* * * * *
I checked into my hotel room at Bally's Las Vegas. Formerly known as the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, of "Rat Pack" fame! It took me about half an hour to unpack and settle in. But, when I was done, I laid down on the bed and tried to organize my thoughts.
Was Ken Gambol pulling an elaborate prank on me? To get back at me for all the times I had teased him about his name? Or, had he really gone round the bend, too fast, and derailed his personal train of sane thought?
I don't know when I fell asleep in the midst of all that mulling over. It soon became evident, however, that I was dreaming again.
I dreamt that I was looking at myself in a giant mirror. And, I could see that I was pinned to a giant, pock-marred cylinder made of stainless steel. Pinned by what looked like a veritable blanket of gray duct tape! Then, the cylinder began to turn. Slowly, at first. And, then, like one of those "Tilt-a-Whirls" at a carnival, gradually faster and faster.
It was at this point the image began to alternate with that of a black-and-white spiral. Spinning round and round like a child's wind-blown pinwheel. Only, when the imagery reverted back to the pock-marred cylinder (starting with my second glimpse of it), there was now a golden coil of light emerging from the reflection. Straight towards my eyes!
I woke up with a gasp.
The first thing I did, when my breathing had decelerated back to normal, was get out of bed and splash water on to my face from the bathroom sink. Then, I looked at my bearded face in the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet.
"This is frigged up."
I decided to re-energize my brain with some food and drink from room service. Ultimately ordering a grilled cheese sandwich and herbal tea. When I was done, I decided to resume reading Ken Gambol's manuscript.
Glutton for punishment, right? Maybe so. But, the true answer was there. I knew it! Because, my dreams were not just nightmares resulting from an over-reactive imagination. They were visions! And, I had to find some way to interpret their meaning if I was going to help Ken out of whatever jam he seemed to be in.
Even if that ultimately meant time for him in a padded suite at the nearest Ha-Ha Hilton.
"That's the way it was for the next twenty-seven days, afterward, Jay. Wake up. Crush cars. Break for lunch. Back to crushing cars. Shift ends. And, I get ready for bed. Going to sleep in the main office (where the night watchman can keep an occasional eye on me for the cops)."
"And, each and every night, for twenty-eight of those first twenty-nine days, I had the same dream. Hundreds of guys, from all walks of life, getting shrunken down in size by a narrow beam of white light! And, each of us subsequently forced to worship--quite literally--at the feet of some giant business woman called 'Mistress Bonnie Sue.' Or, at least, that's what she insisted we call her."
"Yet, it wasn't worship in the sense of some barbaric pagan religion, like an 'Indiana Jones' movie. It was more like a weird self-help group!"
"Because, starting with that second night, I was brought to the front row of these 'worshippers' and the giantess briefly looked down at me, and said: 'We have a new addition to our ranks. His name is Kenneth. Please say 'hi' to him, everybody.' "
" 'HI, KENNETH!' " everybody chorused."
" 'Kenneth used to investigate sightings of the Supervisors' messengers,' she continued: 'But, now, he'll be helping the Supervisors. By debunking those sightings as hoaxes and misidentifcation! Won't you, little one?' "
"She looked back down at me, and smiled, expectantly."
"You see, I knew what she wanted to hear. There was this compulsion at the back of my mind, urging me to reply, 'Yes, Mistress Bonnie Sue.' I couldn't do it, though! Because, deep down, something else urged me to resist. So, I struggled and struggled. Clenching my fists and gritting my teeth."
"Yet, in the end, it was no use. I fell to my knees, exhausted, and gasped out: 'Yes, Mistress Bonnie Sue.' "
tbc
Giantess World
