Living in Arisgore was a nightmare for Rocky, and everyday he wished he was out of the little town where everyone knew you and traditions and custom were important. He wondered why it was so difficult for the town to evolve and adapt to the new ways of the world but were hellbent on sticking up to traditions. He planned to save up enough money and leave the little town to go to the city to explore and currently he worked at a bar in Arisgore.
It was evening and like every other evening, Rocky was in his way to the bar. He wore a blue sweatshirt with hoodie over a pair of denim trousers. As he walked to the bar, he thought about the conversation he had with his mother about his father.
He had grown up with his mother all his life and what little memory he could remember about his father was all hazy, but he remembers that his father was a big man with a booming voice and dark skin and he always carried him on his shoulders or threw him in the air to catch him back and this he had enjoyed, screaming with excitement any time he was thrown into the air, but then his father had left and he and his mother moved to Arisgore.
Over the years, when Rocky had gotten older, he asked about his father– where he was, why he left them, but his mother would shut up and stare into space and if she was drunk which happened more often, she would shout at him to shut up.
Today, he had brought up the topic again before he left for work. His mom was sitting on a sofa in their living room, smoking a cigarette.
"Mamma," he began. "I want to leave Arisgore."
She had looked at him in silence for a while before she spoke.
"And where would you go?" She asked
"I want to go to the city."
His mother scoffed. "And why would you go to the city that has no place for losers like you?"
"There is nothing left for me here in Arisgore and..." he hesitated. "I would like to look for Dad."
His mother had looked at him with anger etched in her face. "Why would you go looking for that man, that... that man who left me, who left us."
"I need to know why he left me. Why did he leave, Mamma?" he asked for the hundredth time. His mother had remained silent, her cigarette long forgotten and burnt out with clumps of hot ashes on the carpet, creating a hole.
Rocky could not bear her silence and so he left, promising himself that he would leave before his eighteenth birthday which was in three months time.
"It won't be long now," he thought and his mind wandered to the money in his piggy bank that was growing slowly everyday.
The bar that night was full as it was someone's birthday and Rocky served so many customers that he lost count. The bar was built with wood gotten from trees that grew in the forest near Arisgore and today it smelled of stale sweat, beer and barbecue. A female strip dancer, who had been paid by the people celebrating, danced on stage while the men hooted and whistled loudly.
Suddenly, the door to the bar was opened and a huge man walked in. He was dressed all in black leather, and he emitted such strange energy that had everyone in the bar stop what they were doing to stare at him. The bar was so silent that a pin dropped could be heard.
The man walked up to the counter where Rocky served drinks and sat on a stool. He took off the hat which he wore and Rocky saw his face clearly; it was covered in pink scars which made his face look misshapen and his left eye was blind.
"What would you like, mister?" Rocky asked.
"A bottle of beer," the man said. Rocky was taken aback by the man's voice which was soft and womanly. He looked at the man with the side of his eyes as he got the beer– this man spiked his curiosity and he wanted to know where he was from and who he was
The bar had resumed to its normal state and the loud hooting and guffaws had resumed as the stripper was left with nothing on but a pair of tiny pant and bra that barely covered anything, leaving nothing to the imagination.
The night was chilly and quite uneventful except during the arrival of the huge man who had stared at him with a chilly look. At first Rocky had been curious about the man but then his stare had sent chills down Rocky's spine, and he had been glad when finally, he stood up and left. He stood outside the bar, rubbing his hands together to make them warm. He couldn't wait to get home and dive under the warmth of his blanket and zoom off into a dreamless sleep.
He heard the sound of tin falling on the ground, and he sharply turned only to see the man from the bar standing and leaning on the wall. Suddenly, Rocky became aware of how empty and deserted everywhere was as it was still three in the morning and everyone had left the bar including it's owner who had locked it up and left some minutes ago.
When he saw how empty the place was, he began to walk home, walking as fast as he could. He could feel the eyes of the man on his back and he turned only to see an expression on the man's face that he couldn't decipher.