Since I don't currently have time to put some pictures up here as I have class at noon, I'm just going to post some of my writing for now. I wrote this piece last year for my own amusement. It was a dream I had and I just couldn't let all that good material go to waste. ;) I hope you enjoy! =]
THE PARTY
Alyssa Bunzey
Melissa Colburn waited patiently outside the elevator door. It was going up, and still had a few floors to go before it reached hers. She saw the light pause on floor number three, and then continue upwards.
Good, I’ll have some company, she thought as she rummaged through her purse for her lipstick. She was always prepared.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. The passenger from floor three was a blonde haired woman, most likely in her early thirties. The woman wore a light blue cocktail dress and was fidgeting with the strap of her purse upon her shoulder.
“Hello, are you here for the party?” Melissa asked of the younger woman.
“Yes…” the woman replied.
“You seem nervous. Is this your first time?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s alright. Trust me, you’ll have a lot of fun. You’ll be compelled to come back for future parties.”
The woman smiled. They continued to chat as the elevator climbed up towards their destination. The party was to be held on the forty-second floor this eve.
The elevator slowed down as it approached the forty-second floor. The doors creaked open to reveal a front room appearing exactly the same as on every other floor. The layout in the front room was always the same. It was relatively small, and carpeted in a magnificent burgundy. A small desk always sat in the center back of the room, the doors to the hall always to the right.
The two women departed the elevator shaft, making their way towards the front desk. Behind the desk sat a young man with glasses. Now, unlike the front room, this was indeed a variable that changed frequently.
The clerk seemed to talk through his nose when he asked, “Are you lovely ladies here for Sir Fredrick’s party this fine evening?”
“Why yes, we are.” Melissa replied as she glanced at the woman to her left.
He pushed his glasses further up his nose and hunched over a piece of paper that lay upon the desk. “Names, please?”
“Melissa Colburn.” She motioned towards her nervous new acquaintance.
“Patricia Edwards.”
“Good. You’re both on the list. You may now make your way over to the hall.” He motioned to the doors on his left.
Melissa nodded and the women made their way through the large doorway and into the hall.
Everyone was gathering together in the hall. It was starting to become quite crowded. The noise continued to escalate as friends caught up and new acquaintances indulged in small talk.
Someone near the door to the main room shouted, “When are we going to start? It’s getting too loud and stuffy in here!”
“Sir, I need to ask you to calm down, please. Sir Fredrick will be here to unlock the door shortly.” This voice came from the man guarding the door.
“No I won’t calm down! I want to get this thing started so I can get my money and leave!”
“Sir, calm down,” the guard insisted as he moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, “not everyone knows of the prize yet.”
“That’s not my problem.” He rolled his eyes and moved away from the door.
The guard kept his eyes on the frustrated man for quite some time, and then lost him in a crowd of women. He relaxed a bit, glad there was no need to cause an incident. Not like at the last party.
Melissa and Patricia were still chatting away. Melissa was telling Patricia of some past experiences at these sorts of gatherings. Patricia seemed most eager to listen to whatever Melissa was saying.
“I haven’t won a game yet. I did come quite close once though,” Melissa was saying.
“And what do you get if you win?”
“Not quite sure really. It changes from party to party. Though, I have heard rumors that tonight it may be quite a large sum of money.”
“Oh, really?”
“That’s what I hear.”
A strong breeze whipped through the hall, extinguishing the candelabras hanging from the ceiling. A few women screamed, some men laughed shortly after.
“Silence!” Came a voice from over near the doorway to the main room. “I said silence!” The doors to the front room were slammed shut by another blast of air. The noise got everyone to shut up. “That’s better. Now, it has come to my attention that some of you are new faces here tonight. Is that right? Raise your hand if this is the first of my parties you have attended.” A light from an unknown source came on, revealing maybe twenty hands up in the air. Embarrassed, they were quickly withdrawn and placed back at the persons’ sides. “Don’t be embarrassed. All of the people here tonight were new once.”
