Prologue: End of the Line
The three of them stared down the deep canyon before them, their hearts pounding and worried looks across their faces. The sun was slowly starting to set, making the sky turn a fiery orange, mixed with red and yellow. They could hear the sounds of birds in the distance as a cloud or two slowly inched their way across the sky. However, none of that mattered now. All that mattered was the predicament they were in: being held at gunpoint over the Red Rock Canyon.
Sure, they weren't bound by any kind of rope, but given the circumstances, they knew running away wasn't an option. So here they stood, hands in the air while overlooking the bottom of the canyon, where the end of the line awaited them. They had managed to make it this far, but now, the group known as "The Illusions" had no more tricks up their sleeves.
"Get moving!" a voice demanded behind them, the sound of the firearm moving in their hands. "We ain't got all day, ya'know!"
"Well, looks like this is it," Trixie said as she swallowed a lump in her throat.
"I knew it," cried Lavender, her voice cracking. "I always knew it would end this way!"
"Really?" Fuchsia asked with a tinge of annoyance. "You always knew you'd be forcefully thrown off a deep canyon against your will?"
"Well...not really, no."
Fuchsia couldn't help but scoff and roll her eyes.
"Will you two shut up?" Trixie hissed under her breath, standing between the two of them. "I'm trying to find a way out of this and your bickering isn't helping!"
"What's the use?" Lavender asked as she wiped her eyes clear of the tears that were beginning to pool within them. "We've done everything that we could! No amount of magic can get us out of this!"
"So? That doesn't mean we stop trying!"
"Oh, joy! It looks like we've become the epitome of 'die trying'! Our parents would be so proud of us!"
"Can it, Lav! You're not helping!"
"Enough!" the voice behind them yelled angrily. "You're gonna jump, whether you like it or not! Now, get moving!"
The three of them took another step closer to the ledge, seeing the jagged rocks down below. Tears began streaming down Lavender's eyes as a worried look came across Trixie's, her eyes scanning for something, anything that can help them. All the while, Fuchsia looked ahead with a blank expression, eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"GO, NOW!" the voice demanded, a few rounds firing at their feet. Trixie flinched as Lavender let out a scream, which was quickly followed by her crying as the shots echoed across the canyon. Fuchsia, on the other hand, just closed her eyes until the silence dawned on them again. Then she reopened them, her gaze not changing in the slightest.
"Ha! You're joking, right?" she taunted without turning around. "You think you can scare me? I know you won't shoot us! You want us to jump, right?"
"You're in NO position to snap at me!" the voice shouted. "Now, get going!"
"It's no use. There no way out of this," said Lavender in a shaky voice. "I don't wanna die!"
"Don't talk like that," Trixie said through gritted teeth, trying her best to keep her calm. "We'll get out of this. We've made it this far and I'll be damned if this is how it ends."
It was then that Trixie shot Fuchsia a look and saw the blank expression on her face; it was almost as if she was thinking hard and deep about something. Seeing her gaze out of the corner of her eye, Fuchsia quickly offered her friend a quick smile and a wink before looking ahead again. At first, Trixie didn't know what to make of the gesture; why was she so calm and collected? What did she know that they didn't?
As those questions dawned on her, her eyes looked down, but not at the canyon. Instead, she overlooked Fuchsia, hoping to find the answers to her unasked questions. It was in that moment that she saw something, something that brought a smile to her face. Seeing this, Fuchsia lightly nodded and quickly smiled again.
"Alright, then" said Trixie as she took one final step towards the edge. "It looks like our time has come. We've reached the end of the line. We have no choice but to jump."
"Agreed," said Fuchsia, nodding her head.
"WHAT!?" Lavender shouted as a look of disbelief came across her face.
"I’m sorry, Lav," Trixie said. "It's what has to be."
"Finally," said the voice behind them. "You three have wasted my time long enough!"
"Wait, don't we get any last words or something?" asked Fuchsia, her tone sounding a bit irritable.
"Fine, whatever," said the voice. Based on the tone, they could only surmise that the statement was followed by an eye roll. "Any last words?"
"Yes! Please let us go!" Lavender pleaded as she began crying again. "I don't wanna die! I wanna go home!"
"Go to hell," Fuchsia said arrogantly with a smile. "You'll get no such pleasure out of me."
