Dream Dark Stories

Tag: Vegas

  • No Skin Pt. 2


    No Skin Pt. 2 by: M. R. Vega


    Yaretzi only knew how to play roulette based on the comedies often found on the t.v shared with her dad while she grew up. Seeing a young Chevy Chase with that well-remembered maniacal grin at a donning of a win to quickly see it diminish with an almost felt grieving and regret of not walking away. Yaretzi didn’t think her trusting lies and tricks with the idea of cards and counting was an immediate win. It didn’t seem necessary to take such a risk, her diminished cash load was pure salt on the wounds many in Vegas are privy to facing. She knew all she needed was five hundred, and that’d be enough for the ticket back home.

    At the table of five for roulette, she casually held back and watched a few rounds before throwing in. She watched the outside line, the odds/evens, black/red, lows/highs. This seemed to be a comfortable place not only to find that quick amount but with a timid withdrawal expected she’d be left alone by casino staff egging on further funds and fun she knew she needed to keep at bay.

    She rummaged through the chips and counted 25 dollars worth of chips for both blacks and odds then made herself comfortable. While waiting for the dealer to take the remaining bets, most seemed to be favorite numbers chosen, consistent winners, at least so they stated loud and drunken. She herself hoped she didn’t reek like the players around her, the liquor almost leaked from their pores and it quickly deterred any call to the bar for an after-party or parting drink if she had happened to win. Fingers crossed, wishing her dad was there or anyone that was considered a friend but she left impulsively with a baggage of emotion and rawly growled at the world. This was on her and no one else, and maybe that was the worst of it. Maybe that idea of being alone for the sake of herself because she knew it to be the best decision had her regretting buying that plane ticket, cussing at her father, and ghosting of her few remaining friends while she drove to the airport. Losing with someone would at least have a decent camaraderie, that whole idea of misery loves company trickled into the back of her mind and she shook her head at the stupidity of herself.

    The dealer called out to everyone at the table, “Last bets!” and awaited for anyone to make a last-minute addition…aside from the winners and slots ringing behind them all, they all kept stiff and held a breath till the wheel began to spin. She inhaled a quick breath and looked around while some bit their bottom lip, some picked at their nails, and others kept their hands over their eyes awaiting the winning number to be called out. She knew clearly that she didn’t know what she was doing, and didn’t even understand how to appropriately calculate the win if she happened to get it.

    The spinning became dizzying in her incessant watching of the turnstile and turned her focus on the thick clap of the ball while it decided which slot to fit into. “Black, One!” She pulled in the rest of that breath and exhaled deeply while she waved her hands not believing she just won at least the fifty in a total of what she had put down. She at least didn’t lose anything, not yet she thought and bit at her tongue, unaware she was already being watched by the staff. And put another 25 on black and odds. Why not, she thought. Crossed a finger and awaited the results, this time with her head down, feeling embarrassed that she was playing a game she didn’t understand and knew if her dad was watching. imagining he’d be chuckling with a giddy grin and puffing out his cheeks like he did when he knew there was a goof at play. She chuckled to herself unaware that it was audible and covered her lips with the thick of her bicep and awaited a call of her loss.

    Again she won, inhaled slowly thinking two more risky plays should bring the fortune she awaited and played those two more. The first one was another win dropping another fifty at her feet though the last lost and her spinning like that turnstile began but instead of holding back like she wanted to, a deep flutter called to raise the risk and throw it all, ‘piss in the wind’ as her dad like to mutter when he made a bad call or risked too much with either their eating choice for the weekend or stayed up past his allotted time leaving him groggy and useless as she grew up tending to her self as a growing youth. So with those thoughts running through her mind, she paid tribute to the old man and dropped the remaining chips on 23 and odds.

