The lights dimmed and the music turned low as the clock ticked past 11:59 pm. It was midnight. I stared at the man sitting opposite me. He was nodding his head to the low jazz music playing with a small smile on his lips. His eyes were closed and his mind was far away, probably in a very happy place. I knew that it was the alcohol moving in him and I was grateful that for yet another minute, he wasn't talking to me about something. It wasn't that I found most of his conversation boring but at this moment, I wasn't in that space. I wasn't in that mood for chitchat. It had to be just me today. Even if he had been kind enough to buy me some alcohol, I still wanted to be by myself tonight. I was also too drunk to process anything of all he had been saying.
I continued to observe him. He was away from the Earth's surface, probably somewhere higher than Earth. He was definitely in love with the music. He seemed charming, funny and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me and I wondered how well we would have spoken if the circumstances were different. I wonder if I would have found him an acquaintance if we had met outside this bar and if I was sober. Maybe we might have struck an amazing friendship.
But as the clock ticked on and the jazz music continued to play, I realized that I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to go home but still, something kept me in my seat. Maybe I didn't know anything about this guy, but he was someone to share this moment with. And that was enough for now. No talking, just drinking and swaying our heads to the music playing.
My mind suddenly played back on how we got to be sitting next to each other. I was all alone when he entered the door. Our eyes met and I removed my gaze from him almost immediately. His eyes had been fixed on me from the moment he walked into the bar, he didn't take it off me one bit. He moved past me to the counter and after some minutes, he came back holding a bottle of beer and a glass cup in a tray. He grinned awkwardly as he stood in front of me.
My mind said a very loud 'No' when he dropped his tray on the table I sat in but on the opposite side.
"You're all alone." He said. it sounded almost like a statement and a question at the same time. My slightly blurred vision rested properly on him and I forced a smile. I had a fast thought to tell him that I came with someone but it didn't seem to matter. He seemed unmoved. like he wouldn't move an inch until my so-called acquaintance somehow stepped into the bar. He wouldn't even leave then, he would try to look harmless and start up a conversation. Well, he did seem harmless. I nodded my head to him afterwards and he beamed.
"Well lucky for you, I do not mind keeping you company." He had said. He wasn't asking, he was volunteering completely. He said it like it was the most expected thing ever.
I had fought the urge to say thank you and shake my head and walk away but instead i forced tight smile. He hadn't seemed to mind even for a little bit as he sat down opposite me with a genuine smile plastered on his lips. I was tipsy and I did not want company but I knew that he had a pretty smile and I relaxed. There could be no possible harm or discomfort from him. I relaxed completely.
I couldn't define most of his other features but I really did not mind. I did not get a warning signal or a disturbing feeling anymore and so I did not feel harm. I had later made an attempt to leave the bar but he had stopped me. He didn't completely stop me but he had bribed me when he promised to buy me some wine. He quickly ordered a bottle of strong wine for himself and another bottle for me and I was completely relaxed.
He was nice after all. After we had both relaxed completely, he had made a toast to us and to 'tonight' when we got to meet each other and after that, he began conversations about college and his job and about each song that played.
I couldn't hear much, couldn't understand much but I was conscious enough to laugh every now and then and to add a "yeah" or an "un huh" after he had said something.
Over and over, I fought the urge to excuse myself and walk out of the bar but I knew that I wasn't done yet. Not with him, but with this bar and with this strong wine. I also knew that he would most likely follow me out and end up knowing my house. Him knowing my house wasn't a bad thing but in my drunken state, it was specially a very dangerous thing.
In a very short amount of time, I had begun to sink deeply under the influence of alcohol. Soon, I did not have to fake interest in his conversations, I couldn't hear him anymore. He was completely distant, even more distant than my thoughts.
Something pressed on me to go home but I wanted to be completely wasted before staggering back to my house five blocks away. I was already wasted but I was still a little bit too sober for my liking.
I knew my house too well to get missing and even in my drunken state, I never missed the road. It was a Friday ritual. It was like a culture that I have never ever broken or planned to break in the near future. I had earlier finished my part time job, stressed from the entire day's engagement and I wanted to just relax like I always did. It was more than just relaxation to me. It was like therapy, like a moment's escape from earth.
Maybe he noticed that I was already far too long or maybe it was just the alcohol spiced up by the jazz music playing but he soon stopped talking to me. His fingers played an invisible key in the air and his eyes were closed. He was deeply immersed in music. I was deeply vanished into my drunkenness. It was a moment I felt deep in my soul. For the first time, I stared at him to grasp his facial features. He had black silly hair. He was pretty. I giggled at my choice of words. He was an attractive man.
