Captain Evan Prince smiled as he read the message from Talia on his wall. She was waiting for him back in the states and she said she needed him. He was sure she did, most women needed a man like him. She had turned him on the first time he saw her working in the coffee bar. Not like that hag Hestor, his wife. He flipped over to her Facebook page and the smile left his face. All those posts from her Wicca friends, their dancing and belief in the Goddess distressed him. She didn't need him the way that Talia did. She had certainly fooled him before they married.
He was almost finished with his first tour of duty in Afghanistan. Add that to the two tours in Iraq and the leadership training at Fort Hood, where he met Talia, and he was ready for promotion. That caused him think of Hestor again. She wasn't the kind of wife an up and coming young army officer needed to advance his career. Her off the wall ideas, hippy clothes and rejection of authority was not good for his career. She had made him to go through anger management after his first combat tour and that didn’t help his career. He began to feel enraged just thinking about that. Talia on the other hand, was young, beautiful and he could train her to be the kind of partner he needed. Besides the two children Talia had conceived after one encounter, Sunny and Luna, were something Hestor refused to give him. He looked forward to taking Talia and the children to his father for his approval. The General had disapproved of Hestor, she was too intelligent and independent he told Evan. Besides, she wouldn't stop taking her birth control pills, even after six years of marriage. She had some foolish notion that she should control the size of their family. Not much longer now and he would take care of her and marry Talia and become the family man the Army looked to promote and his father would embrace.
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Hestor was frowning as she read Evan's latest post. He was such a jerk. He had sure fooled her. They met in college, Evan was the good looking jock all the girls in the dorm wanted. He was handsome, intelligent and he made each women feel like she were a princess. She decided she would be the girl in the dorm to win his love. Whenever Hestor decided she wanted to something she worked hard to make it happen. She had studied sexuality and the art of flirtation just like she did physics and she had wowed him with what she had learned. What an idiot she had been. All those hours of reading women’s magazines, learning what would make him desire her. The hours in front of the mirror putting on makeup. All that money purchasing expensive perfumes and sexy clothes. It was all a waste of time, she should have been learning what to look for in a man. Evan wasn't worth the time she had spent wooing him. He was just a spoiled child from an affluent family. After they were married he began giving her orders like she was a soldier under his command. Before she had a chance to regain her balance and figure out how to get away from him, they had been transferred to Germany. Now she was stuck far from home waiting for Evan while he went back and forth between training in the states and combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
She wouldn’t be stuck for long, she had developed a network of friends on Facebook who would back her up and help her as she figured out the best way to leave Evan. Most of her Facebook friends were Wiccan. She had first heard of them in college as she searched to replace her waning Christian beliefs. Once they were in Germany she shunned the tourists areas and explored the back streets. There she found art galleries, antique stores and magic shops. She became friends with women who ran these shops and they introduced her to the Goddess and others interested in preserving the earth. These bonds had grown over the years in Germany and she was now in touch with Wiccan all over the world via Facebook. She felt sure she could handle Evan now that she had a supportive community behind her. His misogynist patriarchal ways were about to end, at least there were no children to complicate the future.
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Talia was unhappy, all the messages she received from Evan were about him and his plans. He had seemed perfect when they first met. She had come from a close family and had been home schooled to keep her from the undesirable elements in public schools. It had worked, she knew almost nothing about relationships. She had been working at the Starbucks in the Base Exchange when she had first seen him. He had noticed her looking at him and flashed an irresistible smile at her. He came over and ordered a latte, watching her closely while she prepared it then rang it up. When she looked up from the cash register it was as if she had just awakened. Here was a beautiful man giving her an unmistakable signal with his bright blue eyes. She blushed when he she heard his deep voice ask “Are you free after work.” Now she had two more mouths to feed and an absent father with no legal obligations to her children.
She looked at her Facebook page and saw a friend suggestion, Hestor Prince was connected with one person she knew. “It must be a relative of Evan’s” she thought. “Maybe his sister or a cousin.” She clicked asking to be friends, shut down her computer and went to check on Sunny and Luna.
