by T. Styles
“Am I missing something?” Slade asked. “One minute you say you wanna leave with me and the next…”
“I do want to leave with you.” She paused. “It’s just that I can’t go now.”
“See that’s the thing, Farah. It’s either now or never.”
“Slade, maybe you can stay here,” Farah suggested. “It’s enough room for you. You’ll love it here with a little time.”
Audio rubbed his hands together and eyed Zashay and Nicola. “Now that I think about it, your friends are looking hella sweet, Farah.” Audio rubbed his hands together again. “I can definitely learn to love it here.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Slade said to him before turning back around and looking at Farah. “Listen, I’m not leaving here without you. I didn’t come this far for nothing.”
“Slade, baby, the love of my life.” She grabbed his hands. “I can’t leave my family.”
“Your family? You don’t share no blood with these niggas.” He frowned.
“Well technically she does,” Audio said.
Slade glared.
“Farah, what about me? Ain’t I family too?” His nostrils flared. “Don’t you wanna finally see what we can be? Together. This is what it’s always been about. Getting back to us.”
“I want nothing more.” She hugged him. “So I’m asking you not to leave.” She separated from him. “Please.”
“You know what, fuck all that.” He looked at her hard and picked her up, before tossing her over his shoulder, quickly moving toward the exit.
“Let her go!” Nicola yelled.
“Stop!” Zashay screamed. “Put her down!”
When Slade made it out of the mansion with Farah still hung over his shoulder like a fresh t-shirt, his brothers behind him, he heard the sound of many guns cocking. Slowly he turned around and eight barrels were aimed at him.
All fully loaded.
“Let her go,” Swanson warned. “Now.”
Slade glared. “Ya’ll niggas gonna have to shoot cause I’m not putting my bitch down. Fuck that shit.”
“So be it then, big country,” Swanson and the others were about to blast him off the planet.
“WAIT!” Farah yelled. “Don’t shoot him, Swanson. Please. I love him and I’m begging you.”
Swanson continued to aim.
“Put your guns down!” Farah yelled to The Fold. “Now!”
Slowly they lowered their weapons.
“Slade, please let me go,” she said softly.
“Farah—”
“Slade, if you love me you’d do what I’m asking.” She paused. “Please.”
Slowly he released her to stand on her feet. Looking up at him she said, “I can’t leave with you right now. I wish I could but now is not the best time.”
“Like I said it’s now or never,” he said.
She dropped to her knees and held onto his pants. “Then let it be now.”
He looked around and sighed deeply. “Get up, Farah.” He helped her to her feet.
“Stay, Slade. Stay right here with me.”
Slade looked at her and then the members of The Fold. This wasn’t his kind of place and as far as he was concerned it never would be. Just then the doors opened again and Cutie bolted out. The moment she laid eyes on him she knew who he was and she fell in love as if he belonged to her. Violating his space immediately, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. “Slade, it’s really you! I can’t believe it.”
“Cutie, go back in the house,” Farah demanded.
“But it’s Slade!”
“GO NOW!” Farah yelled. “THIS IS SERIOUS!”
Slowly she pulled herself away from him. “Okay. It was nice meeting you.”
Slade focused on Farah and touched her face. “If you don’t leave with me now, I guess you’re saying that it’s over. Is that what you want?”
“Please don’t. I can’t…I just…”
“Goodbye, Farah Cotton.”
“Slade, please!”
He continued to walk away, his brothers behind him.
“Slade, no!” She screamed again. “Please don’t GOOOOOOOOO!”
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER
Farah sat on a red and gold kings chair in the party room. It was the first hunt since last year when Slade showed up at the mansion and she missed him daily although it was of no use. He made his decision and she was stuck with starting a life without him. It was as if someone she loved died everyday and she was forced to relive the hateful moment repeatedly.
As she looked down at the bloodsucking and fucking going on around her, she didn’t want to participate at the moment. Her mind was elsewhere.
Don’t get her twisted.
Every day a willing participant shared her bed and gave of their sweet blood freely but she was bored and alone, kicking all willing Givers out just to think about Slade when they got too emotional or wanted more from The Fold’s new boss. She kept them prosperous and mentally sane…well, a little anyway.
“Farah, you seem sad,” Zashay said standing next to her. “I mean, look around. We are richer and more powerful than ever and we owe it all to you. Be happy about it because I am.”
“I…I guess. I don’t feel well though.” She paused. “Sorry.”
“You need blood.” She paused. “Maybe the Giver I vetted for you will be a match.”
