Dipsomapolis:

A wrecked promenade through horrors of the North

Copyright 2014 Gari Hart
Published by Gari Hart at Smashwords
Cover art by
Alex Khupra!hasri
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"ames have bee !haged#
but the $ear ad bewildermet o$ what $ollows are verbatim
%e years had passed si!e & had last bee withi the 'iesota borders( & spet
several early teeage summers va!atioig there# i both the "orth ad South regios# but
the popula!e ad & did ot part amiably( )he a assigmet was o$$ered to assess the
e!oomi! strai i 'ieapolis however & !ould*t !otest# largely !osiderig my ow
waverig $ia!ial stability( & agreed to the assigmet# eve though it meat goig straight
ito the heart o$ where & was ot wel!omed aymore( +our days i a o!e hostile
eviromet# with a $ree hotel ad per diem $or lu!hes ad diers( &t had bee over a year
si!e & had a opportuity to step out o$ Chi!ago ayway( & agreed ad drove the tumultuous
rode to the usuitably i!,amed "orth Star state(
'y arrival was poorly timed# !oi!idig with the -i,igs iexpli!ably losig to the
Clevelad .rows i their $irst home game o$ the seaso( &$ you ,ow aythig about
$ootball# you ,ow it is "/% a!!eptable to lose to Clevelad# espe!ially o your home tur$(
%he pealty $or doig so is log0stadig ridi!ule# ad total loss o$ !redibility as a sports team
ad the $as o$ said team( %his hypotheti!al humiliatio was be!omig a reality spreadig
over the streets o$ 'ieapolis as & was pullig ito tow( .etwee ihospitable +ootball
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$as# superstitious hotel !ler,s# ad sour dealigs at some bar !alled %urer*s that double0
bot!hed my dier order# 'iesota $ailed to re!laim ay appeal it lost o years be$ore( &
already !ould ot wait to leave $or home# Chi!ago( %he assigmet was s!heduled $or $our
days# ad & ,ew it was ot goig to be doe without Her!ulea ita,es o$ al!ohol1 whi!h &
iitiated immediately# while still at %urer*s( & oted the desolateess o$ the !ity streets
whe stumblig ba!, to the hotel( & was a!!ustomed to Chi!ago# where you typi!ally rea!h
your destiatio by ri!o!hetig o$$ other pedestrias li,e a piball( %he su was 2ust retirig
ad 'ieapolis had be!ome a ghost tow( 3ver more !urious# & oted that all & !ould see oe
dire!tio was a stret!h or bars ad tavers# ad the other was a stret!h o$ strip !lubs ad sex
shops( "oe are establishmets & am opposed to# but it is a problem whe the oly !hoi!es
$or a!tivity are booze & grease food or booze & breasts( .oth optios are goig to be
detrimetally expesive# ad either was aythig more log term heada!he disguised as a
potetially good time( .ut o$ !ourse# oe o$ these pla!es appeared to have ay sig o$ li$e
i them(
Although & $elt opa4ue the ext morig# & got straight to wor,( &tera!tig with
'ieapolis daytime !iti5es was e4uivalet to ta,ig !esus $rom 5ombies( 3ve whe they
did reply# it was brie$# osesi!al# ad hasty# as i$ they were a$raid( Somethig was
de$iitely wrog i 'ieapolis# ad the whole pla!e $elt usettlig( )heever & was o$$ duty
& dri$ted $rom bar to bar# dri,ig over0pri!ed !o!,tails ad dis!overig greatly dis!o!ertig
establishmets( 3very pla!e was $illed with listless# almost hypoti5ed patros who did ot
eat their meals or dri, their dri,s1 or meals ad dri,s were served to empty tables( 3ve
strager was a 6a55 !lub !alled the 7ast Stop( & $oud it at a iterse!tio & passed several
times durig the day# but it was ot visible i the sulight( )ith large widows ad purple
eo light pro2e!tig through them# it should have bee 4uite easy to spot someoe iside( &
wet to ope the etra!e door# but it was lo!,ed( 8oarig ad vigorous tues !ould $aitly
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be heard !omig $rom iside# so & assumed they were ope or gettig ready to( & stepped up
to oe o$ the widows ad loo,ed iside( %he !hairs ad bar were set up $or servi!e# but o
oe was aroud : or ot visibly at least( Stayig there $or a momet# & heard the disti!t