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Hestor stared at the picture of her new Facebook friend’s pictures of her and the two babies. Talia wanted to know how she knew Evan, Hestor wanted to know how this young woman knew Evan. She sent off a message to Talia’s wall. I am Evan’s wife, how do you know him?
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Hestor’s computer beeped letting her know she had received an email. She put down the book she was reading, went to the computer and clicked on a new message from Evan.
Hestor,
I will be leaving Afghanistan in about a month and want you to know I am going to take my leave in Kentucky. Once I return to Germany I plan to divorce you. Our marriage is doing me no good and you have become impossible to live with. I expect you to sign the papers I bring back from the states without any complaint so we can settle our separation amicably.
Before Hestor had time to react her computer beeped again telling her that she had another email. She looked at her inbox and saw it was from Talia.
Hi Hestor,
I do not understand. Evan never told me he was married. He told me I was the only woman for him and I believed him. I have to believe him because he is all I have. I was a virgin before my first date with Evan but he convinced me that once I did it with him I would love it so much I would want to do it over and over. I am ashamed to say he was right, now I want to do it all the time. But, he is gone and I now have two children from doing it. I disappointed my parents who have abandoned me and I don’t make enough money to support two children. Evan is stingy with money and only talks about himself and doesn’t listen to me. He keeps saying everything will be alright when he returns from Afghanistan, but I am in trouble now with my bills. Now I find out he has a wife in Germany. I don’t know what to do, maybe God needs me and the babies to join him.
Hestor was stunned, she closed her eyes and dug deep into her heart to find help. Her Wiccan beliefs were strong and allowed her to view the situation from the perspective of the Goddess. The Goddess wasn’t forgiving but she was loving. Hestor decided Evan had to pay because now there were children involved. She sat down on the couch and began to think.
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The next day Evan received a Facebook message on his wall, I await your return and will be ready for you. Hestor
That same day Talia received a message on her wall, Please, give me a call, we need to discuss our mutual Facebook friend. Dial 011-49-9825-296-5001. Give those babies a hug from me, I hope to meet them soon. Hestor
Friends from the Wiccan community around Ft. Campbell also received a message on their walls, I am in need of support as I leave a man who has violated the rules of love. Hestor
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Evan was eagerly anticipating his reunion with Talia as the plane circled Nashville. He had sent her his itinerary and told her to be ready for him because he was one horny soldier. Once the plane landed it was only 45 minutes to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and the fulfillment of his carnal desires. Talia was so hot, he knew when he picked her up for their first date that he would have his way with this woman that so excited him. He felt this relationship was one he could control, Talia was young and easily impressed and he could teach her to be a good military wife. He would deal with Hestor once he had Talia secured in his life.
After the plane docked with the airport he hurried to the luggage rack, retrieved his bag and went to pick up his rental car. All the people scurrying around the airport reminded him of the craziness in Baghdad and Kabul. They had no idea how what it was like to be a warrior. He felt the bile rising in his throat as he thought about the sacrifices he had made for America, sacrifices these people could never understand. He began to count to ten just like the psychiatrist had taught him to do when he felt his anger rising. Once he was calm he found his car and headed down I-24, speeding to the happiness he deserved.
He drove his car into the driveway of Talia’s house and surveyed the neighborhood, taking note of his environment as if he were still in a combat zone. When he felt safe he opened the car door, walked up to the door and rang the bell. He did not wait long as Talia opened the door while the chime was still vibrating. She looked at Evan without smiling. “Honey, here I am.” he said, as he grabbed her and held her to him tightly. He began kissing her lips but soon realized she was not kissing back. He pulled his head away from hers and looking into her dark eyes saw that she was staring at him dispassionately. “What is going on?” he said. I’ve been gone for nine months and this is the reception I get? I’ve come here because of you baby, and I’m going to turn you on whether you want me to or not.”
Talia pulled away from his embrace and said, “Is that what you called the rape on our first date, turning me on?”
