Magi Saga 1: Epic Calling

by Andrew Dobell

  The streets of Manhattan were busy with people going about their business, while the yellow cabs fought along the streets sounding their horns as they went. She would miss New York, it had become her home over these past couple of years and she knew it so well now.

  The streets are one thing you learn about pretty fast when you work in the underbelly of a metropolitan area such as New York. She and Georgina had been in the odd scrape or two, having to sprint down the occasional alley way or over the odd fence here and there. They must have looked a sight, pelting along in their high heels, with their skirts hitched up and handbags flying. Georgina and Stuart had shown her all sorts of short cuts, hiding places and other city secrets.

  Amanda knew the right people to go to for pretty much anything she wanted, if you were prepared to pay for it. The more you paid, the quicker you got it. If she’d had the money she could have bought a Social Security number, got herself a bank account and eventually been a proper American citizen and got herself off the streets that way.

  She always enjoyed New York at night, it had that sleek sexy air of danger and grit that you often saw on celluloid, sold as something desirable. The cracked concrete and black girders, shattered glass, discarded crack needles and shadowed alleyways between steel towers with graffiti tattoos. It’s an ugly kind of beauty that the youth see as just too cool. It had rained that afternoon and the streets were slick with the aftermath of the downpour creating a black mirror shine that reflected the neon signs selling you sex and death for a quarter. The street kids were out in force, tripped out cars with fluorescent decals and chrome alloys bass thumped their way along the back streets, the faces inside giving the passers by their mad dog stare that few could meet. Into this miasma of oil slick cool and black promises slipped Amanda, heels clicking their way towards her patch and the Dark Side of the Moon Nightclub within it. Just another crimson lipped whore making her way to her next trick of the night. Behind those towers of pitch, the steadily darkening sky changed to a stunning purple and indigo, the last moments of daylight passing into memory once again.

  She walked through streets of obsidian asphalt, over steel grates that thundered with the sound of the underground trains passing beneath her, through the rising plumes of steam from the manhole covers that dotted the streets like acne and past the wolf whistling gangs of homies camped out on the stoops of their tenements. She played the games, giving as good as she got from the teasing men. They knew her anyway as she passed this way often, they called out to her, teasing the new guy in their pack to whom she would wink, make sexual gestures towards as she left them to their whooping and cat calling. Some of them had been Johns of hers anyway.

  A few more blocks of neon and brick and she turned a corner to see the nightclub before her. The Dark Side of the Moon Nightclub had once been an old church. Years ago as part of its refit into a club it had been painted black but it hadn’t been re-done since so that its facade was now one of faded cracking paint. This huge gothic edifice had been laid out in a cruciform plan and covered in spires and flying buttresses that reached like daggers into the night. The glowing neon sign above the main entrance advertised the name of the club to all and sundry in bright purple shades while spot lights in the fake graveyard lit up the walls. The light from inside made the stained glass windows that now held images of Vampires and Demons, glow and shine in the dark. Amanda could hear the deep bass of the music even now as she crossed the street towards it.

  She wondered, as she approached the building, if she would see Howie there on the door tonight. He had befriended her when she first entered America, getting her off the streets and giving her the chance she needed. It would have been fitting to see him one last time before she left New York, but as she approached the door, she could see he wasn’t there.

  The night was young, so there wasn’t yet a queue to enter. Amanda knew many of the other bouncers anyway and never had any trouble getting in, she glided inside and felt the industrial music wash over her. Dry ice hid the floor while coloured lights created a cavernous feeling inside.

  The club was divided into several levels, each almost a club unto itself. The basement area catered to the Goth and Heavy Metal music, the main floor had more of an industrial and dance feel so that a more mainstream crowd came in here while upstairs held the VIP lounge which Amanda had yet to visit. Amanda headed over to the bar and bought a shot of something stiff while settling onto a stool cross legged. She made small talk to the guys behind the bar who knew her as she passed the time waiting for Stuart to arrive. Ten Minutes later he came in, wandered over to her and leant on the bar.

