Ance and Rose by a Writing Game

Collaboration with Ance

NOTICE: This was written as a writing game between Ance and myself.

Like a worm bath and a bad book

If she got up now, she could still squeeze in a show. Chloe retreated into her quilt and hoped the world would just pause for a little while.

John wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow so she had two choices: she could stay in bed and read a book (boring) or she could get out and explore this city that never sleeps... VEGAS.

She knew John would be spending most of his time at the tables once he arrived, and she'd take her place at his side as his arm candy and good luck charm, so maybe this was her opportunity to get out there and have an adventure!

She pulled the hotel's attractions packet into bed with her. Three things caught her attention. An acrobatic act called the "Sizzling Sisters", a magic show called "Where'd it Go?", and a psychic named "Madame Doom". A knock came for the door.

"I have a delivery for a Ms. Penning?"

She opened the door. There stood a bellhop holding a stunning emerald evening gown.

"Hi, that would be me" she said "but are you sure this is..."

"Yes it's for Ms. Penning, room 593, see it says right here on this note."
She looked at the hand written note, smiled at the bellhop and said "Well then I guess I'd better get dressed, looks like I have plans."
She tipped the bellhop, closed the door, and then laid the dress smoothly on the bed and went back to read the note.

My dearest heart,

It pains me that business keeps me away from you until tomorrow.

However, there's no need to spoil your fun. 

Wear this and have a lovely adventure with Lidia.

My sister should be joining you this evening. 

Ugh. Not Lidia. Her version of an adventure was a nice restaurant and then insisting they leave early for some perceived slight. She racked her brain for ways not to go out with Lidia tonight.  

"There's no way out" she thought.

  She put on the dress, tied her long brown hair into a neat twist and walked out to the elevators. An evening with Lidia is like spending a night in a worm bath with a bad book.

  She couldn't wait...

  The doors opened. Straight ahead was the seating area, and there was Lidia with her back turned.

  "This dress deserves an adventure" she thought, so before she could change her mind, she pulled the fire alarm beside the elevator doors and took off.

From the street she caught a glimpse through the window of Lidia standing in a soaking wet pink cocktail dress. 

Already the adventure was off to a good start. 

Las Vegas in all its glory spread in all directions, her's for the taking. 

The hotel guests began filling out onto the sidewalk. Chloe had to skedaddle or Lidia would see her. She hopped into the nearest taxi.

The well-dressed patron who already had the cab smiled at her.

"I hope you don't mind," she said. 

"Not at all" says this handsome man, smiling at her.

  "Normally, I make beautiful women disappear, but it looks like this time the magic has found ME".

  "This guy is seriously charming" she thinks.

  "My name is Will B. van Ishing, the magician." and he points to the huge billboard across the street advertising the show "Where'd it go?".

  "My driver hasn't shown up and I'm running a bit late, where are you headed?"

"To your show," says Chloe. When adventure falls in your lap, say yes.

"There you are!" intrudes Lidia. She slides in before Chloe can say a word, her wet dress not improving her look. "Where are we going?"

"To experience a night of adventure and wonderment," advertises Mr. van Ishing. 

"Er, I'm kind of hungry," says Lidia. "I heard about this nice restaurant-"

"We're going to the show," says Chloe. "There will probably be refreshments. You'll be fine."

She slides across the seat just a little closer to Mr. van Ishing to make room for Lidia.

While Lidia is smoothing her dress and fixing her hair, Chloe leans a little closer to Mr. van Ishing and says,

"Please, when we get to your show, can you make her disappear? Or me? I don't really care which one of us goes."

They arrive at the back entrance of the theatre, where a beautiful woman is waiting, looking very worried. "Thank god you're here!" she says.

"If you'll excuse me ladies," Mr. van Ishing says and tips his hat. "I'll see you at my show."

The car door closes and Chloe sighs. 

"Well, he was something," says Lidia. "Now that he's gone, it won't be rude of us to go to the restaurant. I've heard great reviews."

Chloe opens the door and steps out.

"I'm going to see some magic. Are you coming?"

Inside the theatre, they weaved their way through the rows of seats on the balcony level.

ROW 61, seats H and J. Lidia was feeling a bit annoyed that they couldn't sit together but Chloe assured her that whoever was between them would likely be kind enough to switch seats. 
They found their seats and sat down. Chloe glanced at her watch, 7:30pm. There was still half hour before the show would start. "Would you like to see if we can get a snack or drink before the show?" she asked Lidia.

"I'm not hungry," said Lidia. 

"But earlier you said..."

"That's because I wanted to go some place nice. Yet you dragged us to some lowly magic show. I don't see what my brother sees in you."

Chloe sometimes forgot why exactly she detested Lidia so. Now she remembered. 

Chloe rolled her eyes at Lidia "That's hitting below the below belt, even for you that's low..."

Before Lidia could answer Chloe left for the bar to get a refreshment before the show began.
The crowds were starting to pour in, but she managed to weave her way over to the bar and joined the short line that had formed. 
"Chloe?" She turned around surprised.

"Marsha!?" she said as high school memories flooded back.

