Chapter 1

I wrapped the few things I possessed in a handkerchief and tied it to a stick I pulled off a tree. I headed off after my parents and brother was tucked away safe and sound. I said my goodbyes to the only friends I had and started walking toward the mountains. It took about three to four days if I counted right and wasn't looming over the fact that I haven't eaten anything since I left.

I staggered into the city hoping I could find something to eat or at least drink. Hunger overwhelmed me and I was getting desperate. I was walking blind, not knowing where I was going. I stumbled from sector to sector looking for something. I stopped, telling myself that I needed a rest. I sat down and looked around. The hungriness blurred my vision and I could not see where I was. I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes to rest. Maybe in the morning something will happen I told myself. Something will happen.

I woke up to find myself warm and comfortable instead of the cold, hard wall. The hint of jasmine filled my nose making me wonder where I was. My clothes were gone; I was clean for once in my life, and dressed in these funny looking clothes. I wore a long pink shirt with lace and ribbon to fancy it up. It came down to my ankles with lace fringe and the long sleeves were trimmed with the same lace. A pink bow was tied to the back and the high neck was woven with ribbons. I remember reading something about the type of clothing and remembered it was a nightgown and the comfortable feeling of sleeping on air was a bed. Was I dreaming? No it was to real to be a dream. I hopped out of bed and danced around, watching my new nightgown puff up that looked like an upside down bowl shape while I did some turns.

The room I was in was like a fantasy dream. A waterfall attached to the wall displayed different colors of the rainbow, the bed was in a circular shape and possessed many pillows. A lamp taller then me illuminated that room with a blue tint and the white carpet seemed spotless of any flaws. If I looked closely at the white wall, washed with blue light, I could see the seam of the closet door. Across from the bed, a fish tank was imbedded into the wall. Many colorful fish swam freely in the bubble rising, color changing water. I put my face right up to the fish tank. Amazed at the real fish I wanted to find the opening of the tank and touch them to make sure it was real.

"Did I do well, Tari?" The deep voice made me jump and stumble to the flawless floor. A heavyset man leaned against the doorframe with his heavy brown eyes fixed on me. He wore a black tuxedo with many gold buttons. His slick black hair was as shiny as his newly polished shoes and his thick black mustache had a couple of gray hairs of stress in it. A woman accompanied him. She stood straight up with her arms folded in disgust. She wore a baby-blue mini-tube dress that fitted her flawless figure. Her straight-layered brown hair, half up and half down, laid passed her broad shoulders. Her crystal green eyes, inspecting me, had a hint of blue tinting her eyelids. Her face was lightly powdered and her lips produced a glossy pink. Her shoes were the same color as her dress and gave her two extra inches to her height.

"No. She looks like a brat." Her voice was hard and cold as a stone but was coated with her tenderness.

"Oh, well. I guess I'll put her back." The heavyset man said.

I got up and ran to the man, screaming. "Please don't take me back. I'll do anything. I can clean, cook, read, write. Please I'll do anything. Look what my parents did to me." I took one step back and took off my nightgown. I looked to the floor as I felt my bared body being searched by curious eyes. Whip marks covered my body from chest to foot. I tried to hold my tears in but my emotions were too strong. The woman, called Tari, picked up the nightgown and handed it to me. I put it back on with no hesitation.

"What's your name," Tari asked me with kindness.

"Pan," I meekly said.

"How old are you," She asked.

"Thirteen," I replied.

"Thirteen," The man replied in shock.

"Please don't bring me back to my parents. Let me stay with you. Please sir." I pleaded with all my life hoping he was kind. I looked old for my age because I mature early at the age of ten. I had a full size chest and a figure already.

He looked at Tari, then back at me. He put a gentle grin on his face and sighed. "If you want to stay you must work." I nodded in agreement. "Since you can't work for me yet, you will be going to school and you will have lessons here with two of my employees. This is your room and in a few years I will be able to hire you as one of my employees." He yawned and turned around to leave. Tari did the same. I was left alone again to gather my thoughts. What just happened? When I realized that my life would change I jumped on the bed and let the covers suck me in. I was to excited to stay in my room so I left.

