Sorry, no extra pics on this one–so you’re just going to have to have to use your imaginations, lazy bums! However, in exchange, how about you all help me finish it. I have too many ideas, so read it, pick the ending you want to see, and send me a message or reply telling me your vote.

*****

Andy saw the flicker of neon up ahead, and sped up a little, eager to get off the road for the night. A cross country trip on the backroads of America had sounded like a good idea when he was plotting the course, but after getting lost countless times, running out of gas twice, and quite a few run-ins with some of the unsavory characters of the backcountry, he was beginning to think this might have been a misjudgement. The sign belonged to a roadhouse, apparently a small restaurant and bar with a tiny motel tucked in behind it–and wouldn’t you know, it actually looked pretty clean compared to some of the places he’d bunked up in recently, even if that wasn’t saying much. Still, he was starved, hadn’t slept in a bed in over a day, and his grumbling stomach was willing to tolerate pretty much anything at this point.

He pulled into the gravel parking lot, sliding his station wagon in between two hulking, rusted pickup trucks and with a nervous look around, he walked up onto the porch and into the restaurant. The place was busy enough that only a few people near the door noticed him come in–and the glares from those who did were something he’d started getting used to, although these, almost seemed more interested and curious about him than angry or suspicious, which was a relief. Looking around, the place looked like it had missed a few decades of renovations, the floor covered in sawdust with a creaking and lopsided jukebox pumping out country classics of the 60’s and 70’s. The clientele, he saw, was entirely men, which while not all that odd, was still a bit surprising–otherwise, it looked like the general crew of roughnecks, truckers and bikers places like this tended to collect. However, the cloud of smoke in the room was unusually thick–nearly everyone had a cigarette, cigar or pipe in their mouth. Andy used to smoke, but had quit a few years ago at the urging of a now ex-girlfriend. The smell of it was a sudden reminder of how good smoking had felt, but he pushed that thought away and worked his way deeper into the room.

Working his best mosey, he made his way through the crowd and up to the bar, catching the attention of the bartender–a burly man with a beard several feet long wearing jeans and a leather vest, showing off his tattooed arms and chest. Still, the man was nice enough, and Andy quickly learned that Ed was the owner, bartender, cook and innkeeper of the entire establishment. He seemed very pleased to have someone from out of town, which surprised Andy a bit–he was more used to being shunned than welcomed–and Ed gave him a beer on the house while he waited for his food from the kitchen. Ed winked as he handed the young man the bottle, telling him his homebrew was famous around the parts, and Andy, doubting the man’s statement, took it to be kind. Still, what was the harm in a drink? It wasn’t like he was going to be driving any more tonight. He took a sip of the beer and found it to be strong and quite bitter, but drinkable, and took a seat along the wall where he hoped he wouldn’t be stared at too much, and now that he’d been noticed, they were all staring when they thought he wasn’t looking at them. A few of the gazes started making him feel like they were inspecting and sizing him up–it was unnerving, and he downed the beer quickly in defense.

Moments after he finished his first brew, a second one came unbidden, brought by a slender boy who couldn’t have been close to twenty one from behind the bar–and who had strange idea of fashion. His shoulder length, wavy hair was dyed a deep green, which actually looked surprisingly good on him, though Andy was certain he himself could never have pulled the look off. He was also wearing a green tank top and some green gym shorts with green sneakers, to keep the color theme going. He set down the beer with a coy grin, looked Andy over while he puffed on his cigarette, but before Andy could even thank him, he bounded off laughing, ecstatic for some reason.