blare o$ !rowd !hatter rise up to bled with the musi!( %he auditory evide!e o$ li$e iside
otwithstadig# the pla!e was empty# without prese!e( & ba!,ed away slowly# ot watig
to disturb whatever hauted the 7ast Stop(
&mmutably# o!e the su was dow# the streets be!ame deserted( 'ieapolis is a
loely pla!e( despite the i!redible !rime rate# Chi!ago is a more wel!omig !ity tha ay
other & have bee to( & sear!hed $or aythig that $elt homeli,e# ad surprisigly & !ame upo
oe to $ar 3ast side o$ the !ity limits(
&t was !alled S,yway( A eormous &ggy Pop poster hug behid the bar# ad ;avid
.owie played o the stereo( S,yway was a dier by day ad bar by ight# $urished with red
viyl booths ad barstools with silver !hrome liig( ;ust ad dirt !a,ed over the glittery
$loor# ad the lights were dim eough to !ause a!!idets( 7i,e everywhere else# $ew people
were iside( At the bar sat at da55lig redhead readig a ewspaper ad dri,ig vod,a eat(
3ve without ma,ig eye !ota!t ad oly seeig her $rom the side# & sesed her ethereal
aura( She dressed simple# i 2eas ad t0shirt# be!ause her prese!e was su$$i!ietly
impressive( & !ould ot help but sit dow ext to her( She loo,ed up# ad with a sigh
dropped the ewspaper o the !outer# the grabbed her dri, as she wal,ed behid the bar(
She tured out to be the bar,eep# ad as,ed what & wated to dri,( Her ame was .elle ad
she was extraordiarily ex4uisite# with a voi!e li,e wid blowig through autum leaves that
had $alle to the groud( & told her & was $rom Chi!ago# whi!h thrilled her as she wated to
visit there $or years( /ur !oversatio was iterrupted whe a s,eletal $igure materiali5ed
through a wall i the ba!, !orer ad started struttig oisily aroud the pla!e# sittig at
booths or o stools $or se!ods at a time ad the movig to aother spot( At oe poit# he
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stood very !lose to me ad tal,ed to .elle( +rom their ex!hages# oe !ould easily see he
was a getle# old soul( & itrodu!ed mysel$# ad he !ordially as,ed me to !all him 6( %he he
!hattered his teeth ghoulishly# !a!,led wishes o$ pleasat eveigs to .elle ad !almly le$t(
.elle said 6 was a artist who wor,ed o a barter system# ad that he ever paid $or aythig
aroud tow i$ he !ould trade some o$ his wor, $or it istead( Subse4uetly# she said that his
appeara!e was the sigal to !lose up( & said goodbye to .elle respe!t$ully 0 a truly
remar,able perso i a uremar,able tow(
Havig $ew other optios# & !otiued dri,ig at the hotel bar# where & spo,e with a
adrogyous $igure who !alled themselves Sydey Curie( %hey loo,ed li,e they !ame o$$ a
Pu, ro!, lie o$ a por!elai doll set# ad isisted & visit a pla!e !alled ;(;(*s( Sydey bought
me whis,ey o the ro!,s util & bla!,ed out(
)he & regaied !os!iousess the ext morig i my hotel room my eyes were
bloodshot ad my toe was pallid( & was startig to resemble the lo!als( %his egle!ted to
ma,e trasa!tig with them ay smoother( & $a!t# it appeared they were gettig worse<
i!omprehesible ad hostile( %hat day was log ad turbulet# ad & was losig !are $or my
assigmet( & gave it little thought ad e$$ort by this poit( Givig up early that eveig due
to la!, o$ progress# & de!ided o dier at a %i,i bar ad grill & had read about i oe o$ the
hotel bro!hures( &t was !alled .ettie*s Asylum ad was said to serve paramout burgers ad
remar,able !o!,tails( %he pla!e was lo!ated o the other side o$ the river# so & would have to
ta,e my !ar(
%he Asylum*s par,ig lot had =10 'iute Par,ig /ly> sigs i every spa!e( &t made
sese to me though< Ayoe who wated to veture this $ar out i tow had to be 4ui!,(
%hey did*t have time to say hello 0 or had the !apa!ity to# & would guess( %hey wal,ed i#
were served# ad ra out be$ore $iishig their meal?be$ore the su wet dow( /ddly
eough# all spots were o!!upied# ad & eded up havig to par, o the street a blo!, up
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be$ore ma,ig my way $or the patio se!tio( %wo servers es!orted me to a table i a $ar
