MARS - A GAY NOVEL

INTERLUDE

DEATH

Death is life and life is death. No one has died recently, somehow I'm still alive.

The Voegeli family is crying, mourning the loss of their eldest son. I've taken the path of night, a route that in their minds will lead to death. However, I feel relieved. Every single night on that stage, the Voegeli name is dead to me.

My fans know me as Mars Aphoenix, an androgynous beauty they didn't know they needed. Everyone comes to see me on Sunday night; that's when I'm a star. Alpha men and women, omegas, and beta bodies in between, they come from all parts of Michigan or the rest of the States. The Dante said I'm an attraction, a 'unique situation'. I own every pole from ceiling to floor. I am that bitch.

At home, I take care of my own. I have a daughter, believe it or not. She's only four years old and her name is Eris. The girl looks just like me, but she has her mother's sweetness. Moeko, my ex-girlfriend, calls the money I give her 'dirty' with her face tensed up. Her concern plus the arguments with my father makes feel relieved my mother isn't here. I don't have to see the heartbreak in her eyes.

Why do I do what I do? I'm a simple man, really. I love sex, money, and power. Stripping gives me all of that plus an ego boost. Because I've been dancing for five years, I'm considered an OG. Male dancers have come and gone, but I've remained consistent. That's why The Dante gave me an entire night and not these other loose bitches. I have a legacy at Milky Way Playhouse, though it's possibly coming to an end soon.

No, Pastor Vittar Voegeli has not gotten into my head. I'm twenty-eight now, usually strippers retire at twenty-five. I have other aspirations aside from shaking my ass. Mama blessed me with her voice. She was a professional singer in the choir, even had a record deal at Cherryhill Records. Erena Harper-Voegeli decided to be a mother instead. She gave birth to five boys and became a stay-at-home mom, only hanging out with her friends for wine and being a prominent member at the church. While Dad legally defended criminals, she taught us how not to be one.

I commend her for that. She raised us amazingly and left us an impact to this very day. I want to do the same for Eris. As much as I enjoy stripping, I just can't face my daughter when I have to explain how I make money one day. This is not how I want to inspire her.

However I can't work a normal job. My ego won't let me, I'm too much of a narcissist. Even my scent can be too much for alphas, security is needed. The only regular job I'll do again is serve, and that if I'm at my lowest. I'd like to spend my thirties performing through song. This big ego wants to be the new Lady Gaga for multiple reasons, but I'll settle for Melanie Martinez. Popular in the niche scene, though I'd like at least one song on the radio.

You can say I'm retiring for Eris because I'd do anything for my baby girl. I know a music career is hard to obtain, but I'm hard-headed enough to endure the pain. Maybe in the end, I'll die another failure, and my father will end up right. Or, I'll prove everyone wrong.

My journey started on my twenty-eighth birthday: Sunday, March 30th, 2023.