A hallway led to many other doors and a stairway. I could hear music and see flashing lights coming from down stairs. I walked to the stairs that led to an office. I hopped down the stairs and into the empty office. The walls were windows that looked down upon the main floor. A stainless steel desk was place in the middle of the office with a stainless steel rolling chair. A computer was placed atop of the clean desk along with a stainless steel penholder. A black phone was on the side of the computer. A black wastebasket had one or two crumpled pieces of paper in it and the wood floor polished to make no smudges. A stainless steel door marked the separation between downstairs and the office. I sat in the chair and spun around to make my self dizzy. I stopped to look down at the main floor. I saw the whole floor.

I noticed that heavy man at the bar but I did not see the woman. Was she his girlfriend? I looked across the floor and saw tables with men sitting, drinking, and watching something. I noticed right away Tari was dancing around a pole. She was topless and going. Her pale-blue bra was lying next to her and her baby-blue thong on the other side of the stage and what looked like her dress was in a ball at the back of the stage. She danced in rhythm to the beat until she dropped on all fours and crawled to a man that sat at the edge of the stage. He waved something green in front of him as if he was seducing Tari to come to him. When she was close she rolled on her back and spread her legs in the air. She wore a soft-blue guarder on her left thigh. Money stuck out of her guarder while the man stuck another bill in it. He let his had rubbed up her thigh, her stomach, and to her chest. He squeezed gently and played with her nipple to get it hard. Tari yelled with passion. Once he was done she stood up to step off the stage. A man drunk called her over to him as if she was his pet. She kneeled down, bit her lip and turned around so she sat on the man's lap with her back to him. She moved up and down while the man moved his hands all over the body. His hands always seem to stay at her genital area and rubbed hard to start an organism. Tari's eyes rolled back as she sighed of utter boredom.

I looked around and many other women were doing the same thing. Disgusted I looked away and focused back on the computer. The screen saver, rolling marques, saying, "Moonlight lounge." I moved the mouse to see what content the desktop held. The desktop was nothing but a black screen with a few icons and the tool bar, nothing important.

"I see you've found your way down stairs." I quickly jumped up out of the chair letting it slide on the polished floor and gently tapped the window. "I guess you know what I do for a living." He walked passed me as I moved out of his way. He grabbed his chair and moved it close to the desk and sat in it. He took out a cigar and stuck it under his nose and took a good waft. He stuck it in his mouth and took out a plain metal lighter and flicked it. A tiny flame appeared and lit the cigar. He leaned back to savor the flavor of the cigar. "You probably think I'm sick and twisted…"

"No sir, I don't." I interrupted him.

He turned around and stared at me, his eyebrows knitted together. He swung his head back and burst out with laughter. "Well its not easy running the most popular strip joint in the world." He looked back at me. "Like I said you have to work to live here. You can still get out of it. It's your choice."

I didn't know what to say. "I…I would like to stay with you." I was afraid to look up and see his face.

"Good then." He leaned forward towards the computer. "First we need to make you a citizen of Midgar. I have a few friends that will get you an ID." He pulled out his left arm and looked at his gold plated watch. "If you hurry up and get dressed we might be able to catch my friend." I gaped at him. "Well what are you waiting for?" I hurried up stairs doing his bidding.

When I reached my closet I stood in front of it dumbfounded. How do I open the handle-less closet? I reached out my hand, thinking nothing was going to happen, the closet opened, scaring me. It was a walk-in closet with different shapes and sizes of clothes. They looked small enough for my half starved body, so I looked at every single one deciding on a short jean skirt and a black long sleeve shirt. I saw some white platform shoes and put them on. I took one last glance in the body size mirror to look at the real me. Not a maid, not a dirty breeder but a free little girl that can make her own choices. I didn't want to leave but the man said to hurry. I left the closet as it closed behind me. I hopped back down stairs but stopped in my tracks when I saw Tari standing next to the man. She wore a plain white shirt and some skintight jeans that showed every curve of her buttocks. I walked over to the man, avoiding Tari's eye contact.

"I am sorry to disappoint you but I will not be accompanying you. The 'Big Man' is here and I have to tend to his needs. Tari, here, will be taking you to Mr. Harris where you will become a citizen," The man said while looking at a newly lit cigar.

