SIN CITY

ATTENTION: Author JAlexander is putting together a team of film professionals to promote and successfully turn his over 30 novels and short stories into films.

For more information, please contact JAlexander:

Click Contact:

Note: This story is just one of seventeen taken from a novel by JAlexander called “SHIPWRECK”

After a short rest, David got to his feet and in the distance noticed a sign up ahead. He could only make out the larger words that said:

“WELCOME TO SIN CITY.”

He gathered his strength and with a little will-power, he sprinted down the road. It wasn’t until he was within a few feet that he could read the small print:

WELCOME TO SIN CITY NOTICE
It is highly recommended that you “Do Not” enter here; because you may not be able to return to the main road and you could spend “Eternity” in this God-forsaken place.

After reading the sign, David noticed that many of his fellow travelers gladly entered the exit without looking back. The few that did talk to him queried, “What’s wrong with you? You have a chance to rid yourself of your burdens, so come on; you’d be crazy to pass up a great opportunity like this!”

Being a business man, David was aware that making the right choices, at the right time, could determine whether, he would win or lose. But as he thought about his present situation, he knew he could either continue on the road carrying his burdens or join his fellow travelers in restorative rest and recuperation. It didn’t require much thought and besides, as far as he was concerned, he’d live his life however he chose to live it.
His mind was definitely made up as he looked down the road called “Grief”. He saw people struggling to keep going, while this rest stop looked so sunny and bright. Without further thought, David joined the line to the exit ramp. He did notice one thing: the exit lane was one way only. There was a road leading back to the main highway, but it was covered with bushes growing through its cracked pavement. It was obvious to David that the road was not used very much, so that’s why it didn’t require ongoing maintenance.

He decided that if he didn’t like this place, he could leave any time he wanted to by just following the unused road back to where he started. He did notice another good thing: his load was getting lighter the further he veered off the main highway. Someone behind David shouted, “Hey! What is going on up at the front of the line? I can hear people laughing and having fun; let’s keep the line moving!”
David was so tall that he could see over the heads of everyone in the line in front of him. Without turning around, he said out loud, “I see a circus and lots of signs, but I can’t make out what the people are saying. The line is starting to move faster, you’ll get there soon enough.”

When David reached the front of the line, he started smiling; something that he hadn’t done since he started his journey.

A man in a bright colored coat shouted as he took off his roaring twenties, white straw hat. Making a swooping gesture, he invited David to enter through the archway saying, “Step right up!”

“Welcome my friend, your troubles are over. From now on, you will be living the life you were meant to live, without worries or burdens; just partying with your friends 24 hours a day. You don’t even need money, everything is free!”

David looked at the guy and questioned, “What if I get tired of all of this and I want to leave?”
“Oh! You’ll never want to leave this place, but if you do, you will join that line over there.”

“What line? I don’t see anybody.”

“Exactly, nobody ever leaves here; it’s a place where dreams come true!”

The smiling man asked, “Well my friend, do you want to enter?”

Just then someone behind David shouted,

“Come on; if you don’t want to go in, get out of the way and give us a chance to enter.”

Just before David stepped into the line, he heard a commotion to his left. A man who looked like a wine-o was trying to get to David.

He was screaming, “Don’t come in, it’s a trap. I once had the world at my feet and look at me now; this will happen to you. Take warning my friend; you’ll never get out of here alive!”

Two men in uniform grabbed the drunk and started to drag him away. He was staring directly at David and trying to signal him to look at the back of the two security guards. David didn’t know if it was the lights or all the excitement going on, but he thought he could see tails and wings on the guards. He shook his head and when he looked back in their direction, they were gone.

The guy with the hat motioned him to move along. “Welcome traveler,” were the last words David heard as he was gently pushed forward.

Once inside, David couldn’t believe his eyes. Nothing he could dream up compared to what he was seeing; not even Vegas. “I need to go slow; I’ll just have a little fun and then I will be on my way.”

There were so many things to do but it didn’t matter what he chose, because everything was free.

He looked at the different names on the hotels, places like Greed, Corruption, Loser, Bad News, and of course old faithful, Heartbreak Hotel.

David chose a local bar called “Revenge.”

