More of the New Story!

While I have been quiet of late, I have been working. In fact, here's the real first chapter of the new story!

The Cessna Citation caught the sunlight and banked left, aiming away from the mainland and into the Pacific. The pilot and co-pilot were chartered out of Mexico City, and the flight left the coast of Sonora before leaving all terra firma behind. The cabin had seating for twelve, but only six of the seats were taken. The only other passenger on the flight was the attendant, who wore a white pantsuit with a blue scarf casually tied around her neck. She was amiable, middle-aged, but couldn’t disguise the looks of derision thrown the other occupants’ way. I didn’t blame her. I didn’t like the looks of us either.

The other guests were almost two decades younger, and the combination of youth, the setting, and the liberal application of champagne made for a raucous trip. I was only a few years older, posing as a journalist tagging along for an inside look at how the other half lives. 

Jamie and Pike Pulley were cousins. Each gained some web notoriety on their own merits, such as they were, but had become a sort of dynasty unto themselves. Jamie made his bones in gaming streams. His first videos had been horror games, made popular by Jamie’s legendary freak-outs when a jump scare caught him off guard. That turned into online shooters, and Jamie boasted an audience in the millions, following his exploits both in the latest multiplayer online shooter and out of it. Most recently he’d been suspended for a week from posting new content to his popular streaming channel after streaming some video of Jamie looming over female attendees of a gaming convention while they slept. Sometimes just making faces, but he’d cuddled up to a few of them, too. While he and most of his minions thought it was hilarious to see a girl wake up to a stranger cuddled into her side, the ladies were less amused. 

If Jamie was classless, his older brother Pike was worse. Pike cameoed on Jamie’s channel sometimes, when one of them needed to spike some ratings or make a big announcement, but it was his real-world shenanigans that packed his channel with content. While Jamie had the thin, sallow features of a gamer, Pike looked like he was auditioning for a superhero film. His famous parade of girlfriends would appear with him in vacation spots, or cooking, or spending the day at a theme park. He created his own reality show and people were tuning in. The Pulleys had become more famous than either of them individually. They were nouveau celebrity royalty, and their kingdom was the internet.

Shogun was challenger to the throne, and hadn’t spoken a word to Jamie Pulley since they first caught sight of each other. As the adopted name implies, Shogun was of Japanese-American descent. His real name was Eric Shimizu, and he’d been playing games for as long as his hands had been able to hold a joystick. He started in some local fighting game tournaments, and made a name for himself playing Street Fighter. As it happened, you could make a fair amount of money in tournament play if you were good enough - and a hell of a lot more in some of the hotel room side games. Throw in some income from streaming his gaming sessions and private lessons to players who wanted to learn secrets straight from Shogun and you had a young man with a very substantial bank account. 

The most famous among the assemblage were Trish and Davey Lyle. While Pike Pulley might have lived like he was the star of a reality show, Trish and Davey were the real thing. 

Davey was the star of Hey Everybody!, a television show aimed at kids that had taken on a cult following outside its native Canada. As the puckish lead, Davey landed roles in Hollywood movies during his teen years, but the well dried when his boyish qualities failed to translate into action hero dynamics, or even romantic leads. 

Fortunately for Davey, his real-life amour made a furtherance of their careers possible. While Davey was gaining popularity in Canada, south of the border in the United States, Trish had her own television show, The World According to Maddie. Trish Holley was Maddie, and, along with her sidekick Gwen, the two had all sorts of adventures that would culminate in a song. Stuck in the old silver mine? The sweet singing of the pre-teen girls would call the rescuers to their location. A dude ranch going under? Time for a benefit concert! 

Trish had the round face and lean body that the kids’ shows loved, and then puberty struck and she was too curvy for the morning slot. Instead, she tried to follow in the footsteps of child performers turned singers before her. Her first single, “Show Me What Ya Got,” featured a steamy video and a reasonably catchy chorus, but it never took off the way Trish hoped. 