"What? You mean I have to take this brat to that perverted freak," Tari protested. The man took out a piece of paper from the inside of his suit jacket and handed it to Tari. "What's this?" Tari opened it and read what it said. She sighed and folded the paper up and stuck it in her purse. "Come on brat, let's go." She started to walk to the door. She turned around to find me in the same spot. "What are you waiting for?"

I walked towards the man. "What's your name, sir?" I meekly asked.

He laughed and took another puff of his cigar. "My name is Tim Barbalow, but just call me Mr. Baloo." I quickly gave him a hug and walked toward Tari not wanting to look at his facial expression. As we headed out Mr. Baloo called to Tari. "Be nice Tari. Don't scare her because you're a big pussy." He laughed again but this time it echoed off the walls.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She called behind her.

I just walked behind her quietly. She took me down through the door that separated the office floor and the main floor. The main floor was empty of the many men that were here just minutes ago. There were a few waitresses in black lingerie thongs and fishnet stockings. No women on the stage, no lap dances, just the quiet conversation of money, sex, and power. Many men stopped what they were doing to stare at me as if I didn't belong in the environment. As we walked passed the bar there was a man that had a tuxedo with an untied bowtie. His black dreadlocks disheveled and his glassy black eyes danced with happiness. He held a white damp washcloth as he wiped down the top of the bar. His pearly whites showed while he grinned.

"Who's your baby's daddy?" He said.

"Shut-up before I come over there and kick your ass," Tari retorted.

"Hey clam down Candi," The man said. He glanced down at me. "She's a cute kid."

"I would kill my self if I even had this kid. She's worthless. I can't believe he is making me take her to the freak," Tari said in disgust. Why did the man call her Candi? Is her name Tari or Candi?

I kept following her until we got outside into the parking lot. We passed a few cars and stopped in front of what looked like a Lamborghini. I studied the paint job under the dull yellow lights of the street. It was a shiny baby blue Diablo and it only sat two people with bucket seats. Tari got in and started the car. I could hear the twin turbo purr under the hood. I opened the door and got in. I sat there observing the electronics in the car. The laser detector at the top left hand corner of the window chirped, "Hello Tari." The five-inch screen displayed controls for the air conditioning, nitrous, stereo, and television. The six-speed car redlined at twelve and only had ten thousand miles, which said this was fairly new.

"Don't touch anything." Tari warned me. She backed out, shifted and pulled out. Once on the main road I saw that the car went from zero to sixty in about five seconds. There was no conversation during most of the ride.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Tari and don't forget it."

"Then why did that man call you Candi?"

Her laugh was malicious and that instant I know in my future I would be hearing more of it. "That's my stage name. In the bar no employees use their real name; it's for protection." After that it was silent the rest of the way.

Tari pulled into a dark alley, away from the streetlights. She made a quick stop and pulled out the keys from the ignition. She looked at me with a deep frown planted firmly on her flawless face. "Let me do all the talking. If you see anything that's not good run out to this car and grab the cell phone." She opened her glove box and pulled out a pale blue phone. "I want you to call my boss. Tell him the freak broke loose." She showed me speed dial and threw it back in her glove box and slammed it shut, making me flinch.

We walked blinded by the dark but Tari being here many times didn't need lights to show the way. I stayed close behind; afraid I was going to lose her to the darkness. I looked around imagining what the surrounding looked like during the day. I didn't notice Tari stopped and I ran into her but she gave no notion I did. She pressed the button on the side of the wall and a tiny slot on the steel door opened letting light escape. A scruffy voice spoke through the slot. "Password?"

"Open the damn door before I bust it down." Tari shifted her weight to one side in annoyance.

"Candi! My loved one." The slot closed and the whole door opened. It revealed a huge main room. The man came out the doors with his hands ready to hug Tari, but before he could she smacked him down. He fell to the ground mending his wound.

