The trip was uneventful not at all like I had heard it would be. Fairly quick no turbulence
Somewhere in this God forsaken town was a Marketing conference I was supposed to be
attending. I was already late and the cab drivers were merciless.they just kept zooming
by. The sun drenched everything in a copper haze and boiled my thoughts down to an
incoherent gravy.
I managed to jump into a stationary cab. I slammed the door The unsuspecting driver
looked frightened. "Downtown!" I bark
The stupid fucking cabbie just looks around, looks back at me and then faced front again.
I do not have time for this.
Frustrated I shove the back of his seat. "Hey! Wake up man I gotta go!"
The cab driver jumps and takes off like a shot. Now I have never been to New York
before, and I really have no idea where I am going, but I assume this yahoo does. I look
out the window cars stream past in fast fluidity on every side, the sidewalk a main artery
clogged with pedestrians. New York, the city that never sleeps, quite a contrast to
Michigan my home state which seems to be perpetually unconscious. Even Chicago has
just a mild form of Narcolepsy by comparison. Out of the corner of my eye I spot a
familiar name. Skylark-my hotel, the conference.
"Shit!" I say slapping the drivers seat" Stop !stop! stop!"
This fuckwad slams on the brakes and I tumble forward as we get rear ended by the
following car. I open the door and get out. Horns are honking, tempers flared. I knock on
his window holding a five.
"Um...hello?" I say.
The bastard ignores me, he just sits there in his seat like an ice statue. Must be his first
fender bender.
"Well thanks" I say pocket the money and head in. Thankfully I checked in over the
Internet so I didn¹t have to bother with the front desk formalities. I look at my slip and
note the conference room number. 213. I race bags in tow to the room where I see a huge
group of people sitting. I dash in
"Sorry I am late..." I choke out breathlessly.
The speaker nods and I take my seat.

"As I was saying...our purpose here is to discuss and perhaps enlighten some of you as to
the interlacing between various schools of Philosophical thought."
I completely tune out the speaker. I scan the room, as I usually do when I'm sitting within
a large group of people. I recognize some of the people from the plane ride here. I also
notice some chick in the row behind me three chairs to my right. She looks and me and
smiles. I smile back, raising an eyebrow. Hey, hey this might be better than I thought.

"My name is Max Verlaine, and I will be leading today's discussion...any questions?"
You could almost hear the crickets chirping
"OK then..."

Physically, Max Verlaine is an interesting character. He looks like the bastard love child
of Pat Sajak and Martha Stewart. Big game show host toothy smile with eyes that taunt in
a kid's sing song voice...'I know lot's of shit you dont know..'
His speaking voice by contrast was painfully monotone almost to the point of hypnotic.
Bueller....Bueller.....Voodoo Economics...

Verlaine took a sip of water, you could see him preparing to unfurl a huge slick mass of
monologue on us unsuspecting listeners. I turned around and winked at hotchick
"Hope your comfortable" I said. See giggled .

" I have been lecturing what seems like forever on this topic. I was 28 when I started. I
hold these conferences to educate people on the lesser known fields of Philosophy. One
called Existential Metaphysics, in particular. Existential metaphysics basically describes
the ultimate state of reality and the impact that choice and free will have on it.
"For example: your reality at this very moment is sitting here in this room, however. You
could also exist in other realities and dimensions unbeknownst to you now in your
current state."
he paused for effect
"Dreams...subconscious movies or telepathic images that other "you's" have encountered.
People and places that "you" have never seen or met before in your current state of
existence. Perhaps similar to Jung's Collective unconscious, but more intimate relative to
the individual. A Microcollective Unconscious if you will. On that same note of
Psychoanalysis, insanity is a term coined by arm chair psychologists to control the weak
and unsuspecting. Those individuals termed as such are living in reality, just a different
reality than other people. One can make a conscious or unconscious choice as to what
type of reality they shall exist. Some may find it hard to believe that a so called
"Schizophrenic" would choose to live in a state of continual paranoia. But we know
nothing truly of each other..only "ourselves" These same psychologists are the ones who
claim talking to people who aren't there are also crazy. But some of these very same
doctors will go to a church, synagogue, or temple and pray to someone or something they
have never seen. If they have seen, perhaps a vision, by their same definitions wouldn't
they be considered crazy too? Where Harriet Tubman and Joan of Arc insane because
they heard the voice of God?"
No one said a word. We just stared at him. Finally one brave soul in the very back raised
his hand.
"Yes?" said Verlaine
" well, if what you said is true, then what about Heaven and Hell? On what plane of
existence are they?"
Verlaine smiled politely "A very good question. There are as many schools of
philosophical thought as there are religions. In most cases you can break it down to an
obvious Theistic and Atheistic point of view. There is an afterlife, God has given us free
will to make choices during our lives and in our afterlives. When it is time you will
choose where you will go. You can decide to stay on earth and end up as a research
experiment on the Discovery Channel for some parapsychologist. Or you can go to
Heaven. Hell exits on earth. Everyone was put on earth for a purpose, an educating
process if you will. We endure various trials and tribulations while living to further the
progression of our souls when we return to Heaven, as that is where we started from. Hell
is not fire and brimstone as many religions claim. Hell is existing in a state of racism,
Sexism, Homophobia, Poverty, Depression..etc. None of that exists in Heaven."

