Sequel: The Other Guy ›
Bang Bang
The old bartender wiped a dirty old rag against the worn wooden counter and barely spared a glance at the stranger sitting down. The sun had just set, which meant the bar was still mostly empty. It wouldn't be long before people getting off work came strolling in to spend this week's paycheck, but it was quiet right now. Just the way ol' Lou liked it.
"Hey, bartender? Just a Natty Light, thanks." Lou huffed, grabbed the beer, and slid it down the bar. The only sounds in the bar came from the old jukebox and the creaking of the stool the stranger was sitting on. Lou just kept on wiping down the bar, even though he knew good and damn well that it would be sticky again in an hour.
"Bang bang, he shot me down," the old jukebox crooned.
"What are all the pictures for?" the stranger asked. Lou tossed the rag onto his shoulder and turned to look at the wall behind the bar. Pictures from the past twenty years, since he bought the bar, peppered the long stretch of wall. Pictures of birthday parties, bloody faces, and a few biker memorials.
"Memories," was all Lou said.
"Can you actually remember all those?" Some memories were fuzzier than others, but Lou always had a good memory.
"Bang bang, I shot you down."
"This one was taken in November 2006." Lou tapped one of the many pictures, and the old stool groaned as the stranger leaned over the bar to get a better look. It was a picture of a guy and a girl, dancing in a slow circle with their eyes closed. No one else was on the dance floor, but a few people were looking on.
"What's so special about that one?" Lou turned around as the stranger sat back down, and he started running his rag back over the bar. He'd taken that photo on a whim, for no other reason than a few old memories of his own. There had been something special about the two of them dancing like that, even though they were just normal people.
"Never seen nothin' sweeter than those two drunken fools, dancin' like they were the only ones here."
"Hey, bartender? Just a Natty Light, thanks." Lou huffed, grabbed the beer, and slid it down the bar. The only sounds in the bar came from the old jukebox and the creaking of the stool the stranger was sitting on. Lou just kept on wiping down the bar, even though he knew good and damn well that it would be sticky again in an hour.
"Bang bang, he shot me down," the old jukebox crooned.
"What are all the pictures for?" the stranger asked. Lou tossed the rag onto his shoulder and turned to look at the wall behind the bar. Pictures from the past twenty years, since he bought the bar, peppered the long stretch of wall. Pictures of birthday parties, bloody faces, and a few biker memorials.
"Memories," was all Lou said.
"Can you actually remember all those?" Some memories were fuzzier than others, but Lou always had a good memory.
"Bang bang, I shot you down."
"This one was taken in November 2006." Lou tapped one of the many pictures, and the old stool groaned as the stranger leaned over the bar to get a better look. It was a picture of a guy and a girl, dancing in a slow circle with their eyes closed. No one else was on the dance floor, but a few people were looking on.
"What's so special about that one?" Lou turned around as the stranger sat back down, and he started running his rag back over the bar. He'd taken that photo on a whim, for no other reason than a few old memories of his own. There had been something special about the two of them dancing like that, even though they were just normal people.
"Never seen nothin' sweeter than those two drunken fools, dancin' like they were the only ones here."