Niles Takes a Trip... and Then a Tumble
Part 3: Heaven and Hell and the Path in Between
Niles took his seat near the front of the apron of the stage. He ordered a
glass of white wine.
"They actually have a half-decent Chardonnay on the wine
list," he noted and sat back in the darkening theatre, as the other interested patrons began to filter in.
Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the darkness of the theatre, or perhaps it was that there was a certain "risqué feel" about being alone
in a Vegas floor show for the meek lad, but suddenly Niles had a rush of
adrenline excitement surge through his body. He giggled to himself a bit, after the waitress brought him his wine.
"NowI really feel like a sophisticated adult." he mused.
Niles began to relax and feel his confidence return.
He glanced about, peering through the dimness at the jaded faces of the
audience. There were a scattering of those laughing in that exaggerated manner that inebriation always brings to the forefront. There were the "down-for-the-count" drunks that didn't even bother to pretend to be cogent of what was happening around them. And of course, there were the just plain curious, sitting in eager anticipation, waiting to see what this man
Brisbane could do with his *well trained* beasts.
The multi-coloured spotlights began to flit around the stage in a frenzied
motion. The sonorous tunes of the band blared out over the crowd. With much pretentious pomp and pageantry the show began.
Brisbane, the star of the production
appeared first, sparkling from head to toe in his sequined outfit, flanked on either side by two of his most promising primate proteges. It was mildly amusing in a "kitsch-y" kind of way. As promised on the marquee, the history lesson began with the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock.
Niles chuckled softly as more apes descended onto the stage dressed in pilgrim garb.
"There's something so horribly vulgar about it," Niles thought "and yet,
like a man slipping on a banana peel, it does hold a certain plebeian delight. This could be quite interesting! A real study in human and animal
behaviour! Just the thing for a *budding* young psychiatrist!"
But all thoughts of studies and psychiatry dissipated the very moment that Niles Crane set eyes on .... her.
Niles Crane was thunderstruck!! His mouth fell open and his eyes opened
wider, as if to drink in the sight he saw all the better.
"She's beautiful!!!" he murmured. "No...no, beautiful alone doesn't do her
justice! She is stunningly beautiful!!"
There on the stage was a tall, statuesque, young woman in her early twenties. She wore her long auburn hair tied loosely back, so that the
lumbering chimps didn't pull at it. She moved with a stylized grace about
the stage, helping Brisbane, making sure that the animals didn't revert to their natural state in the middle of the performance. There was nothing gaudy about her, even though she was in the midst of all this hype and hypocrisy.
To Niles, it seemed like all the others on the platform melted into the
garish background. She stood alone, in his mind. She was a gemstone embedded in a muddy mass of depravity. Niles' eyes followed her as she glided across the stage, bending over now and again to corner an errant animal.
He lost all interest in the tableau that was being presented "for the delight of Desert Inn patrons". Decades of significant moments in American history
whizzed by, one after another, as he sat in an almost catatonic-like state,
barely able to breath, just fixated on the transcendent beauty that was
before him.
It wasn't until the house lights came up that Niles realized that he hadn't
touched his glass of wine since the first few sips. He rubbed his jaw to relieve the stiffness from remaining ajar for such an extended period of time. Looking about, he wondered if any other the audience members could see the other tell-tale evidence of his sudden passion.
Niles glanced downward and thought it was best that he remain seated for a while yet, even though the object of his desire had long left the stage. His mind wandered a bit, pondering about his "inamorata". What was her real name?
"No one would really be called "Trixie", would they? Where did she come from? How long had she been working in Vegas? What would motivate such a beautiful young woman to take such employment?"
So many questions filled his head.
Niles slipped into an enticing day dream. The theatre was almost
empty now, as the waitresses flitted about cleaning up tips and dirty glasses from the well-worn tables.
"Is there anything else I can get you sir?"
A bleached blonde, in a *too tight* uniform, broke into his reverie.
"W...w...wh...at?" Niles stuttered.
"Are you all right? Do you need a cab?"
"No, no" Niles mumbled "Is it all right if I just sit here a few minutes and
finish this wine?"
