Stories From The 6 Train

by Alexis Angel

  Of course, he’s refused. Kinky Amy’s stays open and 8 million people are doing without basic services.

  As much as I love my company, I simply can’t stand watching the city where I've grown up tear itself apart. Trash is piling up on the streets, the public transportation system is in complete chaos, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to this madness. My mom has cut off all state funding, and Parker has spent the better part of these last two weeks trying to patch a temporary solution over the countless problems that have arisen.

  He’s gotten a number of companies and wealthy individuals to lend the city money and things are progressing slowly - lurching from one crisis to the next.

  Which is getting harder to do, especially now that the international community is getting involved.

  Thirty-seven.

  Thirty-seven countries have expressed their concern over what’s happening in New York City. Apparently, cities standing up to state governments with guns is something that the United Nations really does care about. Even countries like North Korea have reprimanded Parker Trask for what they perceive to be “an assault on authority.”

  Oh, the irony.

  Of course, my mother’s piggybacking on all that. She even made a speech to the UN - live video streamed from the statehouse, all teary-eyed about her beloved city and her corrupt and indecent family. We watched her speech at Parker’s office and, if he hadn’t stopped me, I’d have kicked and punched the TV until it became nothing more than splinters of plastic, glass, and wire.

  That’s how mad I was.

  Thirty.

  It took me thirty minutes to pack my bags and move to Gracie Mansion. It’s surprising how little you need when you’re moving in with someone you love. Sure, I love all my makeup and expensive lingerie, but everything I needed—at least for the time being—fit inside two travel bags.

  Parker invited me to move in with him because he wanted me close to him every day… But there was more to it than that, of course. He wanted to keep me safe. With the city descending into chaos, he didn’t deem it safe for me to stay alone in my apartment. My mom’s been growing more erratic with each passing day, and there’s no telling what she can do.

  And yeah, I’m talking about murder; let’s not sugarcoat this. Do I really think she’d be capable of doing it? I don’t know, I really don’t, and that’s what scares me… Because, right now, I think my mother would be capable of anything to secure her power.

  But not everything’s bad. Moving in with Parker has paved the way to good things… Love in time of war and all that.

  Forty-five.

  That’s how many times we’ve had sex. Approximately. I mean, the number’s probably higher than that, and it’s not like I keep count. I’m just doing an educated guess.

  I’m a bit ashamed to say it, but I feel like we’ve done it in almost every room of the Gracie Mansion. And the place is huge. I know, if the world knew that Parker and I have been fucking like rabbits while the city is in a downward spiral, people would just straight up riot and nail us to a cross. But, hey, what are we supposed to? It’s not like we’re lazing around while the city goes up in flames. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

  We’re working around the clock, using all of Parker’s political clout and connections to keep the city stable while we try to reach a solution for this mess. We’ve tried creating a communication channel between the mayor’s office and the governor’s one; unsurprisingly, my mother vetoed the idea before it even got off the ground. Lack of communication benefits her, and it makes us look like the bad guys.

  So, yeah, forgive me if Parker and I like to get our minds off all this chaos from time to time. But it’s not like we can help ourselves; we’ve fallen hard for each other, and our bond grows stronger with each passing day.

  Even though nowadays my life is built on doubt and confusion, there’s at least one thing I’m sure about: Parker is the man of my dreams. My soulmate. I know, I’m being all corny and cheesy, but I really do mean it.

  Of course, all this loving and fucking was bound to have consequences, and this bring us to...

  Five.

  My period has been late for five days now. And I’m one of th0se girls who seem to have a clock inside her belly, you know? I’ve never been this late. And when I say never, I really mean it.

  So I did what I had to do; I drove down to the nearest pharmacy, bought a pregnancy test and brought it home with me. It’s already in the trash, and I’m pacing back and forth in the master bedroom at the Gracie Mansion, still trying to wrap my head around the result.

  It took around 30 seconds for two thin pink lines to show up on the test. Which, if you don’t know, means that I’m as pregnant as they come. If this were any other time, I’d be over the moon… But New York City is on the brink of civil war and, even though I know Parker loves me, I’m not sure if I should bring one more problem to the table.

  If the newspapers found out that I’m carrying Parker’s baby, all hell would break loose. And my mother would seize the moment to stomp Parker. I wouldn’t be surprised if she talked the President into sending the Army in to depose Parker. Can you imagine tanks rolling down Times Square? No? Well, I can.

  But Parker’s right about one thing: we've got to stop my mother. This is no longer a simple electoral race; this is about stopping a mad woman from seizing the senate. Once she becomes a Senator, she’ll use every dirty trick she knows in order to bend the whole senate to her will, and I know exactly where she intends to go with all this…

  First the Senate, then the Presidency. And then there’s no telling what she’ll do. Can you imagine someone as crazy as my mother sitting in the Oval Office? I mean, she’d nuke New York City if that meant she’d get rid of Parker.

  I don’t want my child to grow up in a world like that.

