Diadems-Chapter 1

Diadems:

Dollinger sat in the dingy back room of an even gloomier front.  He was lounging on a deteriorating couch the flickering virescent light making his remaining teeth look even yellower and the scar extending from the corner of his eyebrow to the tip of his unsettling grin seem even more pronounced.  The whole room pulsated to the beat of the thundering techno song coming from the bar.   Each song seemed identical to the last: a continuous stream of thundering noise.  “So are you ready” asked Thomson conversationally, carefully rolling the joint. “Just get on with it you moron I don’t come here for the company.. Well at the very least not your company” “Well.. er… it’s just that diadems can be  disconcerting the first time.  The pixies are all very well but the diadems are well… moodier”   “Jesus Christ this isn’t a f*****g witch’s gathering spare me the ceremony pass me the joint, You’re overworking it.”

“You’re sure” repeated Thompson a glint of disconcertion in his eyes. In reply Dollinger rolled his eyes and grabbed the joint.

 “A light if you please assuming that’s included in the starting price.  You’d think you were the only club around the prices you charge”

“Well sir… we may not be only but….”

 “I think if you came to us you already know we’re the best” interrupted a deep voice from the doorway.  Holding open the crumbling red velvet curtain as he passed through he calmly proclaimed:  “I’ll take care of it from here Thompson”

“But my orders…. I’m supposed to oversee”  

“Thompson… who do you think gives the orders?  Leave.  Now.” 

Thompson who had been hesitantly stumbling towards the back door increased his pace.  Silently Snyder sat down.  He held a light out to Dollinger who still had the joint impatiently perched in his mouth. 

“Ahhh”  Dollinger sighed with the first inhale closing his eyes. 

“Slowly, but you don’t want to hold your breath.. almost as though you’re sleeping, long deep breaths” Explained Snyder. Obediently Dollinger inhaled each breath reaching deep into his diaphragm.  “You feel it yet?”  inquired Snyder.  Dollinger made a vague nod almost indistinguishable from twitch.  Synder quietly left his stool creating a respectful distance so the man could hold his audience in peace. Dollinger sat up opening his now dilated eyes.  He manipulated the smoke with his tongue creating long tendrils then rings then, finally, cursing under his breath, he got it right and exhaled a woman no larger than a lantern made up of swirling creamy grey smoke.  Translucent, but like a bubble where beneath the translucency there exists a layer of swirling colors.  She smiled seductively her dress billowing her hair spilling out around her as though she were underwater. Then he heard it. Not in a conventional sense, more like a voice coming from the back of his head.  Something he would have dismissed as his conscious had he not been waiting for it.  A gentle raspy whisper said what do you seek mortal.  In his excitement despite the haze Dollinger sat up straight his eyes bright behind their cloudiness

“Where is she!!”  He exclaimed.  But he had been too hasty he could see it in the Diadems eyes.  The contours of her dress faded until it was no longer distinguishable from the smoke in the room, gradually melting away until nothing but her eyes remained, a light tinge of blue in the cloudy smoke and then those too disappeared.  He was alone again.  With a cry of annoyance Dollinger snuffed out the joint not bothering to savor the lingering fumes.  Synder returned resuming his position on the stool as though he had never left Thompson perched apprehensively behind him.  “So?” asked Synder.

“I want my money back” replied Dollinger

“You knew the risks perhaps you would like to try again.. with a more choice variety”

“You promised me results you said I would get my answers not some second rate c**t” 

“You already know we’re the best.  I would watch your tongue if you want my help again”  Synder pointed out a bit more coldly.  A tense silence stretched before them until Thompson nervously interjected

 “So…. what were you asking”

“Thompson.. a little discretion,  Please”  Said Synder with irritation.

 “OH No I don’t mind telling you” said Dollinger with excessive bravado. “Perhaps you can make up for your servants inability to answer a basic question: Where the F**K is Amena Veranzo”

Author's Note

Please forgive the horribly punctuated dialogue

Reviews

[Evita]

You are a very talented fiction writer. I thought both your descriptions and your dialogue were very convincing as professional! And your creation of another world with these mystic "Diadems" is very well executed. Although "Diadems" make me think of headpieces...how did you choose the word?

The one chapter raises a lot of questions and answers enough, which is good to keep the reader reading on...