"Sure." she chirped, as she shuffled off in disinterest.
Niles gulped the remaining portion of his wine in three large swallows. It burned in his throat.
"My God!!" he uttered, "What is happening to me!"
His face went crimson as he tried to comprehend the sheer magnitude of his concupiscence.
"I'm not a sexual neophyte! I have been on a date before... all right,
maybe not an actual date, but I have read about love in all the great literary classics. I've noticed a few female classmates before. There was that one girl in the library that sat rather close to me, even though there were plenty
of empty seats all around! She smelled quite lovely, actually. Sure
nothing became of it... but the point is, I know about attraction. But... I ... have never.... felt like this before! I feel like a train has just
run over me! My hands are shaking, my knees are weak, my heart is racing. It's overpowering."
"Sir," came a husky voice. "I 'm sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to
vacate the premises. The theatre is supposed to be cleared, so that the cleaning staff can vacuum. Sir?....sir, did you hear me?"
Niles shook himself out of his stupor, blinked once and found himself
starring into the face of a burly, yet helpful, gentleman in a dark suit.
Niles slowly nodded his head yes in reply, checked on his errr... *rigid
condition* and rose carefully from his chair.
With a start, he turned suddenly and asked, "When is the next showing of
the Brisbane act?"
"No more tonight, sir, but tomorrow there are three shows again at 2, 6 and
10," came the response.
"Thanks." half-whispered Niles, as he threw a dollar onto the table and
stumbled towards the exit.
Niles glanced at his watch, pushed hard through the resisting doors and
tumbled into the neon-bathed street.
"It's late but I had better get something to eat." he reasoned, "That glass
of wine on an empty stomach has really affected me."
He squinted up at the bright, flashing signs hoping to see something
resembling a regular restaurant, where he could eat without getting involved in some type of gambling. After a few minutes he spotted a cafe on one of the side streets and headed off in that direction. Although it was a
fair distance from the main road, it was at least a direct route back to the
Desert Inn. He didn't want to get lost in a labyrinth of shadowy back alleys at such a late hour.
"I must be crazy!" he thought. "Why am I planning to go to another showing
of that glorified circus act tomorrow?"
He pulled his suit jacket collar up, as the cold Nevada night air sent a
chill through his body.
"I'll tell you why!" his alter-ego replied. "You're going because you are
nuts!!! You're nuts about the most gorgeous, sensuous creature you have ever seen in your life!! I know it is terribly impulsive and I can't really rationalize my behaviour, but I don't care! She... she is ... just so
exquisite. I can't think of anything else except to just behold her at
least one more time! She's an angel! Maybe if I am lucky she will notice me... that would be just enough, if she just looked up and saw that I was looking at her too! Maybe..."
But Niles stopped his train of thought. His senses went on high alert
suddenly and he strained his ears to listen to the footsteps that appeared to be coming rapidly up from behind him. This pathway was much darker than the main avenue and the cafe's flashing sign was still a bit off in the distance. It was late. No other foot traffic was about. Niles' body trembled slightly, partly from nerves and partly from the chill in the air. It sounded like there were at least two sets of feet following him. Their hard boots clicked on the concrete as they gained on him with each passing second. Next he heard low voices.
They matched the harsh sound of the boots - pitiless and tough. Niles quickened his pace, but he had a rising fear that the inevitable was about to happen. He half shut his eyes and started to dash towards the restaurant, but it was too late.
"Hey buddy!" the voice was mocking in tone and cruel. "What's the hurry?"
A rough arm reached out and grabbed Niles' shoulder. He was quickly spun around and found himself facing three large brutes.
"I shouldn't show fear....I should remain calm.... just hand over my money ... give them what they want..." he thought but it was past that point, now. He was paralyzed with terror and couldn't force even a sound out of his bone-dry mouth.
"Hey little guy," the taunting words slapped against Niles like a backhand. "We just wanna be friends!"
"Yeah, friends!" said another voice with a slight slur. "And seein' you are
our new found friend, then you wouldn't object to lendin' us some cash?"
