chapter 1

Stephen was tall handsome, charismatic, and most of all ambitious. People loved him and would follow him into the pits of hell. There was an issue though, Stephen wasn’t all that bright and didn’t come from a privileged background. Stephen worked hard to make up for it though. Still he knew that there was something he could do to give him a heads up.

Stephen worked so hard that he was accepted into his dream school University of Virginia and had the opportunity to pledge his dream fraternity. Joining a fraternity gave colleges guys a network of influential men that would set them up for success in business, industry, government or politics when they graduated.

Zeta Alpha Tau was the best at it. The fraternity consistently groomed members for successful careers for almost as long as the university had been open. Each member no matter their background ended up affluent, well connected, and powerful.

That’s why Stephen had been pledging Zeta Alpha Tau. If he was able to get in he knew that he would be set for life. He gone through the pledging process with his line brothers. For months that ran around and were subjected to the brutal hazing of their dean of probates. All of them were forced into a small closet and told to smoke a full pack of cigarettes. They had to push a fraternity brothers car across campus to the frat house even though the car was working fine and they had to go into the poor most crime ridden neighborhood in the city and ask for donations for the fraternities charity.

The crazy thing was this was only the beginning. The fraternity was known to have a very long secret pledge process conducted by a secret group. But now they were on a break from the pledge process. Stephen and his pledge brothers had an opportunity to enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation before the last phase started.

They sat at a local bar having a few drinks. The pledge process started off with 30 guys but it had quickly dwindled down to 5 determined guys. The process had brought them closer and created the bond that only fraternity brothers know. They poked fun at each other and laughed about the tribulations of the pledge process and struggled not to worry about what was to come.

“Stephen” Peter said, after taking a swig of beer. “Remember that time I spotted you $20 because you didn’t meet the quota for the fundraiser.”

“Yea” Stephen said nodding. “That was a real save man.”

“It was” Peter said, looking at the other 5 pledge brothers. “And I do recall you saying that you owed me one.”

“Yes I did” Stephen said, beginning to sound worried.

“Well today I am cashing in” Peter said, with an evil grin.

“O no” Stephen said. “What do you want? What do I have to do? Run naked across campus? Take ten shots back to back? Go call the star offensive lineman a bitch? Whatever you want just say it? I`m a man of my word.”

“Woooah, calm down Steve” Peter said soothingly. “All I want you to do is go talk to a girl and ask her out.”

“Talk to a girl” Stephen said, almost laughing. “Too easy. I`ll ask any girl out in this bar. I`m not afraid.”

“Good” Peter said, grinning. “Because I`ve seen some girls that have been checking us out all night and I want you to be the one to go break the ice.”

“Point them out” Stephen said, confidently.

“No problem” Peter said, looking out the window. “Three tables from the bar. Back wall, behind the staircase.”

Stephen took a drink and looked over unassumedly in the direction Peter indicated. He looked over and was appalled. There at a table quickly looking away when they saw him looking their direction were six of the biggest girls in the club. Not thick, chubby, or pleasantly plum, they were absolutely huge.

The other guys struggled to hide their snickers when they looked over and saw the girls. All of them looked at each other struggling not to burst out in laughter.

“Sending me on a hogging mission I see” Stephen said. “Why not take me to the zoo for me to tackle an elephant.”

“Bwwakk bwakk” peter said, simulating chicken noises.

“You know what.” Stephen said standing up. “I gave you my word. It’s too easy. Watch and learn gentleman.”

With that Stephen made his way across the bar with the swagger of a college frat boy. He moved through the crowd of confidently eyeing the fat girls at the table. They saw him coming and pretended not to notice him approaching. There was one sitting in the middle one of the biggest if not the biggest. She had long blonde hair and a huge gut that he could somehow see under the table. He could see her eyes following him no matter how much she tried to hide it. He would target her.

“He how are you guys” Stephen said approaching the table and leaning up against a wall.

“Hiiiii” the fat girls said in unison. Looking up as if not noticing him there.

“My name is Stephen by the way” he said, smiling his using all the charisma he had. “I looked across the room and saw you guys. I was really curious what your name was.”