"I need you to make this girl a citizen, oh and here." She dug through her purse and took out the folded piece of paper. She put it in his hand when he got up. He wore a greasy shirt with holes that had chest hair protruding out of them. He was a thin and lanky man. He had one or two pieces of hair that stuck out of his greasy head and his bifocals stayed at the tip of his big blunted nose. His beady black eyes said he was tired of life and his skin said he was malnutrition. When he smiled, he showed his tar stained teeth with a piece of food stuck in between. He read the paper and smiled bigger. He came over to me and put his meatless arm around me.

"Come my child." His scratchy voice was like nails down a chalkboard. He smelled like gas and tar swirled with the aroma of French vanilla coffee. "I should be able to help you out." the main room was empty of men but full of cars and parts of a car. It looked like an auto shop just with no workers. He led me to a steel door and opened the door with caution. He looked over his shoulders and hurried us in the room. He shut the door and locked seven different locks. The room had no lights or windows. The only light was the light that a screen saver produced. The room was small and the only thing it had was a computer that took up the whole table. A chair was slightly spinning as if he got up from it in a hurry. He sat down and scooted it up towards the computer. The twenty-inch monitor had a screen saver with two stick figures screwing and moving around the screen. He moved the mouse and the screen changed from black to many opened windows. An encryption program encrypted files non-stop. He turned around to look at me behind his thick glasses. I wondered if he could see me but I wasn't going to question.

"What's you name, sweetie?" The man asked leaning towards me getting closer with wanting eyes.

"Keep your distance, Mr. Harris, she's under age." Tari stopped him before he could do anything to me.

I took one step back to keep my distance. "Pan."

He turned around and moved his fingers across the keyboard and more windows would pop up on the screen and more would disappear. I dared not blink or I would have missed what popped up.

"Last name?" He said typing away. I looked at Tari as if she knew the answer to the question. She shrugged with carelessness and looked at Mr. Harris. He stopped with sudden silence and turned back around to look at me. He repeated the question. "Your last name?" I didn't know my last name. Maybe I could make one up but what should I choose? What are common last names? I looked at him dumbfounded. What should I say?

"Her last name is Barbalow. Pan Barbalow." I was surprise that Tari answered. Did she really care about me?

"Okay then, Pan Barbalow, daughter of Tim Barbalow, how old are you?" He asked turning back around.

"Thirteen."

"Okay," he finished his typing and leaned back in the chair.

Tari kicked the chair under him so he fell to the floor and the chair went flying the other way. "You're not done. Did you read the paper? She needs a license."

"I was just getting there, honey." He got up and again put his muscles-less arm around me. He led me to the corner of the room. "Stand right here." He let his hand gently glide down my back and into my skirt, when he squeezed, I turned around and slapped him with anger but I moved away pitying him. Tari busted out laughing while I stood there clenching my throbbing hand as a tear rolled down my cheek. He walked over to the computer, rubbing his red cheek. I moved back to the spot as he sat down. "Smile, my sweet." I didn't know what he meant but I curled one corner of my mouth for a semi-smile. A flicker of light sparked and then a huge flash after. I was afraid and jumped back. I was blinded with purple spots. I stood there frozen and the printer started to move. When it was done he had a credit card size item in his hand. He walked over to me and handed it to me. "Here's your license. You're twenty one on the license and it will be brought up as twenty one if you get stopped by the police."

Tari snatched the license out of my hand and stuffed it in her purse. "She wont be driving any time soon. Lets go." She waited for me to pass her to walk behind me. I walked out of the tiny room to find that Tari was not following me.

I looked back to see Mr. Harris struggling to hold Tari. My legs froze. Was I supposed to do what Tari said? He tried to hold her while he unzipped his pants. I did not understand Tari's screaming words because my mind also froze. She bit his hand that tried to cover her mouth. He let her go, swinging his hand back, and released it to knock out Tari. She fell to the ground unconscious. Limp and fragile he moved her on her stomach and finished to undress. If he noticed me he did not care. I ran out of the building, tripping and falling face first on to a murky puddle of water. My new clothes were dirty and wet. I looked up to find the car sitting, lonely in an empty, black space. I lifted the handle, only to be locked. What do I do, it's locked? I looked over to the driver side it was unlocked. I rushed to the other side and opened the door. I crawled over the seats and opened the glove box. Everything fell out and on to the car floor. I shuffled through the different objects. Finally I found the phone and dialed the number. It rang and picked up.