“I’m—”
“He’s in your room.”
“What the fuck are you doing? Givers aren’t allowed in our private quarters.”
Zashay extended her hand. “Just come with me.”
Farah sighed but to get her out of her face she walked away with her. Not feeling like any of it, once she made it to her room her heart rocked when she saw Slade standing in the middle of the floor waiting.
Farah looked back at Zashay excitedly. “Enjoy,” she said before winking and walking out.
“Slade, I don’t understand,” she ran up to him. “Does this mean you’ll stay?”
“It means I’m not leaving you. And if you here, guess I’m here too.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her long and hard. “Oh, and I brought Audio with me. I think he joined the little party you were having down the hallway. He missed last years and wasn’t interested in missing out again. Hope you don’t mind.”
“What about your baby? Your son? I don’t want to separate you from him.”
“Once a month I will visit and send money to make sure he’s good. He will always be safe.”
She jumped in his arms and he carried her to bed. She pulled the drawer open and grabbed a gold razor. “Can I make you famous?” She asked.
“Go ahead, mama,” he winked. “Do your thing.”
****
A FEW DAYS LATER
Phoenix walked toward Cutie’s room preparing to try and seduce her again. Lately since Slade and Audio were in the house she was interested in writing and reading her books, something that Slade said she would be good at. Although she said no many times, when she knocked on the door he was surprised to see her sitting in the middle of the bed.
No TV.
No radio.
Just sitting.
“You called me in here so what’s up?”
“Got tired of saying no to you,” she tapped the bed. “Come inside.”
He approached and the moment they were face to face, she got off the bed and slapped him. “What the fuck?” He held onto his face.
“Aw…I’m sorry,” she said in a sad tone. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that I love you so much and you don’t love me like I do you.”
He frowned. “What is this?”
She slapped him again.
He was about to steal her in the jaw when Audio stepped out of the bathroom. “You don’t wanna do that, bruh.” He was filing his nails. “Go ‘head and let shawty do her thing.”
On that note Cutie slapped, kicked and even bit almost every part of his body. She didn’t let up until she was tired. When
she was done he said, “You’re gonna wish you didn’t do this.”
Audio stepped closer. “Doubt that very much, homie. Get to moving.”
****
Farah was lying up under Slade watching TV when the phone rang. When she picked up her cell she saw it was Mia.
“What you doing?” Mia asked frantically. “I gotta talk to you about something. Are you alone?”
Farah sat up. “What is it? You’re scaring me.”
“Daddy got put into the SHU (Security Housing Unit) the other day.”
“For what?”
“Beating up the inmate who connected you with them drugs.”
“But why? He’s been looking out. Because of him my people stay medicated.”
“Farah them drugs ain’t real. They are just different placebo versions of the same meds. So that means this whole year you been paying this nigga thousands for sugar pills.”
Farah sat up straight. “But how he know?”
“He was bragging around the prison and daddy overheard him.” She paused. “But how they been acting? Do they seem fine?”
Farah thought about the strange blood she’d been seeing around the house, in areas they didn’t drink. She thought about the strange articles of clothing she’d find in the lawn or backyard and the I.D.’s that didn’t belong to anyone in the group, or the Givers. She even recalled walking past secret conversations that would stop when Farah, the boss, would walk by.
“Farah, how have things been?” Mia asked again. “I mean…maybe they don’t need the drugs if things are fine.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
Suddenly she heard sirens nearing the mansion. When she leapt up and ran outside she saw cops covering the front lawn. Members of The Fold stepped outside of the mansion, along with Slade, Audio and Cutie to see what was going on. Although they were all running from one thing or another, they definitely had legit paperwork that would pass through any scrutiny from the police, but still, no one wanted them there.
One of the policemen walked up to her. “Are you the homeowner?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You can take it however you want.”
He smiled. “Well we’re looking for three young ladies who went missing from a nightclub last week.”
“What that got to do with us, officer?” Slade asked.
He looked up at him. “A lot. For starters the last call that pinged from one of the girl’s cell phone’s at this location. So, I guess we got some questions for you and everyone who lives here.”
CHARACTER KEY
THE COTTONS
Farah Cotton
Farah hated her lighter skin when she was younger due to every member in her family being dark. As she got older she became arrogant about her complexion believing it gave her privileges. With time her perspective changed. Born with Porphyria, which causes blemishes when she’s stressed she drinks blood to ease her pain. We later learned that Ashur, the man she thought was her father was not. Instead it was Jay, her Physical Education teacher in high school.
