I had just entered the casino when - my oh my! I saw something that defied my very eyes!

I saw giraffes who were gambling and hippos who were high and elephants juggling and dogs that could fly!

I saw dolphins with maracas and bulls chugging beer and, whoah, who knew chimpanzees could cheer!

I saw kittens on stilts and motorcycle moose and a very festive karaoke goose!

I saw hysterical toucans bright as an orange peel and a big grizzly bear wearing sparkly high heels!

I didn’t know what to do so I decided to stay and me and the animals, we partied all day!

LUKE

When they say California isn’t anything like Tennessee, they aren’t kidding. I’ve driven past more palm trees in the last thirty minutes than I ever thought possible. Money is reflected back in their elaborate buildings, manicured lawns, even the trees. But I have yet to see anything fun here. More specifically, anything that Clay and I can agree on.  “Ugh,” Clay says, scrunching up his nose. “Do you smell that? Is that the truck?” “What makes you think it’s the truck?”  We exchanged a look and laughed. Bobby was kind enough to loan me his truck at the last minute for our trip, but like Bobby, this truck was still living in the eighties. The seats were ripped open with the padding exposed, the air conditioner kept flaking out and the rusty muffler had been sputtering out a black cloud behind us for miles.  “Maybe we should let her rest.”  Clay nodded and we pulled into the nearest diner. There were pot holes all over the parking lot. One fatal misstep could land you in the hospital with a sideways ankle. My jaw fell when we stepped inside. The place looked to be straight out of the fifties. Platinum records hung on the walls and the booths and tables all matched in a bright red. A sandwich-style white board sat on the floor, the daily specials handwritten in different colors. An older woman from behind the bar gave us a wave.  “Delia will be right with you guys.” She said.       While Clay was busy analyzing the assortment of refrigerated pie slices off to the side, I scanned over a cork board pinned with fliers of all kinds - a lost dog, employment forms to work here, special offers from other businesses. Tucked in the corner underneath a lost cockatoo flier, (really?) was something printed in bright gold letters. Lifting the cockatoo flier out of the way, the words of the unknown flier flashed back at me. ‘CASH PRIZE.’  Just as I was about to read the rest of the it, a petite woman with short platinum blond hair came rushing over. She wore a light blue button up with the diner’s logo embroidered on the corner. She gave me a smile then ran over to set a ketchup bottle on a different table.  “Sorry about that,” she said, coming back over. “Bonnie’s really particular about her food.” She grabbed two menus and led us to the only available booth left in the place. The laminated menus reminded me of the diners back home and it gave me a good feeling about the quality of the food. When Delia returned with our drinks, she pulled out her pad of paper.  “What here is good?” I asked, sliding my menu towards her. She picked it up, her lips pursed. “Honestly, it’s all amazing. This place has had the same chef for the last fifty years. Most of the recipes here actually have been passed down through his family.”  “You’re very knowledgeable about this place.” Clay said, setting his jacket beside him.  She shrugged. “I’ve been here a long time.”   As I scanned the crowd, I noticed a lot of customers smiling and waving to her as they came in. She must be a local here.  A trickle of sweat ran down my back as I rolled my sleeves up. “Maybe you can help us.”  Her brow furrowed down and she crossed her arms.  “What kind of help?” “Attractions.” Clay said, taking a sip of his ice water. She pondered for a minute and then went and grabbed the flier off of the cork board I’d been looking at. She set it on the table in between us. “There’s this going on this weekend.” The flier had ‘San Diego Casino Comic-Con-Casino Night’ written in bright bold letters. “But if you guys are willing to try something new and looking for a day trip, I cannot recommend the Comic-Con Museum of Art enough.”  “Comma…what?” I asked, sliding the sheet closer towards me.  “Comic-Con. It’s this big event where everyone dresses up from movies and television shows, and there’s contests with cash prizes. And karaoke! It’s sort of like a summer Halloween party. This year they’re mixing it up by bringing in casino games to play too.” I stared up at her while she continued. “But the museum has a lot movie stuff. Like behind the scenes and all that.”  Clay immediately perked up at that. Reaching for a scrap piece of paper from his pocket, he held it out to her. “Could you write down the address for us?”  I watched her study Clay’s face before turning her attention to mine. Neither of us said anything. “You guys look pretty trustworthy.” She pointed to the clock hanging on the wall behind her. “I’m gonna clock out and head over there, actually. You guys are welcome to join me if you like.”  She stared over at me, waiting.  I looked across the table. “Clay? What do you think?”  He nodded.  She grinned. “Great! Let me get changed and then we can take my car.” 

CLAY

Careful not to make a mess inside Delia’s car, I set my empty pie container on the rubber floor mat. I wiped my mouth of any chocolate smudges, stuffing the napkin into my pocket. I had never met anyone who was able to put their personality within the confines of a car. She had a photo of herself and who I assumed were her parents taped on her dashboard. Her glove box was stocked with everything from plastic silverware, to band-aids and tampons, she even had a novel somehow wedged in there.  “So,” she said, sliding her sunglasses onto her nose, “are you guys from around here?”  “That’s your polite way of saying we stick out, isn’t it?” I teased. She laughed, catching a quick glimpse at my checkered flannel. “Maybe a little.” 

I’m not sure what shocked me more. That she didn’t think twice about inviting two strangers into her car, or that I agreed to go. She had a friendliness in her tone and she made me feel like we’d been friends for years. Sweat trickled down my chest and I pulled out my shirt, fanning it against me. Without taking her eyes off the road, she cranked her air conditioner to full blast, a tiny smile on her lips.  “We’re from Tennessee.” Luke said from the backseat, wiping some crumbs from his mouth.  “Home of DollyWood.” She said. She turned down a windy paved road where a steel building awaited in the distance.  “Have you ever been?” I asked. Pretending that I was looking up something on my phone, I used the black screen as a mirror to make sure I had nothing on my face.  She shook her head. “I wish.” She paused, scanning for an empty parking space. When she turned off the ignition, she reached for her purse. “I’m actually from Ohio.” 

Stepping out, the Los Angeles heat threatened to turn me into a puddle. Not only had she been gracious enough to drive us here, but now she had her card at the ready as we walked towards the double doors. She wasn’t going to pay for us…was she? When the doors opened, we were met with a ‘woosh’ of icy air and I froze.  “Woah” Luke whispered. He tilted his head up, looking at all of the movie posters lining the walls. The floors were spotless and strobe lights were positioned on different display cases. Inside were various props from different movies. This place was every movie lover’s dream. When I wandered over to Delia, she had three pamphlets in her hand.  “Here’s yours.” She said. She went over and handed the other to Luke. Our footsteps squeaked against the polished floor. We decided to start on the second level to the Avenger’s Exhibit.  Folding out the map, Delia pointed out all that awaited. “It says here they have the costumes, props and even some never seen behind-the-scene clips up here.” 

Looking at the various costumes in the glass display cases made me miss my grandfather. He would’ve loved this museum. If it weren’t for him, I never would have discovered my love for movies.  “Is Iron Man your favorite?” Delia asked, strolling up next to me. She aimed her phone at the costume, snapping a couple of photos.  “My grandpa’s, actually.” Her eyebrows rose in curiosity and she smiled.  “Smart man.” This made me laugh, which in turn made her laugh. Her teeth were white enough to pose for a toothpaste commercial. For all I knew, that’s what she did. I didn’t know anything about her.  “What do you do?” “Where’s Luke?” She asked, overriding my question. We looked around and saw him going through reading each of the placards underneath each prop used in the Black Panther movie. Wandering over, I asked Luke if he wanted to join Delia and I in the Jurassic Park section.  He shook his head, typing out a photo message on his phone.  I walked back across the hall and found Delia staring up a life-size replica of a T-Rex, her head tilted all the way back.  “These movies actually used to terrify me as a child.” She laughed, shaking her head. 

Growing up, I went through a dinosaur phase. My entire bedroom was dinosaur themed, and at one point I had checked out every book the library had on them. It was later that year that my parents bought me the boxed movie set for Christmas. Both of them were far too busy dealing with their own problems though, to know that I wanted the boxed movie set. I found the cardboard box the movies came in under their bed a few days after Christmas. The box smelled like grandpa’s cologne.    

Looping my thumbs through the front of my jeans, I walked over to the tiny screen in the corner of the room replaying a scene from the original movie. “Did you know that the T-Rex’s footsteps in the movie was the sound of falling trees?”  She snapped more photos and came up behind me. She arched her eyebrows in surprise. “Really?”  I grinned. “Yep. Their roar is a combination of a baby elephant, lion and crocodile. The Velociraptor was a walrus mixed with a dolphin.”  Something in the way she smiled reminded me of Alexis’s, except that hers didn’t show any judgement behind it. Without any warning, she went around the corner, checking that the coast was clear. She came back over to me with her hands behind her back, a mischievous look on her face. “Give me your best dinosaur roar.”  “What?”  “No one else is here. I’ll go first.” She took a step back and let out the cutest roar I’d ever heard. A grin spread over my cheeks and she pointed at me.  “Your turn.”  I walked to the center room, making a theatratrical scene, complete with tapping on an invisible microphone. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. A smile was building on her lips.  My voice ricocheted off walls in sharp, piercing growl. The room was silent as I took a bow. When I looked up, she was applauding.  “I’m impressed, DollyWood.” Her fingers brushed against my forearm when she came over, pretending to stick stuck a ribbon on my shirt. When she tilted to look up at me, I caught a whiff of her citrus perfume. 