A chance meeting at the party of a mutual friend brought Trish and Davey together at the moment both realized that their careers had hit their apex, and now both were caught in the moment of weightlessness before gravity returns, and they come crashing back to earth. They commiserated over good wine, and the conversation turned to laughter turned to some playful kissing on a wicker loveseat with a waterfall in the background emptying into a pool filled with equally intoxicated pretty young stars. I know this because there were pictures. Of everything.

The paparazzi loved them, and they fed the media with juicy tidbits of arguments and reconciliations. That public obsession became a reality show, but seven seasons left fans drifting away to find other entertainment. Again, the weightlessness, the threat of being normal, I guess. They got a phone call, promising them all kinds of things if they’d come to the island. 

I wagered it was the mystery that drew Raven, another moniker adopted by its owner. Lindsey Brecken was a far less dramatic name, and Raven wrapped herself in drama of the highest and most Gothic order. Instagram had been her path to fame, where her dark, horror-inspired fashion made her a hit. With naturally fair skin and jet black hair, she had the fine features of a porcelain doll. When she wrapped herself in black lace with a hint of sensuality, she was undeniable. 

That fame led her to a YouTube channel where Raven served as a kind of modern monster movie host, an Elvira for a new age. She reviewed movies, aided by a three-person team that used clever editing to give the videos a vibrant and inside-jokey feel. It all played to her natural sarcasm, and Raven was seen in the horror blogosphere as the heir apparent to the horror hosts of yesteryear. 

Raven caught Davey Lyle checking out her legs more than once, and something about the former child star eying her stockings with the spiderweb patterns made her dark lips break into a grin. When Trish shot daggers at her from deep blue eyes, Raven rose and gave Davey a better look at her legs while she plopped into the seat across from me. 

“Getting what you need, handsome?”

A wooden table sat between us, but she found a way to wind her ankle boot up my calf. I was looking at Trish and Davey, their conversation too faint to hear but the way they were looking at one another, it seemed like storms might be brewing. I didn’t pull away from Raven’s overtures, not sure yet what I might need from her. 

“I’m not here to write a gossip piece.” 

Raven screwed up her mouth and gave me a once-over, really studying me. I fidgeted, naturally uncomfortable at being the center of attention, but I played it up some by chewing my thumb. If the grim beauty wanted to think she had me wrapped around her finger, that was fine by me. 

“What are you here for?” she asked. Her booted foot was still resting against my leg, motionless at the moment. 

“I want to see for myself what a gathering of some of the most famous influencers is like. I think my readers are interested in what that life is like. It’s a completely new form of occupation. Like finding some bug no one has ever seen before.

“You think we’re bugs?”

“I think you’re unusual.”

“Me or…?” Raven twirled a finger to indicate the others in the cabin. 

“Yes and yes,” I answered with a smile. It was the most wholesome smile in my arsenal, like a glass of cold milk and a farmhouse in a field of wheat. “But it’s not a bad thing. It’s a world I never imagined.”

“You’re not one of those old men in a young body, are you? Thinks that making money on YouTube isn’t making real money?”

“No, I recognize it’s a lot of work, but it’s entertainment. It’s like being an actor or a model. I believe that what you do is a synthesis of both of those things. The idea of being famous for being famous isn’t new, but what is new is that anyone can do it now. Before you had to be born into a wealthy family or be married to soemone who threw you into the spotlight. Now, you put yourself out there and if you have that special thing, that x factor, you can be a star.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“That’s why you do it, and I report on it.”

“If you want an exclusive, maybe come by my room after we land. I’m sure I can show you some things you haven’t thought of before. It’s only fair.”

A flush crept up my neck and into my cheeks, and there was no playing that up. Raven was a stunner. Before I could stammer out a response, the speakers woke above us and the melodious voice of the captain filled the cabin with an East Texas lilt.

