My Royal Flush

My Royal Flush

I woke several times last night. I couldn't stay asleep to save my life, and when I finally did sleep for more than ten minutes...this is what happened.



I was telling myself how fantastic it was finally having the money to afford and purchase my very own house. I had my friends move all of my belongings out of the storage building I had rented; things I hadn't seen in years. I was completely stubborn about parting with this stuff, and now the time was right to re-acquaint myself with some of my old items. One of my favorite possessions; I won in my divorce settlement. It was an old red and silver, diner style table and chair set from the fifties. I bought this from a former employer who, when she was still alive, asked about it all the time. My ex-wife had never really liked the damned thing, but I loved it. Once I had thanked my loyal friends for their help, I quickly began rummaging through my stuff. I didn't get very far into my boxes before I turned to polishing the old table. One really neat feature of this table, is that it slides open in the center and contains a well inside for throwing dice. The corners underneath each hold an ashtray sided next to a cup (beer) holder. Very different from anything I had ever seen before. I love it.



As I polished, a very desperate and sad feeling came over me. It wasn't long before I began hearing a noise from the other rooms of the house. It was a heavy noise, and if this noise could have a color- it would be black. It pounded through the ceiling and through-out back rooms, but I didn't move. I was terrified of being located.



After a few minutes, my urges turned to panic as it sounded like the thing was coming, or at least searching for me. I went to the back door in the kitchen, LOCKED! I went to the front door, LOCKED! I turned in desperation back toward the kitchen. I saw cards floating. Yes, it was a deck of cards. Not anything as cool as a deck of tarot cards or some such, just regular Bicycle playing cards. All fifty-two flying one at a time behind each other like a very flat train circling in the kitchen, then flowing into the living room. The cards path resonated shapes of figure eights, and race track ovals as it passed from room to room and around corners. I reached and took one from the line as they floated by. It was a two of hearts. I took many more, then released them at the rear of the line, examining each to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. The line began to speed up, and the noise in the house began to get louder. I had an idea; maybe if I put the best hand together, the doors will open and I will be free.



Now...I'm not a card player, no Texas Hold'em; no Five Card Stud; not even Go Fish. Hell, I don't think I have even touched a real deck since the first time I got a computer and played Solitaire a few thousand times. But, I did know the rules of Poker, and I did remember that a Royal Flush beats all. I gathered the cards as fast as I could, falling several times in my haste. When I finally had recruited my hand, it was a flush in diamonds.



I ran to the front door (the closest), and turned the handle. It turned as if it was unlocked.



I woke in a full sweat, breathing like I had just ran five miles.

The End