!orer( %he $ormatio o$ oe o$ them i $rot ad the other behid me might have seemed
li,e & was a prisoer beig es!orted ito a !ell( Although# & do ot believe ayoe oti!ed
this( & did ot hear ay !oversatios as & trailed passed the pa!,ed establishmet( People
were there# 2ust ot itera!tig with ea!h other( A$ter & was seated# & oti!ed the large
spider0web 2ust o$$ to my side# oe & somehow missed whe wal,ig by( %here was aother
web# a immese oe# over the head o$ a woma at aother table( %hat web housed a
alarmigly big ara!hid( &t was rubbig its pedipalps ad !heli!erae together# savorig the
momet be$ore the predatory pou!e( )hile & !otemplated i$ this !reature would ru me
dow i$ & made a brea, $or it ow# the barteder 2abbered o about their eveig spe!ials(
%here was a momet betwee him $iishig ad me respodig# whe & !al!ulated there was
o leavig .ettie*s Asylum util that ara!hid $ell ito a $ood !oma $ollowig his master $east(
& order their APsy!ho* burger a $ew tropi!al apBriti$s to dull the pai should the massive
taratula tur to me $or dessert( /!e my burger !ame# & ordered a vod,a based dier
!o!,tail ad a digesti$( %he $ood was ideed marvelous# ad the dri,s too( A$ter a while# &
oti!ed the ara!hid had vetured o$$ somewhere# ad the woma he sat above was goe(
;urig my whis,ey based digesti$# a semitrasparet Curie appeared ad reasserted their
re!ommedatios $or ;(;*s( & was $eelig thorough relieved to ma,e it through dier alive#
ad was ready to !elebrate( So & agreed to let the apparitio lead the way(
;(;(*s was a eerie louge ot too mu!h $urther up the river( &t had tiger prit !arpet
ad bla!, padded booths( Huma trophy heads hug above the booths i pla!e o$ .u!, heads(
A world wor guitarist played .lues ri$$s $rom his stool ear the etry way( %he doorma ad
barteder were splattered with blood# ad they spo,e with some a!iet a!!et( & was
seated ad give a meu( %heir dri,s were sesatioal !o!,tails amed a$ter por stars or
5ombie movie heroies( A Kug0+u Combie $ilm was playig o the televisio( & wat!hed the
D
$ilm util a waitress $loated i $rom behid me( She wore a bla!,# ba!,less# $loor0legth -0
e!, eveig gow ad emaated a orphi! allure( %hough she ever loo,ed up $rom the
$loor# our mids lo!,ed ad & gleaed $ragmets o$ her history( She was bor be$ore time as
we uderstood it# had witessed geesis alog with the !outless !ompli!atios that esued(
She saved sele!t !ivili5atios ad !odemed others# ad the oly reaso art was iveted
was to !apture her li,eess< Ghostly pale ad devilish# with a ga5e that !rushed your will ad
istilled hers( She impassively too, my order1 she was*t iterested i me# oly their blood(
& ordered somethig !otaiig Absithe( & am a Absithe !ooisseur# ad it is hard to $id
i bars# let0aloe oe mixes !o!,tails with it( %he waitress !oasted behid a divider o$ bla!,
velvet !urtais# ad emerged istatly with my dri,( )ith a tou!h o$ !otempt# she set it
dow( %he dri, was a traslu!et yellow# served i a !hampage sau!er with a !herry
garish( /e sip made you levitate# ad a se!od set ailmets abla5e ad redered them
ashes( & had several( %hey uleashed my mid to slither ito the atmosphere# leavig my
body a empty dipsomaia!al vessel a!hored to the !hair( & be!ame othig goig owhere
to o ed( .y the time mid ad body had reuited : it !ould have bee hours# or days later 0
& $oud mysel$ ba!, at the hotel# !ompletely ui$ormed o$ how & made it ba!,(
%he $ollowig morig was ex!ru!iatig( %he Su was so bright that it slathered
virtually everythig to a yellowish hue( Ad the void o$ soud the voi!eless day trippers made
was beig substituted with a oboxious stati!# that made it impossible sustai ay sort o$
!o!etratio( & did ot eve thi, about wor,1 it was di$$i!ult eough to re!all that was why
& had !ome to 'ieapolis( 'y re$le!tio loo,ed more de!repit# too( %he whites o$ my eyes
were almost red ad dry# ad my s,i appeared to be $adig to a pale gree( All ratioality