"Was crakin'?" a man's voice said. My mouth froze. What was I suppose to say? "Hello?" It said again. I did not speak. "Hello?" Again it said, a little agitated. Then it hung up. I let the dial tone ring in my ear before I dialed it again. The man picked it up. "Was crakin'?" I didn't speak. I heard his voice low on the phone. "Damn Tari has to fix her phone."

"The freak broke loose." I said

"Hello? Tari?"

"The freak broke loose." I said a little louder.

"Pan?"

"Yes."

"Where are you?" he said.

"I'm in Tari's car."

"Stay right there I will be there in a few minutes. Where's Tari?"

"Inside."

"Thanks. Bye." He finished. I hung up and curled into a ball on the passenger side seat. What's happening to Tari? Should I go in? But the man said stay here. I sat there waiting.

I guess I doze off because I woke up with someone rapping on the window. I unlocked the passenger side door and let the person open the door. I stepped out and into the arms of Mr. Baloo. I shivered with fear, thinking what happened to Tari was my fault.

"It's okay. It's all over." He stroked the back of my head for comfort. The aroma of tobacco and peppermint surrounded me as it faded my fear and worries and replaced them with a warm and relaxing feeling.

I looked up at him. "What happened to Tari?"

He laughed and took out a cigar from his breast pocket. "Oh nothing that hasn't happened before." He lit the cigar and let the chemicals stimulate his mind. "But she's fine. Thanks to you, we came just in time before he could screw her like he's done in the past." He took a puff and turned his head. I moved out of his grip to see Tari naked, wrapped in a blanket and a black eye. She limped to us with an evil glare in her eyes. I ran up to her, giving her a hug.

"I'm fine," Tari said, patting my back.

I took a step back to meet her eyes. "I did what you told me too. I…"

She put a finger to my mouth and whispered with a sigh, "I know." Mr. Baloo came up behind me resting his arm around my shoulder. "When did you get here," She asked Mr. Baloo.

"About five minutes ago. Where is he?" His smile faded along with his words.

"He's inside." Her few words seem to eat away at my skin with anger and aversion.

"Thanks," He started walking with me still under his arm. "Come on Pan, we're going inside." I had to obey his command; his heavy arm weighted down so hard I could barely walk.

When we were inside I saw Mr. Harris sitting in a chair with his face in his hands. Two big, bald headed men stood next to him as guards. The men were heavyset but strong built. One wore a pair of sunglasses and the other had a goatee. If one wasn't black, I could have sworn they were brothers. Mr. Harris lifted his head when he heard us coming. I stopped two steps before Mr. Baloo did. He took his cigar out of his mouth and threw it on the ground. "What were you thinking? I told you I would pay you but not with Candi."

"I know, I know," He said, shacking a bit. "But I rather be paid with her then money, you know Candi gives the best blow jobs."

"I wouldn't know, I just heard," Mr. Baloo had a faint blush in his cheeks but quickly snapped at Mr. Harris. "I don't care what you want. You should be glad that I would still pay you," He took out his checkbook, rushed with anger, and filled out the check. "How much," he asked.

"One million," Mr. Harris meekly said.

"Okay, one grand."

"What." Mr. Harris said shocked.

"Do you have a problem?"

"No."

"Good." Mr. Baloo tore the check and threw it at Mr. Harris. He turned around and headed back out with me still under his arm. He called back to him, "Never do that again or I swear on your own soul, I will turn you into the police." He shut the door behind him before Mr. Harris squealed in pity.

He led me to Tari, who leaned on her car, still wrapped in the ash-gray, wool blanket, which made her seem raggedy and dirty.

"I am sorry once again Pan but I cannot take you home because I must meet with the 'Big Man' again, since you called I had to cancel. Oh well." He looked at his watch. "I will repay what damage Mr. Harris did to you. I'll talk to you later." He left and disappeared into the depths of the night.

Tari did not speak, did not have a sarcastic remark, no facial expression, just an empty daze, a hypnotic face. I followed her into her car and tried to avoid a glance at her bruised face, so I kept my gaze to the floor. Tari sat there staring into the abyss of nothingness. Trapped in a hypnotic state, dead, cold, and no existence.