“We’ll be making our final descent. Everyone strap into your seats. The local time is just after five o’clock with winds out of the northwest…”

Landing on the airstrip carved into the jungle was harrowing, but the plane landed quickly and safely. There was no terminal, only a hangar for the plane to fuel and be evaluated. The six of us made our way down steps to the tarmac. The engines were still loud as they wound down, and most of them scurried away from the Cessna without thought for their bags. I stayed behind to open the storage compartments with the pilots and retrieve my duffel. I caught up to the others just as a woman in a white dress greeted them. Behind her was a modern van branded with MOREAU RESORTS on the side. 

She greeted all of us with an embrace, and I got in line just as I saw the way she closed her eyes when she hugged Trish and inhaled like she was capturing the scent of a lover she wanted to remember. Aside from the odd gesture, the woman was remarkably beautiful. Her skin was tan and healthy, with hair like bright gold that flowed around her in a shining mane. Even the flowing nature of her clothing couldn’t disguise a body beneath that offered lush pleasures. When she pressed against me and buried her face in my shoulder, I felt suddenly and urgently horny, which brought more red to my face. It had been a few weeks since my last dalliance, but that didn’t explain the sudden and urgent erection the woman inspired.

“It is so good to meet you all,” she said, still holding me by the elbows. “I am Lily, one of your hosts. Mr. Moreau will join us for drinks tonight.  Speaking of, the sun is setting and I should get you to your rooms. Please, get your things and follow me.”

I started after her, chased by the sounds of the others realizing they had to go all the way back to the plane for their bags. I took a moment to silently enjoy their required effort.

“This is so lame,” Trish complained. “I’ll get it, baby,” Davey answered fast. I tried to block the rest of their complaints out. I was here. Now things got dangerous. 

The rooms were essentially the same. The modal nature of the facility looked unbelievably old at first glance, but the interior was made of warm colors, and vibrant paintings lined the walls from bold creators. 

All the rooms were attached to a central hall that terminated in a window overlooking the grounds and the jungle beyond on one side and a set of intimidating red doors on the other. Those doors opened into the base of the tower, which none of us had yet seen from within. I secretly believed it would look like the inner workings of a lighthouse. Before you met those red doors, the hall opened up into a common area with a bar on the left and plenty of seats and sofas to relax on. While the architecture suggested the groovy sixties, the decor was Upper West Side, with dangling lights that twisted in staircase styles and lights cleverly hidden by sculptures or masks attached to the wall. 

The guest rooms were round, with curved walls leading outside and a segmented interior that included space for sleeping, an area with a writing desk a sofa and a television, and a well-furnished bathroom made up of cool brown tile. As was the lobby, the rooms were elegant and spare without feeling empty. 

I changed into jeans and a loose white shirt, a black stripe on the left side running down the front of it. I checked my phone for messages but found no connectivity and no available wifi signals. I pocketed it out of habit, and because my ID was tucked into the case. I had to operate as if the staff of Moreau resorts knew precisely who I was. The knife strapped to my calf and hidden by the cut of my jeans was there in case of emergency. 

Properly outfitted, I made my way down the carpeted hall toward the others. I was surprised to see Trish coming out of the room she shared with Davey. 

“I guess it’s party time, huh?”

“Guess so,” she said and flashed me a smile. The humor was fleeting, and what replaced the smile was a look of worry. At least I could relate to that.

The bar was attended by a pretty girl with very dark hair and pale skin, petite, with soft, round features. She was washing a wine glass while Raven sat with her back to bar and bartender, legs crossed saucily and hooked on a nearby chair by the heels of calf-high black boots. With a red dress lined by black lace and her hair wavy and parted down the middle, she was a vision of morbid poetry. It was little wonder she was a fashion icon for girls who didn’t conform to a different standard of beauty. The fact that Raven had five extra pounds in all the right places didn’t hurt, either. Her breasts were nearly falling out of the bodice-style top of the dress. I thought I could see the dark rims of her nipples, but that might have been wishful thinking. 