You’re not so bad, yourself, I thought to myself.

We’d walked through every exhibit except for the last one on the lower level. Luke had voluntarily found himself in a Blackjack match to the death against a guy wearing a Star Wars t-shirt. When we popped in to check on him, he was up twenty five dollars and it only seemed to be growing.  While we waited for Luke to inevitably take the last of Star War guys’ chips, we went down the hall and looked around the Avatar exhibit. With the dim lighting, I accidentally mistook a different woman for Delia. “Sorry,” I mumbled, making my way around the exhibit again. For a second I thought she’d left me in here, but I found her sitting on a bench near the entryway. She seemed…off. I sat down beside her. She kept her eyes on her sandals, her breathing slow and steady. She looked up at the glass display cases with a longing of some kind. A longing for something she couldn’t have.  “What are you thinking about?” I asked, leaning my head down towards hers.  She blinked away her thoughts and sighed. “Can I tell you something?”  I nodded and she took a deep breath. “I have a dream of being a makeup artist for movies.” She exhaled, as if the words were choking her. “Every year, I go to the Comic-Con convention and enter in the costume contest hoping to be recognized for my skill set. Maybe tomorrow I’ll finally catch a break.” She sat up taller against the wall, closing her eyes. She told me about how much fun the whole day is, and how if she won the contest this year, she’d use the cash prize to get some formal education.  “How long have you been interested in makeup for?” I asked, my hands perched in my lap.  “Ever since I can remember. Creativity sort of runs in my blood. My mother worked in an herbalist’s shop and my dad was a musician.” She let out a sad sort of laugh. “Unfortunately, rent and bills don’t seem to care about dreams.” 

Neither of us said anything for a few minutes. She was like a bird trapped in a cage. If someone just gave her a chance to spread her wings, there was no telling how high she could go. She believed in herself and her abilities, and I found it...nice. I was curious about this comic-con event she talked about, but I was also curious about her. I ran my fingers through my hair, and cleared my throat. “I want to come. With you.”  “To Comic-Con?”  I nodded. “I mean, why not, right?”  “It’s tomorrow.” “So?” She thought about it for a moment and then got up and headed out towards the entrance. I didn’t need to see her face to know she was smiling. In front of the steps, Star Wars guy was shaking Luke’s hand and giving him a comic book. He waved and looked at the look on Delia's face. He looked over at me, as if to say ‘give me the rundown.’ She pulled out her keys, pushed open the double doors, and headed out into the parking lot. I filled Luke in on the new plan while we walked a few steps behind her.

LUKE

While Delia and Clay sat in the front of the car discussing different costume ideas, I flipped through the wad of cash, recounting it for the second time. It was only a hundred bucks, but it looked like so much more in only singles. The original bet was for two hundred, but it felt wrong to take the whole pot. The guy looked like he really couldn’t afford to be gambling in the first place. 

 “Are you sure there’s going to be any costumes left? Won’t it be picked over?” I asked, perching my elbows on the middle console. 

Delia shook her head, turning her head more in my direction. “These stores prepare months in advance. The store’s going to be packed with costumes.” 

When we arrived,the store initially looked full, but upon further inspection was pretty empty. All that remained were a few leftover decorations. The blood flowed from Delia’s face, making her lipstick look a shade lighter. She rubbed her temple, mumbling something under her breath. The guy behind the counter just shrugged when she asked where all the costumes went. “Busy season.” He said, staring back down at his phone.  She flipped through the racks, moving more frantically as she went down them. “These are all child-sized.”  I checked my watch. Quarter to seven. “Is there anywhere else we could go?” I asked. “To a different store?” Clay offered. She shook her head. “If this store doesn’t have anything…” she let the words trail off.  The guy from behind the counter called out to us, still staring down at his phone. “Just buy your stuff online.”  Delia scoffed. “And pay those ridiculous overnight shipping fees?”  He shrugged, clearly not phased in the slightest by her curt tone.  “I’m sorry guys.”  When Delia had explained all of what awaited at Comic-Con, it sounded perfect to me. Big venues, large crowds, casino games. Definitely something that would be memorable. One empty Halloween store wasn’t going to stop me. Clay and I exchanged a look that only a best friend could read. We nodded in unison.  “Online it is, then.”  She snapped her head at me, then looked over at Clay. He was smiling at her. “You guys don’t have to. Seriously, just the price for overnight delivery is ridiculous.”  I waved away her concern. What good was having a bunch of money if you never got to enjoy it? “Don’t worry about it, okay?”  It was useless to argue with me. I wasn’t going to budge. “Okay.” She finally said. 

The sun was finally beginning to fade behind the clouds when she dropped us back off in the parking lot. We agreed to follow her to her apartment - she said she lived only a couple miles down from the diner - and we’d order our costumes there.  A cloud of gray smoke erupted from the tail pipe and I followed behind her. Clay had been particularly quiet, which meant he was deep in thought. Was he mad that I abandoned them earlier?  “Hey man, I’m sorry about earlier. With the whole Blackjack thing. I guess I got caught up in it.”  “It’s cool,” he said. He picked up the comic book I’d won. “You read these?”  I shook my head. “I figured Hunter might like it.” Clay laughed. “I’m amazed he never told on you.”   My nephew idolized Captain America. He begged my sister to take him to see his movie but when she refused, I took Hunter out for a little ‘fun.’ It’s always been our special secret.  ‘On the road again’ played softly on the radio, filling the silence. I turned to look over at him. “You and Delia seemed to be hitting it off pretty well. I heard you guys laughing a lot today.”  Clay smiled to himself and turned down the radio. “She’s…different.”  “Different good or different bad?”  He stared out ahead at the road, his eyes narrowing. “She’s very unique. She’s unapologetically herself, you know what I mean?”  I did know what he meant. With her nose pierced, the ends of her hair dyed a bright blue, she would be the talk of the town back home. Out here though, she fit right in.  “I think she’s great.” I said, pulling up and parking next to her car. 

We stepped out and followed her up three flights of stairs. The outside of her door had a floral welcome sign. It looked like something my mother would put out for summer.  “Sorry about the mess,” she said as she opened the door. 

Mess? Minus the crumpled up blanket on the couch, this place was completely immaculate. Looking around, I suddenly felt anxious about the pile of clothes I had next to my bed still waiting to be put away.  Delia kicked off her sandals and headed straight down the hallway to her bedroom. “Make yourselves at home” she called over her shoulder. 

Her home matched her personality - very welcoming with a touch of quirkiness. Brightly colored kitchen appliances sat on her counters along with lots of overgrown plants. Her living room was warm and cozy, complete with stacks of books next to a half burnt candle on her coffee table.    In the corner, she had a record player with a basket of records next to it. Flipping through each record, she seemed to like a little of everything. “…Beatles, Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Josh Turner…” I laughed and pulled the last record up.  “Clay!” He turned and laughed when he saw Josh Turner’s face. Wriggling my eyebrows, I set it in the very front. Behind me, Clay was trying to figure out what was hanging from the ceiling. I narrowed my eyes up at it.  “Is that…a sloth?” I asked. “I thinks so.” Clay replied. It looked homemade. Knitted? Setting her laptop down, Delia laughed when she saw our faces. “I see you guys found Sid.”  “Sid…the sloth?” Clay teased. “Yeah, naming stuff really isn’t my strong suit.”  We all laughed, as Sid swung lazily against the soft breeze.

After Delia got her laptop all setup we each sat beside her, viewing our options. The guy at the counter was right. The options on here were endless.  She turned to Clay and I noticed that she had her knee pressed next to his. A tiny smile broke across my face. “What are you thinking?” She asked. “Any ideas?”  “Clay, go as a singer!” I interjected.  Delia’s jaw dropped. “You can sing?”  “A little.”  “He sounds exactly like Josh Turner.” She raced off the couch, grabbing the album. “You mean to tell me that you sound like this guy?!”  He gave her a thin-lipped smile and half-shrugged. “Depends on who you ask.”  She brushed her hair behind her ear. “I’d love to hear you sing! Maybe I can get a private concert later?” She asked.  In that moment, his entire body language shifted and I realized my mistake. Clay’s feelings for Alexis might be dead, but the damage she did was still very much alive.  “What are you going as?” I asked, hoping that if I switched the topic to her, she’d drop the topic. Something in her eyes though told me that she noticed the shift in Clay too.  “The Corpse Bride” she said, showing me the tips of her hair. “It’s why I did this. I couldn’t afford to color it all.” 

An hour later, we were all set to place the order. I decided on Luke Sky-walker and Clay decided on a Medieval knight. 

