The American Nightmare

“Hey Charnas, your phone is going off!” My fellow bartender of the night, Nico, yells over SAVAGES by Ice Nine Kills. Rolling my eyes, I hand an overly flirty college student his PBR before heading over to my register to pick up my phone. Looking at the screen I see that it’s my brother, Spencer, trying to video call.

Despite knowing I’ll have a hard time hearing him, I answer the call. Spencer innocently smiles as I glare at him. “Hey Henley.” He says, still smiling. “How’s my favorite sister doing? What are you doing?” I turn my back to the packed bar, holding up the phone high enough to show him before bringing the phone back to my face. “That packed, huh?”

“Yes, yes that packed. It’s a Friday in Salem, Spencer.” I remind him. “So what do you want, big brother? Aren’t you supposed to be on tour?”

“We actually have a few days off and are spending it in Salem.” He responds. “So what are your thoughts on us coming to visit you?”

“You know I’ll never say no to that.” I tell him. “If you want to come to the bar, I can kick the people out of the area close to the stage so you guys aren’t bothered.”

“Please,” he scoffs. “We’re fine at the bar. So if you want to make sure there, we wouldn’t say no to that.”

“How soon can you guys get here?” I ask him. “I have a big group that’s at the bar and they’re leaving in maybe 15 minutes.”

“We’ll be there in ten.” He smiles. “Love you, Henley.”

“Love you too, Spence.” I chuckle before hanging up the video call.

“Big brother in town?” Nico questions. “That’s not gonna end well.”

“It never ends well when Ice Nine Kills comes to the bar.” I laugh. “All of us are getting drunk tonight…”

Patrick’s POV

“Ok fuckers,” Spencer yells as he gets off the phone. “We need to be at The Final Girls Pub in ten minutes.” He announces. “Henely is saving us a spot at the bar and the bar is packed so they won’t be open long.”

“You’re lucky your baby sister owns that bar.” Ricky laughs. “She’s only doing this because big brother asked her to.”

“Just get ready, we need to be out of here soon.” He says before leaving to go back to his own room to get ready. It was his idea to stay in Salem for a couple days. I guess he was missing home and more importantly, his sister. Spencer and Henley are insanely close. Hell, all of us are insanely close to Henley. She’s like the unofficial member of Ice Nine Kills.

**

All of us get ready in record time and we head into The Final Girls Pub well before ten minutes. Walking into the pub is what I imagine the world inside of Spencer’s head looks like. Henley has this place decorated with wall to wall horror movie memorabilia. The place is dark, the only real light is over the bar; the lighting everywhere else is done by black light and black light reactive paint. This place at night is like a trippy horror movie.

We walk over to the bar and find the seats Henley has left open for us. Nico, her other bartender, is the first to notice us. “Look what the cats dragged in,” he yells over our cover of Thriller. “What can I get you guys?”

“If I say Alien Brain Hemorrhage, would that summon Henley?” Joe jokes, knowing how much Henley hates making that drink.

“I mean if you want to die, go for it.” Nico laughs. “Henley should be back, she’s in the back grabbing a few bottles we ran out of. Want me to get you a drink while you wait or are you gonna put Charnas to work tonight?”

“I’m down torturing my sister if you guys are.” Spencer states, looking at us. “Get us a round of whatever the special is then.”

“Alrighty then, five Bloody Jacks coming right up.” Nico says before walking off to get the things he needs for the drinks.

Quickly the song changes from Thriller to Werewolf by Motionless in White and soon Henley appears behind the bar with two bottles of Jameson. “I swear this was the 5th time today that someone played the Ice Nine Kills cover of Thriller. I’m getting sick of hearing that shit.” She hasn’t noticed us yet.

“Love you too, sis!” Spencer yells, causing the girl to look up. “Sick of hearing my voice? Or just the song in general?” Henley laughs before coming around the bar and pulls him into a hug. “I miss you sis.” I hear Spencer murmur to Henley before kissing the side of her head. One by one she hugs all of us.

“Seriously how often do you have to hear our band?” I ask her, holding onto her a bit longer than the other guys.

“Way too fucking much.” She chuckles, squeezing me a bit before letting go. “Like there are other bands these people can play. Just because I’m a horror themed bar, doesn’t mean I have to have Ice Nine Kills on repeat every damn day. I’m sick of my own brother’s voice.” She whines. “Do you guys need anything?”

“Nico is getting us drinks.” Ricky tells her. “But Joe here wants an Alien Brain Hemorrhage.” Ricky shoots Joe a smirk, causing the brunette next to me to roll her eyes.

“You guys suck.” She mutters. “But we are so doing shots, it’s not every day I get all of you fuckers under the same roof. I’m so going to take advantage of this.”

“Bring your worse,” I shoot her a smirk. She smirks back before going back behind the bar. She pulls out six shot glasses and then pulls out Jameson, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, and Johnnie Walker. “Four Horsemen shot, seriously Henley?”

“What’s the matter, Galante?” She asks, acting innocently. “I thought you were up for the challenge?”

“You’re crazy.” I laugh as she begins to pour the drinks. She stops and leans over to the bar, close enough so I can clearly hear her.

“I’m a Charnas.” She shoots a smirk my way. “I’m fucking insane. You should know that by now. And besides, I know you love a challenge.”

“You’re definitely right about that.” I chuckle. “And you’re definitely a challenge.” Her smirk just grows before she back away and continues to make the shots. She’s right though, I do love a challenge. And she’s the biggest challenge I can face…