“You loved it, I showed you how to make love and you know you needed it” He replied. “What’s the matter, I thought you needed me?”
“I needed you, I needed you to support me and the babies, I needed you to be honest with me, I needed you to be tender and understand me. I had a little girl’s fantasy and I thought you could give it to me.”
“I understand you, you’re like all women, you need a man like me to show you what’s important and show you what life is about.” Evan was puzzled, when he left her behind she had been more compliant and less sure of herself. He was going to have to teach her how a woman greets her man when he returns from war.
“I’ve learned some things about life on my own since you left. I understand now that I don’t need a man to fulfill me. I am not a princess, but a young woman with two children whose father doesn’t care about them and pays no attention to what I say, or write to him.”
“But I do care, I want you and them to be part of my life. You and the children can help me rise in the ranks of the army and I will give you whatever you want and I know you will keep me satisfied. It’s just that I can’t marry you yet, but I’ll be transferred out of Germany soon and then we can be together. I’ll make your fantasy come true, just look at me” he said as he flashed his irresistible smile at her.
There was a knock on the door and Evan heard a sound he didn’t want to hear. It was the trilling of women ready to dance. Hestor and her friends Germany made that sound as they danced in circles to the beat of their drums. Talia opened the front door and his worst fears were realized. There was a gaggle of women in their long skirts with shawls over their shoulders busily entering the house while cackling and gabbing. There was Talia hugging each one as they entered and then he realized the woman she was hugging was Hestor, who was holding one of his babies.
Hestor looked directly at Evan and before he could register his displeasure and said, “Hello Captain, we are all reporting here for duty. We feel it is our duty to help Talia to find happiness, and you might as well know we do not think it is with you.”
Evan began to splutter, “You witch, how dare you!” He was incensed and his anger management program was quickly fading from his consciousness. Somehow this witch who was his wife had entered this part of his life turning his dreams into rain. He began to yell, “Talia, Talia, you need me.”
Talia watched him dissemble and said, “No I don’t Evan, you don’t need a woman, you need a servant. Hestor has taught me that I am not a servant, I am a complete woman who deserves to be treated with respect. I don’t think you can do that.”
Hestor was holding some papers in front of Evan’s face as the drum began to beat and the women began to dance, trilling their pleasure as Evan backed away from her. “Here is the divorce you wanted. It is ready and you are going to share your money.” Talia smiled as she waved the papers. “You are going to share you money with me and Talia and Sunny and Luna.” If you don’t sign these papers we will destroy you.”
Evan’s head jerked up as she uttered these words. He laughed and said, “And how do plan to destroy me. I’ll beat the crap out of you before you can touch me” he snarled. He was so angry he began to move toward Talia before he realized he was surrounded by dancing, trilling women who were dancing around him, wrapping him with colorful ribbons. He tried to move forward but there were ribbons around his ankles and he could not take a step. That was when Hestor walked up to him and shoved him to the ground. “You are not strong enough to overcome our power” she told him. Then there was a sharp blow on his temple and his mind became a black hole.
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Captain Prince felt horrible as he began to gain consciousness and heard an authoritative voice demand, “Get up soldier!” As his eyes opened he realized the sun was rising and he felt water dropping on him. He smelled wet grass and heard the clicking sound of a sprinkler circling around as it dispensed water, and then it dropped on him again. He was lying on his back and looking up at two Military Police whose faces looked grim but amused. As he began to rise he realized he was naked and on the lawn of somebody’s house. “Come on soldier, the general is highly pissed and wants you locked up while he decides what kind of court martial you deserve.”
“Oh my God,” he thought, “Those bitches brought me to the base and left me here on the commandant’s lawn.” When he looked down he saw that his penis had been stained purple making it look like it had just voted in Iraq. His body was covered with the word “pig” in the bright colors of permanent markers. One of the policemen cuffed him and he was led off the lawn, through the curious onlookers and into the waiting vehicle as the beginning of his destruction began.