Looking about the bar, Andy saw that there were a few other colorful characters scattered around the room. The first one he spotted was a short but well built man with a flattop dyed pitch black, with a perfectly trimmed short boxed beard and clad in a leather harness, shorts and boots with a thick collar cinched tight around his neck. Near him was a massively obese man wearing nothing other than some peachy latex shorts stretched around his massive thighs, with a shaved head and a strawberry blonde goatee around his mouth. He also saw a filthy looking man with a magenta colored mohawk, wearing an identically colored tank top showing off his raunchy, amazingly hairy pits for everyone to see. Like everyone else, they were all smoking cigars and cigarettes, and looking at all these freaks, he was starting to feel creeped out, but the beer was making him feel pretty mellow, and he was still really hungry. If anything, the brews were increasing his hunger–and his thoughts of smoking. He hadn’t smoked in so long, and the thick second hand smoke was intoxicating all on its own. When the same man delivered a third beer, Andy worked up the screwed up his nerve and asked, “Hey, do you…could I bum a cigarette off you? I–I quit years ago, but all this smoke…” he trailed off, feeling silly suddenly.

“Well sure, I got a smoke, but it’ll cost ya,” the green boy said with a smirk, pulling a cigarette and lighter the pocket of his shorts.

“I got cash, how much do you want?”

“Oh I don’t want cash,” he said, coming closer and invading Andy’s space a bit, “I want a kiss, before these beers of Ed’s hit you too hard. How about it? As a bit of a farewell?”

Andy started to protest, but the boy lit the cigarette, took an inhale, and before Andy could duck away, locked lips with him and exhaled the smoke deep into Andy’s lungs. What sort of place had he wandered into? As these thoughts crossed his mind, Andy realized he had started kissing the boy back, and was actually enjoying it–and the room around them had grown quiet.

“Danny Boy! Stop harassing him, god damn it!” Andy heard Ed shout, and the green boy broke off the kiss and scurried off, but not before sticking the lit cigarette between Andy’s lips.

“Sorry about that,” Ed said, coming over with a plate laden with food, “He a bit anxious tonight. Here’s your dinner buddy, on the house after that incident.”

“Look, thanks, but I think I’d better go,” Andy said and started to get up, but Ed pushed him back down onto the stool.

“Nope, yer gonna eat, and stay, and drink, and have a good time,” Ed said, the sudden force behind his words stunning Andy a bit, and he tentatively picked up the greasy burger and started chowing down. “That’s a good man, enjoy!” Ed said, and returned back behind the bar. He set the cigarette down on an ashtray, taking the occasional puff between bites, and when he finished, Ed swooped out and took the plate away, leaving Andy with a full belly, a new beer, and his cigarette, which appeared suspiciously unsmoked. Andy was starting to feel a bit bloated, and he undid his belt before starting on his fourth…or was it fifth, brew. He certainly had quite the buzz going, and it felt like as soon as he finished one beer another was in his hand before he could even think about it, and it was getting hard to focus on the room around him.

However, while Andy was losing focus, the rest of the room grew quieter and quieter as their attention shifted over to Andy. They had already noticed small changes–Andy’s burgeoning gut, the sideburns creeping down and growing thicker, the thick layer of hair being revealed as Andy’s tight, white tank was pushed up bit by bit. The cigarette in Andy’s hand grew and darkened with every inhale, soon shifting into a short, thick cigar which he seemed perfectly at ease with, not even noticing the change. However, what the room was waiting for with baited breath was the color–what would the color be?

All the full members of the roadhouse had already cast their votes soon after Andy had arrived, and they knew Ed was busy in the back tallying up the votes. He would emerge soon, and then they would know what their newest whore’s specialty would be. Some were sad to see Danny Boy go–especially the older men who were irresistible to him, but they all had to retire eventually. Besides, there would be new adventures, but what was this man’s color to be?

*****

I don’t know, how about you tell me? It’s an interactive story, celebrating 50 followers! Go ahead and send me a reply or message with the color you want to see. Here’s your three options: Red, Grey, or Yellow.

If you don’t know what these colors might mean for Andy, then maybe go here: http://user.xmission.com/~trevin/hanky.html

Give me your answer by Thursday afternoon to make sure you get counted, and thanks to you all for the follows, likes and reblogs, they’re much appreciated!