"Wow!" said Marsha. "It's been so long. I can barely believe it's you. You look so .. great!"

"Thanks," answered Chloe, not certain how to interpret that 'great'. 

"I never thought I'd see you again, after -"

"What are you doing here?" Chloe sweetly changed the topic. 

"I'm here to see the show, just like you. I had a date but somewhere between the airport and the casino he met a lovely barmaid and so it goes... always the barmaid, never the bride."

"Robert?" She asked.
"Yes." Marsha replied.
"You actually married him? But... "
"Forget it Chloe, let's go enjoy the show, okay?"

Marsha moved to sit in seat "I". What were the odds. 

Asking her to move to switch seats with Lidia would be awkward. She had hoped for a stranger. Why couldn't the odds have been normal and put a stranger in seat "I". 

Whether Marsha or Lidia sat in seat "I" her adventure wasn't turning out as she had hoped. 

Chloe introduced the Lidia and Marsha to one another, and surprisingly they hit it off! "Phew! What a relief." she thinks. 

While the two chatter away Chloe looks around the theatre, taking it all in. She looks up and sees the lighting, some floating props (hung on rope) which she imagined my float down later on.
She also notices something very curious, in the orchestra pit. It looks like a ghost, of... of a bunny? Yes, wearing a magicians hat. 

The bunny vanished, before she could alert Lidia or Marsha. 

Which was a good thing, because those women already thought Chloe's life wasn't together without her mentioning ghost bunnies. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen," an announcer said over the speakers with low enthusiasm. "Please take your seats. The show will begin in just a few minutes."

A couple of minutes later Mr. van Ishing appeared on stage and standing next to him was his lovely assistant, the beautiful magical Wanda, the same woman that had been waiting for Will B when the taxi arrived at the theatre.

"Ladies and Gentleman...   Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to our show!"

  "You will be entertained, amazed and when you leave here later you will be wondering many things.  First and foremost will be the question, 'Where'd it go?"

  "Now...  Let's begin!"

Mr. van Ishing twirled his lovely assistant three times and stopped her with his free hand. 

His assistant then did the same to him, and the audience let out are range of confused chuckles and outright laughs. 

"As you can see," said the magician as he flipped his top hat from one arm to the other. "No tricks, doodads, gadgets, or gizmos have fallen out of our sleeves!"

Next, the magician and his assistant paraded over to a table with a deck of cards spread out. 

He was explaining the card trick, but something else had caught Chloe's attention. 

The ghost bunny had hopped on stage. She sat up straight. She wouldn't take her eyes off it this time and lose it again. 

Everyone else is the audience started calling out card numbers.

"Ace of Spades!"

"Queen of Hearts!"

The ghost bunny hopped over to the large wardrobe the magician had yet to explain. Chloe guessed it was for one of those vanishing tricks. 

"C'mon! Something original!" called the magician. 

Chloe stood. 

"Three of diamonds," she said. 

Mr. van Ishing looked straight at her. 

"If the lovely lady in green would join me on stage," said the magician. 

The assistant, Wanda, looked surprised for a moment, but quickly masked it with her stage smile.

Chloe felt her heart jumping out of it's skin, she was nervous but excited too!  She walked down the aisle and stepped up on stage beside the magician. 

"I like your bunny" she said.

"What?" he looked at her strangely.

"Lady in Green, would you please tell us your name?"

"It's Chloe"

"Chloe, what a lovely name, have we met before Chloe?" 

He whispered quietly for her to just say "No"

"Ladies and Gentleman, I'm going to ask Chloe to step inside this magic wardrobe behind me, I will spin it THREE times.  Our beautiful Chloe will disappear to the land of the Bunchkins!"

Chloe stepped into the box. The magician was telling the crowd a story, but Chloe was too nervous to listen. This perspective was so odd. All she could see was the audience watching the magician. 

The magician closed the double doors halfway and stuck his head in. 

"Remember," he said to her, and her alone. "If you ever feel lost or distressed, just remember what you truly want and do that."

The last thing Chloe glimpsed before the doors sealed her inside darkness was Marsha and Lidia on their phones.

She wondered if they had even noticed when she went up on stage.

He closed the doors and she waited in total darkness for something to happen.
Then she felt the wardrobe begin to spin, very slowly. 

"OK, I guess we're at the part where he spins it three times" she thought.

The wardrobe then stopped and suddenly the floor opened up beneath her!

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"  she screamed.

She felt a hard surface beneath her bum as she fell and thought she must have landed on a slide, like those tunnel slides found on a children's playground.
It twisted and turned, and she kept sliding down faster.

She could see some light now, very dim but growing brighter as she approached what she assumed would be the end of her slide ride.

WHUMP

She landed on a soft, blue square cushion.

She looked around and saw that she was in a green field with tall grass and sunflowers.

"She came! She came!" she heard a voice say.  It sounded a bit squeaky like a mouse, or a child that has just sucked all the air from a helium balloon.
She heard some excited chattering behind her.  Still sitting on the blue cushion, she turned her head to look over her shoulder behind her.