Speakeasy Nights

How to let go, to hold on?... Trust in some kind of pivot. Spilled milk sours... Today something new . The morning or night required some inspiration. Those long curtains in front of that massive bay window looking out over the entire city had not opened since the day Dani shut down. A very accomplished “Dj Dani” know to the rest of the world. More than a bit of a shut in these days though. Music was important ,there was a commitment to always having the best soundtrack. Dani ruled The Speakeasy nights!

Just looking down at those brick stairs , chairs and tables brought back too many painful thoughts. All the colors and strings of lights just did not have the same luster and inviting vibe to Dani anymore. Thinking “how can I get that crazy live wire spark back?” “Yep, Lenny would set things off! Skillfully cleaning off the record thinking “ wow, been a long while since any wax spun here” Carfully lower the needle to the record, then turning the volume dail all the way up on the amp. “I want to get away, I want to get away, I want to fly away!” Music playing at full blast!

Reluctantly having to make a quick run down stairs to the lobby, gotta check the mail. Walking down the narrow vintage hallway to the old carpeted staircase, a creeping ,creaking , cracking eire sound with each step. You could just feel that nosy landlord peering threw a decorated bronze gated peep hole. Dani turning rapidly, to a hault. The creaking stops. Then giving the large oak door a most scathing scowl , directly towards that decorated bronze peep hole with the precision of X-ray vision. A fumbling sound comes from behind the oak door. Humh.... Dani Thinking ‘ yeah that’s what I thought.”

Waiting on some final paperwork , that well simply still did not feel ready for yet. Thinking “Stupid mail”. But the pink note left on Dani’s front door left no choice. Shuffling threw the letters on the way back up stairs. Noticing a weird metallic colored envelope. Everything about that Metallic envelope demanded attention. The post mark dated three years ago to the day.

Just then a neighbor passes on the stair case “ Hey neighbor, pretty rare to see you out side theses days” responding in a sarcastic grumble to the neighbors slick undertones. “Landloard complaint, mail box too full, everything’s a fire hazard” Still in a rut of life, Dani sulks up the rest of the staircase.

“And here we go again” those razor sharp words have come back to taunt the mind. “Once clouded eyes. Then the cold reality, when you realize that your hearts told a lie. From the beginning , I’ll bet it crossed your mind. Funny thing, we all know that love is blind. Chasing a photograph, raceings a life we had. So sad to say and worse to dream. That I’ll be moving on.” That poem coupled with the creepy, creaking, cracking steps would haunt every second of the day and night.

Knowing and actually following threw, are two completely different things all together. Change hurts. Yet the slow sips from a wine glass filled just beneath the rim would numb the pain of decision for now. “ I want to fly away, I GOTTA GETAWAY!”

Still not aposed to a few shots of the hard stuff though. Staring at an old bottle of whiskey with a silk ribbon around it. The brief excitement of energy when the cork pops. Little sniff. Hmmm.. Smells like good stuff. Defiance boils in Dani’s gut. Turning the bottle up , and drinking like it’s water to a lost traveler. Letting out a quick shout. Then a nice long howl for good measure. Setting the whisky down next to the half empty wine glass. That old dusty whiskey bottle started to bring back some of the best memories from a crazy trip years ago .

Briefly forgetting any problems and with enough of a buzz to walk , not drive, adventure seemed right.” Just let the music play” It was time for the party jacket. Use to be pretty wild before settling down. And with concert tickets and club bands falling out the pockets , must have been some amazing times. Well tonight would mark the party starting once more . While cleaning out the pockets a bundle of yellow caution tape falls to the ground and makes a thud... Hmmm...,

Reaching slowly with worry, wonder and anticipation, the phone rings. Startled for a moment. Then deciding this adventure was only for new people. Airplane mode..

Looking back at the bundle of caution tape thinking “is that ketchup?” Now thinking “Ok , maby just give it a kick “ after a few light kicks it was broom stick time. No telling what, or some of who would be in that yellow tape. And again “ that better dame well be ketchup !”

A bit more fiddling with the broom handle , reviled a playing card with Ace high stamp on it , incased in glass . With a silk note attached and hand stitched words read “Not for the faint of heart , break glass when nothing else matters.” Well , if there was any night to follow adventure threw a rabbit hole this was it!