I sat there for a moment thinking a few things. One; my Grandparents would be ranting and
raving about the "Cult Convention" I was at. Two; I am in the wrong fucking convention,
and Three; I wonder if hotchick is single. I decide to hang out for at least a little while
and find out. Hell I was way late for the Marketing one anyway.

Verlaine wiped his brow and took another sip of water. "well, I have been talking my
head off of my neck so...how about a brief intermission."
Thank God I need a cigarette
"we will reconvene in one hour".

Now therehere are two types of Leo's in this world. One is the kind who pursue their prey
and the other kind who let their prey come to them. I am of the latter group. I stand up
stretch and look around the emptying room with vague interest. And suddenly ( like I
knew she would) I saw hotchick approaching. I give her a big kitty grin
"Hi there." she said.
"Hey" I replied
" So what do you think of this seminar so far.?"
"Well, I am actually supposed to be in a Marketing Conference, but I think I have the
wrong room."
hotchick laughed "Yeah I was just came to New York to visit my Uncle. The funny thing
is this was the room I was supposed be staying in, but its a conference room. No one will
give me any information on the mix up."
" Hey, how about some coffee, I am sure there is a joint near here. I mean this is New
York, everything within walking distance. Not to mention I haven't had the best luck with
cab's so far."
she smiled "oh, I'm Jenison, by the way....Jenison Trudeaux" I held out a hand.
"Kim McGregor" the woman formerly known as hotchick replied.

We stepped out of the hotel and took to the sidewalk. Blaring horns from road raging
madmen sliced the air like a serrated blade. The sun's flash hitting me from deep
within...a gut punch. My head pounds, everything in my line of vision is submerged in a
smoky orange fog. I look at Kim who seems to keep talking like nothing is happening. I
can see her lips moving but no sound. Slowly her face distorts and looks like its melting
off the frame of her skull. Hair, skin, blood and muscle dripping away. Pooling at her feet
into some kind of oily viscous soup. Her head now devoid of flesh, revealing black bone-
-the jaws chatter on.

"Jension...are you...okay?"
I blink- she looks normal, every fucking thing looks normal. I shake my head trying to
unclog my thoughts.
"uh, yeah fine, just the heat I guess."
We continue down and find a small hole in the wall coffee place. "suits me" she says. I
flag down the waiter and we order. I light a cigarette. From the Jukebox in the corner I
can hear The Smiths 'There is a light that never goes out'.
"So" I begin signature sexy left eyebrow raised
"Tell me about yourself"
Kim smiles, I can tell she's the shy type.
"Well, I am 30 years old, I am from Arizona, and I work in Information Systems."
Shit. A cybergeek.
" I visit my Uncle Theo every Summer and hang out in New York."
I nod thoughtfully
"Cool, so can you like hack into businesses and shit like that?"
She flashes me a cover girl smile.
"No nothing like that, I'd be to freaked out about getting caught.
" I sit back and wonder where the waiter is with my double Espresso. I see him standing
over by another waiter pointing at us and shaking his head. Probably made us for
lesbians, Jealous dickhead? I am at this point too tired for a confrontation so I nudge
Kim.
"Hey, let's cut out...I just remembered the coffee really sucks here."