Stephen motioned towards the big belly girl with the blonde hair.

“My name is Jennifer” She said, a smile forming on her face.

“I`m assuming you go to the university” Stephen continued. “Whats your major?”

“Business” she said.

“Interesting” Stephen responded. “Well I have always admired business majors. You know I have a few business ideas that I would love to discuss with you. Maybe here your thoughts on their viability. Maybe we could do it over dinner.”

“Well I would be open to that” Jennifer said sounding flattered.

“Great” Stephen said, sounding jovial. “Whats your phone number?

Stephen pulled out his phone. Jennifer read out her number. Suddenly the guys across the room burst out in laughter as they saw he had succeeded in the dare. The women at the table looked at the guys as the celebrated and then back to Stephen who stood there pretending he didn’t know what was going on.

As if rehearsed the women stood up from the table in unison and walked towards the door. Jennifer’s friends didn’t speak to him or make eye contact before leaving. Jennifer on the other hand took her time grabbing her things. She struggled to stand up from the chair. Stephen expected a look of embarrassment but that wasn’t what she gave off. She stood up walked towards him. Instead of walking by him. She walked right into him. He nearly bounced of her huge gut. She stood on her tippy toes and leaned her head towards his ear.

“I will see you soon” she whispered in his ear before walking out the bar.




The guys celebrated their trivial victory. He was a legend among them. A much needed laugh after the challenges they had endured. Now they head into another trying time. They were headed over to the frat house to begin what they were told would be the most challenging part of their pledge process.

Along with Stephen were 5 other guys. Peter was the party animal typical frat boy. No one knew what his major was. There was Thomas. The scion of one of the first families of Virginia. A handsome prep school graduate the most refined and gentlemanly of the group. Reshawn was the basketball star. He wasn’t your average dumb jock. He had dreams and aspiration beyond basketball.

There was Michael the nerd of the pledge class. He was a computer engineering major. Brilliant, they believed he would be the next Bill Gates. Then there was Ronald. Very conservative and religious. As a matter of fact he had plans to go to divinity school and be a preacher. No one really knew why he wanted to pledge anyway. Out of all the guys he fit in the least.

The approached the huge brick Jeffersonian style Zeta Alpha Tau frat house. There was note on the door telling them to go into the back and enter the shed. They followed the directions. They entered the shed and they were all surprised to find a door on the floor. They entered the door and found a stairs going under the ground. Together they went down the stairs into the dimly lit tunnel. A sign pointed them to go the opposite way from the house they followed. Down the tunnel they went until they came across a door guarded by their dean of probates.
“Good evening big brother” the group said snapping to attention as they had been trained to.

“Welcome pledges” the dean of probates responded. “You are the last of many vying for the opportunity to enter this elite order. What you are attempting to enter is far more than a fraternity. Is a beyond a brotherhood. You are attempting to enter a bond as older than any fraternity on this campus. We were only testing your worthiness before. Today begins the process to be initiated. Nothing has been what it seems. You are about to step behind the veil. Gentlemen do you wish to proceed?”

“Yes” they said in unison.

“All that happens beyond this door” the dean of probates continued is a secret. Do you swear to keep the secrets of what you learn behind these doors and all else that you learn about this order and speak of them to no one under penalty of death?”

“Yes” they answered again in unison.
The dean of probates turned around and opened the wooden door. They walked in. In the torch lit room sat 6 large figures wearing cloaks in a circle. The pledgees walked and stood in the center of the circle.

“Welcome” a voice said. “What you are about to experience will test you mentally and physically. You are attempting to enter an order that has existed centuries before you and will live on centuries after your death. We are the gatekeepers, we are the standard bearers. We are Zeta Alpha Tau. We are the Order of Venus of Willendorf. We are the Venus of Willendorf. You will worship us.”

The pledges looked around at each other confused. Suddenly the cloaked figures pulled off their hoods. All of them were women. Fat women. Smug smiles on their faces. Stephen sat stunned when he looked at the women in the middle. Her chubby cheeks and blonde hair.
It was Jennifer……The girl he talked to at the bar.