I fished out my wallet and typed in my information. Delia was right, the overnight shipping fee was insane, but the look on her face when I hit ‘send’ made it worth it. It was well after nine by the time we finished up, and Clay reached for his jacket behind him. Delia offered us to spend the night, but Clay and I already had reservations at a hotel. Clay never mentioned any sort of confirmation email though. “Did you ever get any sort of confirmation email today?” I asked, carefully sliding my boots on, making sure I didn’t get any dirt on her carpet.   He rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Now that you mention it.” He pulled up the reservation on his phone and a scowl came over his face.  “It fell through.” He showed me his phone, running his fingers through his hair.  “I think I saw some blankets in the backseat.”  Clay gave me a nod.  Delia looked at us like we were nuts. “You’re not seriously going to sleep in a truck, are you?”  We both shrugged.  “No,” she said. She went into her closet and pulled out an air mattress. Before we had a chance to dispute, she threw a stack of blankets on the couch. “It folds out into a bed.” I really didn’t want to sleep sitting upright in the truck tonight and that air mattress had a ‘come hither’ look to it.  “Thanks,” I said, plugging the pump into the wall and blowing up the mattress.  “You’re sure about this?” Clay asked, still standing by the door.

Delia nodded. “It makes more sense for you guys to be here. Tomorrow we can drive straight down from here.” After a late night snack of leftover Chinese, I laid in the pitch black, suddenly unable to sleep. The moonlight bounced off of Sid, casting a sloth-like shadow on the wall. I smiled. Clay was right. Delia was…different. 

CLAY

Luke left early this morning for the post office to pick up our costumes. Delia had yet to wake up, making the apartment eerily quiet, yet somehow comfortable. I folded up the blankets, put the couch back together and looked through her fridge for something to snack on. Mostly it was leftovers, a half-eaten yogurt and an assortment of different salad dressings. Snuggled between two Styrofoam containers, I found a package of bacon. Delia did say to make ourselves at home. Being as quiet as I could, I got to work. While the bacon was cooking, I looked at all of the photos she had on her fridge. Pictures of her with some other women at the ocean, a couple of photos of who I assumed were her parents and…was that a google photo of Johnny Depp? 

 “That smells good.” Her sleepy tone startled me. She was wrapped in a blanket, the static pulling her hair in different directions. Her mascara was smudged under her eyes, making her look like an adorable raccoon. She looked so tired and cute. I took a step towards her, before realizing we were still just strangers in a very bizarre situation. 
 “How do you like your bacon?” I asked.
 “Super crispy. Basically burnt.” 
 “Wow. You and Luke are just alike.” I teased. She laughed and sat down at the table, watching me. 

Even without looking over at her, I could feel her eyes penetrating into me.  “Were you okay last night?” She asked, throwing her hair into a low bun.  I glanced up from the pan at her. “Yeah. Why?”  She shrugged. “You seemed…upset. With the whole singing thing.”  I was hoping that she hadn’t seen that last night. It wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t even Luke’s. It was mine. I still hadn’t figured out a way to deal with the lingering anger I felt in my chest.  I flipped the bacon over. “Singing was something I used to enjoy. Now…” I shrugged, leaving the words unspoken.  “Now you don’t.” She finished for me. I nodded. “Luke told me about her last night. Alexis.” My head shot just at the mention of her name. “But he didn’t go into any details.” She added quickly.  I brought the bacon over to the table and sat across from her. Even what little I knew about her, I did know that Delia was not a judgmental person. She let out a gentle ‘ooo’ as she reached for a piece of burnt bacon.  I reached towards the plate, thinking about how to respond. “We used to sing together. At clubs, bars, even on the street. We were really good.” I stared at the wood grain on her table. “But then she dumped me and through social media, she basically destroyed my singing career. Nobody wants an alleged girlfriend beater as their musical guest of honor.”  Delia’s eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe that.” She whispered.  The anger inside me felt like a waterfall. I started, and now I couldn’t stop. “Singing was a passion of mine. It felt like…like my…”  “Gift.” She whispered. She gave me an understanding smile. Something in her eyes told me she knew exactly how I felt.  “My ex-boyfriend dumped me when I told him about my makeup dreams.” Now it was my eyes that grew wide.  “He told me that it wasn’t a real dream and that I needed to get with the real world. He refused to be caught dead with someone working at a diner, who wasn’t successful.”  She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “He was such an ass. But he taught me a valuable lesson.”  She rubbed her greasy fingers on her blanket.  “What’s that?” I asked. “To never allow yourself to be controlled by another person.” She got up and set the empty plate in the sink. She placed her hand on my shoulder on her way back towards the table. “If singing is your passion, then that’s what you need to do.”  I squeezed her hand, letting my fingers linger on top of hers. Warm and soft. 

Luke returned with a loud kicking sound from the other side of the door. He was balancing our package underneath a giant pink box.  He grinned. “Alright, I’ve got costumes and I’ve got donuts!” Delia brought the box to the table, before stuffing her cheeks full of frosting and sprinkles. She stood behind the couch as Luke sliced open the package. It was filled to the brim with packing peanuts. When he pulled out the first costume, his grinned drooped a little.  “This can’t be right.” Instead of a Luke Sky-Walker costume, he held up a Captain Jack Sparrow one. Reaching back into the box, the other costume was wrong too. Edward Scissorhands.  “This isn’t right!” He checked the label again. “The only way we could make these costumes look believable would be a professional makeup…” He trailed off, realization striking him.  Licking the frosting from her thumb, Delia grabbed the costumes off of the coffee table. She looked over at me, a twinkling in her eyes. In that moment, I knew it was going to be okay. 

Her fingers moved like magic. There had to have been hundreds of dollars’ worth of makeup neatly organized on the coffee table. She applied Luke’s makeup first, starting with red and purple splotch marks to resemble sun damage. Then moving onto his eyes adding black eyeliner.  “Head back” she said, adding beard hairs to Luke’s chin. Even without his wig on yet, I couldn’t believe it was him. Bending over, I grabbed a white bottle of liquid off of the table. It looked like a liquid latex of some sort.  “I had no idea stuff like this even existed.”  She grinned over her shoulder. “It’s easy if you know where to look.” She gave me a lingering look that I couldn’t decipher, then went and grabbed the dreadlock wig off of the dining room table. She used a few additional bobby pins to secure Luke’s curls in place then added the wig.  “Give us a smile,” I joked. Luke’s former smile had been transformed into a collection of rotted teeth.  “I feel like a real pirate.” Luke said, running his tongue over his teeth. 

While Luke went and changed into the rest of his costume, Delia gave her brushes a quick wash and then began on my makeup. The bristles tickled against my freshly shaved face - per Delia’s request. (Edward Scisshands does not have facial hair). She powdered my face completely white and added giant black circles under my eyes. She painted black strokes across my cheekbones to make my face look more narrow.  It felt so intimate, here with her like this. Like I was getting an inside view into her world. Into her. She took everything into consideration. When she was finished, she took a step back and admired me - her canvas - and gave me an approving nod.  I offered to put my wig on myself so that she could begin getting ready herself. She promised me that it wouldn’t take long and then headed down the hallway and shut the bathroom door. 

Luke grabbed another donut and sat down on the couch, looking at the coffee table again. “This girl’s got serious talent.”  I nodded and explained her dream of becoming a professional artist.  “I can’t believe she has this level of talent and has never been picked up.” He said.  I couldn’t believe it either. She was brilliant in every sense of the word. She deserved everything in this world. 

When Delia came out of the bathroom awhile later, she had completely transformed herself. Her blue face makeup looked more realistic than I’d ever thought possible. Her white tattered wedding dress looked worn and tired. It was perfect. Something in my chest softened when I looked at her. She gave a quick spin in the hallway before taking one final look at each of us. 

She grabbed us each an extra donut for the road and then we headed out. 

LUKE

The parking garage was bustling with activity as we stepped out and headed into the newly remodeled building. I could overhear vague whispers and feel eyes on me from every angle. But I didn’t care. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all because of Delia’s talent. 

When we stepped through the front doors, it was like an entirely different world inside. A whirlwind of different costumes passed around us from every angle; Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Disney - there were even a couple of people dressed from television series here. Rows of booths were set up in the center, displaying paintings, figurines and collectibles and clothing. Even those monitoring the different casino games were dressed up. In the back corner, flashing neon lights showcased the bar.   A man dressed up as Iron Man bumped into me. He pointed up at my hat, and in his own best Iron Man impression said “I very much like your costume.”  Delia led Clay and I through the flood of colorful costumes to a booth so we could sign up for the costume contest. The woman behind the table had a very symmetrical face. Her nose looked too big for her face, but maybe that was makeup?  “Hi,” Delia said. “We’re here for the contest.” The woman handed Delia a clipboard with a paper attached to it. “Fill this out and then I’ll give you your pass.”  We all walked over towards the wall while Delia filled everything out. When she got to the bottom, she sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.  “They changed the rules.” She said.  “What?” Clay asked, looking at the paper.  “It’s no longer individual. It’s only for groups now.” She closed her eyes, pressing her lips into a thin line. I knew what she was thinking. All this hard work. For nothing.  Clay handed the paper over to me. Reading it, an idea occurred to me.  “We’re not out of this yet,” I said. Under where it said ‘team name’ I scribbled out the perfect name.  Delia grabbed the paper back and narrowed her eyebrows. “The…Johnny Deppers?”  “If anyone asks, we’re all based on movies that Johnny Depp was in.”  “Luke you’re a genius!” She wrapped herself around me in a hug before running back to the table. She returned with our pass, her smile still lingering. 