I stared at the clock again. 12:40 am. I drank invincible wine from the bottle and I cleaned my mouth. I pulled my chair backwards and stood up. It was finally time to go.
I considered tapping the man and letting him know that I was about to go but his eyes were still closed. Maybe he was asleep. I walked past him, towards the door. I turned towards the direction of the counter and I waved to Mr Daniel. He was standing at the counter. His wife stood next to him but he smiled back at me. I guess she didn't mind after all. I reached out for the handle of the door when it suddenly opened fiercely. I staggered backwards and almost fell down due to the forceful impact.
Men in masks, armed from teeth to teeth, flooded into the bar. I tried to process what was going on, I wanted to figure out if this was an idea from my head in my drunken state and nothing close to reality but as I heard everybody whimper in confusion and fear, I realized that it was infact reality.
And I realized that this was what I had been subconsciously waiting for.
Gradually, my eyes cleared. The alcohol that had been moving in me and that was causing me to stagger cleared away. I could see. I could hear and I knew one thing.
We were in grave danger.
"Put your hands above your head!" A Spanish accent commanded.
I scanned the men. They were eight in number. Eight bulky Men. They were heavily armed with guns and each had a black scarf tied over their faces.
I screamed in fear. A very loud scream that only us in the bar could hear. Without looking, without thinking, my shaky legs rushed towards the backdoor. It was a failure of an attempt to escape from these men as one of the men grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against the wall. I groaned in pain as I crashed to the floor. With raspy breath I stared at the man, he looked back at me fiercely, his gun pointed at me.
He cocked his gun and my head felt very light, like a floating ball.
They would kill us.
Beads of sweat formed on my face , gumming to my forehead. My fringe hair poured across my face in a very disheveled manner. Three buttons of my T-shirt were unhinged and I whimpered in fear. I couldn't see the others from where I lay but I could hear them and I knew that the air was tense with great fear.
Who were these men? Where did they come from? What did they want?
"Everybody stand up!, your hands on your head!" The Spanish voice called out. I stared at him as he gave signals to some of his men. They moved swiftly as one stood at the front door keeping watch. Another one stood in front of the backdoor guarding it. The remaining six stayed with us in the center of the bar.
"Stand up! Face the wall!" The voice called again. Quickly, we scrambled to our feets. It happened in a flash. Mr Daniel, the owner of the Bar made a run towards the counter. He reached out for the phone dialler that sat on the table but just before he could reach it, he was knocked down by one of the men. The man that knocked him down used a gun to hit his head. He winced in pain and blood trickled down his forehead. His wife screamed and ran towards him but one of the men rushed at her. He held her with his strong arms across her neck and with his gun pointed to her head. She whimpered like a child and tears flowed freely from her eyes. Mr Daniel lay defenseless on the ground. Blood ran down his forehead nonstop and I feared that he would pass out very soon.
We were dead.
These men meant harm. Whatever they were here for or whoever had sent them here meant business. They were brutal. I stood swiftly with my shaky hands above my head. I was aware and very much aware of one fact. The slightest mistake and these men would rain fire on all of us. I controlled my breathing as I stood in a line with the others.
We formed a vertical line facing the wall with each of us facing the wall. The smallish man that had been talking to me stood at the beginning of the line with me standing next to him. He was afraid too, that I knew of. I wondered why this night had to be this way. Partly, I blamed him that I had to meet this. If I had been gone a long time ago, when I wanted to, I wouldn't have been entangled in this situation. Still, a part of me knew that I couldn't blame myself. As a matter of fact, I had been excited at his offer of staying for extra drinks. He never forced me, he never made a fuss about it. I accepted his offer on my own.
Slowly, I glanced at him with my side eyes. His face was blank and his eyes were shut tight. He seemed oddly calm and suddenly, I wondered if he knew something about these men. I wondered if he had something to do with these men and if we were in danger because of him. I wondered if stalling me behind had been part of the plan. I almost cried at the realization that I could have been home by now, away from all of this, from this grave danger.
My thoughts were interrupted when we heard a gun cock.
I gulped loudly.
"Begin." The voice with the Spanish accent commanded again and I felt madness. In my head, in my eyes, on my feet and in my entire body I felt great madness.
Two more guns cocked in the room.