December 2011
71 posts
9 tags
Seventy-One
It‘s late dawn, outside the sky’s getting light when Natasha opens the door to her apartment and enters. First she checks the living room, then the bedroom, then the kitchen. At the door to the bathroom she hesitates: »Dude?«
She opens the door to the bathroom and looks inside. She closes the door again. Walks about the apartment aimlessly. Takes out her cell phone and puts it away again....
12 tags
Seventy
Outside the restaurant Alaska drives up in her convertible. She and Dude get out of the car and enter the restaurant …
Inside Shugga and Elinor lean on the counter, and they’re silent for a minute, each lost in her own wondering …
The door is being opened by Alaska who walks in ahead of Dude and holds the door open for him. Seeing Alaska Shugga gives a cry of joy and rushes...
11 tags
Sixty-Nine
Back at the restaurant the last of the guests have departed. Shugga and Elinor lean on the bar, confiding in each other. Shugga been talking about Alaska. Resting her chin in her hand, her eyes are lost in a dream that’s become reality: »She‘s just … I don‘t know … so … I‘d never have believed I deserved someone like her …«
Elinor‘s watching Shugga, and suddenly...
11 tags
Sixty-Eight
Upon leaving the restaurant Elinor and her husband take leave from their guests. A taxi arrives, the guests get in and drive off. A second taxi arrives …
Elinor‘s husband walks up and opens the rear door, stepping aside for Elinor to get in. Elinor walks around the front of the taxi to the other side. Passing the taxi in front she glances over her shoulder at the driver …
Elinor and...
12 tags
Sixty-Seven
At the restaurant where Shugga works Elinor and her husband have dinner with clients of his. They‘re being led to their table by a colleague of Shugga‘s. Elinor asks to have Shugga wait on them …
When Shugga greets them Elinor treats her with great fondness and respect: »How you doin‘, Shugga? So nice to see you again …«
The guests have trouble focussing their attention on the menu....
11 tags
Sixty-Six
In the dense fog Dude is walking along the street embankment. Once or twice a car creeps past. Then another car approaches, going quite a bit faster. Some heavy sound spilling from inside …
The car’s headlights pour from the fog and zero in on Dude who‘s walking with his back to the car. At the last moment the car swerves and whizzes by. A couple of yards ahead it stops. The door...
10 tags
Sixty-Five
Out of the fog Dude walks up to the brothel where Natasha works. He pushes the buzzer and the bouncer opens the hatch in the door. Seeing Dude he looks kind of surprised and does a quick scan of the place in front of the club, looking for Dude‘s taxi. He opens the door and Dude steps inside …
»Hey, Dude. Where‘s your car?«
»Accident. Natasha here?«
»I‘ll get her. Sorry about the accident,...
11 tags
Sixty-Four
Dude‘s walking through the fog. Out of the fog ahead voices in high spirits approach. The first person to take shape in the whiteness is Elinor, walking ahead of the group. Wrapping her fur stole closer to her neck she‘s hugging herself as she walks by, the bangles giving a slight clinking as she disappears in the fog again, her high heels ringing …
Dude, walking with his eyes to the...
10 tags
Sixty-Three
Stepping outside the theater Dude squints at the dense fog rolling in the street. »Some refinery blown up or what,« Dude mumbles to himself …
A couple appears out of the fog. »Everything‘s a hazard nowadays,« the guy says as they disappear into the fog again. The girl giggling as if drunk …
Dude turns the other way. The fog‘s swallowed up the whole city. Plaza‘s and...
10 tags
Sixty-Two
Dude at the movies. A small art house theater, the movie is Billy The Kid by Arthur Penn, starring young Paul Newman. It‘s a small theater, the audience is even smaller. Dude has the row to himself. His face a mask, himself apparently not present as the lights from the screen flicker across his face …
When the credits are rolling at the end of the movie and the lights go on, the few people...
8 tags
Sixty-One
Dude at the gym is working out like there’s no tomorrow. Guys are watching him: »Hey, Dude, don‘t kill yourself, hear?«
Later Dude is lathering up under the showers and one of the regulars addresses him: »What‘s the matter, Dude? Not on the road?«
»Other businesses.«
»What kind of businesses?«
Dude sighs wearily: »Finding another job, something like that …«
»You kiddin‘ me? Since...
12 tags
Sixty
Downtown at the ritzy art gallery Alaska and Shugga take leave of Elinor. »I‘m so in awe of you! The way you handle these people,« Shugga says …
Elinor laughs it off: »Oh, it‘s nothing, really. I mean, these people are nothing so how could dealing with them amount to much?«
Alaska‘s grinning at Elinor: »Stop it, will you? You‘re demolishing my darling. She‘s already halfway gone, so...