Hmmm, I suppose I was even new once. Oh my, how time passes, Melissa thought.
“Now. Before I can let you folks into the main room, I must share with the newcomers the rules. Even though I suspect they have already been filled in.” He smiled at this. He took great pleasure in being the one talked about so frequently. “Let me start by saying that nobody who has won within the last ten years is here tonight. Harold, the clerk at the front desk, has made sure of that. The game to be played tonight is The Key Game. How many of you are familiar with this one?” Thirty or so hands went up. “Good, good. For those who don’t know, this is how The Key Game works: I have hidden a golden key somewhere within the room you will be entering shortly. This room has many secret compartments and even a few secret rooms. The key you are looking for could be anywhere you can get to. That means anything that isn’t locked. The room will be full of many silver keys that all look the same. There will be one unique looking silver key. If you find this, it means you are very close to finding the gold key. The person to find my gold key, and unlock the door to my study will receive the prize. Tonight the prize will be 250,000 dollars.” There was quite a murmur over this fact. “Settle down people, settle down. One more thing before I let you loose: inside the main room will be many booths set up with food and drinks. With that said, enjoy yourselves!” He disappeared and the door to the main room was opened.
Let the game begin. Everyone began flooding through the door, squeezing through it as if it were a funnel. They were all sure that they would be the one to find the key. The guard with the sword tried to keep the pushing and shoving at bay, and a few people even got nicked with the tip of the blade.
Melissa and Patricia, because they arrived later than most, were towards the end of the crowd. When they burst through the door, the chaos seemed to melt away. Everyone who had just been participating in the mosh pit only moments before, were now casually sipping cocktails and chatting away once more. You wouldn’t even know they were playing a searching game except for the occasional glance into a drawer or behind a counter. They all seemed to be “playing it cool,” and trying not to give away too much to the rest of the guests.
Melissa had attended many of these parties before, yet never took part in a searching game.
I’m curious at how things will end up as the hours go by. “Oh, marvelous!” Patricia was saying.
“What’s so marvelous, dear?” Melissa questioned.
“Look at the ceiling!” She moved her hands upwards in a graceful manner, appearing to embrace whatever was up above.
I’m pretty sure she hasn’t had a single drink yet. Melissa looked up to the ceiling, mostly to humor Ms. Edwards.
Oh, my. He really outdid himself. Fixed to the ceiling were many fixtures, the fixtures holding hundreds of tiny silver keys.
I see what he meant now… “Well, at least we know what the shape of the key isn’t, now.”
Patricia’s mouth hung open; she was still staring in awe at the ceiling. “Wha-? Did you say something Melissa?”
“Never mind…”
I suppose I shouldn’t get too friendly if I want to win this thing myself. I’ll let her decide if she wants to share first. There was a tall man wearing a top hat leaning up against a post. He seemed to be looking their way. He raised his glass to his lips, tipped ever so slightly, and then moved his hand down, resting the edge of his glass on his belt and looping his thumb through the belt loop on his trousers. He must have noticed Melissa watching him, for he used his other hand to tip his hat in her direction. Then he tilted his head back, taking the rest of his drink down. He got up, placed the empty glass on a nearby counter, and walked off.
I wonder if he heard me. Oh well, it’s not like it’s that big a secret; sort of obvious, really. I suppose I best be off to scope out the place and begin my own search. “Patricia!” Melissa called as she reached her hand out towards Ms. Edward’s shoulder.
“Yes, what is it?”
“I’m off to begin my search. I’ll be sure to find you a bit later, if things don’t liven up too much before then.”
“Alright, I’ll be seeing you.”
She said that with such confidence, I almost believed it! Still, her body trembled ever so slightly. I’m thankful my eyes are still sharp enough to notice these things…It keeps me in check. Melissa waved goodbye and made her way to a drink booth.