Niles closed his eyes tighter. He had been the victim of enough bullying to
know what was coming next. They'd have their fun batting him about a bit,
take his money and if he didn't antagonize them too much, they would flee
before anyone could catch them.
"Now you aren't acting very friendly are you?" the menacing strains echoed
in Niles' ears. "Maybe you should be taught some manners!"
Niles braced his body and soul for the humiliation that was to follow. This was the story of his life. Trouble was, the last time he had suffered a roughing up at the hands of hooligans, he had been much younger, but so
were his assailants. These toughs were much more malevolent than the high school gangs that used to torment the timid students like the Crane brothers.
This time the pummeling was extremely savage, but mercifully short.
At least it seemed that way to Niles. He figured later he must have lost consciousness fairly soon after the first few blows.
He remembered a punch to the stomach (now he was thankful that he hadn't eaten anything.
"People can asphyxiate on their own vomit," he reasoned.
Their fists felt like hammer blows and immediately his head began to buzz. When the next series of strikes came to his face, he crumpled to the ground and started to cough. He tasted the warmth of his own blood spurting out of his mouth, as he sagged into a heap on the unyielding sidewalk surface. The sticky, thick liquid dribbled slowly down his chin.
Niles knew that he would be slipping into a comforting faint soon enough. His temples were throbbing. He had miscalculated. They weren't just teenage muggers. Their intent seemed to be to totally mutilate him as rapidly as possible, even though he lay unresisting at their feet and they could have helped themselves to his wallet easily. He was their entertainment for the night. His complete capitulation seemed to infuriate them even more, as they worked themselves into a frantic frenzy of fury against his battered body.
He heard his surly tormentors' voices lash around him.
"This fag's a sack of monkeysh.."
"Hey, check his pockets, quick! Maybe *Pointdexter's holdin'. "
"The little dweeb has only twenty bucks!"
"Any cards?"
"Not a one!! Shit!"
"Is that somebody comin'!!"
"What an asshole!"
And with that comment and a final swift lick to his ribs with the firm point
of a boot, Niles slipped into a haze of pain and was enveloped into an inky
darkness.
End of Part 3
to be continued....
Part 3: Heaven and Hell and the Path in Between
Niles took his seat near the front of the apron of the stage. He ordered a
glass of white wine.
"They actually have a half-decent Chardonnay on the wine
list," he noted and sat back in the darkening theatre, as the other interested patrons began to filter in.
Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the darkness of the theatre, or perhaps it was that there was a certain "risqué feel" about being alone
in a Vegas floor show for the meek lad, but suddenly Niles had a rush of
adrenline excitement surge through his body. He giggled to himself a bit, after the waitress brought him his wine.
"NowI really feel like a sophisticated adult." he mused.
Niles began to relax and feel his confidence return.
He glanced about, peering through the dimness at the jaded faces of the
audience. There were a scattering of those laughing in that exaggerated manner that inebriation always brings to the forefront. There were the "down-for-the-count" drunks that didn't even bother to pretend to be cogent of what was happening around them. And of course, there were the just plain curious, sitting in eager anticipation, waiting to see what this man
Brisbane could do with his *well trained* beasts.
The multi-coloured spotlights began to flit around the stage in a frenzied
motion. The sonorous tunes of the band blared out over the crowd. With much pretentious pomp and pageantry the show began.
Brisbane, the star of the production
appeared first, sparkling from head to toe in his sequined outfit, flanked on either side by two of his most promising primate proteges. It was mildly amusing in a "kitsch-y" kind of way. As promised on the marquee, the history lesson began with the landing of the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock.
Niles chuckled softly as more apes descended onto the stage dressed in pilgrim garb.
"There's something so horribly vulgar about it," Niles thought "and yet,
like a man slipping on a banana peel, it does hold a certain plebeian delight. This could be quite interesting! A real study in human and animal
behaviour! Just the thing for a *budding* young psychiatrist!"
But all thoughts of studies and psychiatry dissipated the very moment that Niles Crane set eyes on .... her.
Niles Crane was thunderstruck!! His mouth fell open and his eyes opened
wider, as if to drink in the sight he saw all the better.