She hit her steering wheel and collapsed crying hysterically. Tari was cold with her words but only under it was this trapped child waiting to be released from its torment of this cruel world. She did not belong to this kind of punishment but she was forced to serve it with a fake pride and liking.

I knew for the first time I would never again see this side of Tari often but only when she realizes she is not alone. I kept looking at the floor, fiddling with my fingers wishing I could do something, say something, or at least comfort her. But I knew she wanted to be alone; I kept to myself, denying every spark of courage I had to say something to her. She finished crying and stuck the keys into the ignition and started the car. The purr of the car did not sound as enthusiastic as Tari's snivels. She wiped her face and shrugged her tears off her shoulders.

There was no conversation present except the echoes of wails from my stomach making it's own conversation pleading with me to feed it. I turned red with embarrassment and tried not to look at Tari, I didn't want her to feel sorry for me; she had problems of her own.

We reached the bar and I followed her in, trying not to step on the blanket that dragged while she held it to her bare body. We stopped in front of the bar, where the bar tender dried a glass. I looked around to see the empty essence of the bar except one man that sat, sulking in his self pity with his life attached to a vodka bottle. Chairs were stacked on the round tables that scattered around the stage, while a janitor vacuumed the floor. Tari motioned me to sit on one of the bar stools, I obeyed.

"Get her something to eat." Tari said to the bar tender. His dreadlocks were tide back neatly but his tuxedo remained untidy. His tired face had a bright smile and his glassy black eyes seem to stare endlessly. Tari left and went up stairs. The bar tender put down the glass and leaned on the bar to get a closer look at me.

"What ya hungry for?" His southern accent was unmistakable. I shrugged my shoulders. "Ya don't know huh? Well, we can cook ya anything ya feel like. How about a big chocolate cake? Sound good?" I nodded my head taking my mother's advise of rather be seen, not heard. He picked up a phone that connected back into the kitchen. "Hey craka. I have a lass out here that wants a big chocolate cake…" There was a slight pause and then he continued. "…Oh yeah and dash it up with some Rum. Thanks." He hung up the phone and went to tend to the only man that sat at the other end of the bar. I looked at the top of the bar. There were newspaper clippings under the thick glass top. "That one right here is Candi." I looked up at the bar tender's black face. "She was the first stripper to please the 'Big Man.' that's what the article talks about." He looked at me while I read the article. "So little girl how…"

"I have a name." I snapped at him. I covered my mouth when I realized what I said.

"Oh sorry. I see ya have Candi's attitude. She's teaching them young these days." He said sarcastically.

"Sorry. My name is Pan." I meekly said.

"It's nice to meet ya." He stuck out his hand and I returned his gesture. "My name is Rocky." He looked pass my shoulders to a waitress coming with a seven layer chocolate cake with strawberries on top in a fanned pattern. She placed it in front of me. She was dressed in pink leather lingerie and black fish net stockings. Her black hair was pinned up with perfect ringlets and her brown eyes had a hint of pink for shadowing. Most of her beauty was fake, from her chest to her eyelashes. She stepped back to get a good look at me.

"Who is this little bitch?" She snarled.

"Stuff it, Diva. She's the bosses adopted kid." Rocky said.

"Oh sorry kid." Diva leaned over the bar top to get close to Rocky. "So how about tonight. You promised." She stuck out her bottom lip for a pout but I thought she more looked like a fish.

"I'm leavin' after this shift. Please get off the bar top, ya gettin' it dirty." Rocky said calmly. She grunted and left with a temper. I chuckled a little but stifled it when I saw Rocky look at me. I dug into the cake, savoring the taste. Rocky grabbed the white rag out of his back pocket and wiped down the bar top.

"This is good. I never had chocolate cake before." I thought I said something that was good but the look Rocky gave me was questionable. I remember my mother telling me that nothing I said was good and slapping me across the face every time I spoke.

I flinched when Rocky opened his mouth to speak. "Ya never had what?" I didn't answer, just put my hands up to block him if he tried to hit me. "Where have ya been ya whole life, locked up?"