The contest wasn’t scheduled to begin for another thirty minutes. While Delia and Clay decided to check out the different booths, I headed to test my Texas Hold’ Em skills. The game was being held by Batman. Seated around the table were mostly Disney villains.  Captain Hook patted the empty stool beside him. “Join us, Mr. Sparrow.” I pinched the ends of my mustache, getting a laugh from Cruella de Vil before sitting down.  I learned very quickly what everyone’s tells were. Captain Hook twitched his nose, Ursula squinted her eyes when she was dealt a bad hand and Cruella’s poker face was too stoic and it gave her away. By the end of the third round, my pile of chips had doubled in size. Here - at this table specifically - my easy-go-lucky attitude seemed to be in my favor. In between my jokes and impressions, no one questioned my bluff.  When the game ended, I stuck the wad of bills into the bottom of my boot for later. There was the option of having a personalized check made out to the winner, but I thought cash would be easier. Besides, after all the compliments I’d received, I knew who really deserved the money.  I saw Clay and Delia leaning up against the edge of a booth. They were busy laughing and sharing a snack of some kind. I’d never seen Clay laugh that hard. Even when he was with Alexis, he always had his guard up, like her words would somehow come back to hurt him if he wasn’t careful. With Delia though, he looked happy.  Delia waved when she saw me, a happy smile on her face. 

 “The contest is getting ready to start, so we need to go line up.” I nodded and together we stood with the other three groups before filing up on a stage. Below us, three judges sat at a long table with clipboards in front of them. Waves of people stood around to watch. 

Standing up here reminded me of 'show and tell', except now I was the one being presented to the class. A few minutes later, the symmetrical-faced woman walked onto the stage, a microphone in her hand.  “Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the San Diego Comic-Con!” A eruption of cheers and whistles came from the crowd. “Now, behind me we have this year’s group costumes.” She listed each of the groups off and a paused a moment before calling out our group name. A tiny smile appeared on her lips when she announced it.  The first group to be inspected was the Avengers. They only included the very basic characters in their group, but their costumes were incredible. Each one couldn’t have been any cheaper than two hundred and fifty dollars. The first judge tipped his microphone towards him and made a spinning motion with his fingers. He looked like the kind of guy who would own an art gallery out in New York.  One by one each group was thoroughly inspected by each judge. The movements were all the same for each group. Spin for judge one, strike a pose for judge two and the last judge asked for any special talents from the group.  When it was our turn, the art gallery judge gave us a quizzical look. Delia stood next to me and I could feel the tremble of her shoulders against my arm. We hadn’t prepared for a pose, so when judge two looked at us, I instinctively took my hat off and put it over my chest, just like Captain Jack in the beginning of the first movie. Delia and Clay followed suit, her posing a dainty smile with her dead bouquet and Clay with a sad look, his head bent down.  The third judge brushed her bangs from her eyes. “And do any of you have any talents you’d like to show off? Impressions or perhaps why you chose the name…” she flipped up her sheet of paper. “The Johnny Deppers?”  With hundreds of eyes on us, Delia licked her lips but didn’t speak. The judge pushed her braid from her shoulder and leaned back in her chair. We were taking too long to answer.  “The Johnny Deppers” I began, without knowing what I was going to say next. “Came to us because we’re all big fans of his work. The characters that he brings to life, they’re just incredible.”  The judge looked at us, nodding along.  “And isn’t creativity why we’re all here?” Clay added. Placing his arm on Delia’s back, she smiled. (Which was subtle, but I noticed). “We couldn’t think of anyone to better exemplify such creativity.” 

Satisfied with our answer, each judge thanked us and we were escorted off the stage to wait with the other groups.  “You guys were amazing up there.” Delia said.  “I was a little nervous with that first judge,” Clay said. “He seemed tough. But I think we won over the other two.”  “They loved your impression,” Delia said, playfully nudging me.  “What impression? This is my new way of life.”  We all laughed.  While Clay and Delia went to go talk to the other groups, I watched a younger woman with pitch black hair wearing a matching black pant suit stare at me. One by one, she looked at each group with an intellectual curosity before typing something on her phone. What was that all about? 

 “Luke! Come on, it’s time for the results!” Clay said. 

We each returned onto the stage. My heartbeat was pulsing in my ears. This was it. Delia grabbed Clay’s hand, then mine, giving mine a tight squeeze. I squeezed it in return. I hope we win too, I thought to myself.

Each judge stood, before turning their attention to the first judge. He scrutinized each group once more, probably trying to instill fear in all of us.  “This was a very tough decision. We know how much time and effort each of you put into your costumes and I’d like to say, that it didn’t go unnoticed. With that being said however, there can only be one winner. The winning group is…”  I stared at the floor, my lips in a thin line.  “Group two! The cast from The Office!” A rip of applause sounded over the room. My shoulders slouched as I let out the breath I’d been holding in.  While group two went to collect their cash prize, we off the stage in silence.  Delia was the first to speak, her words choppy. She kept shrugging, like she was trying to shrug off the crushing disappointment.  “Honestly, it’s fine.” She walked over the the vending machine and bought a water. “Besides, group two…I mean, that guy looked exactly like Steve Carrell. They all looked exactly their characters.” She wiped the water from her lip. “They deserved it.”   As she excused herself into the bathroom, Clay and I sat on a bench watching the crowds. Suddenly, I felt numb to everything. Delia’s dream was crushed yet again. Out in the distance, the black-haired woman stood staring at me. She wrote something on her phone and looked at me. That’s when it hit me and I realized that maybe I could maybe make this right. 

CLAY

 “Are you okay?” I asked. Delia hadn’t spoken a word since she came out of the bathroom. The makeup underneath her eyes was smudged and I noticed blue on her white sleeve. 

She nodded. “Where did Luke go?” I shrugged, but she didn’t see it. She was too busy scanning the crowd. She laughed to herself. “I feel like he’s got the energy of a ten year old hyped up on sugar.” I just smiled in return. Luke had explained to me about the woman he saw and explained out his plan to me. He wasn’t going to waste a minute in order to help Delia. I wanted to help her too, but how? 

The judges may not have liked our costumes enough to claim us as the winners, but the crowd certainly did. We were each given compliment after compliment. Naturally, I stopped everyone who wanted to compliment my makeup, and directed them to compliment the woman beside me.

Everyone’s compliments varied. “It’s amazing.” “Seriously, you’ve got wicked talent.” “Are you available for Halloween parties?” 

We walked another lap around the booths and played the claw machine. The plush kracken I won her, hung from her fingertips. “Thank you again,” she said, holding it up. “That was sweet.”  I shrugged, giving her a smile. “Please. It’s the least I can do.”  But not hardly enough.  We decided to venture into the bar, where Delia drank some sort of fruity slush drink, with gummy sharks in it. As I leaned against the bar sipping on my beer, a crowd began to form over in the corner. A hunched over man was carrying over a microphone and a karaoke machine. 

Of course. 

 Delia looked over at me, her straw plunged into her half empty glass. “What are you looking at?”  “Nothing.” I lied.  She nodded, returning her attention to her drink.  Getting up from the stool, phone in my hand, I excused myself. Once Delia was out of sight, I shot out a quick text to Luke telling him to bring Delia over to the karaoke competition.  Luke responded immediately. ‘About damn time.’ 

The slouched man directed me to a table where I signed in the last available slot for the contest. While the last bits were being set up, I sat up against the far wall, focusing on my breathing. Alexis’s words still rang in my mind. ‘You can’t sing. What on earth makes you think you’re good?’  But Delia was right. I’d been letting Alexis control me for far too long. If singing was my passion and my gift, then it was time I use it again. 

Nine singers before me had gone up and sang their hearts out. Many of them were good. Really good. They could easily go on one of those singing shows and probably make it to the finale. When it was my turn, I walked up the steps to the miniature stage, my heart pounding in my chest.  The slouched man waved me over as he spoke into the microphone. “Last up today, we have Mr. Clay Joslin.” 

The crowd applauded as I re-adjusted the microphone. I scanned the crowd and a smile broke out over my lips when I saw Delia and Luke. Luke gave me a knowing smile, while Delia’s jaw hung open. She whispered something to Luke but he just shrugged in response.  I tapped on the microphone. “I’d like to dedicate this song to someone special.” A few women in the front gave a flirtatious whistle. 

Josh Turner’s ‘Would you go with me’ played over the speakers. Closing my eyes, the music washed over me and I could feel myself breaking away from my past with each word I sung. When I opened them, the crowd had their phones flashlights waving back and forth. Delia wiped her eyes. Both her and Luke’s phones were swinging back and forth with the others.  Fully immersed in the song, I bopped my head up and down, feeling every chord through my body. The crowd began singing along with me, clapping in tune with the song.  When the song ended, I took a bow, sneaking a glance at Delia. She gave me a bright smile, sticking both of her thumbs up. Luke raised his fist in the air, giving me a ‘well done’ nod. 