  ‘Hi Mandy,’ he said.

  ‘Hi,’ she replied and kissed him on the cheek while offering him a smile. In a few days she would be leaving, taking another percentage of his income with her. He wished her nothing but the best for the future, but she knew it would mean harder times for him for a while.

  ‘How’s the packing going?’ He asked.

  ‘Well, yeah. It’s going OK. I started going through my clothes today, just a few things to sort through and I’m about finished.’

  ‘That’s good. You’re more organised than I would be.’

  ‘Well, I’m kind of eager to be over there. She’s not well.’

  ‘I know Mandy, I got a letter from her today. I don’t remember the last time I got one.’

  ‘Yeah, I got one too. It chokes me up every time I see her signature. I just wish there was something I could do for her. She’s done so much for me.’

  ‘Just being there will be enough, I’m sure of it.

  ‘Yeah. I know,’ Amanda said, lowering her head a little.

  The moment of silence lasted a few seconds. Thinking of her friend, alone and in pain in a country she didn’t know always served to bring about a more sombre mood in her. She would be hitting the streets in a moment, so she needed to be a little more positive than that, something which was getting harder all the time.

  ‘So, you want a quick one before we head out?’ Amanda asked, indicating the drink on the bar. ‘It’s on me.’

  ‘Yeah, why not,’ he replied, and Amanda called the bar tender over and got Stuart a shot of vodka.

  ‘How about you then, are you going to be OK without us? I mean, have you got enough girls working with you?’ Amanda asked.

  ‘Yeah, I’m OK. I can’t pretend things won’t be tough for a little while, but, you know, I have a few things coming up. I’ll be fine, it’s not like I haven’t had the odd rough spot before, I’ve got some savings.’

  ‘That’s Grand, really good. It makes me feel a little better.’ Amanda didn’t know an awful lot about Stuart’s history, but she knew he got into being a kind of pimp because he had been hard up one year and a friend of his, after admitting to him she worked as a prostitute, needed someone on the street with her to protect her. The money wasn’t great but his boxing career was over and it was pretty much the only skill he had.

  ‘You shouldn’t feel bad Mandy, don’t ever feel bad for doing this. It’s the right thing to do and if you hadn’t chosen to do it yourself, I would have made you go to Ireland anyway.’

  Amanda smiled ashamedly at Stuart. He was a good man and had been there for both her and Georgina on a few occasions.

  ‘So, what’s the plan for the next few nights then?’ Stuart asked. ‘You working right up until you go?’

  ‘That’s the plan,’ she answered. ‘I might as well get as much money before I go as I can.’

  Stuart nodded at this. ‘That’s cool; I’ll be there each night for you.’

  ‘You’re a legend Stu,’ she said warmly. ‘I know you like to put across this image of the hard man, but deep inside you’re just a softy.’

  ‘Heh! Well, maybe, but don’t you go spoiling this image I’ve built up now will you!’ He said jokingly.

  ‘Me? Never!’ she answered playfully. Amanda finished off the last of her drink and turned back to Stuart. ‘Ok, shall we?’ she asked expectantly.


  Stuart took the hint and downed the last of his own drink, ‘We shall!’

  Stuart took hold of Amanda’s arm and helped her off her stool before heading out of the club into the night with her.

  The stars were out, winking in the darkness above but barely visible beyond the yellow glow of the street. The air felt cool on Amanda’s legs, but not as cold as it could be on a night in May. Stuart and Amanda soon reached the familiar patch of street that Stuart’s girls held as their own. This run down section of street with tenements and small businesses looked like it had seen better days. Some of the street lamps were smashed or broken, a burnt out car sat by the curb nearby and the people who lived here were barely surviving day to day, their lives nothing but a struggle from dawn till dusk. Already there seemed to be a smattering of curb crawlers amongst the regular traffic.