She glanced at me, but she was flirting in earnest with Davey Lyle. The way he was talking back, I gathered his impression of Raven’s dress and mine were pretty close. Trish was on his arm in a flash, steering him away. While I thought I might have a good time with Raven, I needed information from the others. I wasn’t going to get it investigating Raven’s cleavage. 

Shogun was seated by himself. I gave Raven a wave and made my way toward the seats. I took a seat across from Shogun and snagged some of the fruit from the spread on the table between us. The table was glass-topped and spotless. There were trays of mangoes, bananas, nuts, and all kinds of local fruits and vegetables. There were even carafes of what tasted like a mango salsa to accompany some banana chips that were fine indeed. While I marveled over those and nabbed a couple of tasty-looking nuts, I nodded to Shogun in offering. It was hard to think of him as Eric when he had the brooding thing down so pat.

He shook his head and I leaned back in my chair, sizing him up. He was small, maybe five and a half feet. There was a coiled tension to him, though, and I thought this guy might be a handful if he let the beast inside him out. 

“Nice rooms.” 

He didn’t answer. I tried breaking the ice again.

“Phone doesn’t get out. So much for the international plan.”

“I didn’t come here to text.”

“No? What did you come here for, if you don’t mind me asking? Name’s Peter Mabry.” I wiped my hand on a cocktail napkin and extended it across the table. “I’m doing an article on social influencers and a meeting of the minds like this is too good an opportunity to pass up.”

Shogun’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t shake my hand. I finally retracted it. For a second, I thought he might growl. 

“Anyways, if you want to talk, I’m all ears.”

“If I get what I want, I’ll let you know,” he said. His voice was surprisingly gentle for his face and demeanor. “Excuse me.”

He stood and walked away, heading for the bar where Raven lifted her eyebrows. I wondered if she’d seen the whole thing. 

The Pulleys arrived together. I expected nothing less. Jamie was in a hoodie, the top up to cover most of the ballcap that protruded from beneath. His hands were shoved into the baggy middle pocket. Loose jeans with some floral design sewn into the seams completed his ensemble, along with matching pre-distressed sneakers. Pike was in a more formal blue suit with black pinstripes. He winked at Raven, who rolled her eyes. At least she wasn’t going after every guy here, just me and the child star, apparently. At least I was in good company. 

“Well, well, well,” Pike exclaimed on his entry, “anybody meet the man in charge yet? I want to know how he’s supposed to make us rich. Or am I the only one here who didn’t come for the scenery?”

He was exactly the kind of loud asshole I thought he’d be based on his videos, but I appreciated him dispensing with the bullshit. Made my job easier.

“We were told famous, not rich,” Trish offered. She’d corralled Davey into a loveseat just behind me. I put my arm on the back of the chair and turned back to see the couple. Davey was still looking at Raven, the idiot, but Trish was looking at me. I met her eyes and held them before she finally turned away. 

“What’s the difference?” Raven asked. 

A groan ended our conversation, the sound of heavy machinery in motion, coming from behind the red doors. I stood without thinking, wishing I had more than a handful of nuts and a knife on my leg to defend myself. The groaning continued a few seconds and then a loud booming sound filled the room, like an elevator stopping, but the industrial kind.

The red doors didn’t open inward at all. The latch turned and the doors retracted into the walls on either side, exposing a platform inside the tower. It was metal, painted dark, but I noticed some scuff marks running parallel to each other on the platform, scuffing up the recent paint job. A lever was fixed to the far end of the platform, and it was Lily from the tarmac who operated that. She’d traded her goddess robes from a similarly flowing dress of black and gold. She looked almost small inside the dress. I wondered what she would look like in something a little more form-fitting. 

In the center of the platform stood a reed of a man, old with wispy white hair curling from the sides of his head while the top was bald and polished. He wore thick black glasses and had a prominent nose to support them. His suit was dark and buffered his slight frame. He looked over the occupants of the room before stepping off the platform and into the room. 