told me to stay idoors# sleep this $ouless o$$ be$ore drivig ba!, to Chi!ago the ext day(
"o doubt this hotel had room servi!e li,e ay other1 eve i$ & de!ided to waste the day away#
it !ould be doe $rom the !om$ort ad sa$ety o$ my reted bed# i $rot o$ my reted
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televisio set with pay0per0view !haels $eaturig the same programs & got $or $ree ba!,
home( However & ,ew that & !ould ot leave 'iesota without havig some !o!ept o$ what
was happeig 2ust iside its Souther border# that ude$ied strageess whi!h had the
potetial to stret!h thru the lie betwee 'iesota ad )is!osi# ad eve dow ito
&lliois ad beyod( +orget whatever the origial assigmet had bee# & was ow o a
re!oaissa!e missio( & threw o some $resh !lothes ad su glasses# ad roamed the
streets while the su was still up# hopig to $id aswers( .ut the lo!als had goe mute# or at
least iaudible i the ambiet stati!# whi!h aturally was louder outside tha i the hotel
room( "o oe eve respoded whe & bega pushig them ito ea!h other out o$ $rustratio(
%hey merely regaied their bala!e ad pressed o whatever path they had bee i!hig at(
%hey would be o help( &$ & wated ay type o$ lead that reveal some !lues# the it had to be
at what & assumed was the heart o$ the beast( Si!e it was barely dus,# & de!ided to wal,
a!ross ad up the river(
.a!, at ;(;*s right as starlight seeped through the twilight# the same employees $rom
the ight be$ore waited 2ust iside the door# li,e they expe!ted my retur( %hey wore the
same !lothes# ad the same movie was showig o their %- set1 the same .lues guitarist still
2ammig( %hey were oblivious to the $a!t that the su had !ome up ad goe dow agai#
that the day had !haged ad it was a ew eveig 0 %ime was oe edless ight $or them(
%here was also the possibility to !osider whether & had le$t at all( 'aybe it was the same
ight# ad & had wal,ed outside oly to tur aroud i Absithe stupor ad strolled ba!, i(
%ruth was# oe way or the other# that & $oud mysel$ iside o!e more ad they were ready to
re!eive( %he waitress es!orted me to a table where a dri, was already set( & did ot say
aythig# 2ust sat dow ad grabbed the glass( %he mood i the pla!e had !haged radi!ally(
&t was ow grave ad !old1 ivitig but with ulterior motives ad evil $orewarigs# as i$ the
louge were a!tually the lid o$ a massive ossuary ad psy!hogei! out!ries $rom the remais
F
beeath bled through the $loor# ito the oxyge( & surveyed the pla!e( %here was ot
aother soul besides the employees# who starred at me with $lared pupils ad li!,ed their lips
with elogated# blood0staied togues(
& ervously gulped my dri,# aimig to leave immediately( %he early# brave dete!tive
& was that day !rumbled i the vibratios o$ my timorous ad $aithearted mid udereath
at the $oudatio o$ me( %here was o good reaso to stay ay loger( %he best thig to do
was leave be$ore the situatio be!ame eve more tese ad ureal( %he waitress $lashed
over as & stood up( She e$$ortlessly $or!ed me ba!, dow with oe had ad slid aother
dri, dow with the other# wordlessly !ommadig & !otiue imbibig whatever the hell they
were givig me( She would ot wal, away util & too, a sip( %hat o!e distat# !omely
iamorata revealed hersel$ as a 2e5ebel( Her mid peetrated mie as meas to subdue my
axiety# ,eep me !alm so & would sit a while loger( .ut she did ot a!!out $or this magi!,
tri!, permittig me to see her thoughts too( 3verythig was detailed out o$ me as our mids
2oied as oe< & had stumbled ito a !amou$laged abattoir( %hey were miutes away $rom
lo!,ig the doors ad devourig me( %hese $rea,s were ot 5ombies li,e the people outside#
they were vampires( %hey deployed tamed 5ombies as a igiter# pushig visitors to dri,
heavily be!ause o$ the strage e!outers( 3xteded stay i dowtow 'ieapolis meat
elevated al!oholism# ad vi!tims eded up at ;(;*s sear!hig $or stroger !o!o!tios(
%ra4uili5ed by their ui4ue !o!,tails# they were eate alive( %he 5ombies disperse at
