Boundaries

        A sudden onset of nausea took a battering ram to my insides. It was a vigorous attack that would not let up. I was forced awake by all this-the slumber in which I was in being most strange. Somewhat groggy, I attempted to stand up. Apparently I was in a leather armchair; it was maroon in color and extremely nice. I didn't get very far-I stumbled toward the nearest trashcan, fell to my knees and vomited profusely. My esophageal lining felt like someone had drenched it in gasoline and lit a match. The nausea ceased the onslaught against me after a couple of minutes and allowed me to breath. My attention was then drawn toward an open door across the room. Music was tiptoeing in through the opening very gently. I gathered myself together and then I walked toward the sounds.

        As I walked across the room I took in everything with great detail. By the looks of it, I assumed I was in some sort of VIP room. Maybe I was at a club of some sort? There was a beautiful billiards table in the center of the room, there was a huge bar with any drink that you could possibly imagine, and there were a couple of dance stages with stripper poles. I took note of all the trash in the room. There were lots of beer bottles, pizza boxes, you name it. I couldn't help but think of The Hangover with Bradley Cooper. I prayed to God there wasn't a tiger in the bathroom though. Not really sure what to make of the situation, I proceeded to step out of the door and find myself on the balcony. I was now over looking a street filled with people. People from all walks of life were out. They were all decked out in beads, costumes, funny hats-some were singing and some were dancing. The music I heard initially was coming from all directions. It was a variety of genres. The buildings on this street looked very busy. People were coming and going. I read various signs out front of these places- Voodoo Vibe, Stiletto’s, Fais Deaux Deaux and more. Turning my head ever so slightly I looked down at the name of the building I was in. I leaned over the left side of the balcony to get a better view. The large sign out front read TEMPTATIONS in yellow neon lights with a shiny red apple above the name.

        I put 2 and 2 together. I was in a strip club! I couldn't remember anything up until now. The night's events slowly started coming back to me. Mardis Gras! Yes! This was Bourbon Street. From what I could tell it looked like the French Quarter end of the street. Both strip and night clubs were within a stones throw. Just take your pick. This was New Orleans after all. I then saw this drop dead gorgeous girl that stood out to me. She came walking down the sidewalk toward Temptations. I felt like I knew her somehow. She stopped at the door and chatted with the bouncer out front who was freakishly well-built. This guy looked like he was going to bust out of the tux that he was in. The girl flirted with the bouncer for a few minutes and then the bouncer said, "Okay Kali, get back to work." Shooing her inside like a pesky cat almost.

Kali. It all made sense. I remembered. She and a couple of her friends convinced my friends and I to get the VIP room. We were celebrating graduating college. "Where the hell did Daniel and Kurtis go anyway?" I thought.

Kali took me over to that arm chair and gave me lap dance after lap dance. I remember feeling each curve of her body delicately. Loving how her skin felt on mine. The way she shook her long brown hair captivated me. She was an angel.

        I turned back into the room and no sooner I did- I saw something. I felt a sharp pain sear through my forehead. Was I imaging things? I couldn't believe it. What I saw before me was my own body. I was sitting in the exact armchair that I had just got up from moments ago. I was in the exact same Five Finger Death Punch shirt and blue jeans that I had on. I ran over to my body and looked at it more closely. "What's going on here," I thought to myself? "What is this?" I placed my hands on my own shoulders and shook myself. I was limp. I was unconscious. I felt for a pulse and that's when it truly hit me. I was dead. I fell to the floor. So many thoughts were running through my mind, I was in shock. "What happened?" I asked myself. "What did you do?" I scrambled to my feet and searched my dead body for clues. I just wanted some sort of sign. Anything. I couldn't find a single clue. I frantically looked all over the room.

