April 10, 1995
For a brief moment, Lavonne wonders how she, a sixteen-year-old girl, is where she is.
It is ten in the evening, and most sixteen-year-old girls are at home asleep. Those who are not are usually at some place with their schoolmates, drinking beer and liquor while listening to artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Doggy Dogg and playing Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis.
Of course, she knows why she is not at home. Home is a horrible place. Mostly neglect, as well as the attention of some of the men with whom her mom shacked up.
The fear, smells, and pain of that first time, when she was twelve years old, arise every day.
And it happened again, and again.
She looks as a car dating from the 1970's drives down the street, its lights on, the hip hop music playing loudly. She looks at a church across the street.
"Lavonne," says Price, "Let's go."
She looks at Price, a young man wearing a suede jacket and a gold chain. Price is a good man- he does not force her, not once, not ever. Price speaks with the big black man standing by the bar.
"Let's go," he says.
"Sure," she replies. She notices a sign next to the door that reads Sacrilege, which is the name of this club.
And so the two of them enter, and they are greeted by music
No need to be greedy, I got mad friends with Benzes
C-notes by the layers, true fuckin' players (uh)
Jump in the Rover and come over, tell your friends jump in the GS3
I got the chronic by the tree, cuz (let's go)
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Throw your hands in the air if you's a true player
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Lavonne had been to all sorts of different clubs. The place is dark, and there are people here. From her past experiences, she knows that clubs will end up packed by about midnight or so.
"and this is our table!" exclaims price. The girl sees a table surrounded by a circular leather couch. They both sit down.
"How about we get some pre-dance drinks?" asks Lavonne.
And so they do, getting a variety of hard liquors as well as some energy drinks. They both take in the energy of Sacrilege.
And then they dance. They feel even brighter, expressing their feelings with the movement of their bodies.
They look at each other.
They feel as if only they matter.
Occasionally, they go back to their table, where they talk and laugh.
They feel as if they can last the night.
Ooooooooo
April 11, 1995
It is close to dawn, and three people are just outside the club. But they are different than most people.
They are not human.
They are gargoyles.
"Thanks a lot, Lex," says one of them. He is a bipedal, bimanual being with brick,red, skin, two wings attached to his shoulders. He has a beak-like snout and two eyes, with a long mane of platinum-colored hair. "It's almost time to turn around and head home."
"Yeah, the sun will be up soon," says another gargoyle, who has bluish-green skin, two wings attached to his back, and a very large build.
"We could have been checking out the place that I was telling you about," says the red-brick colored gargoyle.
"Sacrilege? Where?"
"There, right across the street from that church."
The three gargoyles look at the Gothic-styled building. It is lined with red brick.
"We could have spent all night partying," says the blue-green gargoyle, "but we had to humor Lex."
The gargoyle called Lex has a blank expression on his face.
Ooooooooo
He is I, and I am him, slim with the tilted brim
What's my motherfuckin' name?
Snoop Doggy, Dogg (the bomb)
Snoop Doggy, Dogg
Snoop Doggy, Dogg (the bomb)
Snoop Doggy, Dogg (Dogg)
Da-da-da-da-dah
Do-do-do-do, doo-doo-doo-da-dah (the bomb)
Da-da-da-da-dah
Do-do-do-do, doo-doo-doo-da-dah (Dogg) (the bomb)
"Look at the time," says Price, looking at his gold watch as Snoop Doggy Dogg's breakout hit finishes over the speakers. "It's almost daytime. I can't believe."
"Let's get breakfast," answers Lavonne. "Steak and eggs?"
"Of course. Dancing until dawn has always made me hungry, my sweetie."
"Hello, Price," says a man with a deep, baritone voice.
Price and Lavonne look and see a big black man, with spectacles on his face, wearing a purple jacket and a light blue turtleneck shirt. He is accompanied by some rough-looking men, wearing jackets and slacks and expensive looking shirts.
"Glasses," says Price.
"I've been trying to meet with you," he says.
Price takes a deep breath. "Look, Glasses," he says. "I know you wanna talk with me, but not here, but not in front of my lady."
"Kid, you've been ducking me for days," answers Glasses.
"Ducking? We just never came across each other, ya know."
"We've been hearing you've been moving our merchandise, only we're not getting our take. What;'s the story, Price?' Glasses looks at the girl. "Your lady's got expensive taste?"
"You leave Lavonne out of it!" exclaims Price. "She ain't got nuthin' to do with it!"
"Whatever," says one of the rough-looking men. "We don't give a rat patoot's where its going- her, the track, or up yer nose."
"What we know is where it's not going," says Glasses. "To Mr. Dracon's pocket."
Price stands up. "I ain't stiffin' no one!" he protests. "I can't just sell it to any kid off the street,. I have to go to places like Sutton Street to find people with enough cash!"
"We don't set the quotas, kid. Mr. Dracon does."
Lavonne stands up, after hearing all this. "I can't believe this!" she yells to her boyfriend. "I thought you wasn't the type to deal!"
Price looks at the girl. "It's not drugs, baby," he says.
"But not just S & W'S or Glocks," says glasses. "special, high-tech guns that shoot sci-fi particles."
"Really?" asks the girl.
"There's serious bucks supplying this kind of firepower. And this lady knows too much."
Lavonne feels something pressed against her. She feels herself pulled. She looks at Price, and they are being pushed and pulled out of Sacrilege and to the street outside.
Price's heart races.
Time seems to slow down for him.
He has one chance.
He suddenly strikes Glasses's face with his elbow, knocking hios spectacles away.
He makes a run for it, making every newton, every erg, count.
He runs past two women.
Lavonne screams.
One of the men pulls out a nine millimeter Beretta.
He pulls back the hammer and squeezes the trigger.
The hammer strikes the pin, which detonates the gunpowder in the cartridge, propelling the bullet.
He keeps firing again and again.
Bullets rip through Price. Some of them fly right across the street!
Price falls down.
Lavonne is in shock, looking at the only man who cared about her.
"Stuff her in the car!" yells Glasses. "Mr. Dracon will decide what to do!"
Lavonne is shoved into a Lincoln limousine and the door is slammed shut. Seconds later, the internal combustion engine is started, the gearshift is set to D, and the tires roll as the limousine drives off, away from Sacrilege, as the sky grows brighter.
