Free American Monsters by Sezin Koehler Page B

and Gaze gets into the car.



9:45 P.M.
    The camera pans out to capture the imposing view of The Mansion and the trail of cars that creep up her mountain. Dentata, Uteri, and Wake dance in their seats about one block of cars behind Console, Trip, Skreem, and Gaze. Uteri drove all the way from Vegas to visit with her two friends and celebrate Halloween. The three have decided to dress as the Powerpuff Girls, with wigs and everything.
    Dentata:
    Are you guys rolling tonight?
    Uteri:
    For sure, dude. I have the next three days off, I’m taking advantage of it. Why, you aren’t going to?
    Dentata:
    No, absolutely not. Don’t you remember what happened?
    Uteri:
    The drug had nothing to do with it. You had a totally fucked up experience but being on E just heightened the fucked-up-ness, you know? We are going to have so much fun tonight. It’ll be therapeutic for you. Have a good time, put horrible things in the back of your head and just enjoy it this time. I promise, we’ll make sure you are always okay. Nothing will happen. I promise.
    Dentata:
    Don’t promise things that you have no control over. We’ll see. It’s better to stay sober in case we want to leave early.
    Uteri:
    No way! We are not leaving early. Come on, man. I so need this vacation time, please don’t be all crabby like this.
    Dentata:
    I wish you could just understand that this place feels really fucked up to me. I feel fucked up, still, from what happened. I am not in the mood to party, but whatever, I’ll be cool. I’ll have a good time. Maybe if I find some shrooms. Something organic. E is not my thing.
    Uteri:
    I want to hang out and have a blast. Dancing! Oh I can’t wait to dance. I’m glad we’re all going together. Let’s try meet lots of people tonight, okay?
    They go through the gate, show their tickets to the leery Parking Attendant One, pay the $10.00.
    Wake:
    That’s fucked up. Where else are we going to park? They can’t be allowed to charge that much when you have no other choice but to park there.
    Dentata:
    That’s exactly why they do it. It’s the same thing with monopolies. When you have something people need and you are the sole one who controls it, you can do or charge whatever the fuck you want for it. Principles of capitalism. Money, money, money.
    Uteri:
    Where exactly are we supposed to park? There doesn’t seem to be much organization.
    Wake:
    There’s guys up there, maybe they tell you where to park.
    Parking Attendant One, shining his flashlight into the woods:
    Just park over there.
    Dentata:
    Where? Just anywhere?
    Parking Attendant One:
    Yes, it’s fine. We have a system.
    Dentata parks the car. The women collect their things.
    Dentata, calling to him from the car:
    Hey, what can we bring in?
    Parking Attendant One:
    You can bring anything. They don’t check you at the door.
    Dentata:
    Really? That’s pretty cool. Thanks.
    Parking Attendant One:
    Have a good time.
    Dentata, to the ladies:
    Wow, that’s excellent. There won’t be any problem finding substances tonight. I’m feeling more excited about this party now. That’s pretty chill that we won’t get searched.
    Uteri:
    You have no idea how many lipsticks I have lost, or people I met during the night whose numbers I wanted but couldn’t get because they took our pens. Even cigarettes and lighters for that matter. They usually take candy too, when they are really being assholes. I’m so glad I brought candy and cigs with me. I won’t have to buy any inside.
    Wake:
    Do you guys have everything?
    Dentata:
    Yeah, let’s get going.
    Uteri:
    Cool.
    The camera follows them as they walk up to the house. The woods seem to be whispering and laughing around them, but it might just be all of the people parking their cars. It’s weird because there seem to be voices everywhere, but people are not visible. It is as if cars are spread out among the thick woods, too far away to see each other, clueless about what’s around, what’s safe. And the muffled