Cautiously picking up the playing card thinking “ ketchup or not , gotta know!” Flash of silver letters read “It’s speakeasy night. Invite only! Three secret entrances will open at the stroke of midnight and all gates closed twelve minutes to one am. There is no exit until one hour after sunrise. Breaking glass is a binding commitment!”

Thinking , “that’s all cool and all , there still is no address... and how old could this be? But damn it , the gloves were coming off! Wardrobe change! Only the most epic , ready for anything outfit would do. Might even go to the moon tonight. “Yeah that’s right , game time!” Now then , going all the way in the back of the closet to the chest... Serious business...

You see, some time ago a group of friends went on a binder to New Orleans and apparently Dani was the life of the party. Purchasing some of the most outrageous RockStar items and also purchasing a leather chest with a crystal handle from a gypsy. For the very odd price of a lock of hair. They were to trashed to give a shit about some crazy lady wanting hair. ( Although, that did explain having to get a new short hairstyle upon returning home though)

The chest was amazing. An inscription on the front just above the crystal handle in hand stitched words Saying “you ever lose your step, open the chest “. Turning the key in that lock , twisting that crystal handle and opening that leather chest... Well , that ment hitting the reset button on life it self . Breaking that glass with the playing card inside was the final step out. Toiling with the idea of what may come once that glass breaks was a cowering eternity. No! There would be no more sulking moments! The decision was made.

Now fumbling threw the kitchen drawers looking for something, anything to smash threw, what was now a taunting proverbial glass ceiling. That had to be broken. Sanity depended on it. “And so what if that’s not ketchup! “ Smash! In a fit of frustration and clarity , the thin glass case is thrown to the ground. Not cracking fully , a few stomps from a boot heel would do the trick. Pay dirt, the card is free.

Must have been a rare deck of cards. They were made from light colored very thinly sliced glazed wood with a very distinct sent of pine. Carefully picking up the wooden playing card, being cautious not to get cut on shards of glass. Pick the card up an “OUCH! Cut the tip of the middle finger. Blood trickles on to the playing card. Suddenly the wooden card turns black and red letters appear “ See you in one hour “

It was 10:45pm already, only an hour and fifth-teen minutes before this fantom Victorian Mansion appears with just fourty eighth minutes of open secret entrances. It was really all too much ... How could this even be serious? Who was supposed to see Dani in an hour?

Dressed and ready for anything now the clock struck 11:40 pm , five minutes until whatever. Things began to get blurry. Feeling a bit of virdigo, then falling to the couch. A hauntingly figure appears in Dani’s fogged vision. As cigar smoke , rose perfume sent and a hint of pine smells fills the air. A Mediterranean accent heavy and cracking with a slight New Orleas draw speaks “ Do you remember me?”

Smoke blowing in Dani’s face , a few coughs while making out the picture of the old gypsy woman and someone else, a very large frame individual in long trench coat and wide brimmed hat. With the most massive hands, they were as big as catchers mits. In a hypotonic motion Gypsy woman swings a leather sack on a chain in front of Dani in one hand, while holding a burning cigar in the other. Blinking and squinting barley making out , one hand stitched word on the leather sack , “Deal”. Gyspy woman says “Deal” at the same moment the hand stitched word is made out by Dani. The old lady quickly snatches back the leather “Deal” sack back into her palm and tightly closes her hand to a fist covered in silver detailed rings filled with rare stones.

Chimes enchanted the moment coming from the heavy and light combinations of bracelets covering both of the gyspsy woman’s wrists and arms. Shaking with age creating the sounds of rusted wind chimes. Dani’s rapidly fading vision staring into the old gypsy woman’s face, her Smokey eyeshadow with fiery red lipstick on thinly cracked lips. Egregious amount of blush on the travel skin of her cheeks. Dani thinking “this can’t be real, I’m too dizzy to even pinch myself “ as a large hand covered Dani’s face. Everything went dark..