Although he had never been in a place like this before, he was sure from the way he was greeted at the front door by the two lovely ladies dressed in their sixty’s outfits, that he was going to feel right at home. Everyone in the room greeted him like a long-lost brother.
David could usually hold his own when it came to drinking, but he wanted to keep his wits about him, so he told the waitress to bring him a soda. “I’m sorry sir,” the waitress said; “the only way you can get a soda in here is in a mixed drink. You know: a rum and coke, rye and ginger…”

“Fine, I’ll have a beer.”

“What size?” asked the waitress, as she stood there chewing gum. “We have large, extra-large, super-large and the one that all the men order called “two hands Nelly.” You don’t look like much of a drinker, so maybe you should start with a large; or maybe you can only handle a woman’s drink like a “pink pussycat” or would that be too much for a big man like you?”

With everyone staring at David he said, “I’ll have an extra-large beer.”

The waitress patted his head and said, “Coming right up.” Everyone could hear her call out to the bartender, “Hey Charlie; we got a live wire on table 13!”

There was a steady line up of people waiting to sit and talk to the new guy, but it was the ladies that wanted to be close to this big handsome man.

The time passed by quickly and before David realized it, the bartender was hollering out,

“Last call; last call to the bar.”

David ordered one more, but before he could finish it the waitress took it off the table and warned, “We’re closing now sir but we open again at 6:00AM. You have to be out of here in five minutes.”

When David stepped outside, he found himself in a cold, dark place that looked like a compound surrounded by big stone walls. He turned to go back into the bar but he couldn’t find the door; it had turned into a solid wall. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, David could see that someone had lit a few fires. He made his way to the one that was closest to him, where he saw four or five guys standing around an oil barrel. The flame didn’t give off much light and even less heat. David pulled up the collar on his coat and stepped closer to the small flame.

After saying “hello” a few times, he tried to get between two of the men so at least the front of his body would feel a little warmer.

Nobody moved to let him in so all he could do was put his hand through a space where two bodies came together. “I can’t stay here like this until the morning,” he thought. “I need to find some place warm so I can get some sleep.” David got even colder the further he was from the fire.

The night was dark, but David could still make out forms. He could even see people lying down, although he couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

After what seemed like hours, David heard a woman’s voice say, “I’ll share my blanket for a drink of whatever you have.”

David hesitated for a moment, but then decided to move on. He was going to say, “I don’t have anything to drink,” but that would have only been half of the reason why he wouldn’t lay with this woman. His Emily wouldn’t approve, well actually, she would kill him if she found out. Then he realized, “she’s not here; she’s gone and I can do whatever I want.”

But, he knew in his heart that it wouldn’t be right to be with someone else and how would he explain himself if there was a “Heaven” and he met her there. He shook his head and reminded himself, “I guess where I’m going there is not much chance of seeing any of my friends, let alone my precious Emily.”

Not watching where he was going, David tripped over someone and landed on the ground in a pile of garbage; or at least it smelled like garbage. Feeling around, he did manage to find some papers, maybe newspapers. It didn’t matter because once he put some over his cold shaking body, using a few more as a pillow, he soon drifted off to sleep. It was not a good sleep, maybe closer to a nightmare; a nightmare that would haunt him every time he closed his eyes.

The bright light of the sun stirred David from his restless sleep. After rubbing his eyes, he got his first sight of his sleeping quarters. To his surprise, what he thought was a garbage dump was actually a barnyard and his newspaper pillow was some old dirty hay. He kept wondering how he got from a big bustling city to a farm in the country.

A voice broke through the silence questioning, “Who are you and what are you doing on my property? I have a shotgun with a load of buckshot, and it’s got your name on it; so if you don’t want to leave this world in several pieces, you had better get your butt out of here!”

David arose slowly and without looking at the man or his gun, he quickly left the farm and headed down the road, but to where he did not know. After walking for a short time, David sat down on a big rock and closed his eyes. He quickly opened them when he heard a voice ask, “You going into town, Mister?”

David shook his head, confirming the question without talking.

“You’ll have to ride in the back with Mable.”

As he climbed into the back of the wagon, he was face-to-face with the largest pig he had ever seen! Not that he had ever seen a real live pig before, only in pictures; but he once attended a BBQ where they were roasting one.