11 tags
Fifty-Nine
Dude behind the wheel again, cruising the streets. The sign‘s off, the radio as well. His eyes scan the sidewalks. Every now and then he sees a girl or a woman who arouses his curiosity but then she does something which turns him off and his eyes are roaming again …
A couple fighting on the curb draws his attention. A man and a woman yelling and swinging at each other, the man with his...
8 tags
Fifty-Eight
Dude enters the café and takes a seat at the counter. He orders a double espresso. When it‘s served he pulls out a small white envelope and pours its contens into the coffee, stirs it around a couple of times and downs it. Putting money on the saucer he gets up and leaves …
11 tags
Fifty-Seven
Dude in his taxi riding along with the traffic, some heavy RandB on his headphones, his fingers NOT tapping the wheel. His face frozen as flashbacks rip through his mind …
The two young chicks making out on the backseat, those bangles of brushed steel on Elinor‘s wrists, and her gray eyes peering at him over Michael‘s shoulder, and Natasha‘s voice seething: »YOU of all people! How dare...
10 tags
Fifty-Six
Elinor‘s surrounded by a pack of yapping media hounds who‘re pushing their mikes into her face and flinging questions at her, no one listening to anyone. Elinor handing out quotes and fragments once again, dropping names no one‘s ever heard of before …
No need to get whatever her message migt be, the machines are recording and somebody at the office will deal with it, trying to make sense...
11 tags
Fifty-Five
A piercing shriek right next to the two girls locked in tender embrace makes everybody in the gallery jump and spill their drinks. One of the more ugly hags of the evening has decided this was to be HER moment to do HER thing, like SHRIEEEEK …
Ms. Hag just has succeeded in getting hold of Elinor. The shriek is to celebrate that moment. Elinor is to be the hag‘s ticket to things...
12 tags
Fifty-Four
Downtown at the ritzy art gallery another event with lots of people celebrating themselves is under way. Every now and then somebody‘s squealing. Way back in the shadows Alaska leans with her back against the wall, looking awesome to the extreme in an extremely minimalistic cocoa-colored cocktail dress and the most awesome killer high heels which are so subdued in appearance that only a...
11 tags
Fifty-Three
Dude in his taxi, returning to the city, has another flashback: Years ago he‘s at the airport, about to leave for New York. Michael and Helmut see him off. Michael: »Why New York, Dude?«
»Could be any place. Just have to get away for a while. Happens I know some people there.«
»But why New York, man? Everybody‘s been to New York. Why not visit Elinor? She might change her mind. Maybe she already...
9 tags
Fifty-Two
It takes a while for Natasha to get a grip on herself. She‘d turned toward Dude as if to pounce on him, now she turns back to the man in trench and hat who looks up at her with fawning eyes, waiting for doom to hit …
»Oh, you‘re a darling! I‘ll be right with you. Just let me have a few words with my friend. Sergej will show you around, I‘ll be with you in a second …«
The bouncer...
10 tags
Fifty-One
Natasha walks up to Dude, genuinely happy in a private way to see him, not at all professional: »Hi, Dude! So glad to see you. How you doin‘, Baby?«
They kiss each other on both cheeks and Dude introduces her to the man in trench and hat. She‘s still all smiles, but now self-confident and in control: »Glad to meet you. What‘s your name, honey?«
The man in trench and hat croaks something...
11 tags
Fifty
Dude stops in the driveway of a high-class brothel run as a private club. He walks up to the door with the man in trench and hat following behind. Dude pushes a buzzer and the bouncer inside opens a hatch in the door. Recognizing Dude he opens the door …
Inside it‘s dim red lights and some insipid disco sound spilling from the bar where muffled laughter and giggling can be heard. The...
9 tags
Fourty-Nine
Dude at the wheel of his taxi rolls along with the traffic. Lights flashing through the interior and across his immobile features. Flashbacks haunting him …
The two hot chicks making out on the backseat, those bangles of brushed steel on slender wrists catching the light, her gray eyes gazing at him over the shoulder of that other guy …
The clinking of the bangles penetrates the...
11 tags
Fourty-Eight
Elinor in bed at the side of her husband turns away from the TV and frowns: »Don‘t you ever get sick of this Hollywood crap? Seems to me a lot like those dads from the past century who played with their kid‘s toy trains …«
Her husband slowly turns his head to gaze at her. Taking his time before addressing her: »For your information, this is no Hollywood crap. This is real, as real as it‘ll...
9 tags
Fourty-Seven
Elinor returns home in high spirits. It‘s after midnight, her husband‘s in bed, watching the news on TV. He barely takes notice of her, his eyes glued to the TV …
Elinor enters the bathroom. Leaving the door open she undresses and cleans her face from make-up, getting ready for bed herself. »How was your day, darling?«
Her husband doesn‘t answer. Elinor peers from the open bathroom door...