An eternity must have gone by. For some odd reason it felt as though all the sleep Dani had been missing over agonizing decisions was recoup. Fresh, well rested sense of peace. Slowly waking up in a bit of a haze Dani is sitting in a beautiful velvet lounge chair. And is now dress in the most elegant wonderful hand stitched garments. This wasn’t anything from Dani’s closet. The fabric was simply amazing. And there it was again, now a bit thicker. That sent of pine in the air, now coupled with a lite orange blend and breeze of sweet tobacco.

Alone in a perfect fantasy. The parlor room had the rarest of art. Oil paintings, sculptures and we’ll placed faberge eggs, antique Tiffany lamps, just wow! Yet, for some reason nothing looked old. As though everything existed in a time capsule. Or who’s ever estate this was just moved in. Yet still, it did not feel as though time existed at all. Almost young again.

The walls, a thick texture with a family crest carved into a slice cut ring from a gaint pine tree the size of a full wall. A grandfather clock stood tall, reaching the gold trim by the ceiling surrounding the entire parlor. Intrigued and distracted, the double glass doors opening startled Dani.

A well tailored page holding a silver platter, one massive empty glass goblet a top, with a ruby chain wrapped around the bottom. A shining sharp letter opening knife with a pine wood handle and very small leather envelope , again one hand stitched word “Deal”. What Deal? Dani thought out loud. The tailored page motions for Dani to open the tiny leather envelope. Reaching with caution, looking at the tailored page again thinking out loud with hopes to get some kind of emotion out of this character. “Your right out of a mystery novel.” Though nothing... Not even a wiggle of the nose. Now opening the tiny leather “Deal” envelope with the pine wooden letter opening blade and places it back on the silver platter.

Opening the tiny leather envelope a silk pearl colored fabric square inside with again more hand stitched words. This time reads “ A drop of your souls wine will seal the deal” “Now what is that supposed to mean” Dani thought out loud. Once more the tailored page motions to the silver platter were the freshly stoned pine wood handled letter opener lay. “Are you going to speak “ ask Dani. The tailored page looks at the silver plater, then looks at the grandfather clock showing twenty minutes to one am. With perfectly stitch white gloves the tailored page breaking character places the pine wood handel letter opener into Dani’s hands looks deep into Dani’s eyes and with every bit of honestly and conviction mumbles “ Keep the blade, it’s the key” blood starts trickling from his lips. Just then that haunting gypsy voice comes from thin air. “Eight minutes my child”.

With no one else in the parlor but Dani and the young tailored page... “Were did that voice come from?” The lights go dark, only candels leave a dimly haunting light. The tailored page is gone. Dani stares at the silver platter, tiny leather envelope, pearl colored silk fabric square and that sharp to the touch pine wooden handel letter opener clinched tightly in Dani’s palm decides, “ I’v seen enough crazy movies to know what is required next”. No looking back! Quickly snatching the black band-aid off, grabbing the sharp blade pricking the same middle finger cut from the playing card glass in the kitchen.

Yet there was no cut from earlier. “That’s odd “ at this point “so what, all in!” With a fresh prick to the middle finger blood reveals. Wiping the finger with the silk square and putting the blood soaked fabric neatly back into the tiny leather envelope. Then placing everything back on the silver platter. Looking down at the pinewood handled letter knife Dani thinks “better stash this shank”

Finally picking up the glass goblet with the ruby chain around the bottom. Just then a whole wall made from that giant pine tree ring with the family crest, beautifully carved swings open, violin sounds sang from the brass hinges. The family crest opens to reveal thick velvet curtains that went all the way to the ceiling , just beneath the gold trim and dragged down to the hardwood pine floors, blanked with those lush red running carpets. Golden tassels tied them shut. “ well hell, had come this far, no looking back now.” Thinking “be careful what you wish for” Fuck it! Untie the golden ropes ! Wow!

Upon entry , a long dark corridor with dimly lit crystal chandeliers, swinging ever so slite. Large mirrors in magnificent hand carved frames covered the hall walls. Regal lush red carpet leading to a grand elevator, blacksmithed iron gates swung open to reviled gorgeous Persian rugs on the floor and walls. The ceiling was covered in all vintages mirrors. Must have been hundreds of little mirrors from makeup compacts. Would imagine that the mistress of the estate , a well traveled collector. Dani is almost one hundred percent sure now. “That was not ketchup!”