THE MARK OF THE BEAST

It was another summer in the city and we spent our day walking the streets as usual. The afternoon heat that once boiled the concrete rose to torture the city’s the sweaty, unemployed uncles living in grandmother’s attics. We checked our reflections and ability to attract men in every passing car as we strutted to the beat of blown horns and bass that seemed to linger in the humidity. A look up at the sky revealed stars that glittered like the polished coupes that left us in their breeze.
 
“How ya’ll doing,” said the two young guys sitting on the stoop as if they were truly interested in our response. The children we really were giggled to each other as we lifted our heads in our best impressions of older girls.
 
“Fine”, we said in unison, just like we practiced before we left the house.
 
It was perfect, there was one for me and one for her. Of course the light-skinned one with the curly hair was mine.
 
“My name is Marcus and this is Jamar,” said my soft haired Romeo. “What yall was about to get into?”
 
Before we even knew what was happening, his question had our underage entourage at the liquor store and back with two 40s of St. Ize and a half pint of Evan Williams. Pleased with our conquest, we cracked the cold bottles and filled our cups with the thick brew.
 
Cup after plastic cup, it never crossed my mind that I was only 14 and had never consumed an ounce of liquor before. I never though about the fact that I was a virgin trying to act like a seasoned vet -- or that trying to act like an older girl would attract older boys and older boys want to fuck. Ironically enough, that all came back to me just as the room started to spin. And then, everything... became... black.
 
I woke up to my pretty light-skinned thang kissing on my neck, sending what felt like bolts of electricity to the rising humidity in my jeans. My warm moisture exploded in his palm when he pressed up against it. And then, everything...became... black.
 
My eyes fluttered open as his hand slipped clumsily down my pants through a tangled web of my open jeans and belt. My body tensed with his touch, like his skin on mine momentarily bought me back from the dark place I had been. I tried to move and couldn’t. I laid there and watched him standing over me, salivating as he unbuckled his pants.
 
“Yeah shorty,” Marcus said, “I know you want it.”