"She's beautiful!!!" he murmured. "No...no, beautiful alone doesn't do her
justice! She is stunningly beautiful!!"
There on the stage was a tall, statuesque, young woman in her early twenties. She wore her long auburn hair tied loosely back, so that the
lumbering chimps didn't pull at it. She moved with a stylized grace about
the stage, helping Brisbane, making sure that the animals didn't revert to their natural state in the middle of the performance. There was nothing gaudy about her, even though she was in the midst of all this hype and hypocrisy.
To Niles, it seemed like all the others on the platform melted into the
garish background. She stood alone, in his mind. She was a gemstone embedded in a muddy mass of depravity. Niles' eyes followed her as she glided across the stage, bending over now and again to corner an errant animal.
He lost all interest in the tableau that was being presented "for the delight of Desert Inn patrons". Decades of significant moments in American history
whizzed by, one after another, as he sat in an almost catatonic-like state,
barely able to breath, just fixated on the transcendent beauty that was
before him.
It wasn't until the house lights came up that Niles realized that he hadn't
touched his glass of wine since the first few sips. He rubbed his jaw to relieve the stiffness from remaining ajar for such an extended period of time. Looking about, he wondered if any other the audience members could see the other tell-tale evidence of his sudden passion.
Niles glanced downward and thought it was best that he remain seated for a while yet, even though the object of his desire had long left the stage. His mind wandered a bit, pondering about his "inamorata". What was her real name?
"No one would really be called "Trixie", would they? Where did she come from? How long had she been working in Vegas? What would motivate such a beautiful young woman to take such employment?"
So many questions filled his head.
Niles slipped into an enticing day dream. The theatre was almost
empty now, as the waitresses flitted about cleaning up tips and dirty glasses from the well-worn tables.
"Is there anything else I can get you sir?"
A bleached blonde, in a *too tight* uniform, broke into his reverie.
"W...w...wh...at?" Niles stuttered.
"Are you all right? Do you need a cab?"
"No, no" Niles mumbled "Is it all right if I just sit here a few minutes and
finish this wine?"
"Sure." she chirped, as she shuffled off in disinterest.
Niles gulped the remaining portion of his wine in three large swallows. It burned in his throat.
"My God!!" he uttered, "What is happening to me!"
His face went crimson as he tried to comprehend the sheer magnitude of his concupiscence.
"I'm not a sexual neophyte! I have been on a date before... all right,
maybe not an actual date, but I have read about love in all the great literary classics. I've noticed a few female classmates before. There was that one girl in the library that sat rather close to me, even though there were plenty
of empty seats all around! She smelled quite lovely, actually. Sure
nothing became of it... but the point is, I know about attraction. But... I ... have never.... felt like this before! I feel like a train has just
run over me! My hands are shaking, my knees are weak, my heart is racing. It's overpowering."
"Sir," came a husky voice. "I 'm sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to
vacate the premises. The theatre is supposed to be cleared, so that the cleaning staff can vacuum. Sir?....sir, did you hear me?"
Niles shook himself out of his stupor, blinked once and found himself
starring into the face of a burly, yet helpful, gentleman in a dark suit.
Niles slowly nodded his head yes in reply, checked on his errr... *rigid
condition* and rose carefully from his chair.
With a start, he turned suddenly and asked, "When is the next showing of
the Brisbane act?"
"No more tonight, sir, but tomorrow there are three shows again at 2, 6 and
10," came the response.
"Thanks." half-whispered Niles, as he threw a dollar onto the table and
stumbled towards the exit.
Niles glanced at his watch, pushed hard through the resisting doors and
tumbled into the neon-bathed street.
"It's late but I had better get something to eat." he reasoned, "That glass
of wine on an empty stomach has really affected me."
He squinted up at the bright, flashing signs hoping to see something
resembling a regular restaurant, where he could eat without getting involved in some type of gambling. After a few minutes he spotted a cafe on one of the side streets and headed off in that direction. Although it was a
fair distance from the main road, it was at least a direct route back to the
Desert Inn. He didn't want to get lost in a labyrinth of shadowy back alleys at such a late hour.