The judging panel for this competition was made up of younger people, some of who looked to be professional singers themselves. While they debated, I along with everyone else, was kept in a circle beside the stage. The woman dressed in anime, who had been first to sing, congratulated me. “If anyone deserves to win, it’s you.”  Everyone else nodded, offering their own pre-celebratory congratulations.  A bearded man said something into his ear piece and then waved us all back up onto the stage. We all stood in a line. Behind my back, I had my fingers crossed. 

A very thin woman with long blond curly hair stood, a microphone attached to her blouse. “Wow! What a competition! Am I right folks?” Everyone in the crowd screamed in agreement. “This was a fantastic contest and I do want to just remind everyone, that the winner here will be receiving the five hundred dollar prize.”  Come on. I need this. She needs this. The woman flipped open an envelope, yanking out a piece of paper. “Clay Joslin!”  I took a bow as the crowd roared in applause. 

The cheers and applause didn’t stop even after I exited the stage. The judge motioned for me to join her so I could receive the check. “You were a fantastic singer,” she said as she pulled out a comic-con themed check. “Is it alright that I make this out in your name?”  “Actually, would it be alright to have it made out to someone else? Can I do that?”  She gave me a quizzical look, but then nodded. 

LUKE

 “He was amazing! I mean…I know you said he sounded like Josh, but…” Delia’s words trailed off as we parted from the crowd, waiting for Clay. 
 “No one deserved to win that more than him.” She said. 

It took everything I had not to ruin Clay’s surprise. Delia had no idea what was about to happen to her.  When Clay rounded the corner, Delia ran over to him, practically jumping into his arms, giving him a giant bear hug.  “You were amazing!” She said.  “I owe you the thanks,” Clay said. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Here. This is my way of saying thank you. For everything.” Delia looked down at the paper in confusion.  “What?”  Clay opened up her hand, sliding the paper in. She shook her head.  “No, no, I can’t accept that. Clay, you earned that fair and square.”  “But it’s not addressed to me.”  Delia opened the check and began crying. There in clear print was ‘Delia Jacobs’ for the amount of five hundred dollars.  “I know you said that money was stopping you from getting professional schooling.” He said. “I hope this helps.”  Delia turned around to me, her eyes red. “Did you know about this?” she asked. I grinned, shrugging.  “Consider it like a parting gift.” Clay said.

While Delia continued to thank Clay, I went over and grabbed my gift for her. The woman in the black suit earlier had in fact been looking at my costume with a scrutinizing eye. She worked for a professional makeup company and came here looking for potential new artists. When I explained who did my makeup, she was instantly impressed and asked to meet Delia right away.  She followed behind me as I came back up to them.  “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” I said. Delia turned and stared at the woman next to me. She extended her hand and introduced herself. “You must be Delia. Your friend has told me a great deal about you.”  Delia’s eyes darted between the three of us.  “My name is Laura and I work for moviEMakeup. We’re actually in the process of looking for some artists who might be interested in our summer program. It’s a bit costly, at five hundred dollars, but it’s absolutely worth it for those who show great potential.” Laura looked over at Clay and I and smiled. “I think you have some fantastic potential. Would you be interested?” Delia’s entire body froze, except for the smallest nod. Laura handed her a pamphlet and her business card. “Give me a call and we’ll get everything set up.”   The crowds around us were beginning to taper off as Delia clutched the pamphlet to her chest. “I don’t know what to say.” She whispered. Clay stepped over, wrapping her up in a hug. “Think of us like your country fairy-god…brothers?” He shrugged and I laughed. 

That evening back in Delia’s apartment, we decided to spend our final night in California ordering in pizza, reminiscing about the day.  “I can’t even remember how many Captain America’s I saw today.” I said, reaching for my third piece of pizza.  “How about that guy who was role playing as someone’s shadow?” Clay said, popping open a bottle of celebratory champagne.  “That was so cool!” Delia said, grabbing the flutes before Clay wrecked her perfectly organized kitchen.  She handed me a glass, raising hers up. “To friendship.”  “To new experiences.” I said “To letting go of the past.” Clay added.  We clinked our glasses together and spent the rest of the evening singing and dancing as Clay performed an encore of ‘Would you go with me.’ 

CLAY

A little after sunrise, Bobby and his buddy came to pick up the truck. Delia drove us down to the airport. The car ride was quiet, except for the occasional joke. I wasn’t ready to leave. I didn’t want to leave California and I really didn’t want to leave Delia. We had only known each other for three days, but it felt so much longer. 

The airport itself felt sleepy as we made our way inside. Checking my watch, we had twenty minutes before Luke and I needed to board.  We all stood in a circle, until Luke broke the silence. “Oh, before I forget.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a wad of bills. “It’s from yesterday.” He paused a moment. “For school.”  Delia stuck the bills in her purse and hugged Luke goodbye. “I’m going to miss you.” She whispered to him. “You come and visit us. You have our numbers so there’s no excuse.”  She laughed as she wiped her face.  Luke gave one final smile to her. He excused himself to give us some privacy and headed towards the fresh smell of coffee. 

Delia looked up at me, her eyes welling up with tears. “I really suck at goodbyes,” she joked. “Like a lot.”  “Me too.”  She looked so beautiful in her lilac dress, her hair clipped up. All I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms.  I stuck my thumbs in my jean loops. “You will call, right?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.  She nodded.  I took a slow step towards her and she mirrored my movement. Without wasting a minute, I wrapped her up in my arms, her citrus shampoo filling my lungs. My own eyes began to water. When she pulled back, she looked at me just a little too long to not be thinking the same thing I was.  Tilting her chin up, I kissed her. Her lips were soft and smooth and I didn’t want to pull away.  “I really like you.” I whispered in her ear.  She looked up at me, pushing herself into my chest. “I really like you too.”  The speaker above us announced that boarding for the flight had begun. Grabbing her hand, I kissed it once more. “I’ll call you when we land.”  “Be safe.”  I nodded and headed into the terminal. 

As Luke and I sat and waited for takeoff, we sat in silence. I looked out the window, thinking about Delia standing against a large window, probably watching and waiting for us to take off.  “You’re awfully quiet.” Luke said, readjusting in his seat. “Thinking about her?” “Yeah.” “You’re gonna be seeing her again, huh?”  I smiled.

Nothing was going to stop me from seeing that girl again. 

EPILOGUE

Even though it was two in the afternoon, this special occasion called for bacon. Specifically burnt bacon.

 “Right girl?” I asked Millie, my newest companion. I’d never considered myself a German Shepard owner, but I couldn’t resist when I saw her ad in the paper. She sat looking up at me, her tongue hanging out. I tossed her one of the chewier pieces. 

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and I shouted “it’s open!”  Millie came running over to the front door, where Delia stood. Millie knew she was in for a good belly rub. Clay gave me a firm handshake and followed me onto the patio where I had our steaks ready to put out on the grill. 

 “This is nice place.” He said. 

One year after our trip, I decided to purchase the only ranch style home left in the entire county. The previous owners were friends with my father and I was able to get it for a reduced price. It had oak kitchen cabinets and plush carpeting all throughout the house. The house always felt the fullest when Clay and Delia flew out and stayed with me. It was just like old times. 

 “How’s California?” I asked him, flipping the meat.
 “It’s great. Delia’s actually been hired to work on a new movie.” 

My eyebrows shot up. “That’s amazing!”  Delia opened up the sliding door, stepping out with Millie on her heels.  “So you got a movie offer?” I asked, turning to look over at her.  “Yep!” Clay wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek. “There’s even talk that Johnny Depp might be in it.”  We all laughed.

After a buffet of food, we all lounged around in the living room laughing and planning for next year’s Comic-Con.

The bright lights light me up on the inside. You can hear the scrolling, scrambling, and tearing of games and tickets. Everyone here is acting like an animal, I just have to get out of here, but I just got here. I can stay for a few.

“Excuse me sir, do you know where I can find the poker table thing that spins around in a circle” A random lady approached me asking. I could smell the Ice Seltzer on her breath; it was a sickening smell. I turned the other way without being able to answer her.

Keeping on walking I ran into what appeared to be a business man, wearing a suit and walking around like he owned the place.

“Hey! Greg! I’ve been looking at you from across the bar and let me just say, you’re a stud” The man said with a slight slur.

“Sorry, but I’m not Greg,” I said walking away with a smile.

I have to get out of hear these people are crazy. The definition of psychotic but I can’t find a way out. Gosh, what am I gonna do?! I’m fine, it’s fine, just a little claustrophobicy in here. Woo hoo! I’ve been trapped.

“Um, are you okay? Cause if you’re dying I can totally call 911 but if not I don’t have to.” I heard this voice but I’m not sure where it came from. I then realized my eyes were closed, I opened them seeing a beautiful woman standing over me with a smile holding her hand out. I took her hand and stumbled to my feet.