“Here’s your stop,” the driver stated as he slowed down and then stopped in front of the gates to “Sin City.” David thanked the driver as the old creaking wagon lumbered out of sight.
David was hungry and his body needed food, but strangely enough his mind was telling him he needed a drink more than food. David couldn’t imagine wanting a drink this early in the morning or at any time of the day, for that matter. He saw the sign “Revenge Hotel” then said to himself, “I had a good time there even though they closed early; maybe they will stay open later tonight?”

With a big smile David walked into the hotel but was stopped at the door by a heavy-set bouncer. “Buddy, you smell like a pig, so you can’t come in here. I won’t have you upsetting our fine clientele; go find yourself another place to drink.”

After trying four or five more places, David was ready to give up, but then he saw a rundown building with a little sign that read, “Rejects Tavern; we serve everyone, even you!”

The place looked like it had been condemned by the board of health, but David couldn’t find the sign. After stepping over a few drunken bodies, he found a place to sit at an empty table near the bar. The scar faced bartender grumbled, “What are you drinking Sir,” as he spit on a glass before wiping it with a dirty cloth. He didn’t direct the request to anyone in particular, but David knew he was talking to him.

With a very dry voice, David ordered two beers and a shot.

The “Reject’s Tavern” became David’s home during drinking hours. Because of the way he looked and smelled, this was the only drinking spot in town that would serve him.

The more David drank, the more he looked like the town drunk. The only time he had a clear head was in the morning just before he started drinking. But even then his mind was far from crystal clear.

One morning on his way to his favorite drinking spot, David decided to take a detour. The sun was shining and it was warm and he didn’t feel like sitting in that dingy low life cesspool. Sitting on the sidewalk, deep in thought, David heard a gentle voice behind him asking, “Do you need a friend?”
When he turned around, he saw an old man sitting in a doorway. Confused David asked, “are you talking to me?”

Yes, I am son and I know what you’re going through. I’ve been where you are; as a matter of fact, I’m still there. I can also tell by the way you look that Sin City is not what you thought it would be. I’m sure you’ve asked yourself a thousand times, how did I ever get this low and will I ever escape from this place?

The old man motioned for David to come closer. But because he was still drunk from the night before David was having trouble getting to his feet. After trying a few times with no success, he decided to crawl over to where the old man had his cardboard house. Seeing him lying there in his box, David thought, “This man lives like a turtle, he carries his house with him!”

In a very soft voice, the old man confided to David, “There is a way out, but I’m not sure you have what it takes to get back on the road called Grief.”

“I’m listening old-timer, what do I have to do?”

“Well, my friend, you have to reach bottom. You might think you’re already there, but you’re not. You’re close, but you have a way to go. Come with me and I will show you the way.”

“Why not; I’m not doing anything else right now and besides, my chauffeur’s late, so I’ve got some time to kill!”

Standing up, the old man moved a few boxes out of the way and as he opened a big wooden door, he motioned for David to follow him. It was so dark inside that David could hardly see, but he did hear the old man warning, “Watch your step.”

“I need you to stay close to me, because there are a lot of holes in the floor and if you fall into one of them, you won’t be coming out! Also keep close to the wall and you should be okay.”
When David’s eyes adjusted to the darkness it was like that first night in the compound; he could see shapes, but didn’t know what they were.

After going through a few rooms, he caught up with the old man who was standing in front of a mirror. When he stood next to his new friend, David realized that they were looking through one of those two-way mirrors.
Suddenly, a woman came up and put her face very close to the mirror. She was checking her make-up while running her fingers through her hair. David jumped back and gave a little yell, like a little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It only took a second for him to realize that the women couldn’t see him. Stepping a little closer, David’s blood ran cold as he looked into the ugliest face he had ever seen. It was a face that could only belong to a creature from hell.

The old man grabbed David’s arm and warned, “She’s not the only creature from down below. Take a close look at all the staff and those hotel patrons with their backs against the wall and you’ll see that they’re all demons; even the hotel itself is a product of Satan. I guess you could say the whole place is a stopover, on the road to damnation!”