        Then I heard footsteps. It sounded like two pairs of them. They were coming upstairs. I ran to the bar, grabbed a liquor bottle and waited anxiously. A minute or so passed then the door to the room swung open. They're here. I heard voices, a guy and a girl. Peeking over the counter my eyes searched the room and found them over by the arm chair where my body was. There was a huge roll of plastic on the floor- the kind of plastic they put under houses. These people pulled my body from the chair carefully and laid me out on the plastic. That's when I noticed the girl out of this two-some was Kali. I wasn't sure who the guy was. He was kind of sinister looking. His jet black hair had a glossy sheen and his face was so pale, I almost thought he was a vampire. Kali sat on her knees near my head while the guy searched my jean pockets like a homeless man looking for food. The guy spoke, "I can't believe you screwed this up. It was so simple. You knock the kid out and rob him. That's it. He wakes up thinking he had a great fucking time, end of story." He pulled my iPhone 5s from my pocket, my keys and my wallet. Opening my wallet he took what little cash I had and pocketed it for himself. He looked at my driver’s license and laughed.

"Peter, what are you doing?" Kali asked.

"Mr. Mysterious has a name it would seem," I thought to myself.

Peter cut his eyes at Kali. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking the kid's identification before we dump the body.

"At least tell me what his name was," Kali said.

Peter laughed, "Aw, how touching. Now you care. If you must know, his name was Nathan Ruppert. I hope you disposed of the needle you used on him at least. Valerian Root is nothing to play around with."

Kali got upset somewhat, "I took care of it okay? Let's get this over with already." She rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She seemed like she was cold. Honestly she didn't really have a lot on except the skimpy gray costume she was in. Peter noticed and took off the leather jacket he was wearing and tossed it to her. She put it on without hesitation.

"Was that a sign of affection? Perhaps Peter is Kali's boyfriend," I wondered.

        I watched as Peter took out a large switchblade and cut the plastic until he thought he had enough. Next thing I know, he and Kali were wrapping my body up tightly in it. The more I watched the more I felt the anger within me building. Peter grabbed a thick roll of duct tape off the floor that was close to him. He took my legs and wrapped the roll around them a few times, and then he tore it off with his teeth.

        I stood up off the floor behind the bar where I had been hiding. I set the liquor bottle I was holding on the counter. I sat there and watched as my body finished getting prepped for its disposal. I'm not even sure where they were taking me. Once my body was wrapped and duct taped- Peter stood up and picked up my legs. He motioned Kali to grab my head. Kali was hesitant though. You could tell how nervous she was. She bent down to pick up my head and could barely lift me up. Peter instantly became furious.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. "We've got to get this body out of here before someone sees it. I need help Kali. Use your goddamn knees and lift!"

Kali was now upset. She shed a few tears. "Okay Peter. Okay. Just stop yelling at me. That's not going to help me at all."

        Attempting to lift my body once more, both Peter and Kali tried hoisting it off the floor with no luck. Kali managed to lift up her end this time but ended up losing her grip. She was a wreck. Peter jumped across my body, knocking Kali to the floor. He climbed on top of her petite frame and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing tightly. Kali begged, pleaded with Peter to stop. She kicked and swatted at him with what little strength she had.

      I couldn't just stand here and watch this. Yes, I was dead but I refused to watch this guy kill Kali. Despite the fact that she killed me, she was still human. Not too mention-Peter was starting to remind me a lot of my drunken step-father. I couldn't help but think of all those lost nights due to his violent outbursts with my mom. I quickly took the liquor bottle off the counter and threw it across the room, aiming for Peter's head. A few seconds later that bottle connected with the side of his head and shattered.

I looked down at my hand in shock. Peter jumped up and looked my way, releasing his grip on Kali.

"Who's there?!" Peter shouted.

He was looking right at me but couldn't see me at all. He walked toward the bar at a brisk pace.” If you don't show yourself you're dead you hear me? Come on out. Now!" He continued. He took the switchblade from his pocket once more and flicked it open.

"Bet you weren't expecting that to happen, huh?" A strange voice said from behind me.

        I turned to find an older woman standing there. She was looking at me with a smug grin on her face. I had no idea who she was. If I had to guess this woman was in her 50s. She was tall and dressed in a brown pants suit that appeared to be wrinkle free. At first glance you would have thought she was a lawyer.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked suspiciously.

"Relax," the woman said. "I come in peace. I swear. I'm not a figment of your imagination. I'm here to help you with your transition. Call me Leigh."

"Transition?" I asked. "What transition?"