    The last call for bets went, the spin and the clic-clak at the turnstile raised edges while that hard marble rolled, bounced and spun like her drunken woozy mind and she held her breath long enough she couldn’t keep her body straight nor rigid any longer and began to get squeamish with worry that this risk was too much. Her thoughts immediately went to becoming a lady of the night turning tricks for cash enough just to get to the next day and all she could do was clench her eyelids tightly. They burned. Her chest burned with the alcohol bubbling within and she just wished there was a glass of water in front of her but couldn’t risk opening an eye, no instead she pulled her shoulders up and awaited the dreaded loss that she felt was coming and let her breathing out slowly.

  • No Skin Pt. 1


    No Skin Pt. 1 by: M. R, Vega


    Yaretzi had two hundred to her name, it was left to burn a hole through the Vegas strip not teaching her a thing but to try again. The original three grand she flew into the city with had quickly been slapped against the green tables of the random casino after casino after bar and buffet. Now she found herself nearly broke, tear-soaked with a drunkenness and lingering flavor of something vile and bile ridden. The little she had won before finding herself looking at two solitary hundred dollar bills were quickly flushed away to glasses of overpriced liquor and buttered shellfish. ‘Of course, you were right’ she thought to herself acknowledging the argument she had with a disappointed father before heading to the airport. The echoing of his warning and how the idea of her solution after the breakup being ill thought was coming back and she scratched at her ears with intentions of striking away the talk four days ago away but nothing is ever that easy. She had already canceled the return trip with the idea of riches coming to her after winning a decent pull at a solitary slot machine shortly after landing in Vegas.

    ‘It was all a rouse wasn’t it?’ she thought with a scoff and looked around unaware of how close or far she was to a possible car, not sure of how’d she’d make it back to Pueblo. The year 2023 was too much to have made the impulsive move and she found herself kicking her own ass with shame and knowing she was a fool. She couldn’t imagine what pulling a trick would do to her, though she respected the ladies for doing so, she knew she’d never be able to look at herself nor be near her father after something like that and thought of any other way to get back…the phone she came with was lost on day two. Knowing that’d never pop up again, she took to walking, gazing at the nearby casinos, assuming one of these sites had to have a fluke to her winning and would grab big enough she’d be able to make it back home. But which one? she thought to herself. Which casino could offer a win big enough without the call and overly enticing solutions that offered more riches that she recently and stupidly fell for the day before? Her mind spinning, her idea of how casinos talked to each other, sharing the suckers of the strip and passing out pics like pokemon cards. She laughed aloud at the thought and shook it away with a wave of her head.

    Whichever casino she chose had to have limited flashing signs, a lack of cars without people waltzing in and out so lackadaisical. The one in front of her had lights too bright, the blinding effect of its strobes and security had her thinking it was a place of too many ripoffs that’d end up placing her in a desert hole. The other two she mozied by were nearly the same just with minor color differences and too much Elvis blaring from the speakers near the valet stops. The last wasn’t even a casino, least she didn’t think it was and she skipped the option of looking in and instead turned around to look at the Pyramid and see if she could still see the rollercoaster atop one of the popular casinos but had lost direction and turned back around.

    Upon that near immediate turnabout, the lame building she thought was shuttered looked to have a sheen, a glimmer or sparkle, one could say. She looked around, unsure if her eyes were tricking her, and thought she couldn’t be that wrecked with the liquor and headed to the door. Its doors slid open silently and she was astonished to see people inside. She quickly took a double take to the parking lot, able to count the few cars outside, and hesitated on going in any further but there was a call within her feet that carried her to the counter. Whether the drink was quickly shedding from her or helping her choice, she’d think about it later. No, instead she pulled out the last of her cash and asked for two hundred in chips, waited for the solemn clerk to tally up the amount and slide her back what was asked for. The smile came, quickly wiped away by her hand, trying to show more confidence and she slowly went about looking at the game options, deciding to stay clear of the slots and figured she’d likely be able to pull in close to five hundred before morning at one of the tables. Blackjack was out of the question, as was craps. Instead, she saw the spinning wheel, heard the clik-clak and cheer of “Come on Red!” and plopped down in the only remaining chair at the roulette table and crossed a finger.