Pointing to a waitress serving one of the tables the old man remarked, “Check out her back; you’ll notice that when she is facing a customer, she looks normal, but the view from behind shows who she really is: one of the Devil’s Disciples.”

Letting out a sigh, David stepped back from the mirror. The old man put his hand on his back and said “Don’t feel bad about having been deceived; you’re not the first and you won’t be the last. I’ve seen thousands of good people who couldn’t handle life’s hardships turn to alcohol and drugs and that’s when they end up in a place like this. The Devil holds the franchise for these kinds of hell-holes. Even if he charged admission, there would be a very long lineup every night.”

He continued, “Nobody ever starts out saying, boy I can’t wait to become an alcoholic so I can lose my family, my friends, my job and my self-respect and then go someplace to die a lonely painful death. Son, I know you’ve heard it many times before, but I’ll say it again, life is about choices. The ones you make today will determine the life you’ll live tomorrow.”

David turned to the old man and declared, “I’ve seen enough! What do I have to do to get out of this place?”

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing you’re not a Christian, but you probably believe in God; am I right?”

David nodded his head in agreement. He was just about to add that if his wife Emily had anything to do with it; he would have been a Deacon or a Minister. But he remained silent as he remembered that she was no longer in his world. It was time for David to face the fact that if he was going to make it through all of this, he had to turn to someone and who better than God?

“Are you okay?” his new friend enquired.

“Yes! I was just thinking about someone, someone very special to me.”

David broke down as he told his new friend about the love of his life and how much he missed her. With tears filling his eyes and clenching his fist he said, “I know Emily would want me to fight and not just give up when the going got a little rough. She never backed down from anything or anyone, including me, and she was only half my size!”

The old man replied, “I had me a woman once, only she was meaner than a junk yard dog and could drink any four men under the table!”
“Enough reminiscing David; we have to move quickly as you don’t have a lot of time. I know you’re not going to like this, but the only way out of here is through the Swamp of Filth.

However, there is one little problem; you will be up to your neck in the slime and just when all hope is gone and you’re going down, you need to call out to the Lord; only then will He take your hand and lead you to safety.”

David asked “Is that all there is?”

“Yes, but because I have never had the guts to go through the ordeal, I don’t know if it works. But then again, you don’t have any other option.”

David thought for a moment, then standing tall he asked, “How do I get to the cesspool?”

“I have a place where you can get cleaned up, and then you must go to the hotel called Sinner’s Paradise; once there you must sit at the end of the bar next to the kitchen. That’s where you’ll find the entrance to the “Swamp of Filth.”

After getting cleaned up, David asked, “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Yes, there is one more thing.” The old man came right up to David and told him, “You’re going to have to drink without getting so drunk that you can’t remember where you are.”

“Why do I have to get drunk?” David wanted to know.

“Because they won’t let you in if they think you are going to try to escape. They know all the tricks; their master the Devil has taught them well!”

“Remember, you have to wait until the last minute to call upon God. Good luck my friend, I wish I was going with you, but I guess it is not meant to be.”

Standing at the front door David looked up at the hotel sign Sinner’s Paradise and said to himself, “I’m doing this for Emily. I know she’s in heaven with her God and maybe she will put in a good word for me.”

“Good afternoon Sir, table for one?”

“No thanks, I’ll just sit at the bar for a while.”

“Make your way to the far side of the room and the man with the big smile will be happy to serve you.”

The room was crowded, but David saw an empty stool at the bar. Some people sitting at a big table tried to talk to him, but he just smiled and kept on going. Just before he got to the stool, a man in a checkered jacket sat down and in a loud voice tried to pick up a blond girl who was clearly not interested in what he had to say. Avoiding the drunk, the blond turned to talk to someone at a nearby table and that was when David got a glimpse of her back in the mirror. Letting out a little “wow”, he could see that she was one of them. With a quick turn she faced David, smiled, and then motioned for the doorman to remove the unwanted drunk from her area. Even looking through blurred eyes the obnoxious little man could see that he was no match for the enormous bouncer, so he just slithered away.

After a few minutes the bartender came over and asked David, “what will it be, Sir. “I’ll have a large beer.”