"I have no final words," Trixie said as she looked at to left, Fuchsia flashing a quick smirk at her. "However, I do have a final request."
The lack of a response prompted her to continue. "I request we jump together, hand-in-hand, as friends should. We came here together, we'll die here together."
They heard a sigh. "Fine, whatever. Just go, NOW!"
Slowly, Trixie extended her arms and took her friends' hands, all of them feeling the pounding of their hearts in each other's palms. Trixie's breathing began to intensify while Lavender continued bawling, tears streaming down her cheeks as she began hyperventilating. Fuchsia, on the other hand, remained silent, her eyes redirecting towards the cliff-face below them.
"Why does it have to be this way?" she asked, using her other hand to clear her eyes again. "Why couldn't we have just walked way?"
"Calm down, Lavender," said Trixie, trying her best to sound sincere. "No point in thinking about that now. Focus on the now. Trust me, everything will be alright."
"Trixie's right," Fuchsia said softly. "Just hold on tight and think of happy thoughts. It'll all be over before you know it."
Lavender sniffled as she tried her best to smile. "It's been an honor being your friend, girls."
Trixie only nodded at her as she held her hand tightly, giving a reassuring smile. Then she turned to Fuchsia, who was biting her lower lip. She quickly glanced at her before looking at the canyon, her grip beginning to tighten as hard as she could
"Alright, on the count of three," Trixie said, all of them bending their knees, ready to jump together. "One..."
"Mom, Dad...if you can hear me..." Lavender whispered as she lightly closed her eyes. "I love you. Please forgive me!"
"Two..."
"Grand finale," Fuchsia whispered through gritted teeth as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Let's go."
"...Three!"
With that, still hand-in-hand, the three of them jumped off the ledge, towards the end of their journey.
Chapter 1: Welcome to Las Vegas
Ten Days Earlier
"The white line is for the loading and unloading of passengers only," an automated voice said over the loudspeaker, which was barely audible over the sounds of the various aircraft and the vast crowds of people throughout the airport terminal.
Trixie Lulamoon looked around the vast building, her parents not too far behind her. They were waiting on line in front of the security gate, where she would be going on a two-week vacation for the first time by herself with only her two closest friends. As the time drew nearer and nearer for her to enter the gate, the anticipation began running through her, making her start to feel giddy and nervous.
As they waited, she could have sworn she heard her mother say something to her, but the ambience of the terminal made it hard for her to hear; not to mention her attention being drawn to where she was and the trip she was about to embark on detracted her from listening.
"Trixie, did you hear me?" her mother said, drawing Trixie's attention back to the present.
"Huh?" she asked as she turned to look at her. "N-No, I didn't. Sorry."
"I said to make sure you call us when you land and every night while you're there," she repeated. "This is your first trip by yourself and we want to make sure..."
"...that I'm safe," Trixie finished, mimicking her mother's voice. Reverting back to her own voice, she said, "I know, mother. I'm not a little kid anymore."
"We mean it, young lady," said her father in a stern voice. "We're only making sure you’re responsible enough to handle yourself. Please don't make us regret allowing you to go on this trip."
Softening her attitude, she said, "I know, Dad. You have my word."
Before they knew it, it was Trixie's turn to walk through the security check gate. It was only now that her anxiety began to skyrocket, bordering on her wanting to call the whole thing off. However, since this whole vacation was planned for the past several months now, she immediately talked herself out it. Still, that didn't take away her panic. Taking a deep breath, she turned to both her parents with a smile on her face.
"Well," she said, her voice cracking unexpectedly. Quickly clearing her throat, she continued, "I guess this is it, huh?"
"So it is," her father said, putting his hands in his pockets as her mother only nodded in agreement.
They all fell silent after that for a moment, unsure of what to say next. Then, Trixie threw her arms around both her parents, holding them in a tight embrace. For a brief moment, both of them were taken aback as they slowly held their daughter in their arms, both of them shooting each other a surprise glance.
"I'm gonna miss you so much," she whispered, a small tear of joy streaming down her face.
"Aww, sweetheart," her mother said in a matching tone. "We'll miss you, too."
"Have a safe trip," her father said. "We hope to hear from you soon."