sudow be!ause a vampire might ma,e do with them $or brea,$ast( Somewhere buried deep
i the hippo!ampus o$ their mushy brais was the memory o$ $ear( &mmue to this i!ubus
was S,yway( &t was a asylum $or pre!o!ious travelers who maaged to es!ape( .elle $oud
a way to suppress# eve io!ulate the e$$e!ts(
& had to retur to S,yway $or ay !ha!e o$ survivig this trip( .ut three vampires ow
guarded the exit to ;(;*s( & stood up# ati!ipatig the waitress* swi$t appeara!e# ad as,ed
G
to be show to the rest room( Hesitatly she glided towards the 'e*s 8oom# opposite o$ the
$rot door# whi!h $rom what & !ould tell was the oly way out( & made a brea, $or it# mid$ul
that there were still two vampires to over!ome( Hprepared $or this $lee attempt# the
doorma ad barteder $loudered to stop me( & smashed my Champaig sau!er agaist ad
bar stool ad drove the sharp edges ito the doorma( %he barteder seemed stu!, i pla!e
a$ter that( & ra out the door ad ito the ight(
.lue $lashig lights !ame $rom multiple dire!tios o!e & rea!hed earest iterse!tio(
%hey must have bee sigals to my lo!atio# be!ause the typi!ally empty ight streets were
suddely swamped with twisted 2u,ies uli,e what & saw durig the days( %hese thigs were
more !oheret tha the 5ombies( %hey !hased me the whole way ba!, a!ross the river# up
util & $ially got iside S,yway(
.elle midlessly wiped dow the bar# as i$ she was ot aware o$ what was happeig
outside( & uitelligibly tried to explai what & had u!overed about 'ieapolis# ad sweetly
she patietly listeed to every word & ex!laimed( A$ter & was doe# hypervetilatig $rom
tal,ig without brea,# .elle simply laid her so$t had o my shoulder ad told me to Just pass
through( %hat was the ,ey to everythig# she said< do ot $ret over whatever obsta!le was
thrust i your way# Just pass through( %his i!atatio o$ hers made a sile!e drop outside#
ad othig !ould be see or heard aroud the pla!e( Slightly more tha embarrassed# &
as,ed .elle i$ she would wal, with me ba!, to the hotel( &t seemed sa$er to go with someoe
more !ogi5at ad !alm( She agreed# but as,ed me to wait outside while she !losed up(
)hi!h# & did# ervously( %he streets were abadoed o!e more# but & $eared aythig !ould
!ome ruig aroud the !orer o$ the blo!, at ay time(
A$ter waitig $ive miutes# & pulled o the door to go ba!, iside but it was lo!,ed( &
loo,ed i the widow ad gasped at seeig thi!, layers o$ dust ad !obweb !overig
everythig iside( .elle was goe(
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& tured ad $a!ed the streets# aloe(
Clusters o$ people sporadi!ally hovered about aimlessly# apparetly o loger
istru!ted to atta!,( & slowly passed by them( %hese same !lusters vaished o!e & was $ar
eough away( So log as they were o immiet threat# & wodered the whole !ity sear!hig
$or .elle( &$ oe pie!e o$ !osolatio was still out there# & wated it more tha & ,ew it to be
hopeless(
& woud up at the hotel empty haded# o lu!, $oud# itedig to sleep a $ew hours
be$ore gettig the hell out o$ 'ieapolis( & !ould ot though# ot a$ter the last $ew days(
%here was o pea!e to let your guard dow eough i that dam !ity# where the villaious
bee$ited $rom your isesibility( & did ot waste aother miute( & gathered my thigs#
pa!,ed my !ar ad got o the iterstate 2ust as the Su pee,ed over the hori5o $rom the
3ast(
&*ve told $ew people i my li$e# but & am a si!, lover o$ surises 0 the overture o$ a ew
day ad oset o$ ew !ha!es( &t is a remider that what goes aroud !omes aroud# ad
that all thigs must pass( %here is othig more beauti$ul o this plaet tha the surise( &
too, o$$ my suglasses# ad smiled as the Su guided me home(
III
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About the Author
Gari Hart is a Chi!ago based writer# sometimes musi!ia# partial artist# i$re4uet
a!tor( DIPSOMAPOLIS is his $irst published wor, i de!ades(
Connect with Gari Hart
)ebsite J %witter J Smashwords J +a!eboo,
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