What better place to start than the place where everyone is drinking? As she made her way over to the drink station nearest her, she passed several food counters. The counters were draped in a black tablecloth, and the food was spread across the surface. Behind one of these counters stood an older woman. The woman had curly brown hair that fell down upon her square shoulders. She wore a dress that looked like it was falling apart, and a white frilly apron tied about her waist. As Melissa passed her counter, the woman spread her arms, motioning to her wide variety of food.
“I’ve got fresh bananas, apples, and even some pie.” The woman said.
“No thanks,” Melissa replied as she kept walking, “I think I just want a drink.”
“Are you sure?” The woman called out, but Melissa was already out of earshot.
She approached the drink counter and ordered a margarita, hold the rocks. She stuck around for a bit, casually sipping her drink. She overheard a few conversations, but none seemed to yield any hints as to where that key might be. When her glass was empty, she placed it upon the counter, watched the man behind the counter take it away, and then moved on. Some people had already given up and left, and the crowds were thinning.
Melissa looked around the room, trying to see if Patricia was still around. She finally saw her chatting with an older gentleman.
Well, she seems to be having a good time. What…interesting…taste in men, I must say. Melissa saw a group of people she recognized from the last party, and decided to go over and say hello. After all, she had been chatting with Patricia for most of the evening.
“Hello Melissa, are you enjoying yourself?” Mr. Prescott asked as she approached.
“Yes, I am enjoying myself. How about yourself?”
“The same. Do you remember Jennifer, Michelle, and William?” He asked, gesturing towards the corresponding person as he said each name.
“I think so. It’s been so long.” Melissa admitted as she shook their hands.
“We were just noticing that a good portion of people have left.” Michelle Watson exclaimed.
“I was just noticing the same thing myself,” Melissa replied as she checked the clock on the wall, “I suppose it is getting quite late.”
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Michelle sipped her cocktail.
“How late are you going to stay?” Melissa questioned of the group.
“I think we are staying all the way through. We want to see who wins this.” William said. The others nodded in agreement. “You?”
“The same,” Melissa smiled, “I shall see you later then.”
The group nodded and she left.
The clock struck midnight. More and more frequently now Melissa noticed that people were searching. Things were starting to pick up. Still, it was hard to determine who would start the full fledged event. They were only still shyly glancing into drawers and pots, behind counters and under tables. Then she saw him. It was the man who had tipped his hat towards her earlier on. He was tossing over ceramics, letting them fall to the floor. The sound was ear shattering.
One would think that with all that thrashing about, his top hat would fall off… The people that once stood behind the counters took this as their cue to leave. The door to the hall opened for them, and they exited quickly. The man was still knocking things over. Everyone’s eyes had fallen upon him, not sure what they should do. A few people attempted to calm him down. He shoved them off. They fell backwards, landing on the wooden floor beneath them with a thud. A few people off to the right shrugged, and then began searching themselves. Before long, the main room had erupted in chaos.
Melissa saw Patricia throw her glass to the floor and run towards a shelving unit. The delicate crystal shattered as it hit the floor, pieces flying every which way. Melissa seemed to be the only one who hadn’t gone completely mad. She sighed heavily.
I suppose I’m expected to join this madness. She saw a counter that hadn’t been ravaged and walked towards it. There was screaming coming from behind her. She turned to see people breaking out into fights, twisting each other’s arms and slapping each other’s faces.
Pity. It was such a nice and decent affair… She sighed again as she turned back towards the counter. She searched.
Nothing was visible from the front of the counter so she went around to the back. She opened a few drawers, rummaging through various silverware and papers. Nothing. She turned to find a shelving unit. She looked behind all the books. Still, there was nothing. She moved left, toward another counter. Nothing was under the black tablecloth, and nothing in the drawers. She looked around the room to see how everyone else was doing.
The guard was involved in some sort of sword fight with a man. Only, the man wasn’t wielding a sword.
Oh my word! Does he really expect to get anywhere with that banana? The guard moved his right foot forward and whipped his blade in front of the man, whoosh. It looked like he only sliced through the air. Then, as the man staggered backwards, the top half of the banana slid off. It exploded when it hit the floor. Both parties were now covered in small chunks of banana.
