Governor Phillip turned without a farewell or salute as two convicts closed in, lifting and carrying the body away.
Sydney – Present Day
“Cheers,” the bartender said to his last patron of the night, a heavy-set man sitting opposite him, wearing a suit with loosened tie and top collar, his shoulders dampened by the weather. “A fucked up end to a fucked up day.”
“I’ll drink to that,” the man replied as they chinked their shot glasses together. Feeling the fiery liquid drop down their throats, the flow of conversation eased, unlike the roar of the rain outside.
“You tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine,” the stranger said, tapping the bar with his glass.
Liberally filling his own glass as well, the bartender recalled the major events of the day. “Well, let’s see. Surprise inspection this morning, sick calls from my two only staff, whole day without a break, dodgy customers, scuffles in the bar, police called… And the best thing is, I get to wake up and come back to this shithole tomorrow.”
“Ain’t life a bunch of roses?” the customer replied solemnly, raising his glass in a toast and downing it in one.
“And chocolates,” the bartender agreed. “So what’s your story, champ? I gotta say, I was this close to telling you where to go when you came in, but just the look on your face… Christ, you looked like death warmed up.”
With a crash, the man dropped his glass to the floor.
“There we go again,” the bartender said, quickly gesturing to the man’s expression. “What the hell’s happened?”
The man shuddered, apologising, and placed his head in his hands. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Anyway, it’s a long story.”
“Try me, for Christ’s sake. I’ve only got a set amount of glasses.”
The man managed a short chuckle and the barman thrust another shot glass of whiskey in front of him. He accepted it with a shaking hand and drank up. When he placed the glass back down on the bar, the hand was much steadier. He loosened his tie once more, even though it was clearly not tormenting his throat. The bartender was patient.
Finally, after a long sigh, the man spoke. “Have you ever seen anyone die?”
Not quite sure what he’d been expecting—certainly not this—the barman took a minute before replying. “No, can’t say that I have.”
“What about horror movies…ever get into them?”
The bartender took a quick glance at the heavy man, his face curious. He quickly decided to answer the strange question, sure that it led to a point.
“Me and the missus were crazy about them as kids. Well, truth be told it was more me. You know the old hold-her-when-she-gets-scared move…” he replied with a smirk, remembering those nights at the drive-in, when her views of him being her knight in shining armour led to much more than just cuddling her in the back seat.
“What would you do for her when she finds out they’re real?”
“What, you mean horror movies?” The bartender, more concerned now, placed both hands on the bar and studied the man opposite him. “Sorry mate, but are you going to start making sense anytime soon?”
“Okay, listen. I was walking home from work tonight, like I always do. I take the same route pretty much every day as I have for the past seventeen years. I know the neighbourhood well, everyone’s familiar, you know how it is. Well, tonight, something was off. I knew I ought to hurry on home, but I didn’t. My stomach felt unsettled, so I decided maybe I needed a drink and then I could head home.”
“Okay. I’m with you so far.”
“I went to check out this bar I’d heard about from the young hot shots I work with. They said all kinds of crazy shit goes on there. Real ‘underground stuff’.”
“What…like drugs?”
“That’s what I thought they must have meant at first. But now I know they were talking about something…really underground.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“I went in…” he continued, indicating with a finger that he was getting to his point. “Ordered a drink and sat down. This place was unlike anything I’d ever seen before… Yet at the same time, it really was just like any other night club. Dark, misty as hell but I didn’t see any smoke machines, and with music that I’m too old to get into. But the women were unbelievable. Especially this one… Man, you should have seen her. Dark red hair, a real wine colour. The place was packed, but as she moved through the crowd, time seemed to slow down. Every eye was on her, you know? Gorgeous thing. A goddess. Just looking at her, you couldn’t even imagine what she would do to you in the sack because it would be so much better than your wildest dreams. She moved like she was a queen surrounded by servants, everyone parted for her to make her way past. And she left, just like that.
“Anyway, I dunno what came over me, but I stupidly tried to search for her until I caught another one in my sights. Not as stunning as the first, not by a long shot. She looked like she had just come out of an 80’s rock music video. Short blonde hair, and seemed like a pocket rocket…I like them,” he half chuckled. “I tried to get her attention, when all of a sudden she looked straight at me and stared and beckoned me over. I couldn’t move. I could not believe my luck. Just then, this little arsehole beside me decides to walk over to her. Bloke was so pissed
