The Bourbon Street Experience | LMAC FreeStyle Collage No. 168

Stepping onto Bourbon Street for the first time, Cynthia felt swept into an intoxicating sensory overload. A breathing kaleidoscope of neon lights, clinking glassware, and pulsating brass echoing through the night. The street was a living, breathing river of costumed revelers and vibrant chatter.

Overhead, a woman caught her eye from a crowded balcony, laughing as she tossed a glittering bead her way. Catching the dazzling welcoming prize, Cynthia shivered; a thrill rushing through.

The city's legendary nightlife felt less like a party and more like a beautifully chaotic, soulful symphony. Here, every corner held a new rhythm,. She was completely swept away by the magic of the Crescent City. She wandered past lively venues, weaving through a cheerful sea of revelers.

Bourbon Street. New Orleans.

To her right, a street musician belted out a soulful tune, while just ahead, bright streams of festive beads caught the ambient glow of the lights. Everywhere she glanced, people were laughing and dancing, completely embraced by the energy she'd only read about.

Her senses were overwhelmed; captivated by the scent of rich, spiced Creole cooking blending with the sweet, tropical scent of towering "go-cup" cocktails that lingered in the humid, night air.

The echo of a jazz trumpet from a distant club pounded her ears. Interrupting it was brass band that burst into a second-line. Cynthia couldn't help but join the swaying crowd, allowing the French Quarter nightlife vibe sway her.

For the first time in her life, she felt dangerously alive. The quiet, predictable dullness of her suburban life she had turned away from felt a million miles away. She smiled, letting the kaleidoscope envelope her.

Then, the glittering chaos turned to shadow.

She paused near the opening of a narrow, brick-paved alleyway, blinking to adjust her eyes.

Before she could react, a heavy hand gripped her upper arm with vice-like strength. Then, a pair of calloused hands effortlessly swept her off the pavement. He violently yanked her backward into the suffocating darkness of the corridor. She tried to scream, but the air was knocked out of her as he shoved her hard against the cold, damp brick.

A towering silhouette loomed over her, his face obscured by the flickering yellow light of a distant streetlamp. His eyes narrowed, scanning her wide-eyed expression as she clutched her oversized designer handbag and unbuttoned jacket.

He instantly knew she was a naive tourist.

Oh no, I'm being kidnapped, her brain screamed in sheer terror. He moved closer, his rough hand clamping over her mouth to stifle her cries.

As the horrifying reality of her situation set in, a sudden, paradoxical thought flashed through her mind. She was trapped in a nightmare. She stared into the dark abyss of the alley, her heart sank with a terrible realization. Her old life was peaceful, quiet, and dull; everything she'd desperately wanted to leave behind.

But now, as she realized she might never return home, a knowledge descended upon her, perhaps too late. The dullness she hated was exactly the safety she craved. The unexplored world was yet too big for her. And she didn't have the understanding how to keep herself from harm.

The unknown man whispered in her ear, "quiet. you're being followed. I've been hired by your parents to protect you."

Not knowing whether to believe her captive that a phantom person he claimed was following her, she bit hard on his hand, turned, then stabbed a violent thrust. He fell backward.

She ran from the alley as fast she could. Straight into the arms of a smiling young man with liquored breath wearing thin gloves.

"This was easier than I anticipated," the young man whispered, then grinned ominously while tightening his grip on Cynthia's left arm.

She wanted to scream, but realized it would be drowned out by the celebrations.

Suddenly, another hand grabbed her right arm. She was caught in between two men; both she didn't know which one wanted to her harm.

The elder man stated with authority, "It's best you release the young lady and go about your business before I summon the authorities. She is not for sale, rent, or anything else in between. Understand?"

The young man flashed a fake, sobering grin. "Wasn't looking for any trouble, man. Just a bit of fun; but, hey if she's already taken..."

He wasn't as drunk as he pretended staring directly into the older man's eyes. Immediately, he relaxed his grip on Cynthia's arm, raised both hands as if surrendering, backed away, then turned and hurried down the street. Within moments, he disappeared into the crowd.

Shaking, Cynthia turned toward the older gentleman and fell against his chest. "How foolish," she murmured.

"No. You're just young. I suggest the next time you vacation, take a friend along. Now, if you want to continue on, I'll accompany you, then escort you back to your hotel."

"That sounds nice. But I can't return home without some beads and having sipped one of those famous cocktails." She paused for long moment as if contemplating. "Thank you, sir. I owe you my life."

"No, call and thank your parents. That type of love in spite of is priceless." He flashed a genuine, fatherly smile.

Cynthia stared wide-eyed. Yes, she was naive. Her parents pleaded with her not to go to the French Quarter by herself. But she wanted to prove she was finally an adult, capable of handling herself.

"I promise," she replied weakly, suddenly needing that cocktail to settle her nerves.

My current freestyle collage entails a jazz theme as I ventured to the famous New Orleans spot. Bourbon Street. For the female's first time visit, I wanted to show the explosion of colors and sounds she experienced. Both good and bad resulted from her visit. I hope my design reflects the theme.

My style of collage is a Freestyle. Although I wasn't required to utilize any contest photo in my design, but the alleyway of the image fit perfectly with my theme. If you'd like to join in visit: Let's Make a Collage - A Contest for All Creatives on Hive - Round 252 - ✨45 HIVE in the Prize Pool!.

In preparing my design, I included the current contest image of an alley by @seckorama. I then used the image of a female's top body portion silhouette with an opening in her head. Perfect because I wanted to show the progression of her immaturity to wisdom along the way with various sights and sounds. I'd planned to insert a colorful image of a female dancer surrounded by plummage. On the walls of the street, I added a free-sourced photo of a jazz band.

I utilized Canva to blend the different type images. Below are my steps in which I began with a blank, white canvas, then added layers of elements, removing backgrounds, resizing, duplicating, detaching elements from their backgrounds, colorizing, and repositioning items as needed incorporating the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

Below are the images I included to complete my theme:

Item	Contributor	Source
LMAC Contest #252 Image	Contributed to #LIL by @seckorama	Link
Surreal image in woman's head	Pixabay	Link
People cheering at concert	Pexels	Link
Three wine glasses	Pixabay	Link
Female dancing amid colorful plum	Pixabay	Link
Abstract blue and green painting	Pixabay	Link
Street lamp	Contributed to #LIL by @seckorama	Link
Wings	Pixabay	Link
Angle in frame	Public Domain Pictures	Link
Pure Fractal titled "Disks In Time"	@justclickindiva	Link
Jazz artists	Pixabay	Link

Below is my completed collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.