  It’s almost funny how being pregnant changes my whole outlook. I was willing to step down in order to let my mom take the reigns of the whole situation, but not anymore.

  Not when there’s a life growing inside my belly.

  If she wants war, I’ll give her war.

  But right now, I want anchovies. In chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. With bacon!

  New York Daily Journal

  Sex Between Mayor and Daughter Could Send the City Up In Flames!

  All the politics, scandals, and dirt...just the way you like it!

  The New York political world was shocked as allegations of sexual impropriety rocked the campaign of Mayor Parker Trask in his bid to not only become Senator for the state of New York, but to stop the State of New York from imposing public decency laws in Times Square.

  The city, already reeling from a cut in state funding is now reeling from these accusations as Mayor Trask’s position becomes less stable.

  The allegations were made from sources within the campaign of Governor Kate Meelios through sources who requested to remain anonymous while they came forth to the New York Daily Journal.

  The Daily Journal conducted it's own investigation and at this time is unable to confirm or deny the rumors that are circulating. However, the fact that the rumors exist is story enough for us to report on due to the nature of the allegations.

  Sources close to both campaigns tell a tale of scandal where Mayor Trask has been engaging in an improper and highly suspect relationship with his stepdaughter, Amy Aspen.

  The two have been seen on multiple occasions sharing an intimate moment that belied a relationship greater than just stepfather and stepdaughter.

  Sources within the Trask campaign also independently confirmed for this paper that there have been times where the conduct of Amy Aspen and Parker Trask has given pause to the campaign staff. The departure of Susan Duran, the Mayor's campaign manager has given rise to speculation that she was unable to perform her job due to influence from Amy Aspen. Since leaving the Trask for Senate campaign, Ms. Duran has taken up work on the Meelios campaign where she has served as one of the many spokespeople employed by
the Governor.

  Ms. Aspen has not been a stranger to controversy and it's actually in relation to her that the Senate race has turned into a constitutional crisis between the Statehouse in Albany and City Hall in New York City. Earlier this month, a state court signed off on a court order to close down the office's of Kinky Amy's, a live streaming adult content provider that is run by Amy Aspen. The Mayor, upon finding this out during a campaign event rushed to the scene and physically prevented—with the help of NYPD—the state troopers from carrying out the order.

  The subsequent rift that was caused persuaded the Governor, who had pushed for the initial court order in the first place, to declare a de facto state of war against the city. The State, which had prior to this paid for teachers, subway workers, and state services has all but shut down. The New York City transit system has been running on a skeletal staff for the last several days. State parks and highways have been shut down until Parker Trask resigns and allows the State of New York to close down Kinky Amy's.

  Rather than get annoyed with this state of affairs, New Yorkers are still divided over the issue. Roughly a third of all city residents sided with the Governor in a poll asking who was at fault, agreeing that Kinky Amy's should've been closed and the battle fought in court.

  A third of all city residents agreed with the Mayor, suggesting that the action taken by Governor Meelios was overreaching of the worst sort, and the subsequent reaction in trying to freeze out the city was overkill.

  A final third of survey respondents expressed no opinion, stating that the lack of subway service or certain state activities being curtailed had not affected their lives as of this point.

  Whatever the outcome, the effect of the sexual impropriety charges is sure to add yet another blow to the Trask campaign at a time when it can ill afford one. It remains to be seen how this will affect the Senate race.

  Parker

  My days now seem to be spent in complete and utter chaos. My entire campaign is imploding before my eyes like a match held to a gas tank.

  With the influx of calls and me being up to my neck in emails, I barely have time to breathe. The insanity is overwhelming.

  I realize the phone on my desk has been ringing non-stop so I reach over and finally answer it.

  "Trask speaking," I say, fully expecting to hear some constituent yell at me about my morals, or lack thereof, or how I'm corrupting the people of this city, babies and grandmas alike, and even school children. Nothing would surprise me.

  But instead, I realize it's a whole lot worse.

  "Parker, look, I hate to do this to you, buddy, but I've decided to leave the campaign."

  It takes me a minute to recognize the voice, but then it hits me; it's my Deputy Director, Scott.

  "Scott, wait, hold on," I say. I'm trying not to beg because I don't fucking do that kind of thing, but I'm feeling pretty desperate at this point. "You can't do that. This campaign needs you."

  And it's the fucking truth. I do need him. He's in charge of organizing our volunteers who fill out events and contact voters. Essentially, they're our fucking ground troops. I need his leadership in this arena, now more than ever.

  "You're wrong. I can leave, Parker," he says solemnly, "and I am leaving because … I hate to say it, but the Governor's right. The sex trafficking, and Amy's sex store—well, it needs to be shut down. It's just wrong. Plain wrong … and a real shame. I have a family, and daughters of my own. I can't live with myself knowing that I'm letting this happen in our city. It's an eyesore."

  "You do realize who we're talking about here," I say. "The Governor is a wolf in sheep's clothing. That much I can promise you. This isn't what it looks like."

  "To be honest, I don't know who to believe anymore," Scott replies.