“Can you talk? Omg are you one of those mute people, I know a little bit of sign language. Wait a second, I know you. You’re the guy from the coffee shop that gave me my Venti Iced Caramel Macchiato right? I couldn’t forget your face! You looked too much like my dad. Anyways, are you like okay?” I sat there eyes opened wide. I couldn’t answer her she was giving too much information. I don’t care about her stupid coffee or her stupid dad.

“Um yeah!” I said breaking out into a sprint. Now, everyone was staring at me like I had just stolen a baby in the middle of an amusement park.

“Hey! Get back here, I wasn’t done talking to you. Gosh what am I gonna do?” I hear the lady saying in the distance.

I’m trying to run away from this dumb casino. I don’t know how or why I was just laying on the floor unconscious but I’m alive now.

They’re chasing me, the FBI. The FBI is chasing me all because I’m trying to get out of this casino.

“Hey, are you like okay dude?” I felt someone tapping me one the back. I turned around to see a man standing there saying gibberish. “Those are some solid cuts you got there bro. Come upstairs with me, I’ll help you clean up. By the way, I’m Ross. I own the bar casino thing. What’s your name? Because I would love to take you upstairs and help you get better. Oh wait! Legally I can’t take you up there so you have to tell that you’re fine.” He smiled.

“M-my na-name?” I answered barely being able to get a word out of my mouth. “It’s Jerry, Jerry Duncan. I-I just um passed out on the fl-floor. At least I think.”

“Oh. I’m sorry?” He said running his hand over my cut.

“I’m fine”

It felt like I just plummeted fifty feet to my death. Like my heart just stopped beating or something miraculous like that. I fell the floor right in front of Roos, I think his name was Roos. He tried to pick me up but he was too weak. Everyone was laughing at me because I fell, I could see them. Eventually he started doing the same. I got up and found a door, I left out the door and saw daylight.

“I’M FINALLY FREE!” I exclaim while tears of joy run down my cheeks.

I kissed the ground! I couldn’t believe I made it away from those people and that place. I needed to get home, but my car was all the way across the casino. It’s fine I’ll walk. It was at least 30° outside I couldn’t walk. I’ll die of mitochondria or whatever it’s called.

I’ll be gambling my existence on a single poker game. But first, let me calm my nerves.

I was currently clutching my stomach and my head was bowed low. Tears laced my golden eyes and my mouth twisted into a deep frown.

Ugh…out of all the times for a stomach ache. My stomach was doing flips, and I was biting my lips to prevent any saliva from dripping down.

‘Last game?’ Asked a man.

I lifted my head to see a man. Unlike his soft voice, he had a rough appearance. He had spiky, chestnut-coloured hair. He had a small face coated with a long scar, that stretched across his forehead. His velvet eyes were framed with curly eyelashes.

‘Yeah, and what of it’ I angrily said.

There was one rule, I learned. Never give someone a bullet to shoot at your back. Don’t trust anyone here. Despite his sweet smile, he gave off the presence of a viper. One mistake and he would swallow me whole.

‘Yeesh, keep your horses. I just think you should admire the night sky, before you game.’ He replied

‘No thanks.’ I said and I turned a way, immediately shutting down any opportunity for negotiation.

‘The name’s Dan’ he innocently said

Does he not get the hint…? Leave me alone.

‘What do you want!!!?’ I bellowed and I could feel the security glancing our way. But what could they do, I wasn’t destroying anything, just causing noise pollution.

He clasped his hands together and he lowered his head.

‘Please just come out of with me. I will offer you a reward. Trust me, this is the last place you want to be in’ He whispered. Then, he held a bag of money.

I know, I know, what I done next, mum. I know you won’t be proud and you would even ask where my dignity was. But, the bag of money, got my tail wagging around me.

I got up to follow the stranger. We were at the entrance.

The man smiled and he tossed the bag my way. Woah…it was heavier than it looks. I gazed back at him and smiled.

But suddenly,

An explosions filled the air. Debris flew past my face and the casino was up in flames.

But unlike my horrified expression, Dan was trying to hold back his laughter. Insane ecstasy, bloomed his eyes.

‘Dan…why are you laughing?!’

‘Haha…it’s funny!!! The whole place, gone like kaboosh.’

Then, some people around me heard Dan and began screaming. They were not running from the flames but from Dan

‘Aaaahhh, it’s Dynamite Dan!!!’ They bellowed, as they flew past.

‘Dynamite Dan…?’ I asked.

He just smirked and ruffled his hair.

‘Well that’s me, but see ya.’

And with that, he disappeared into the night.

But why did he save me…?

“Remember agent, we do what we need to do and we leave. Get in, get out,” Ida whispered, yanking me toward her.

I glanced around. I couldn’t believe this was my first day on the job and I was already getting such a high-stakes assignment.

“What kind of people play here?” I asked nervously. I eyed a shady man in the corner playing blackjack, bowler hat pulled down low over his eyes. A woman opposite him in a plum leather jacket peeked above her cards, eyeing him warily. Hidden inside her hand I caught a glint of metal: a knife.

“Not the good kind.”

Ida continued dragging me through the casino. We weaved between people I could never imagine: a stout man in a tux and a monocle holding bubbling blue champagne; a teenager in a dress and clacking heels, tossing out newspapers and shouting “EXTRA! EXTRA!”; and a pair of twins with short-cropped blonde hair and tight silver bodysuits linked arm in arm, glaring at us.

But all of them were well-dressed, and most were drinking a variety of odd substances, playing their chance at some token or card game.

“Who are all these people?” I whispered to Ida as we shoved past a thin boy that reminded me of a pixie. “They’re not dimension-hoppers like us, right?”

Ida faced me, her hazel eyes reflecting the light of the chandeliers above. “No. Our crew calls them… in-betweeners. Money-makers. Every single one of them’s loaded, but they all got their money by…” she waved her hand. “Shady means. This lot’s as morally gray as it gets. That’s why we never come here, agent, unless we absolutely have to. It’s too risky one of them will recognize us from some interdimensional deal or another.”

She quickly pulled me out of the way, narrowing avoiding a waiter that was precariously balancing five glasses of a steamy green liquid on a tray.

“Poison,” she muttered. “It burns, trust me.”

Before I could ask how she knew that, I was yanked down another corridor, this one dimmer from lack of light. There was less chatter here, and though it was less crowded, somehow that made it more suspicious. We passed some kid in a yellowed tunic with gigantic looping earrings and one eye bandaged, maybe a pirate; and I definitely saw a woman to my right slip powder into one of her friend’s drinks when she wasn’t looking.

My stomach churned. “How much farther?”

Ida noticed my expression and smirked. “God, agent, you’re so innocent. This isn’t half of it. If you’re going to survive this mission, and better yet this job, you’re going to need to toughen up.”

I decided not to point out she still hadn’t answered my question as we continued.

We finally reached a door at the hall’s end, black wood with a golden knocker in the shape of a hound. Ida bravely reached up and knocked three times, its sound like thunder in the now empty hall. Trying to hide how hard my heart was pounding, I scooted closer to Ida.

A clatter from inside.

“What was that?” I whispered.

Ida groaned and banged on the door. “Gertrude! OPEN UP! We know you’re in there!”

“No!” replied a high, squeaky voice. I jumped at the sudden response.

Ida narrowed her eyes. “Open up or I’m banging down this door!”

“I’ll call my guards!” squeaked the voice again, nearer to the door this time. “You don’t have as much authority as you think you do, you foul little rat!”

The door heaved open, and out came a portly middle-aged woman in layers of muted purple and green robes. Long chains of sparkling gold and silver hung loose around her neck. Her frizzy brown hair was up in a high bun, and her frowning mouth showed two front teeth missing.

“Um… are you sure she’s who we’re looking for?” I muttered to Ida. “She doesn’t look like an assassin to me.”

“Assassin?!” The woman cried, shoving herself in between Ida and I. “Who said I was an assassin?! It’s those foul rats up at your agency, isn’t it?” She jabbed a knobby finger at Ida, the end of her sharp red nail digging into Ida’s chest. “Isn’t it?”

“Get your dirty nail off me,” Ida growled, staring her down.

The woman held her gaze, but drew back hesitantly, metal chains clanging.

“Good. Now, How about you let us inside so we can explain?”

“ID please,” the man standing outside the door was tall, lines crisscrossing his ghostly face. Will pulled the plastic card from his wallet, and handed it to him. He studied the picture on the card, then moved his gaze to Will’s face. He placed the plastic on his desk and slid it back towards him. Then he grabbed Will’s sleeve and pulled him forward. “One of the main rules of the Casino: don’t mess with anyone. Trust me” he let go of him and pointed to a scar above his top lip. Then he moved aside and gestured to a piece of white card behind a glass case. “These are the rules. Break them, and your out.”

Will studied them, then pushed the handles of the double doors and was met with noise like the bitter taste of a lemon. He knew it was coming, yet at the same time it caught him off guard. Flashing lights shone on the floor, and the individual music from each machine merged and warped into one long sound.

He made his way to the bar in the middle of the room, and climbed onto on of the tall chairs that surrounded it.