"The transition between life and death genius. We'll go into that in a bit though. There's a more pressing matter at hand," Leigh said.

"Such as?" I asked her.

        Leigh gestured behind me to a very pissed off Peter. He was up at the bar now, looking behind it. She continued, "There are certain boundaries that spirits don't cross. You dear friend crossed a big one- you attacked a living person. Now finish what you started then come with me and we'll leave this place." I couldn't tell if she was serious or not. She sure as hell seemed like it. I was confused now. I wanted revenge. I wanted to end Peter but how would this change anything? I was dead.

"How do I finish it?" I inquired of Leigh.

Leigh laughed, "You're just full of questions kid. Muster up some more of that anger you spent on throwing that liquor bottle and you'll find things going your way real fast. I'm giving you a free pass, now use it." Peter was now coming behind the bar-searching.

Kali got up and walked across the room. "Peter, what's going on?"

"I didn't ask you a goddamn thing. Don't move. I'll deal with you in a minute," he said.

That anger Leigh spoke of rose to the surface. I harnessed every ounce of it and grabbed Peter by his throat. He had no idea what was going on. He was scared to death.

SLAM!!!

I threw him against the wall with all my might. I sat there staring into his eyes, my eyes burning with the intensity of all my pent up anger. Kali was freaking out now. She was crying. I slammed Peter into the wall.

Again.

Again.

And again.

        My hands were still on his throat, squeezing the life from him ever so slowly. The lights in the room flickered. Liquor bottles started shattering behind the bar, one after the other. Kali and Peter looked all over the place- both fearing for their lives obviously. Kali ran for the door, hoping to leave, but sadly found the door to be locked. She ran for the balcony door. As she crossed the room, I forced that door shut with a simple thought.There was no where to run. Something unexpected happened next. Peter saw me. He actually saw me. I appeared to him. How? I had no idea. He trembled from head to toe.

"You're dead man. What kind of David Copperfield shit is this?" he asked.

        Kali glanced our way and saw me as well. She ran toward me screaming. She smacked me repeatedly, trying her best to get me off of Peter. I didn't even flinch. I took my left hand which was free and shoved her forcefully across the room. She hit her head on the billiards table and fell to the floor. Peter now had my undivided attention.

"Give me your wallet. Now!" I demanded of him.

He gave it up, no questions asked. I took it and put it in my back pocket. Peter pleaded with me now. "Look man, this was all an accident. We never meant to kill you. There's no reason to hurt me, please," he said.

I offered him a sarcastic laugh. "Is that so?"

I grabbed hold of him and took him outside on the balcony. I leaned him over the edge, threatening to drop him.

"How many others?" I asked him.

"Please don't kill me man. Please," Peter begged.

"How many others have you done this to?" I asked again forcefully. "Where are my friends?"

"So many I've lost count- you're the first to actually die though. You're friends are okay," he said. He looked down at the sidewalk below, taking a brief pause. "You know what, if you're going to kill me, just do it already," Peter continued. I released my hold on Peter letting him slip off the balcony and fall to his death.

I offered the response, "As you wish." It would seem that the response was swept away in the wind though without Peter ever hearing it.

        I walked back into that VIP room with a sense of completion. Within a few seconds came the splat sound I was waiting for. People screamed hysterically outside on the street. I felt like a weight had been lifted. Peter would never do this to anyone again. Leigh stepped out from behind the bar and came over to me near the balcony door where I stood.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

I chuckled, "Yeah. I feel a lot better. Relaxed even."

"Groovy," Leigh said. "Let's blow this joint. I've got lots to tell you."

"What about my body?" I asked her hesitantly.

"Again with the questions," Leigh replied. "Let's just say when Lucy over there wakes up; she's got some explaining to do. Now let's go."

        We left the VIP room together talking. Kali was still lying on the floor in there unconscious. I prayed whenever she awoke she'd use this experience as a wake up call. She seemed like a sweet girl. She'd find a way out of this mess. I hoped she would anyway. As for myself, I think I have good things in store from here. At least I'd like to think so. I may be dead but my soul is at peace. Whatever was next, had to be better than this.