Harry listened to his tires squeal as he made the long, sharp right turn down the ramp and onto the street below. As he completed the turn and merged onto the street he immediately noticed the bare slab where he remembered the cheap hotel used to be. He remembered watching the line of people move back and forth across the street between the cheap hotel and the bright and glitzy casino and wondered just how much money they saved spending the day at the casino and then sleeping in the cheap hotel.
The light turned green and Harry drove ahead about fifty feet and then turned into the parking garage to the casino. Heading up the ramp he continued up until he got to about the fifth floor before pulling out and looking for a parking spot. Sure enough he found one reasonably close to the elevators. After locking his car he walked slowly to the elevators and rode down to the casino level. As the doors opened he immediately noticed several costumed people walking out of the elevator lobby.
"Oh damn, it's Halloween," he mumbled to himself. "Well I guess I'm just dressed as a businessman," he continued as he stepped out of the elevator and walked through the elevator lobby.
Stepping into the long walkway leading to the gaming area he looked around surprised at all the changes. He had heard that the remodeling and repair of the storm damage had been extensive, but while the casino still maintained its familiar charm, it was completely different from what he remembered. After passing a number of boutiques, upscale coffee shops and a pinball game room, he walked over to a long bank of clerks to check in. All the clerks were in costume and he laughed to himself as some clown handed him the pen and the registration form.
It took about fifteen minutes, but he finally got his room key. He headed up to his room to drop off his luggage. He considered changing into something a bit nicer than his traveling clothes, but instead he just slipped the key in his coat pocket, carefully slid his wedding band off his finger and headed to the elevator.
Once downstairs he found himself surrounded by hoards of witches, mummys, soldiers, policement and other people in odd costumes. Before heading into the gaming area he slipped over to the buffet for dinner, because, not only was it Halloween, it was Friday and at the Casino, Friday night meant prime rib and king crab legs.
Although Harry visited the buffet several times, he made sure he didn't overdo it. He could have eaten more, but now turned his attention to the gaming area. The bright flashing lights and intoxicating din of dinging slot machines, countless voices and hints of music immediately welcomed him into a different world.
The gaming area was always hectic, but today it was over the top. Besides the flashing lights, loud dinging and music and general din of conversation, the large room was full of clowns, nurses, cowboys, apes and hundreds of other costumed people. Change was provided in Halloween buckets covered with jack-o-lanterns or witches and graveyards.
It was still early in the evening, so he was able to walk to the bar and sit down at one of the video poker machines. He slid in his play card and then fed a five dollar bill into the machine and watched the cards flip up before him. He picked two cards to hold and hit the button, then watched as three cards appeared. Ordering a drink he hit the button again and then looked around at the others sitting at the bar.
After several drinks and a few dozen hands of video poker he began looking over the others there at the bar, trying to sum up who was there around him. The mummy and Frankenstein sat directly across from him, both appeared to be serious about their gambling, feeding quarter after quarter into the machine. Tarzan and Jane, obviously a couple were next to the monsters. To Harry's left was someone who looked like Morticia Adams from the old TV show and General Patton was to his immediate right.
"You know, it's just not the same," the attractive woman, dressed as Morticia said.
"Excuse me."
"I've come here every year for over a decade, but it has all changed," she said, pausing to punch two buttons on the poker machine, "since the hurricane I mean."
"The hotel across the street..."
"Best Western, not a bad place. I stayed there a few times before the casino comped my room. But that's not the worst of it, the real charm here was to slip away from all this," she pointed around to all the slot machines, craps tables and other gaming, "and simply go for a drive."
"I saw a lot of those old houses are down."
"They're all down, not a single one remained standing. Those were old Antebellum houses from before the civil war, now it's all just driftwood, the soul of the city is driftwood. Well, what I called driftwood they call firewood now."
"The casinos seemed to have survived."
"Well, this one and the other big ones, but it's all just a façade now, behind the big fancy buildings is just stacks of debris and it's been over a year."
"But aren't they rebuilding, I mean I saw at some of the house sites..."
"Two by fours where grand post and timbers stood, shitrock instead of plaster and we'll never see the slate roofs again," her hand trembled a bit as she took a sip of her drink.
"I guess you're right, my name's Harry by the way," he said, reaching his hand out to the woman.
"I'm Morticia Adam, also known as Maureen, pleased to meet you Harry. You come here very much?"
"On occasion, when work brings me to the area. I come primarily for the buffet and perhaps a bit of gambling. Looks like I am out of uniform."
"Yeah, this is my first Halloween here. I rented the costume from one of the shops here. I always thought Morticia was so elegant," she said running her fingers over his hand until reaching the indentation where his wedding ring had been. She paused there a moment looking into his eyes.
"I ugh..."
Maureen just smiled and held up her hand showing him the similar indentation on her finger. "I think there is one other thing we are both looking for here. What do you say, I have a suite? Haven't you always wanted to make it with Morticia Adams?"
"I've never thought of it before but I would love to see the suites here, let's go," Harry said, standing up from the barstool and holding a hand out to her.