The man behind the counter came up to him, teeth protruding from underneath his top lip. He leaned forward. “A drink tells ya a lot ‘bout a person. So, what do ya want?” He asked.

“Just a pint of beer will be fine.”

The man grunted, a flicker of a smile on his face, then walked away, muttering to himself. Will studied the machines and tables that were scattered around the room. They all seemed relatively new, however there was one that particulary struck his attention. An old, beaten up slot machine. The lights still cast a faint, barely visible glow on its surroundings. A woman was stood staring at it, with an empty coin bucket in her hand.

“Here you go lad. One pint o’ beer” the bar tender returned with a full glass in hand. “So, why you ‘ere then,”

“I don’t know. Just came across it” “Well, be careful. There are some strange people that come here. My advice? Stick to your own business” he forced a smile on his face, then walked away. Will finished his drink and wandered over to the woman in the corner, still staring at the same tattered machine. He reached into his pocket and was met with a cold , disregarded pound coin. He had forgotten it was there, and it had sunk deep into the crevices of his jeans. “Here, I don’t need it,” Will said to her, the money placed in his outstretched palm. She turned around, and Will got a proper view of what she looked like. She wore a tight crimson dress that accentuated her figure. Her lips were painted with lipstick. Her hair fell in brunette curls that had been tied back into a long pony tail, some of it escaping and falling over her face. She did indeed look attractive, yet there was an element of mystery concealed behind her emerald eyes. “Thank you,” she said, taking it from his hand. It fell into the machine, and she pulled the leaver, watching the shapes spin around. She whispered something illegible under her breath. Each image came to a halt. 7, 7, then a picture of a pineapple. She sighed. “Thank you anyway! I’m Aubrey.” She looked up at him innocently, her gentle smile giving her dimples. Then she dragged him away. “Four tequila shots please, kind sir” she said as they sat down. The bartender pulled Will towards him, something that had been happening more than he would have liked. “Nice work, Willy boy. She’s a cutie!” He winked at him. “Oh we’re not a-” “Four tequila shots coming up!” They watched as he poured tequila into four shot glasses, then he pushed them across the counter. Will didn’t think she had any money… They finished their drinks, and Aubrey turned to Will and put her hands on his cheeks. They were cold, and it send butterflies to his stomach. She pulled him forward. There was a fading bruise around her eye...

Will was perched on his bed, eyes closed, rocking back and forth. He opened his eyes, and found himself sat at the bar facing Aubrey once again. Two men looked in on him from behind the glass that formed his room. They muttered to each other, watching him slip further and further into insanity.

“Greetings, contestants, welcome to the second to last game. You three find yourselves in identical chambers, shaped as the colorful casinos of Las Vegas. Slot machines, lights, entertainers, bars, anything you can think of. You will have 20 minutes to interact with the characters around the casino, find the clues, solve the mystery and escape. If you fail to escape within the given time allotted, you will be eliminated.”

The voice got quiet, the timer started. This was the second to last game before the finale, and I wasn’t gonna come this far just to get eliminated, that would be a sheer embarrassment! Okay, it’s time to get to business.

I first looked down the long line of slot machines lining the corridor for anything out of the ordinary. All of them said “RedHot Volcano.” But something was wrong with one of the graphics. When it showed the volcano exploding, the fifth slot machine’s lava looked yellow, not orange. Using the tokens given at the entrance to the casino, I put one into the slot, sitting down to play. I pulled the lever, three sevens. A trapdoor under the machine opened, along with a basketball rolling out. I grabbed it, 17 minutes to go.

I remembered seeing a section with basketball hoops that was to the left. So, I hurried over, almost tripping on the stairs as I stumbled up. A carnival worker waited for me. He gave me a strange look, as if I did something wrong. Then he said “You get three shots in the basket, you get it in, you’ll get a prize.” I missed two shots, so close to getting in, it hit the rim twice. But the last time I got it in. I was then handed a card which said “Great Things Come In Smoll Packages.” 12 minutes to go.

I noticed the error in the word “Small.” I decided to run for the exit since there were no other options. The security guard at the other end asked “Password?” I said “A”, he let me out. I have escaped.

Joshua then made his way out 5 minutes later. The final casino’s airways and doors slammed shut, then the third contestant, Randy, suffocated to death. A voice played once again.

“Congratulations you two, you’ve made it to the finals. You’ll be enduring Silence.. next time.”

The neon red lights of the Terra Daemonium sign shone down on me like the bright lights of a danger sign.

Stay back. Don’t enter. Just walk away, Sawyer.

But I ignored the little voice at the back of my mind that warned me to turn around. Instead, I squared my shoulders and tossed my hair over my shoulder, attempting to look older and more confident than my seventeen years. But even I had to admit, the Terra Daemonium Casino was a terrifying place.

The building was a huge oddly shaped thing, like a mirrored shard of blackened glass in the middle of the busy strip. Though the busy road was filled with other casinos and bars, Terra Daemonium stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t that it was flashy looking, no, just the opposite in fact. It’s dark red and black appearance and peculiar visitors were what made it so appealing. It was like a little piece of hell that had somehow migrated to our land: something about that devilish seduction and promise of danger made it so very intriguing.

I walked closer to the doors and as I did so, the loud voices, laughter and music of the strip muted until it was nothing more than a dull hum in the background. The monsterous set of black double doors were flanked by a tall muscular guard with midnight dark skin and a broad, stocky appearance.

“Hello”, I greeted as I walked towards him.

The guard looked me up and down and scoffed.

“This isn’t the place for you, kid”, He grunted.

I swallowed hard and resisted the urge to turn away. I had to get inside there and speak to him. No matter what.

“I’m not here to gamble-“

The guard cut me off, his voice half menace half taunting laughter.

“Everyone’s here to gamble. It’s a casino after all”.

I gritted my teeth and tried again, already annoyed at being cut off.

“I’m here to get my dad. He’s in the casino”, I explained, placing my hands on my hips and holding my chin up high.

This time the guard actually did let out a bark of laughter.

“If your dad isn’t out of there yet, he clearly isn’t done. Wait for him out here, kid.”, the guard replied, crossing his arms.

A ripple of light from the headlights of a passing car suddenly came into view, the bright beam bouncing on the guards face for a sliver of time. For a second I saw his features shift, like the mask he was wearing slipped out of place. I squinted my eyes and examined him closer. Slowly, bits and pieces of his features changed, revealing the creature behind his glamour.

I had originally thought his skin was just dark and made more shadowed by the night, but upon closer inspection it appeared his skin was blue-black, shifting like the night sky itself. From his shoulders protruded sharp horns, all waning in slightly towards his neck, and his arms and neck were a mass of tendons and muscle. Two curled horns, like rams horns, sprung from his head, glowing an almost silvery white.

I gasped and backed away slightly, fear gripping my heart in its taloned fist. I knew Terra Daemonium was a casino run by demons, but I never expected to see one in its true form. The sight was scarier than I imagined, dark and wicked.

But it was also so very intriguing.

My hands shook at my sides and I stuffed them into my jacket pockets to hide them.

The guard smiled as he caught sight of the movement . It was as if he found my sudden fear and unease amusing.

“Everything okay, little girl? Cerberus got your tongue?”

I bristled at his remark and frowned, irritation painting my tone as I spoke.

“Just let me see him. It’s urgent”

“What could be so urgent that you couldn’t just wait for him to return?”

I considered the question, wondering if I should tell him the truth. For starters, waiting for my father wasn’t really an option. He’d been in the casino for three days now, and there’s no telling when he’d decide to get out. But it’s seemed the only way to get the guard to let me in was to tell him the truth.

I took a deep breath and released it slowly.

“It’s my mom- she’s missing. She’s been missing for three days now without a trace”, I confessed.

The guard frowned. “You sure she’s not out having some fun on her own?”.

I shook my head. “Thats unlike her. She missed her own mothers funeral yesterday. She’d never do that. Please, I need to see my dad”, I choked out . I could feel tears of desperation prickling the corners of my eyes and my skin felt flushed and nervous.

An almost sympathetic expression crossed the guards face and he sighed. He pulled the door open and held it with his elbow.

“Five minutes, kid. In and out. Don’t talk to anyone”

I nodded my head quickly at his words, glad he was finally letting me in.

“I’m serious. Just get your dad and leave. Don’t talk to anyone and don’t agree to any games, you hear?”

“I get it”, I snapped, eager to get in. I realized my error and softened my voice, smiling at the guard graciously.

“Thanks”

I ducked my head and slipped under his arm, finally entering the casino.

It was dark and it took my eyes a while to adjust, but when they did all I could do was stare wide eyed at the opulent room.

The deep burgundy carpets that covered the floor were plush and rich, and the walls were covered in embossed black wallpaper. All around the room there were brightly lit machines and poker tables laden with colourful chips and die.

My eyes swept across the room greedily, taking in the odd assortment of patrons and the golden chandeliers that cast a red- orange glow on everything in the room. The place was massive as is, but two more balconies that were visible up above showed that there were even more floors in the place.