"I know I don't say this often," she continued, trying not to let herself fall apart in front of them. "But, I love you both so much."
"We love you too," he said.
After what felt like an eternity had passed, the three of them released their embrace, the two parents watching their daughter placing her bags on the conveyor belt to be scanned.
As she began heading towards the metal detector, her father yelled out, "Just remember one thing, Trixie."
She turned to look at them with an inquisitive look. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!"
Trixie let out a laugh as she watched her mother hit him on the shoulder, giving him a shocked, yet playful look. With one last wave goodbye, she turned and entered the gate, getting ready to go on her first trip out of the country. Admittedly, she was extremely nervous about being away from her parents for so long; two weeks feels like an eternity when one thought about it. However, she wiped her eyes clear and tried to act like it didn't bother her. She was twenty-one now [she had been for several months now], so she shouldn't have too much of a problem with leaving the country for a little while.
As she took her bags of the belt and began making her way towards the terminal, she heard a familiar voice from beside her call out, "Hey, Trix!"
Turning her head, she smiled as she saw her two best friends, Lavender Lace and Fuchsia Blush, walk up to her. Immediately, the three of them placed their bags down and shared a friendly hug with each other. Afterwards, Fuchsia looked at Trixie and immediately noticed the glossy look in her eyes, making her scoff and cock an eyebrow.
"What's with the tears?" she asked in a teasing voice. "You afraid of being away from 'mommy' for a few weeks?"
Wiping her eyes, she shot back with a smile, "I wasn't crying. Why would I cry?"
"Think nothing of it," Lavender chortled. "Fuchsia cried when she left her parents, too."
"LAV!" she shouted through gritted teeth, hitting her arm as her cheeks flushed. "I told you not to tell!"
The two of them shared a laugh as they all began making their way towards the baggage drop-off, the busy crowds around them encouraging them to stick together.
"So," Lavender began, leaning in towards Trixie. "How does it feel to finally be twenty-one?"
"Honestly, no different than when I was twenty," she said.
"I hear that," said Fuchsia. "Sometimes, I feel like it's not all that's it's cracked up to be."
"Aww, c'mon you two, don't be like that," Lavender said. "Sure, it was a month or two ago, but we still managed to save enough money to go on this trip, right? That’s gotta mean something!"
"Yeah, I suppose," Trixie responded with a hand flicking her hair. "This trip is all because of me turning legal age, so that does count for something."
Fuchsia rolled her eyes. "Is there ever a day that goes by where you don't stroke your ego? Keep doing it in public and someone will call the police on you."
Trixie shot her a disgruntled look as Lavender let out a laugh. Their stare-down lasted a few moments before Fuchsia began laughing herself. "I'm just playin' with ya, Trix. You know I love you."
She smiled and said, "Still, I can't thank you two enough for everything. This trip may be about me, but it wouldn't have been possible without the two of you."
"Think nothing of it!" Lavender exclaimed while throwing her arms around her. "That's what friends are for, right?"
"No problem," said Fuchsia as she patted her on the back.
The rest of the journey was made in silence as they placed their bags on the belt to be boarded onto the plane. Then, the three of them waited for a while until they heard their flight being called on the loudspeaker. After passing through the last gate, they boarded the plane, all of them eager to get their trip underway. Upon boarding the plane, a small conundrum came up, causing the three of them to stand in the aisle of the plane for many moments.
"Are you sure you don't want the window seat, Lav?" Fuchsia teased with a smile. "Don't you want to see all the sights?"
"I-I'm sure," she said, trying not to make her panicking too obvious. "I...I don't think my stomach will be able to take it."
"Relax. I'll take the window seat," Trixie retorted. "I don't have a problem with it."
"We'll see, won't we?" Fuchsia snapped back, the two of them glaring at each other as they took their seats.
After several minutes of waiting, the moment finally came when the pilot announced that they would be departing the airport shortly. It was in that moment that Trixie took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart as she looked out the window. Her mind instantly thought about her parents, their home, and everything she had come to know in their hometown and how it would be a while until they see it again.
"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Lavender squealed from between them, snapping Trixie out of her thoughts. "Aren't you two excited?"
"Sure...ecstatic," Fuchsia mumbled, making the other two wonder if she was serious or being sarcastic.