  Amanda and Stuart walked down the street towards the knot of girls stood over on the other side of the road. These were Stuarts other girls and Amanda knew them in a casual way. Amanda had kept them at a distance somewhat since Georgina’s departure. They were sympathetic and basically friendly but they were also into things Amanda really didn’t want to get involved in, most were serious or casual users of drugs for a start.

  Stepping through the parked cars on their side of the road, she approached the group with a smile, Stuart just behind her.

  ‘Hiya girlfriend!’ shrieked Renée. The rest of the girls turned round and a chorus of greetings rang out from them. Amanda smiled, said she was ok and exchanged pleasantries. These four girls would be the ones Stuart would be pimping for when Amanda had gone; they were Naomi, Renée, Jenny and Jade. Renée, the youngest at sixteen years old would try anything once, while Jade held the title of eldest at twenty three. All but one of them had got into street walking fairly recently, only Jade had started before Amanda. Once pleasantries had been exchanged and now that Stuart had arrived, they could finally start work. Stuart didn’t like them to work without him there, he said he felt responsible for them and would feel terrible if anything happened to them while he was absent. Despite this, they all pulled the odd trick on their own.

  Within a couple of minutes two of the girls had taken clients and it wasn’t long before one of Amanda’s regulars pulled over, parked up and wandered over to her. Amanda saw him coming and smiled warmly at him as he approached.

  ‘Richard. How are ye doing? She asked.

  ‘Okay, okay,’ he answered nervously. Richard, fairly shy but friendly, had always been one of her more endearing Johns. He always seemed embarrassed about coming over and asking for sex, but Amanda knew what he liked to do now which made things easier for him.

  He smiled at her and asked in his usual halting manner, ‘I, erm. Could I…you know?’

  Amanda smiled at him and answered his question for him. ‘Would you like your usual Dicky?’

  Richard nodded and looked sheepish.

  Amanda gestured to Stuart who was already close having seen Amanda talking to someone.

  ‘Ok Richard, you know the drill,’ Stuart said after having walked over. He stepped closer to Richard and gave him a quick and discreet pat down to check for weapons. It was a precaution that perhaps didn’t need doing with Richard as both had known him for months, but it was one that Stuart wouldn’t stop doing no matter how regular a customer you were. Once he had been checked over Richard handed over the money to Stuart, and Amanda took Richard by the hand and led him to the nearby alleyway the girls used for most of their encounters.

  Amanda never really enjoyed this part of it, but when it was a regular who she knew and trusted she would make it a little more enjoyable for them than for any others. She would at least look as though she was having a good time for someone like Richard.

  It only lasted a few minutes, but Richard had a smile on his face as he pulled up his trousers. Amanda looked at him and thought about telling him she would be leaving soon. She and Stuart had chosen not to tell any of Amanda’s regulars about her plans, they were the only ones she might have told, but they had decided against it as some of them might not have handled it very well. Richard wouldn’t flip or do something rash, but looking at him there she knew it would break his heart to tell him.

  He had told Amanda so many secrets about his life, and she had listened patiently to them all, she had been a shoulder for him to cry on so many times that she nearly slipped, she nearly told him she was leaving, but she caught herself at the last moment. Eventually he would find someone else, another girl to befriend, he would be fine she told herself.

  Moments later she had said her goodbyes to him and walked over to Stuart.

  ‘You were a little longer than usual,’ he said to her.

  Amanda smiled. ‘I know, I thought I’d make it a little more special for him this time. I’ll not see him again before I leave.’

  ‘Don’t be doing that for them all. You’ll never make any money otherwise,’ he replied half-jokingly.

  Amanda raised one eyebrow and smiled with one corner of her mouth. ‘Don’t worry, there are only a couple of regulars I’d do that for, and I don’t think I’ll be seeing any more of them tonight.’

  ‘Mmm hmmm,’ he muttered teasingly as he counted the cash once more.

  ‘Hey, it’s me last few days on the job Stu, let me be will you!’ Amanda replied in mock outrage, Stuart smiled. Turning to the nearby shop window she adjusted her clothes in the reflection, making sure she looked her best for the next John.