We decide to head back to the Skylark, at least there I figure we can talk for a while
before everyone gets back. Kim puts her hand on my shoulder. It sends the most
delicious shiver down my spine. But then a weird flash of light and the deafening sound
of crunching metal, my ears ring almost screaming. I look over at the street afraid to
look at Kim this time. A woman is lying by the bus stop. Her body mangled and
burned. It looks like she is sliding forward in a pool of her own fluid like a fat slug. Her
charred body uncoils and she turns and looks at me, her mottled tongue lapping as if
tasting the air. I stop and close my eyes holding my head in my hands. Then I look up to
see Kim staring at me. Normal New York sounds flood back into my head, the cars, the
people. What the fuck?

"Hey" Kim says
"Maybe you should stop and sit for a while, you look pale."
I smile, sweat tricking down my face.
"No, I'm okay. Like I said its the heat, and I'm probably a little tired too."

For the rest of the walk back to the hotel I am scared shitless but Leo pride is hard to
upstage. I manage to show no signs of my fear to Kim who seems to have forgotten the
incidents. We get to the conference room and sit next to each other. Now properly
warmed up Kim has no problem talking about herself.
"Ever since I got here I have been so calm, and peaceful. I love New York. I mean
normally I get these really bad pains in my wrists. I am pretty sure its Carpel Tunnel, but
ever since I stepped off the plane, it hasn't bothered me once."
I smiled at her. Yeah I wish I were as serene. Unfortunately what I have now determined
to be tremendously evil acid flashbacks, are preventing me from being so.

20 minutes later, I have forgotten about the Marketing conference and the weird but
arousing coincidence Kim and I discovered. We were booked for the same room.
Which still at this point is the fucking conference room-213.

Verlaine, primed for his next verbal onslaught, brings the seminar to order.
"Now, I believe we had left off with discussing the Existential Metaphysic effect in terms
of life and death. Let's say you choose to stay among the living when it is your time to
progress into your next stages. Some people have a hard time letting go, they are afraid of
change. Even though their soul knows Heaven is the paradise from which it originated.
They are forced to exist only with other earth lingering spirits. Now notice I said earth
lingering not earthbound. You may progress to Heaven at anytime you wish if it is your
time to go. There is some human contact. It is true some people are more susceptible to
supernatural Phenomena than others. But it is very fleeting and very superficial."

My head starts to feel a lot better after sitting in the A/C, now all I need is straight up
double Stoli martini with extra olives, then and only then will all be right in the world.

"Conversely" Verlaine continues "if you choose to progress at the very moment of death,
you will experience nothing out of the ordinary. No bright lights no choirs, Heaven is the
ultimate Hedonistic state of absolute reality. The only absolute reality there is."
Verlaine paused for a second and nodded his head like he was listening to something.
"and this brings us to the end of orientation..."
Orientation?!
Christ not only am I in the wrong conference, its not even a conference..
I had better get Kim's number after all this bullshit.

An elderly woman in the front raised her hand. Verlaine smiled
"At this point if you will follow me all of your questions will be answered."
We stood up and started shuffling towards the door. I reached down to grab my bags.
"Hey Kim, you wanna have dinner after...."
I look back up and the room was empty. No Verlaine, no Kim, no little old lady...No
one. I have officially been ditched. What the hell man, if she wants me then she can track
me down-I'm nobody's lapdog. I take my bags and head for the door. I'm going to grab
some food. Fuck the taxi I'll take a bus this time. I run out to the bus stop.

There is a reason why mommy and daddy tell you to look both way's before you cross the
street.
I didn't see the car in the other lane.

Verlaine comes rushes out with the others. I stand next to him looking at the woman's
disfigured body, a bloody heap. Verlaine turns to me and winks.
"I guess it was your time after all." he says

Manhattan hospital: "Doctor, she's gone."
Doctor Hixx runs a hand sown his sweat soaked face.
"Yes, we almost had her back too. For a while there she was the only survivor of that
plane crash."

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