"Lighten up, Fuch," Trixie said as she raised an eyebrow. "What's with you all of a sudden? You're starting to freak me out."
"I'm fine," she replied as she turned her head away from the others, biting her lower lip. "I just...want to get going, that's all."
Seeing this brought a coy smile to Lavender's face. "You're nervous, aren't ya?"
"No, I'm not!"
"Are you sure? You look pretty nervous to me."
"Just leave me alone, alright!"
"It's okay if you are," Trixie tried to sympathize. "We're all pretty ner-"
"We'll I'm not, so just quit asking and leave me alone."
With a final crossing of her arms, the three of them fell silent for a moment as the final preparations of their flight were made. Only five to six minutes had passed before Lavender leaned in and whispered, "You'll feel much better when we get there."
Fuchsia was about to say something, but was interrupted when the plane started moving, making her all fall silent with a startled look on her face. Quickly, she rid herself of her expression when she saw Lavender giving her a shrewd look out of the corner of her eyes.
The feeling was intense as they felt the plane slowly move on the runway and begin taking off. Trixie looked out the window as the plane began making its ascend from the ground to the air. After a while, they were off the ground, everything outside of the plane vanishing and being replaced with puffy white clouds.
Letting out one last sigh to calm her nerves, Trixie kept her vision out the window as they slowly made their journey to the city of Las Vegas.
Several hours had passed when the three of them finally reached their destination. After a rather shaky and bumpy landing, the three girls got out of their seats and exited the plane, entering McCarran International Airport. Looking outside through the airport's window, they saw that it was night now, the sun slowly starting to set on the horizon. The sky looked magnificent with the various shades of blue and purple than red and orange. However, what caught their attention besides the scenery was the amount of lights across the horizon, blinking various colors.
"Wow!" Lavender began, her pupils wide as she gawked at the city's lights. "We didn't even go anywhere and it looks beautiful! I can't wait to get started."
"Me neither," said Trixie in a matter-of-factly tone. "First things first: we need to check into our motel. Then, the real fun can begin!"
"Think we can check in and call it for the night?" asked Fuchsia. Her uptight mood had lightened up, but it was replaced with a look of nausea. "I think the jetlag is getting to me."
"Very well," said Trixie as she waved a hand. "But, that doesn't mean we can't see some sights on the way to the motel, right?"
All of them nodding in agreement, they began making their way through the airport, retrieving their bags and exiting through the third terminal. Once they were outside, they were immediately welcomed by the bright neon sign that said, "Welcome to Las Vegas". The three of them looked at the sign together, all of them with smiles on their faces.
"Well, my fellow 'Illusions'," Trixie said as she put her hand on each of their shoulders. "I believe we have arrived!"
"We sure have," said Fuchsia, returning the gesture.
"Ooh! Ooh! One for MyStable!" Lavender exclaimed as she took out her smart-phone, going straight for the camera app. Then, the three of them grouped together in front of the sign as she held it in front of her.
"Everyone say 'Vegas'!" she said with a smile. They all said it together as she took the picture. Then they all looked at the photo, all of them letting out a laugh at the strange duck-face Lavender made in the photo.
It wasn't long before they hailed a taxi to take them to their motel. Fortunately for them, they had enough cash on hand to be able to take it from the airport and through 'The Strip' before going to their destination. When their taxi arrived, the three of them got in and prepared for the beginning of an unforgettable journey. After several miles, their cab got off the interstate and onto 'The Strip', all of them brimming with excitement. Immediately Lavender took out her smart-phone again and prepared her camera, ready to take pictures of everything and anything she could see.
It was a good thing they were traveling through Las Vegas in the night; not only did they see all of the buildings the way they were meant to be seen, but the packed traffic in the streets gave them enough time to fully gawk at the magnificence of the city. Not to mention it gave them more time to take pictures without much difficulty.
The streets were like a sea of lights, colors, movement, and everything in between. As Trixie and Fuchsia looked from one end of the taxi to the other with anticipation and amazement at their environment, Lavender began taking pictures of everything. From casinos to hotels, like Monte Carlo, Tropicana, New York, New York, Paris Las Vegas, the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, and The Mirage, to some of the smaller attractions and sights, they looked at everything they could before they got off 'The Strip' and headed for their motel.