Shadow Cotton
Shadow is Farah’s brother.
Mia Cotton
Mia is Farah’s older sister. Had issues with her weight and is a master plan creator.
Chloe Cotton
Chloe is Farah’s youngest sister who died in a car accident in which her boyfriend, Audio Baker was also present. We learned it was because Theo Cunningham, the boy the Cottons tormented in the beginning of Redbone, ran her off the road. Chloe later died.
Brownie Cotton
Brownie was Farah’s mother. Throughout Farah’s life Brownie tormented her because of her lighter skin. Brownie was later murdered by Theo but finished off by Farah.
Ashur Cotton
Ashur, a closeted homosexual, is Mia, Shadow and Chloe’s birth father. For years Farah thought he was her birth father despite her light skin. Ashur went to prison for murdering a family in broad daylight at the bus stop.
Elise Gill
Elise Gill, who also suffers from porphyria, is Brownie’s mother. She had Brownie at 12 years old. She doesn’t wash because household products exacerbate her condition. She is murdered.
THE BAKER BOYS
Slade Baker
Slade is the love of Farah’s life. He is very strong and the oldest of the brothers in his family.
Audio Baker
Audio is the youngest brother of the Bakers. He’s hot headed and a loose cannon.
Major Baker
Major is also Slade’s brother. He sold weed as a kid.
Brian ‘Killa’ Baker
Killa is Slade’s brother. Gambles heavily and enjoys weapons. He learns to always examine the eyes to see the truth versus what they say.
Knox Baker
Knox is Slade’s brother. He robbed houses as a kid and ran from Mississippi with the evidence necessary to keep his family out of prison. Farah killed him in her house.
Judge
Judge is the Baker Boys cousin. He killed a lot of people. He’s 6 feet tall and ugly as a rhino. His brother is Grant.
Grant
Grant is the Baker Boys cousin He killed a lot of people. He’s 5’5” tall, makes the decisions for his brother Judge. Grant wears a stiff smile at all times and he enjoys killing.
THE FOLD
Bones
Bones is second in charge of The Fold. Responsible for keeping things ticking. He’s obsessed with Farah Cotton and was a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution. Has long neat dreadlocks running down his back. Loves inflicting pain for sexual gratification
Mayoni
Mayoni is a member of The Fold and responsible for bringing Farah into the group. She’s beautiful, Asian and has brown hair. Also a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Carlton
Carlton is a member of The Fold and Mayoni’s boyfriend. Carlton has been shaking people for years. The tip of his nose was shot off and he’s a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Zashay
Zashay has Munchausen syndrome. Was dating Bones and is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Nicola
Nicola is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Denny
Denny is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Eve
Eve is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Phoenix
Phoenix is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Wesley
Wesley is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Gregory
Gregory is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Swanson
Swanson is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Vivica
Vivica is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution.
Lootz
Lootz is a former patient at Crescent Falls Mental Institution. He was murdered.
Dr. Weil
Dr. Weil is the leader of The Fold. Ten years back he was in charge of Crescent Falls, a mental institution, whose patients were tortured and castrated because they complained about the conditions of this facility. Dr. Weil tried to hold meetings with family members to advise of the conditions but nothing changed. So on Christmas Eve Dr. Weil released 13 patients who were in for treatable illnesses or sexual deviances. He injected the others with anesthesia and set Crescent Falls on fire. The remaining members make up The Fold.
TWO MEMBERS MISSING FROM THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEEN – CUTIE’S FRIEND WAS ONE.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Theo Cunningham
Theo was kicked in penis by Farah and her siblings as a child. His mother Dinette was killed by Mia and Shadow. He later killed Brownie and Chloe. He also showed Slade proof that she killed his brother Knox.
/> Sheriff Kramer
Sheriff Kramer deputized the Baker Boys to help remove a motorcycle club called the Killer Bees out of town. Things were great until an official police killed another officer while trying to take down the last member. Instead of admitting guilt, Sheriff Kramer turned on the Baker Boys and lied, saying they were responsible. But Knox secretly recorded the initial meeting on his cell phone from where he solicited their help.
Tornado
Tornado was murdered by Slade in the hallway of Platinum Lofts. He was arrested for Tornado’s death.
Willie
Willie is Randy’s father who was angry that he took over his drug business while he was in prison and wasn’t willing to turn it back over upon his release. He later orchestrated his own son’s murder.
