Free Tales of the Fallen Book I: Awakenings by Edward Lee, David G. Barnett Page A

tried to gather himself up as he realized everyone was looking at him now.
    Dew slapped his hand on the bar laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. He eventually pulled it together, “Travis, this here is Bobby. And don’t let those eyes and that body fool ya. Bobby’s packing enough meat to put even me to shame.”
    Bobby gave Travis a smile that would make any man hand over his wallet, car keys and stock options in a second and followed it up with a neon green wink. Travis almost swooned. Then the voice: “What’s da fuck ya doin’ with dis shitbag? He ain’t nuthin’ but trouble…with a capital FUCK YOU!” Then Bobby and Dew exploded with laughter again as the gap at the bar widened a little more.
    “Bobby! Set us up with some Mind-Fucks. Travis and I are gonna get tore up and then tear up some serious dick warmers.”
    Bobby snorted. “You’se sure gots a way wit da words, Dew.” Then to Travis, “Dis fuck’s a real charmer, ain’t he?” Then Bobby didn’t walk away so much as disappear, only to return in a second with two giant glasses, filled with a purple liquid that Travis could have sworn screamed when Bobby set them on the bar.   When Travis blinked, Bobby was at the other end of the bar. Dew crammed one of the drinks into Travis’ hand.
    “A toast to…”
    “…pussy?” Travis said, seeing where this was going.
    “TO PUSSY!” Dew yelled. And the rest of the bar joined him, everyone screaming back: “TO PUSSY!”
    Travis took a big swig of his Mind-Fuck and…
     
    ««—»»
     
    When Travis came to he found he was staring himself in the face. He quickly looked around only to discover he was standing in the middle of a large room. The relentless bass pounded in the distance. Travis could feel sweat sliding down his back and finding its way into his ass crack. God it’s hot in here, he thought. His eyes tracked around the room until he saw himself again. He jumped a little, then felt foolish as he realized he was staring into an enormous mirror. “Shit,” he said softly, lowering his head shakily. If he had been more observant, Travis would have noticed his reflection not do the same.
    Travis raised his head again and stared at himself. He was old. But he didn’t look as old as he actually was. No, years of dark magic and rituals to extend his life so he could see his plan to the end had hidden his true age. But still, he almost didn’t recognize the man in the mirror anymore. Oh, it was him, he knew that, but even with the magic, the years of darkness had had its affect on him. Where once Travis stood well over six feet tall and straight as an arrow, his shoulders now slumped making him look smaller, turtle-like. His eyes sat behind smudged, thick glasses, making them look freakishly large. His bald head was peppered with dark brown spots, and his skin shone white in the dark room as though being lit from inside his body. “I am one pale-ass motherfucker,” he said to his image.
    “You got that right, brother,” agreed his image.
    Travis jumped back as if shot.
    “And you peed yourself,” said his reflec…well it wasn’t really his reflection was it—definitely more his image—it didn’t mimic Travis’ actions at all. In fact, Travis felt hot piss streaming down his leg, but didn’t see his image in the mirror doing the same.
    Travis stumbled back a couple of steps and quickly found himself on his ass. The fall stunned him as he looked to find out what he had fallen over. He began immediately backpedaling when he saw the young girl painted with the whitish-blue of death at his feet.
    Travis’ image raised an eyebrow. “Nice work, my man.”
    “I   d-d-didn’t…”
    The image, grinning and eyes wide, nodded its head. “Oh yeah, you d-d-did.”
    Travis looked at the girl’s body. The first thing he thought was, no blood . He followed the curvy contours of her shapely body up, up and up until he saw the necklace of hideous black and blue bruises she