“Coming right up!” After taking a glass from the shelf the bartender inspected it to make sure it was clean. The now-smiling blond looked at David and said, “Don’t I know you?

Weren’t you in here last week?”

David responded, “No, I’m new in town.”

She just smiled, and then turned to talk to the guy on the other side of her.

David didn’t know how much he could drink and still pull off his plan. He assumed he would soon find out, because the bartender was bringing him a very, very large beer!

The place stayed lively with everyone singing and dancing, so no one was paying any attention to the quiet guy at the end of the bar.

When David saw that the bartender was busy, he took the opportunity to check out the dark hallway leading to the kitchen. He couldn’t see much because it was so dark. What he did notice was that nobody was going in or coming out of the kitchen, even though there was food on every table.

David was worried that the place might close before he could get through the passageway. He had to know what was down that hallway so he picked an olive from a bowl on the bar and threw it towards the kitchen. To his surprise, it just hung there in midair and then it slowly disappeared into what looked like thick syrup. Next, he tossed an ashtray which did the same thing. David knew that this was the doorway he needed to go through but he needed to make his move when no one was watching.

Pretending to drop something on the floor, David slid off the stool and while he was on his knees, he put his hand through the liquid. It felt like water only thicker. He had trouble getting his arm out once the liquid was up to his elbow. It was like something was pulling him in. It had a good grip on him, so he had to use all his strength to release his arm.

Kneeling on the floor and looking at his arm to see if it was okay David heard someone ask him, “What are you doing down there?”
He looked up and saw the drunk in the checkered coat. When he said, “I lost something,” the drunk replied, “Do you need any help?”

“No, I’m okay, but thanks anyway.”

“Would you like me to call the waitress?”

“No, no, I’m fine! You just go on and enjoy yourself.”

David was trying to get rid of the drunk before he drew attention to what he was doing. To prove that he was inebriated, David staggered a few times before trying to get on the bar stool. In a loud voice, he ordered another beer.
David started to panic when he realized it was getting close to closing time. He needed to act fast or he would lose his one and only chance to freedom. He knew luck was on his side when he looked toward the far side of the room where the drunk with the checkered coat was causing trouble. Looking around, he noted that everyone was watching the drunk, but to his amazement he saw that the guy was not drunk at all; he was just pretending. Things really got out of hand when the guy pulled out a cross and started preaching.

The devil’s demons were moving in around the man with the cross and they weren’t attempting to disguise themselves. Their long tails were swinging around and their wings were flapping. David wasn’t about to stick around to see what they were going to do to this poor guy. He jumped off the stool and stood in front of the invisible liquid wall. Putting his two hands out in front of him, he watched them disappear. If David had any doubts about entering the dark world, it was too late. There was some kind of force drawing him in!

Just before his head went in, he took a deep breath, not knowing how long he would be immersed in the liquid before he got to the other side. He didn’t have to wait long; it was just like passing through a doorway from one room to the next. Only this was not a room, it was a swamp. David found himself standing on a hill overlooking a dead world. He could see small fires and trees with only their black trunks sticking out of the slime. What grabbed David’s attention the most was the rancid smell? It was the same smell as the compound and the Reject Hotel! It was the stench of vomit and it took David’s breath away.

All of a sudden, the ground gave away and David started sliding down a hill. He was in a panic because he knew what was at the bottom to greet him. He was expecting to hear a splash when he entered the Swamp of Filth, but it wasn’t liquid like water it was thick like quicksand. The slime was up to his waist and he was sinking fast! He knew that if he didn’t call out to God at the right moment, he would surely die. Before he knew it the slime was up to his neck. He started calling out to God; “I know I have turned away from you in the past, but now I am asking You to help me get out of this hell?”

Unable to move his arms and with the vile liquid only a few inches away from his mouth, David gave up. He closed his eyes saying; “I love you Emily, and I love you God!”
Then everything went black. The next thing David knew he was standing on the road called “Grief”. Someone behind him asked impatiently, “Are you taking this exit or not?”

David looked at the guy and advised, “No I’m not, and I don’t think you should either!”

However, the man just pushed him aside and mumbled something about enjoying the good things in life, then he disappeared down the road.

John 15:5 – Apart from me, you can do nothing!

BY JALEXANDER