fun because of rowdy customers their jokes and antics and even the slow nights were a wild time because of Anitra, she was a party all by her self, she kept us and the customers laughing all the time, slow nights were when we had the five dollar challenges among us. I’m a junkie for space invaders and Pac man, I had to practice coming in early a few times so I could compete against the others among us that worked there, Vance included, Grady won’t take the challenge unless its pool, but he wouldn’t shoot against Anitra because he said she was a shark and he had lost enough twenty dollar bills to her tip pouch and I laughed.

I was cleaning a table at