That’s not what I was expecting. “See what you’ve done?!” The guard screamed as he tried to wipe the sticky banana off his uniform.
“What I’ve done?!”
They were both enraged, faces red. Nobody else around them seemed to notice.
I certainly don’t want to be covered in banana! Or any other fruit for that matter! Melissa made note to keep her distance.
She continued to glance around the room. There was a loose grouping of women that appeared to be yanking their hair out. Some women nearby stopped their searches to point and laugh at the increasing baldness of their fellow partygoers.
The man with the top hat now cried in a corner. He was trying to give himself a neck massage.
I bet he has quite a case of whiplash! James Prescott and his crew were moving towards her now.
They’re moving in for the kill! They moved in sync with each other, swaying to and fro as they marched.
They’re good! They should go on Broadway! They approached.
“Melissa! Have you figured it out yet?” Mr. Prescott asked.
“Figured out what?”
“Well, where the key is, of course!” His face turned red.
“We’ve searched everywhere!” William sighed.
“Don’t you think you’d know?”
What an idiot. He gave her a blank stare.
The group, excluding Melissa, decided to double-check the counter, and still, there was nothing. They pounced on the shelf. They worked from bottom to top. They were somewhere in the middle when Jennifer’s hand found it: a book that acted as a switch. She pressed it down, and the shelving unit, now a door, swung open.
This secret room is right behind that woman’s counter… They entered the room and the others immediately began tearing it apart. It looked like a small bedroom crammed full of objects that held many compartments. Melissa watched for a few moments. They emptied the nightstand, its contents spewing out all over the floor. Mr. Prescott tore open the bedspread just as William slid underneath the bed. There were two large wooden dressers at the back of the room.
Melissa went to the first and went through the drawers, top to bottom. As she rummaged through the bottom drawer, her fingers fell upon a small silver key. Her heart raced, pounding against her chest, as she realized it didn’t take the shape of the ones hanging from the ceiling. Hands trembling, she barely managed to pocket it.
She moved straight to the bottom drawer of the other dresser. She began sorting it, moving everything to one side. Then, there it was: a small golden key.
I should’ve stopped and listened to that woman earlier! Then I wouldn’t have to worry about getting mauled on my way out of this room! She picked it up and stood. Then, she ran.
She made it out of the secret room before heads started turning. She saw the man with the top hat jump up to his feet. He was behind her only moments later. She glanced over her shoulder to find she was being chased down, by everyone. The floor shook as they ran.
Stampede! And here I am, the prey! Melissa quickened her pace, coming nearer and nearer to the door of the study. She heard people hit the floor, either tripped or shoved. Still, she ran. The man with the top hat was practically at her heels.
“Give it to me!” He shouted.
“I’m afraid not -” Melissa started to say. He plunged forth and grabbed her ankle. His grip was loose.
Good, he’s still drunk. She easily shook him off, and continued running to the door. She was almost there.
A woman darted in front of the door. It was Patricia. “Stop right there!” She shouted. Her once beautiful cocktail dress was now ripped in several places.
“Patricia, what are you doing?”
“Getting that key!”
“You want it that badly?”
Patricia glared. Her hair was all messed up, and there were dark streaks of watery mascara striping her face.
It looks like she just woke up with a horrible hangover… after spending an entire night drinking her tears away, because she just found out her husband has been having an affair. Patricia didn’t budge. She hardly even blinked. “I guess so!” I suppose I could give her the key. I don’t care for the money. Though, I really would like to meet the mysterious Sir Fredrick. “Alright. I’ll give you the money. But I’m the one going in there.” The guard was headed their way, pushing through the crowd of people that now watched them. Patricia saw the guard and shifted her weight uneasily. Melissa saw her reaction and asked, “What have you got to lose?”
Patricia stood there a few more moments, and then moved away from the door.
“Thank you dear,” Melissa acknowledged. She walked up to the door and placed the key into the keyhole. She turned the key to the right, and the door clicked. She pushed it open.