"This is so...AMAZING!" exclaimed Lavender as she put her heated smart-phone away. "What should we do first? Where should we go first?"
"I don't know," Fuchsia said, trying to calm herself so she wouldn't regurgitate in the car. "I can't wait to visit some of those casinos! I bet we'll hit it big! You know, 'beginner's luck' and all that! We'll come here with nothing and leave here with everything!"
"You bet!" Trixie chimed in. "Not to mention hitting some of the night clubs and bars. Who knows, maybe we'll find some fine-looking guys here."
They began shouting for joy as they continued making their way to their destination. Sometime later, they reached the 'Aviator Motel' on the far end of the city; it may not have been as high class and ritzy as most of the hotels/casinos, but it was one they could afford on the amounts they were making. Once they arrived, they took their bags, retrieved their key at the front desk and made their way to their room. Although their room had everything they could possibly need, the only downside was that it had only two beds, forcing two of them to share [they would have gotten a third bed, but it was a little bit out of their budget].
"I deserve the single bed," Trixie stated. "I need my beauty sleep and I can't get it with someone lying next to me."
"That's not fair," whined Lavender as she stomped her foot. "I don't wanna share with Fuchsia! Besides, I sleep better by myself!"
"Bull-crap on that!" Fuchsia argued. "I'm the one who feels sick, so I should sleep alone. If you don't like it, then go sleep on the floor."
"Why don't you sleep on the floor? It suits you better!"
"Drop dead!"
"You first!"
"Hmph," Trixie huffed with a smile. "Well, you two can argue about it all you want. I'm taking the single bed."
"Yeah, well who the hell are you?" Fuchsia asked.
"I'm the leader of this group, that's who."
"Hey, you may have been 'the leader' during the 'Battle of the Bands', but that's been over with for years! Why should we listen to you now?"
"Because I am the reason we made this trip in the first place. I am the guest of honor and I deserve to make the decision as to who gets the single bed, and I say it should be me!"
Lavender and Fuchsia fell silent; although they didn’t want to admit it, she made a very valid point. As Lavender moaned in defeat and Fuchsia groaned in frustration, Trixie placed her bags on the bed, immediately taking out her smart-phone to call her parents. As she began pulling up her contacts, she watched the others from the corner of her eyes with a smile, Fuchsia still trying to convince Lavender to sleep on the floor.
Rolling her eyes, she hit the button to call her parents and put the phone against her ear. After a few rings, she heard her mother's voice answer the phone.
"Hi, Mom," she said softly so the others wouldn't hear her.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said. "How was your flight? Is everything alright? Did you girls make it to your hotel safely?"
Trixie couldn't help but laugh. "Everything's fine, Mom. The flight was a little bumpy, but either than that, we're all okay. We're gonna call it for the night, since Fuch is a little queasy from the jetlag."
Her mother laughed on the other end. "Well, try not to get into too much trouble out there. They don't call it 'the City of Sin' for nothing, so be careful."
"We will."
"I do hope you and the girls are getting along with each other. Tell Fuchsia that I hope she feels better, but I hope you're treating her with respect. I know you three tend to...you know...get under each other's skin from time to time."
Trixie let out a sigh through her nostrils. "I am and I'll let her know."
The two of them fell silent for a few moments before Trixie said, "It hasn't even been twenty-four hours and I miss you both so much already."
"Us too, Trixie," her mother said with a sigh. "It's so different without you here."
Another moment of silence followed.
"Well, I guess I'll let you go and get some rest," she said. "I imagine you three have a big day planned for tomorrow."
"You could say that, I guess," Trixie said, her eyes starting to pool with tears. "I love you, Mom. Tell Dad that I said hi and that I'll call tomorrow."
"Okay. We'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you, Trixie."
After they both hung up, Trixie sprawled out on the bed and looked at the ceiling. Her heart was beating rapidly as she tried to comprehend that she was going to sleep without her parents in the other room for the first time. Quickly, she wiped her eyes of tears so the others wouldn't see it, got up, and decided to start unpacking her bags.
Looking at the others, who had come to some sort of agreement of where to sleep, she smiled and opened her bags. As she starting taking things out, she decided to put the thoughts of missing her parents behind her for now and focus on all the unforgettable experience they were going to have in the fabulous Las Vegas.