10 tags
Fourty-Six
The espresso has been served and Elinor‘s guests are getting ready to leave. Shugga and her colleagues help the guests into their coats. Elinor stands to the side and her assistant, seeing Elinor with her coat draped over her arm, walks up to her: »You not coming with us?«
»You go on. You‘re managing perfectly. I‘m proud of you.«
Her assistant smiles, waves a hand: »See you tomorrow, Elinor …«
...
10 tags
Fourty-Five
Among Ellinor‘s guests is Mr. Fag, and he‘s the noisiest of the crowd for the simple reason that no one pays any attention to him. So he decides to take it out on Shugga. Somebody has to pay, right? And he‘s vicious. Apparently it‘s not the first time he does his number of humiliating service personnel …
It‘s the tone of his voice that does it. The way he calls her Darling with that nasty...
8 tags
Fourty-Four
Another night at the restaurant, Shugga’s waiting on guests. From outside the voices of a noisy party of guests can be heard who‘ve just arrived. The entrance door is being opened from outside and a group of chic and stylish or at least pretentious people spills in. Shugga walks over to greet them …
They‘re guests of Elinor’s. Some of them we‘ve seen at the opening at her...
9 tags
Fourty-Three
Dude stops the taxi at the gate to the factory site where the clubs are located. Other taxis arrive and drive off again. Lots of people in all kinds of styles and get-ups arrive from all directions. Heavy sounds in the air from several clubs on the grounds …
The older girl pays Dude and the younger one who‘s been yelping opens the door. Before getting out she touches Dude‘s shoulder,...
9 tags
Fourty-Two
Dude at the wheel of his taxi, rolling along with the traffic. Lights swishing through the interior and across his frozen features. Two flashy young chicks on the curb draw the attention of people passing by …
Dude‘s eyes zero in on the two chicks as one of them turns around. Seeing the taxi she hails him. Dude stops and the two girls get in on the back seat. They barely manage to tell him...
10 tags
Fourty-One
Shugga‘s head rests on Alaska‘s shoulder, Alaska‘s driving. They come to the city and Shugga raises her head: »Where we goin‘, Alaska?«
»You just wait, darling.«
Alaska parks the car in the backyard of a buiding which originally had served as a factory for small enterprises. The two girls get out, enter one of the heavy doors of gray painted iron and take the freight elevator …
»Don‘t...
10 tags
Fourty
Shugga at the restaurant where she works, she’s waiting on guests. It‘s one of those rare places with no musac playing. A busy evening and there‘s some noisy people among her guests but Shugga never loses her poise and calm. It‘s obvious she‘s been on the job for some time …
Later that night, when the last of the guests leave and the lights outside are turned off, Alaska drives up in...
8 tags
Thirty-Nine
Later that night Dude is walking home alone in the rain. The streets are deserted …
Back at his apartment he‘s sitting on the mattress in his rain soaked clothes. Sitting with his back to the wall, watching dawn creep up outside the window. His face a mask for the rest of his life …
13 tags
Thirty-Eight
Back at Ricardo‘s apartment, Michael has brought in two chairs from the kitchen and he and Dude join the others who‘re watching a movie by Jean-Pierre Melville. Un Flic, starring Alain Delon and Cathérine Deneuve …
Delon‘s the cop, and he‘s hunting a gang of bank robbers who‘ve outsmarted him time and again. Cathérine Deneuve is his floozy. She‘s also the floozy of the bank robbers‘ master...
9 tags
Thirty-Seven
The two girls enter the building. Shugga intends to take the elevator but Alaska pulls her back and motions toward the stairs: »I want to see you move up those stairs ahead of me. I want to watch that pert ass of yours move and twitch …«
With her hand hugging Shugga‘s ass the two girls start moving up the stairs. »That way you won‘t really see that much, I believe,« Shugga mumbles, a bit out...
9 tags
Thirty-Six
Alaska at the wheel of her convertible, and Shugga leaning her dead on Alaska‘s shoulder as they drive through the deserted streets at early dawn. From time to time Shugga lazily moves her hand, indicating to Alaska where to turn off …
When they arrive in front of the house where Shugga lives Alaska takes a look at the surrounding buildings: »That where you live?«
Shugga merely nods her...
8 tags
Thirty-Five
Outside dawn comes up as Alaska and Shugga leave the Hades club. Their arms around each others waist they slink down the sidewalk. They‘re very quiet now, all wrapped up in each other‘s presence …
»Where we goin‘?« mumbles Shugga.
»Anywhere you want, darling. My car‘s close by …«
»Got a car? Wow …«
They walk across the almost empty floor of the high-rise garage where Alaska‘s car is...