He was sitting in his desk chair facing the window; she couldn’t see his face.
“Well, it appears we finally have a winner!” He remarked as he turned his chair to see. “My lord! Look at all of them trying to claw their way in here! How about some privacy?” With that, he motioned towards the door, and the guards slammed the door shut.
I hope they didn’t chop any fingers off with that maneuver! He stood and rummaged through the papers his desk. After some time, he exclaimed, “Aha! I found it!” He held up a key.
“What is that for?” She asked.
Not more keys! “Why, it’s for the safe of course!” He smiled. “Are you coming?” He asked, gesturing.
“Well, you see… I told someone out there that they could have the money. Someone I’ve done a lot of chatting with this evening.”
He stood for a few moments, turning the key over and over in his hands. Then he questioned, “You don’t want the money?”
“Not really.”
“Did the woman you were talking to threaten you in any way? Is that what’s going on? I can get someone to take care of her, you know.”
“No, nothing like that,” she paused, then, “money isn’t everything.”
He stared at her, face unmoving except for the blinking of his eyes. “But it’s the prize…”
“I must say, finally meeting you is the real prize. I have no need for the money.”
He smiled. “I’m flattered!” There was another moment of silence; he continued to turn the key over in his hand. Then he asked, “Are you sure about the money?”
“Yes, quite sure.”
“Alright, let me get someone to bring it to your friend. What’s her name?”
“Patricia Edwards.” He started moving towards the door. “Oh! And she’s wearing a light blue cocktail dress that has taken some damage. She should be lurking about near the door somewhere.”
He called in a guard and had the money brought out to Patricia.
“So! How many of my parties have you been to?”
“Too many to count.”
“And never won? Astonishing. You seem to have an incredible wit.”
She smiled.
“Drink?” He asked, pointing toward the bottle of wine on his desk.
“Sure.”
He poured her a glass of wine and passed it to her. “Do you enjoy yourself at least?”
“Yes, how could I not? The other guests are quite amusing.”
“Yes. They are, aren’t they? A friend of mine wears a miniature camera and I watch the event from a secret room behind this one. Want me to show you?”
“Yes,” she stood up and followed him. He placed his hand upon the wall and a door opened up. They entered. There was a television set up on the wall. A desk and chair sat before it. On the screen, she could see that many of the guests were now leaving. They hung their heads low, holding onto their bruised limbs. Some women started to cry as they felt they hair, now much thinner than it had been before the party. She saw Mr. Prescott and his gang stumbling out the door, wearing large frowns upon their faces. Then there was Patricia, clutching her full briefcase and gleaming as she made her way out the door.
But where is the man with the top hat? Perhaps he already left. “This is amazing. Much safer than watching them all from in there.”
“I’d say!”
“Why do you give away all that money?”
“What better to motivate people with these days?” He smirked.
“I suppose that’s true.” Melissa stared in awe at the screen.
“Hey! Would you be interested in keeping me company at the next party? As you said, it’s much safer.”
“Wha-? Oh, yes. That’d be lovely,” she grinned.
“Excellent!” Melissa was staring at the screen again. “You seem to be looking for something…”
“No. Well, yes. There was this man… he was wearing a top hat… I bet he already left though.” She turned her attention to Sir Fredrick. He was smiling. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
He started laughing.
“What?”
“You remember how I said I had an inside man?” He questioned.
She stared blankly. “No…”
“Yes!”
“All this time? In on it? Really?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“And the whole grabbing me by the ankles was just an act?”
He nodded.
“Wow. Are sure about that wit of mine?” She smiled, and then they laughed.
“He’s a professional actor, if it makes you feel better.”
“It does.”
“Good!” He placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling back slightly to get her to turn around. “A toast! To a new… partnership?” They clinked glasses, and sipped their wine.
Melissa Colburn made sure to attend every party since. Only now, she no longer participates. Instead, she keeps Sir Fredrick company as he waits.