When I realized he wasn't going to hit me I answered him. "I lived at Chocobo Farm. My mother made me breed chocobos and wouldn't let me eat leftovers until I was done with my chores."

"I can see why ya ran away. Mr. Baloo told me about ya…" He looked up quickly when he saw a crowd of men strut in prideful. Rocky's face lost all emotion when the men in blue suits took their seats. "Pan, go up stairs. You can take the cake but hurry please." I was confused at the changed of his tone but something was wrong with these men. The group of men looked like a bunch of silly business workers looking for a good time but what ever Rocky knew made his black face blanched with fear. One of the men in blue suits sat next to me. His baldhead reflected the stage lights to a glare and his expressionless face was hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. In one ear alone he had six pierces and his black flawless shaven goatee had a fine pointed tip. Rocky knew what the man wanted and rushed to get out a shot glass and a bottle of Tequila. He set it in front of the man and went off down to the next person. The man slowly turned his head to look down at me behind the sunglasses. I swallowed slowly as my heart began to beat faster and louder. His look was intimidating enough, so I grabbed my plate and hurried up stairs.

I was safe behind the thick metal door of the office. I sat at Mr. Baloo's desk eating my cake and watched the men grab the stacked chairs off the tables and sat down waiting to be served. Mr. Baloo was recently here as the lit cigar, slowly burned, sitting in the ashtray on his desk. The frighten Rocky rushed around the bar, trying to go as fast as he could at making drinks. I saw a few waitresses in the clutter of men with blue suits. The music down stairs got a bit louder and the lights dimmed. Spotlights were placed on the stage but it was vacant.

Two women appeared out behind the curtains with the same outfits on. One had short blonde hair and the other had long curly black hair. They both wore a tiger stripped G-string and bra with black knee-highs. They both had cat ears that stuck out from their hair and heavy makeup with whiskers. The two women rubbed up on each other closing their eyes when one touched the right place. The blonde reached around the other girl and unsnapped her bra. She let it fall not noticing it was gone. They kissed while sucking on each other's tongue. The blonde grabbed her chest and licked her nipple to get it hard. She sucked on her nipple while the black hair girl unsnapped the blonde's bra. When the blonde was done they came back for another kiss with the tongue. The black hair girl slowly laid the blonde to the stage floor and dropped on all fours. The blonde spread her legs knowing what was coming. The other girl teethed the blonde's G-string off and threw it off the stage. The men fought for it and the one that got it twirled it around his finger like it was a prized trophy. Men cheered, while this vulgar scene was going on, as if they thought it was a game. The black hair girl dived in towards the blonde's pussy as the blonde grabbed a handful of the thick black curly hair. The blond moaned and screamed knowing a tongue was inside her. The girl looked up and tongued the blonde down, starting at her navel and ending at the mouth.

I heard someone coming from up stairs on the third floor so I turned back around and finished my cake. I saw Mr. Baloo and Tari come down stairs.

"Hello Pan." Mr. Baloo said when he saw me. Tari was dressed in jeans and a shirt and her black eye gone. I kept my agape look at Tari's disappearing black eye. Mr. Baloo turned around to Tari and took out his checkbook. He scribbled something down, tore it and handed it to Tari. "This will repay you for what Mr. Harris did." He stuffed his checkbook back into his jacket pocket. "See you tomorrow." Tari left. Mr. Baloo came over and leaned on the desk. "How do you like it so far?"

I couldn't answer right away but looked at him while I hurried to swallow my cake. "It's interesting."

"Interesting?" He pulled back at the answer I gave him. Then tilted his head back and burst out laughing. "Well that's original. Anyways you have a big day tomorrow so why don't you get some sleep."

"Yes sir." I got up and pick my plate up and stood there like a statue with a dumbfounded look on my face.

"Don't worry about the plate, just go up stairs." He said with a yawn. I set the plate down and strolled up stairs. My room was on this right hand of the endless hallway. The fourth door with a name freshly painted on it, 'Pan's room." My room. My very own room, no one else's but mine. I opened the door to my room and staggered in. The bed looked really good to my aching body. To sink into the satin sheets and let the comfort over whelm me while I let my mind wander to a blissful dream.