10 tags
Thirty-Four
Weeks later, Elinor and Dude at her apartment. »He‘s asked me to come,« Elinor says. »I have to find out how much he means to me. Gimme some time, will you …«
»Why didn‘t he send for you in his heli?«
»Jesus, Dude …«
»That‘s what I‘d be doing if I had one. I‘d fly the fuckin thing myself and come drag you away …«
»It‘s not the heli, it‘s not the money, and you know that. He‘s an artist,...
10 tags
Thirty-Three
Under Elinor’s steady gaze Dude has flashbacks of their first encounter. A New Year‘s Eve party years ago. It’s early in the evening, guests are still arriving. Everybody in high spirits. Among the guests arriving are Dude, Helmut, Michael and Ricardo …
Helmut and Michael are greeted by a group of gays and their Liza-Minelli-style ersatz-mothers, Ricardo is joining a group of...
10 tags
Thirty-Two
Michael parks the car, they get out and walk up to a residential building. The entrance door’s ajar. Michael pushes a bell and they enter …
There‘s music, laughter and voices spilling into the hallway from an apartment upstairs. They climb the stairs …
A door on the first floor is open. The music and voices come from inside. Michael knocks and enters, with Dude following...
10 tags
Thirty-One
As they drive along Michael turns his head to look at Dude who stares at the street ahead. »When‘s been the last time you and Ricardo have seen each other?«
»I don‘t know. About as long as I haven‘t seen you and Helmut, I guess. Strange thing that he called. First time in years that I‘ve taken a night off …«
»First time? Since you come back from New York?«
»Got me my license and started...
9 tags
Thirty
Back at the bar Helmut hails the waitress and asks for the bill. Says he has to be on the set early next morning, the shooting scheduled to start at dawn, so it‘s time for him to get some sleep …
He gets up to get his coat, Michael and Dude wait for the waitress …
»I’m going to drop in on Ricardo, he‘s back from Chile. Why don‘t you come along? He‘s been asking about you …«
»I...
10 tags
Twenty-Nine
Alaska follows Shugga into the stall and Shugga locks the door behind them. Pulling up her sweater she reaches inside her bra and pulls out two tiny plastic bags with a white powder-like substance inside. Within seconds the two girls are giggling …
When the two girls leave the stall they‘re in high spirits. They do each other up in front of the mirrors and return to the club. Out on the...
9 tags
Twenty-Eight
Shugga comes out of the stall and finds Alaska on the tiles under the sinks, bleeding and gasping for breath. Her clothes torn, her make-up smeared all over her face …
Shugga kneels down beside Alaska and cradles her head, stroking her hair, and trying to sooth and to calm her. She wants to call the police but Alaska keeps her from doing so. Instead she asks Shugga for her cell phone...
10 tags
Twenty-Seven
At the Hades the men are still ogling Shugga out on the dance floor. Even the girls are charmed by her. As the dance floor gets crowded once again Shugga leaves and threads her way through the crowds. People fall silent as they make way for her, watching her with reverence …
Never has anyone seen these dudes and chicks show much respect or reverence for anybody. They themselves can‘t...
10 tags
Twenty-Six
Dude enters the bar where Helmut and Michael are sitting at a table close to the wall. The two of them had been lovers once, now they‘re just gays looking for someone else …
»Hey Dude. Where‘s your leather jacket?« Helmut asks …
»Never had one. Don‘t need one. What I need a leather jacket for?«
»Wouldn‘t be no ordinary taxi driver anymore then, you‘d be TAXI DRIVER in caps....
11 tags
Twenty-Five
Back at the club the men who‘d been watching Alaska now have another girl in their sights. Shugga moving out on the dance floor. So young, so fresh, with an unspoiled air about her. Something unique and very rare anywhere, even more so among the crowds at the Hades …
So rare is she that nobody‘s immune to her allure. Forget about them being the toughest and coolest m*****-f***ers around,...
8 tags
Twenty-Four
In the restroom at the Hades Alaska gets herself back in shape. Girls and women coming in watch her out the corners of their eyes …
Looking more awesome than ever Alaska returns to the club. Out on the dance floor she lets go, luring them in and then leaving them dangling and drooling. The men who‘ve been eyeing her earlier in the evening gather around the dance floor. Something‘s brewing,...
8 tags
Twenty-Three
Dude returns home and unlocks the door to his appartment when his cell phone buzzes. Entering the apartment he answers the call. While talking he puts the sweat soaked training clothes in the washing machine and sets the machine going …
»Hya doin … Yeah, long time no hear … Naah, not driving tonight … I don‘t know … Who? … Oh, him … Oh well, I‘ll be there. See...
9 tags
Twenty-Two
Alaska drives around town, trying to locate friends, asking people at clubs, cafés, restaurants. Nobody seems to know where anybody is. When she tries calling them from somebody‘s cell phone she can‘t reach anyone …
Returning to the Hades she sees people she knows but once they realize she needs help they become evasive: »Honey, I‘d love to help, you know me. But right now … I‘m...
