Prologue

Crissy gripped the pole tightly and pulled herself up. Lifting her legs slowly, she let their eyes linger on her backside until the music picked up.

She swung herself off and twirled smoothly, the small crowd jeered and clapped, asking her closer. She swirled her hips, slowly moving closer to the edge of the stage. Crissy kneeled on the floor and crawled over. Dozens of hands reached out to touch her, wanting to be a part of her.

When they slid the money into her small rhine stoned panties, they let their fingers linger and drag across her stomach or thigh; touching wherever they thought they could get away with it.

Lying on the floor, black hair fanned out around her like a dark halo, she arched her back and pushed her breasts forward. Feeling for the clasp of her glittering bra she slid it off, and ran her fingertips across her chest and face. More hands were on her. Touching her. Always wanting to touch her. That was all they were to her; hands with money. Not real men.

One pair of hands sat deep in their owner's pockets, clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. His eyes watched the other men touching her. She writhed like a whore for them.

He started to stand up when her eyes connected with his. He didn't see any recognition pass through her. He had been here, at this club, every night she worked and she didn't recognize him?

She couldn't tell how different he was from these men? Those dirty minded pigs. He was here for her. No other man had the dedication he had.

He watched a Hispanic man slip a ten into her panties and run his finger across his thigh. Eugene stood suddenly, causing his chair to topple backwards. A few people at the tables close to his jumped at the harsh noise, but Crissy and the men around her didn't look up.

He stormed out through the front entrance and walked to his car. Sitting in the front seat, he thought about how she needed to know how he felt about her. How if she knew how different he was from those other men, she would want him just as much as he wanted her.

Eugene started up the old Volvo and pulled around to the back of the club where the employees parked. He decided he would wait there until she came out, tell her how he felt about her and she would bring him home with her where they would make love.

It was another hour before she finally came out. Wearing jeans and an old baggy sweatshirt, she didn't look like the exotic vixen he knew on stage. Her skin was still porcelain, and her hair still as black as night, but under the light of the street lamp, she looked like any other stripper coming out of The Pink Pony.

He pushed his disappointment aside and focused on the bundle in her arms. What he had initially thought to be her bag, was a child. A little black haired girl dressed in an orange tutu and red cowboy boots.

How much more could she expect him to put up with? She has a child? Was she married too? What else was she keeping from him?

She did a quick scan of the parking lot then walked to her car. It was a beat up little thing parked underneath one of the trees. As she walked he noticed how a breezy it seemed outside, but to him the air had been hot and still.

Crissy struggled with keeping a hold of Marlow and unlocking her car, so when Eugene came up behind her, she didn't notice him until he snatched the keys out of her hand.

"Hey!" She whipped around clutched Marlow closer to her chest.

"Hi Crissy. I've been waiting for you to come out, my name's Eugene Tunson, do you think we could talk?"

Eugene was uncomfortably close to her; with the car at her back she couldn't back up any further.

"I don't think so. I'm very tired so please, hand me back my keys and I'll be on my way."

"I waited all night for you. The least you could do is talk to me." He inched forward, his belly coming in contact with Marlow.

"No. Give me back my keys!" Crissy reached out to grab the keys, but he held them out of reach.

She shifted Marlow in her arms and kicked him right between the legs. Eugene dropped to the ground onto his knees, the keys forgotten.

She snatched them up off the ground and ran around to the driver's side. With the car unlocked she put Marlow in the front seat and started the car.

"Mama?"

Crissy jumped when she heard Marlow's voice.

"It's okay baby, we're going ho-" She was cut off when her door was thrown open and she was yanked out by her hair. Eugene dragged her further into the shadows under the tree. Giving her one final tug, he tossed her forward and fell on top of her.

She slapped at his face and screamed. Using her nails she went for his eyes, he jerked back and punched her clean across the face.

"See what you've made me do?! I love you!" Stars danced in front of her eyes and her vision spun.

"Stop. Please, I'll do whatever you want."

"I came to see you every night! You never paid me any attention! Always whoring it up in front of those men. Can't you see they only want your body?"

Crissy hit him as hard as she could in his nose with her palm; blood spurted out and onto her face. She rolled him off her when he let go of her shoulders. She crawled as fast as she could, kicking up soil and leaves with each move.

She pushed up onto her feet to run, she was so close to the car. His nails dug into the skin on her lower back when he grabbed her by her pants. He yanked back, making her land hard and smack her head on a tree root.

He fell onto her again and she screamed and kicked. Eugene pushed up her sweatshirt and started to unbutton her pants when he heard screaming behind him. He jumped up quickly, stumbling a little, and locked eyes with the little black haired girl.

Crissy sat up sobbing, glad he was off of her and tried to cover herself up. Her eyes searched for the man, but jerked to a stop when she saw Marlow standing in front of him.

"Marlow get back in the car! Run!"

"Should I squeeze him, Mama? He hurt you."

Crissy was at a loss for words, Marlow's normally blue eyes had turned a shade of murky purple. Her hand was stretched out as though reaching out for something, but both she and Eugene were still.

He couldn't move. It felt like being submerged in gelatin, the air around him was frozen, keeping a firm hold on his whole body.

"Marlow get back in the car now!" He heard Crissy yell at her girl. He stared into Marlow's eyes, the murky glowing purple showed intelligence that he wouldn't have seen in a normal eight year old.

"I'm gonna squeeze him."

It was becoming hard to breathe; each breath he took had less air in it than the last. Wheezing, if he could move he would have collapsed onto the ground. His muscles began to tighten and his lungs burned. Eugene had never been in this much pain in his life. There was so much.. pressure! Pressure was the only word her could come up with to describe the feeling. It felt as though thousands of hands were pushing down and squeezing his entire body. Crushing him. His chest felt like it was about to cave in. He tried to scream, but there was no air left. It was like being under water. Slowly being dragged deeper and deeper, the pressure constantly building until his eyes burst.

Crissy watched through terrified eyes as the man who had attacked her turned purple in the face, his mouth forming a silent scream of agony. Fresh, hot blood oozed from his mouth and ears as his whole body shook. The sound of his bones breaking and snapping filled her ears just as his chest collapsed into itself.

Marlow's hand dropped to her side but her eyes remained their eerie liquid purple. Not a second after her hand fell did Eugene's lifeless body drop to the ground in a bloody heap.

A cool breeze twitched and twirled around Marlow's legs and played with her tutu.

Crissy cried out, hysterical from what she had just witnessed. Marlow turned to look at her mother. She frowned and went to her. Crissy jerked and backed away from her, raising her hands to keep her at a distance. Confusion and pain from the rejection flashed in Marlow's eyes.

"Please don't be mad Mama. I just wanted him to stop."