"I must be crazy!" he thought. "Why am I planning to go to another showing
of that glorified circus act tomorrow?"
He pulled his suit jacket collar up, as the cold Nevada night air sent a
chill through his body.
"I'll tell you why!" his alter-ego replied. "You're going because you are
nuts!!! You're nuts about the most gorgeous, sensuous creature you have ever seen in your life!! I know it is terribly impulsive and I can't really rationalize my behaviour, but I don't care! She... she is ... just so
exquisite. I can't think of anything else except to just behold her at
least one more time! She's an angel! Maybe if I am lucky she will notice me... that would be just enough, if she just looked up and saw that I was looking at her too! Maybe..."
But Niles stopped his train of thought. His senses went on high alert
suddenly and he strained his ears to listen to the footsteps that appeared to be coming rapidly up from behind him. This pathway was much darker than the main avenue and the cafe's flashing sign was still a bit off in the distance. It was late. No other foot traffic was about. Niles' body trembled slightly, partly from nerves and partly from the chill in the air. It sounded like there were at least two sets of feet following him. Their hard boots clicked on the concrete as they gained on him with each passing second. Next he heard low voices.
They matched the harsh sound of the boots - pitiless and tough. Niles quickened his pace, but he had a rising fear that the inevitable was about to happen. He half shut his eyes and started to dash towards the restaurant, but it was too late.
"Hey buddy!" the voice was mocking in tone and cruel. "What's the hurry?"
A rough arm reached out and grabbed Niles' shoulder. He was quickly spun around and found himself facing three large brutes.
"I shouldn't show fear....I should remain calm.... just hand over my money ... give them what they want..." he thought but it was past that point, now. He was paralyzed with terror and couldn't force even a sound out of his bone-dry mouth.
"Hey little guy," the taunting words slapped against Niles like a backhand. "We just wanna be friends!"
"Yeah, friends!" said another voice with a slight slur. "And seein' you are
our new found friend, then you wouldn't object to lendin' us some cash?"
Niles closed his eyes tighter. He had been the victim of enough bullying to
know what was coming next. They'd have their fun batting him about a bit,
take his money and if he didn't antagonize them too much, they would flee
before anyone could catch them.
"Now you aren't acting very friendly are you?" the menacing strains echoed
in Niles' ears. "Maybe you should be taught some manners!"
Niles braced his body and soul for the humiliation that was to follow. This was the story of his life. Trouble was, the last time he had suffered a roughing up at the hands of hooligans, he had been much younger, but so
were his assailants. These toughs were much more malevolent than the high school gangs that used to torment the timid students like the Crane brothers.
This time the pummeling was extremely savage, but mercifully short.
At least it seemed that way to Niles. He figured later he must have lost consciousness fairly soon after the first few blows.
He remembered a punch to the stomach (now he was thankful that he hadn't eaten anything.
"People can asphyxiate on their own vomit," he reasoned.
Their fists felt like hammer blows and immediately his head began to buzz. When the next series of strikes came to his face, he crumpled to the ground and started to cough. He tasted the warmth of his own blood spurting out of his mouth, as he sagged into a heap on the unyielding sidewalk surface. The sticky, thick liquid dribbled slowly down his chin.
Niles knew that he would be slipping into a comforting faint soon enough. His temples were throbbing. He had miscalculated. They weren't just teenage muggers. Their intent seemed to be to totally mutilate him as rapidly as possible, even though he lay unresisting at their feet and they could have helped themselves to his wallet easily. He was their entertainment for the night. His complete capitulation seemed to infuriate them even more, as they worked themselves into a frantic frenzy of fury against his battered body.
He heard his surly tormentors' voices lash around him.
"This fag's a sack of monkeysh.."
"Hey, check his pockets, quick! Maybe *Pointdexter's holdin'. "
"The little dweeb has only twenty bucks!"
"Any cards?"
"Not a one!! Shit!"
"Is that somebody comin'!!"
"What an asshole!"
And with that comment and a final swift lick to his ribs with the firm point
of a boot, Niles slipped into a haze of pain and was enveloped into an inky
darkness.
End of Part 3
to be continued....