  And with that statement, I know I've lost him and there's no getting him back. It's the nail in the coffin. One by one, I'm losing the trust of my campaign mangers.

  This isn't fucking good.

  I still have some loyal staff members sticking it out with me, but as I look around the office, I see we're spread pretty fucking thin.

  Not everyone has outright quit, like Scott just did, but a whole lot of people are mysteriously calling in sick today, and that leaves me feeling pretty fucking uneasy.

  I have to turn things around, and fast. The clock is ticking and I'm running out of time. I can feel the pressure of all of these events riding on my shoulders.

  I turn up the volume to the TV mounted on my wall. It's the local news, and it's no surprise I'm still making headlines.

  Today I'm still getting raked over the coals.

  "Unlike his earlier campaign promises, it seems the last thing you want to do is 'ask Trask' for anything these days," a reporter says. "A taboo relationship with his stepdaughter, and then a sex trafficking ring—what's next for New York City's Mayor? What new lows can he possibly sink our city into next?"

  Just fucking great. The media is eating this up.

  The reporter continues, "In light of this scandal, Governor Kate Meelios is leading in the polls and in the majority of the counties in New York State as well as in the city."

  The screen switches to a previously recorder interview with Meelios, and I watch as she hisses into a reporter's microphone. "I can promise one thing. If Parker Trask doesn't resign, I'm going to come in with the National Guard and close Kinky Amy's down. I think I've been very patient with my demands," she says, and despite the gravity of the situation, I can't help but laugh.

  Patient? Is she fucking serious? I'd say she's been anything but patient and diplomatic. In fact, her lack of diplomacy is downright fucking frightening.

  Meelios continues, "But enough is enough. I'm giving Mayor Trask two weeks to resign—for those counting, that's 14 days for him to do the right thing."

  The screen pans back to the reporter. "You heard it straight from the source folks," she says. "Parker Trask has two weeks. Will he resign, or will he continue to drag this city through an asset freeze unlike one we've ever seen before?"

  I grab the remote and click the power button, watching the TV screen fade to black.

  I can't fucking listen to that anymore. I need to come up with a plan.

  The Governor is out for blood, and every day that goes by, her fangs seem to come out just a little bit more, and a little sharper.

  Just as I'm about to make some phone calls, Amy walks into the room.

  I can't help but look at her gorgeous face, her perfect body, her perfect smile, and think how she's a ray of sun in this whole, dark shit storm.

  She walks up to me, and places her hand on mine.

  Before she can say anything, I lean over and give her a kiss, gently pressing my lips to hers. "It's been one hell of a day, and I'd love to grab lunch, or chat, but I'm really busy right now. I've gotta make some important calls. It's clear that Kate Meelios is on a warpath and my time is running out. The future of this campaign depends on the actions I make right now."

  I grab my phone, bringing the receiver to my ear. "Can we catch up tonight?" I ask Amy.

  I pose it as a question, but my body language suggests otherwise. I'm already mid-call when she looks at me and hesitates for a moment before speaking. "No, there's something I really need to tell you."

  When she says this, I know it must be important so I place the phone back down on the receiver.

  I carefully watch her face, listening, as she continues.

  "Before you do anything," she says, "I think you should know … I'm pregnant."

  "What did you just say?" I look at her in total disbelief. I don't know what I was expecting to hear come out of her mouth, but it certainly wasn't this.

  I stand up from my chair and wrap my arms around her, drawing her into my chest. I lift her off the ground and give her a quick twirl.

  "That's fantastic news!" I say.

  "So, you're happy?" she asks. "I know the timing isn't ideal, with the drama of this campaign, and the all out war that Kate is launching again
st us and everything, but I'm happy. I'm really happy, Parker."

  "And I am too," I smile, kissing the top of her head and breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo.

  "I love you so much, and now it's time for me to fight," I smile.

  For us.

  For our future.

  For our unborn child.

  I know what I need to do.

  Something dramatic.

  Something big.

  I'm calling a press conference.

  Parker

  It's as if I've been injected with the adrenaline of a thousand athletes because now I'm approaching the podium as a new man. I swear I have a spring in my fucking step.

  The National Guard is set to take down Amy's business in just 24 hours, and I have a renewed sense of purpose, and confidence.

  Not only have I found the woman of my dreams, but we're also about to bring a new life into this world together, and despite the political chaos unfolding all around our feet, I couldn't be fucking happier.

  Sounds crazy, right?

  I run my fingers through my hair and climb the steps to the podium as a crowd of reporters looks on. Despite the pressure of the situation, I'm feeling calm.

  All of these reporters are wondering what I could possibly say at this point. I can see the confusion, and downright animosity simmering in their eyes. They think I'm the villain—the devil incarnate—that Kate Meelios has painted me out to be. She has painted me as the man corrupting their city—their mothers and daughters and sisters and wives. But that's going to stop.

  They'll see that's wrong. Enough is enough.

  I've allowed the Governor to steal the spotlight for far too long now.