Somnolent Strike

Finocchio's

I was in the back of a taxi, going to Finocchio's. We'd decided not to give money to the guy in the end. Who knew if he'd tell the truth. I used the money for the transport instead. Travis and Unity were at their house, in the bathtub, scrubbing off the blood on their body. They'd begged me to stay but someone had to fetch Mom and I knew they were in too much of a state to do as I said if I took them with me. Especially Unity, she was only eleven and had already been through enough problems to last her a lifetime. 

"Miss, we're here. This is Fi's club. My old mate. Give him my love, I'm Joshua Dibson."

I payed and then frowned at the club. It was exactly the sort of place my mother hated, it was too bright and showy, she liked dark and creepy. It was also known for being a gay club, whereas Mom was... well homophobic. 

I went in anyways. 

The security was idly chatting to some Hollywood stars so I slipped in undetected. They'd never have let me in with all the blood still on me.

I walked around in a complete daze for a while, staring in awe at the people and the performances. 

"Close your mouth, darling." An old voice said. I turned around to see a ninety something year old woman, in a jazzy outfit and her hair crimped in blonde curls.

"You look lost. I'm Summer Buscarino, I work here... Don't look so shocked! I'm not that old. I just help out from time to time." She said, patting my arm. I flinched but she didn't seem to mind.

"Here's a free Buscarino cherry. It's actually a baby Cham cherry but I named it after me. I used to come here back in the 30s when it was a speakeasy. There was a fella who came up and did an impersonation of Sophie Tucker, she was a very famous comedic singer of the time. The crowd in the bar went crazy, ate it up. I knew I wanted that crowd to cheer for me, so one day, I got me and my girlfriend and my mom to jump up on stage and we blew the crowd away. It was magnificent... You know my mom? Taleah Buscarino? No? Didn't think so. She was a movie director. Died behind a camera. The irony! She got hit with it on the head by a crazy fan." The lady went on and on talking, telling me her whole life. I wondered if she maybe had dementia but when a customer came up to ask for a drink she rustled one up so fast i decided she probably just liked talking about herself. 

Eventually though I had to interrupt.

"I'm sorry, have you seen a woman with brown hair and brown eyes and prescription glasses, wearing a ruched purple dress with laces at the sides?" It was Mom's going out dress and the only club dress she owned.

"Yes love, she payed to go on a "date" with our "queens". She payed at least $50." The lady said meaningfully. 

I blinked dumbly, wondering what she meant. Then I suddenly realised.

"She payed a man to have sex with her?!"

"Darling, don't say it like that. Our queens are clean. It's all very hush hush, happens through the waiters. You'll like it here." 

I wasn't listening anymore.

I went flying to the back of the club, where there were changing rooms. Immediately I saw my mother. She was crouched in front of a queen in beautiful flowing pink dress and high heels, the dress hooked up to the hips, my mother's mouth between strong muscly thighs, bobbing up and down.

I felt llava rising from the back of my throat, as sour as any lemon, then shooting all over the sawdust on the floor. The disgusted shrieks that follower still weren't enough to bring my mother up from her position on her knees.