  ‘Can I have a little something to go to the shop with?’ she said. 'I fancy some Taytos and a drink.' Stu knew what she meant having grown used to her Irish slang.

  ‘Hmm? Oh yes, of course, here you go,’ he said, and gave her a handful of notes. ‘Get me a packet of Chips too.’ Stuart kept the money until the end of the night usually; for the girls to have it with them alone in the alleyways would be far too risky.

  ‘That’s grand, back in a mo,’ she chimed in her sing song Irish tone.

  Amanda walked off down the street, her heels sounding off the concrete as she walked away. Stuart and Amanda typically worked at one end of the group of girls that walked this particular street. A convenience store sat on the corner only two hundred yards away down the street, past an alley way and a few closed shop fronts, it sold almost anything you might want in the middle of night.

  That last John, mixed with the drink she had had in the nightclub had ended up dehydrating her and making her feel hungry, Amanda really felt like she could do with something to sip over the next few hours.

  It would be a long night and Amanda had no intention of leaving her patch until every other girl was gone from the area. She had worked like this for a while now, bringing in as much money as she could making it thirsty work, and tonight showed little sign of being any different.

  A few dozen yards away from the pack Amanda glanced back at the ladies of the night that dotted this infamous street, one of several in the area.

  A little over a year ago she would have had a very different opinion of these women, although most would be better classified as girls. She would have looked down her nose at them and seen nothing but the scum of the earth stood there in high heels and tiny skirts flashing their ‘goods’ off to whoever drove by.

  Now she had changed her opinion, and she only saw fellow desperate ladies, friends, acquaintances, people who had little other option than to work on the streets making use of the one resource that they all had. Now, she sympathized with them and knew the hardships they had to deal with every day. She knew she had it easy compared to most, compared to some she led a pampered life. She didn’t take drugs, she wasn’t dependant on any substances, she had a friendly pimp, she didn’t owe anyone money and her life was very much her own. She’d been extraordinarily lucky and she knew it. If you could call being a Pro lucky.

  Stuart saw her looking back and raised his hand in a gesture of acknowledgement, Amanda grinned back.

  She hit on the idea of buying Stuart something too. No point in
letting a trip to the store go to waste, and any way, he deserved a little something. She would buy him a more suitable present to say thank you in a day or so, but for now, a chocolate bar would have to do.

  Suddenly pulled her off of her feet, something large and rough gripped her, yanked her sideways and catapulted her down the alleyway in a tumbling arc through the air.

  *

  Late May, Now.

  The demon pulled its bloody fist from the ruined wall and the pulped remains of Stuart, before it roared its defiance at the heavens.

  She had to get away, run from this place and save herself from what must surely be certain death. But her whole body ached, she could feel scrapes and bruises all over her. She had landed badly from being thrown, hitting her knees and arms and ribs on the unforgiving floor and then her head on the wall that had brought her to a stop. She shook from the pain and the fear she felt, and knew instinctively that she wouldn’t be able to stand, so she planted her hands on the floor and pulled herself along, not looking back at the demon, the thing behind her.

  She scraped her thighs and knees on the rough floor as she moved, her fingers slipping over the wet asphalt. She had to escape.

  ‘Going somewhere witch?’ the thing behind her rumbled.

  The voice of a demon, deep and powerful, it filled her mind with nightmare images, and froze her to the spot.

  She twisted herself round and looked upon the walking death machine once more as it stepped casually after Amanda, closing the gap between them to just ten or fifteen feet. She could smell it now; its stench filled her nostrils. It smelt like a fetid, rotting dogs musk, a thick and revolting stench, and it made Amanda feel like vomiting.

  ‘You can’t escape me this time witch, this time I make you suffer,’ it said in its deep bass voice that made Amanda’s rib cage vibrate.

  Amanda wasn’t really listening though, her breathing came to her quickly in terrified gasps, tears filled her eyes and pain filled her mind. The physical pain of her injuries and the mental anguish she felt over the death of her last friend in New York.