Most of the people looked human enough, but others looked otherworldly and strange. Skin in shades of red, snow-white and deep blue, large black eyes, and massive coiled horns were just a few of the odd features that caught my eye.

As I navigated my way through the room some people inclined towards me curiosly, while others ignored me entirely. It was an odd experience being both invisible and being the centre of attention.

“Care for a game? Something tells me you’d be good at cards”

I looked up quickly in the direction of the voice and came face to face with a tall figure with milky white skin. Long strands of grey hair sprouted from its head and it’s eyes were black, no white sclera in sight.

I shook my head nervously, scared at the prospect of interacting with the stranger.

“Um n-no thanks”, I stuttered, backing away from the stranger.

“Aw, why not sweets?”, the stranger asked, placing a bone white taloned hand on my shoulder. I shook away their touch and stepped back.

“I- sorry”, I mumbled turning and walking away quickly.

My eyes rifled through the room, looking for my fathers familiar dark hair and beard. This place scared me, and not just because of the appearance of its guests. This casino, while it did deal with the exchange of money and goods occasionally, dealt in many other things too. Some people would bargain with the days they had left to live, their loved ones, and other abstract possessions. Some were so addicted to gambling in this place that they often sold their souls in exchange for the high of playing on those jittery machines or rolling the dice. It was exactly the type of place I expected my father to be in. He never was good with self control nor did he understand the value of a human life.

I heard footsteps behind me and felt a hand grip my shoulder. I spun around quickly and saw the same white skinned creature from before.

“I said I didn’t want to play”, I said in a rush, that familiar caution seeping back in.

The creature waved its hand.

“That’s fine. You seemed a little young anyway. What’s a kid like you doing in a place like this? Why would Knox let you in?”

I assumed that Knox was the guard from outside. I recited the same speech about looking for my father and my missing mother that I explained earlier, not in the mood for elaborate lies or conversation.

The creature frowned, thick white brows knitting.

“Oh, honey. You said your father was a regular here?”

I nodded my head, a trickle of unease slipping down my spine. Why was the creature looking at me with that expression? Like they felt sorry for me.

“Do you know what they deal in here? It’s not money or material possessions. It’s souls and lives. Things that are worth so much more”, the creature explained, black eyes reflecting the glow of the machines as they roamed the room.

“Yeah, every one knows that about Terra Daemonium”, I said confused. What this demon was telling me wasn’t anything I already didn’t know. Everyone knew what the casino was, it was part of what made it so thrilling.

“Did you ever consider that your father……”, the creature trailed off, looking at me with that same sympathetic look that the guard had given me.

“My father, what?”, I pressed, leaning closer to hear them.

“That he used your mother as leverage for a game and lost. Perhaps her soul was retrieved by our staff”, the creature finished.

My eyes widened at the creatures words. I felt the room around me sway and spin, the bright lights and noise suddenly overwhelming . I felt nauseous as I considered the statement. My father wouldn’t do that…..would he?

“Wh-what?”

The creature brushed one of its long fingers against my cheek, the touch soft and featherlike.

“I’m sorry honey, if that’s the case, she’s not coming back. If you haven’t seen your father in 3 days like you said, I’m afraid he’s likely not coming back either. But you, honey pie, are free to stay. My offer still stands: wanna play a game?”

Rings of machines. Cheers of triumphant patrons. Groans of disappointed ones. It’s the same every time she enters the Bellagio, and these sounds have made up the symphony of her life for the past five years. Hopping behind the bar to start her shift, she spots her regulars already at their favorite machines and tables. Retired Gladys is nursing her vodka martini (based on the time and the chips in her bucket, probably her third). Slippery Sal is playing blackjack at a table directly behind the bar, where he hopes to avoid the gaze of the bouncers as he slips chips into his waistband. Unforgettable Gianna is making her rounds in a strategically chosen cocktail dress so she can dazzle her targets for the night. Las Vegas is known by several different names, most notably Sin City, but Cat prefers to refer to it by it’s lesser known nickname: the City of Second Chances. The city is filled with so many different characters and people that it’s the ideal city for reinventing yourself. Behind the bar, she watches people do it all the time. When Cat first met Retired Gladys, she portrayed herself as the fun granny. The one that tells all the kids the family gossip, isn’t afraid to tell the adults exactly what is on her mind, and is riding the thin line between sane and batty. However, through the jokes and the stories she was telling, her eyes remained shadowed— no sparks of mischief, no twinkles in her eyes. She told story after story of her husband and her family, each more ridiculous than the last, but eventually ridiculous stories turned into reminiscences and her tone begun to match her eyes. Eventually, she revealed that she had been a nurse during the pandemic, and as with all healthcare workers, the pandemic wore on her as she watched it ravage her home, her family. The pandemic eventually took so much out of her emotionally that she had retired after the first wave of vaccinations. She was the only one left, but she couldn’t be alone, so she came to this city to be around the people and the noise to help her forget what she has lost. Slippery Sal (true to his name) remains a mystery. He dresses like he belongs on Wall Street, talks like he’s from the bayou, and gestures like an Italian. One night after one too many, he let slip that he doesn’t really steal the chips, just likes to test our security. When I asked why he bothered with it, all he did was wink before leaving to go back to his table. So of course Cat didn’t believe him. That night, she asked the dealer when the table closed if any chips were missing and she shook her head. The following night she tried everything to find out what he was up to, but all he did was inform her not to ask questions of him and in return he wouldn’t ask questions of her. There’s more to Slippery Sal’s story, just like there’s more to mine, but I’ll let it slip through my fingers. Everyone is entitled to their secrets. Even so, it’s become part of my routine to ask the dealer at Sal’s table this same question night after night, but the answer never changes. Unforgettable Gianna’s story is a tale as old as time. She came from a small Midwestern town hoping to make something of herself in LA, fell into the wrong opportunities, and decided to live out the rest of her time in Vegas. She knows how to become the favorite of every male patron. She asks the right questions, laughs at all the right times, and flirts just the right amount. They don’t even notice when chips from their piles go missing, nor do they notice that she disappears before anything can go any further. It’s been said that in a casino the house always wins, however in this house, Gianna always wins. These three are Cat’s favorite patrons to watch and favorite to emulate. She takes Retired Gladys’s past, Slippery Sal’s mystery, Unforgettable Gianna’s techniques, and from them makes the core of her new self. Her passing patrons are used to enhance the persona— a story there, a mannerism here— and suddenly there’s not a trace of the girl she used to be. She’s in Las Vegas, the city of second chances, and she’s taken it.

Jonna went to the casino by her older sister’s, Maria, request. Maria wants her sister to have fun especially after the fight with dad about her pronounces. “It was kinda the dumb fight, to begin with,” Jonna thought.

Jonna’s dad disapproved of Jonna changing her name and gender. Jonna’s dad's beloved it was due to Tik Tok that brainwash his son into thinking he is a girl. Jonna got to argue with her father saying it was not Tik Tok's fault but his own for giving Jonna the Y chromosome instead of the X.

That escalated things to where Jonna and Maria are at the casino to gamble all of their problems away and maybe find a sugar daddy.

When the two sisters went inside after faking Jonna’s ID card, Maria went straight to the people wearing fancy clothes and rings. Leaving poor antisocial Jonna by herself.

“Ugh, I should know Maria would leave me all alone! She always does that!” Jonna grumbled.

“Trouble in paradise, Sir?” said the mysterious person dress up as the Black Magician from Yu-Gioh.

“Here we go again,” Jonna rolled her eyes. “Sorry but my pronounce are she/her and I prefer if you said it. If not then I will kick down and leave you off in the middle of the road.”

Black Magician cosplayer laughs at Jonna. They stopped laughing after noticing Jonna pout. “Pardon me, my lady. I did not mean to misgender you nor give you more disrespect my laughing.” The cosplayer's eyes turn sad. “I wish I was able to do something like to whoever misgender me.”

Jonna’s heart went out to the person. She understands the sorrow the person must have gone through. Jonna was once like that person but thanks to her Maria and Mom. Jonna was able to change her name from Jonny to Jonna and come out as trans.

“If you do not mind me asking what is your pronounce,” Jonna asked.

The cosplayer responded, “I am non-binary and I go by He/They but prefer they/them. And my name is Yu Yamamoto.”

“That sounds like a foreign name! So cool!” Jonna fangirl. Yu laugh once again but this time was joined by Jonna.

The two quickly became friends. Jonna found out that Yu is the third child of an infamous political woman and Yu found out that Maria, the person Yu mistakes for as Jonna’s girlfriend, was Jonna’s step-sister. Yu still said that Jonna and Maria would be a good fit.

“We are sister Yu!” Jonna yelled as she pulled the lever.

“Not by blood,” Yu sing.

Jonna lock eyes with her friend, “You are a weird person, Mr. Yamamoto.” Yu laugh fifteen times in the night. Jonna was continued arguing with this person she had just befriended, but she just scored Jackpot.

“I won! I can finally afford the surgery!” Jonna screamed. Yu smiled because they were the ones who rigged the machines to Jackpot for Jonna. “She may be young, but was a braver person than I was a young person,” Yu thought.