“Good evening, everyone. I apologize for not meeting you all sooner.” He made his way around the half-circle of guests forming around him, me included. When I shook his hand, it felt small and frail in mine. I was no bruiser, but I was afraid I was going to crush his fingers with no effort at all.

“I see you’ve met some of the staff. And Lily, naturally. You will grow more acquainted with the caretakers here as time goes on. In the meantime, you are our guests, and we have hopefully created an environment where you are able to enjoy yourselves and thrive.” He had the halting and wondrous voice of the narrator of a nature documentary. The accent sounded British by way of Hollywood, but I was in no position to start throwing stones. Moreau wasn’t the only one who wasn’t letting on who he really was.

Phillipe Moreau wasn’t an easy man to know. Most of the records I was able to get my hands on were matters of public record. A birth certificate from Jersey City, New Jersey placed his age at seventy-one. He looked every bit of it. Some school records from the town charted his course through public school until he was fourteen. I got a whiff of some sealed records, maybe some things the Moreau family wasn’t thrilled about being common knowledge. I didn’t have any proof of that, but that didn’t stop me. Unlike a cop, I could play a hunch and play it all the way to an island in the middle of nowhere.

“Not that the place isn’t great, but I still don’t know what we’re doing here.”

Some nodded along with Pike, who had an easy grin, but I was starting to feel nervous. The girl at the bar was gone. Lily was standing at the opened doors, close enough to the elevator platform to take a single step back and be on it. 

“My boy, you all represent great beauty. Well, all of you and a reporter.”

Tish looked at me again. Others did, too, chuckling at the old man’s joke, but Tish didn’t look away. I needed to keep my focus, but that made two extremely attractive women who’d given me the eye today. Not too shabby, Pete.

“I have been fascinated by preserving beauty for as long as I have been aware of its fleeting nature. I fought the creep of time as long as I could, but I have lost my bloom. I am old. But that doesn’t mean the work I have done should go to waste. Not when I can keep all of you, such beautiful creatures, I can keep you so young and so vital forever.”

“How did you manage that, Mr. Moreau?” Raven seemed genuinely curious. This had to be bunk, but the nervous feeling wasn’t going anywhere. It felt like I was standing on a live wire.”

“Magic,” he said and smiled again. His teeth were small and there seemed to be about a hundred of them in that grin. His eyes were sunken, too, and his skeletal frame looked too frail to stand much longer. 

His words were met with more polite laughter. But I was watching his eyes, cold and black. They gleamed with some private joke. 

“But you don’t need me ruining your good time. All I ask is that you stay on the grounds.”

“Are we prisoners here?” Shogun asked.

“Hardly. But even as estimable a fighter as I’m sure you are, there are jaguars who hunt at night that might see you as more meal than man.”

Shogun looked down and was quiet.

Davey held up his phone. “What about some cell phone reception?”

“It is being addressed. Weather can play havoc,” Lily said from the door. 

“Let one of our staff know when you are hungry. We have prepared meals for each of you, and I expect you will find new favorites at every meal. Drink and laugh, enjoy yourselves. This island, for as long as you stay, is your home. I must retire. Until the morning.”

Lily reached for him, but he withdrew his arm when she made to take it. He shuffled onto the platform and she closed the doors while the others waved and wished the old man and his beautiful assistant a good night. I kept an eye on the bar. I didn’t see where the bartender had gone, but she was still missing. It was probably nothing, but it had me out of sorts.

“I guess the bar is ours,” Pike called, taking position behind the counter. He took orders from the others. I had a beer. Everyone started talking very loud and all at once, chewing over all the possibilities. What Moreau promised was eternal youth and beauty, and everyone had an idea of what that might mean. I was more focused on the how. ‘Magic,’ he’d said. He looked very serious when he said it.