The House of Fire and Bones

Gone With the Wind

   The frisky man stopped half way into the drink. He bent down to the hardwood floor, and gave a solid knock. It's hollow. "Do you have a hammer or a crowbar?" He asked, eying and measuring out the state of the planks.

   "Um... yeah, but you still haven't told me who you are..." the oh so clueless bartender replied.

   "Hehe, crowbar and I'll tell you, my friend."

Sticking out his hand over the counter for the tool to be placed in, he waited patiently. Eventually it landed in his hand, and he whisked away at the surprisingly weak floor. 5 planks laid by his side as Axel peered inside the well dug hole. "This place was renovated very cheaply." He made sure to say. Reaching inside, he pulled out a slightly rusted, metal box that clinked when he dropped it on the floor. "This is just perfect! It's still here!"

   "What? What's that? What is that?" The bartender interrogated.

   "Asking a lot of questions will get you killed, my friend."

   Immediately he shut up, and Axel pulled out a little, semitransparent, brown glass labeled 'simple syrup' that seemed to look brand new, despite the questionable number of years it's been there. Popping the lid open, he poured the thick substance into the glass of alcohol, and stirred. "Here you go," he slid the glass to her. "Old fashioned."

Chuckling, she downed it in three gulps, slamming it onto the counter. "Wowww, that really does taste good, haha."

Axel eyed her patiently as he scratched his neck roughly. He lifted the small bottle to look at the bottom. 'P.O.6/14/20' it read, and he gave an infamous grin. "I can tell you're quite drunk, lady. I wouldn't be surprised if you passed out any moment." He admired the bottle more.

"Oh. Oh, I can handle my... I can handle my l-liquor..." she swallowed, finding it hard to sit up straight, or even finish her sentence. "This, this is... oh, my head."

"This is what I meant. One more drink was too much."

The bartender spoke up, "Not another one passing out." He said just as her head dropped onto the table, and her eyes shut. "I guess I'll leave her there for a little."

Axel dismissed him and came out from behind the bar, making his way towards the woman. He placed his right hand over her mouth. No air came out. Then he let his hand under her nose. Still, no air flowed out. "Still got it." Axel began to cackle loudly, a few eyes looking his way. "What a stupid look on her face."

   Despite it being the perfect setting, Axel still needed to move quickly. It would only be a matter of time until they noticed how deathly pale she was, blood literally absent in her face, and how she wasn't breathing . He had to thank his stars it was a bar, for people pass out all the time. And sure, so people look a little pale, but this was pushing it.

  "Hey, so, what's your name? Because you just showed up and I need to know." The bartender perked up, scratching the back of his neck as he glanced at the woman.

   Axel clicked his tongue. "So what, you can call those pigs? Hell no." He spoke, "Didn't I say asking a lot of questions will get you killed?" He quickly stuffed the bottle back into the box with the others, and stored the box back into the hole in the ground, carefully hammering the planks into place.

   "What was the box for? The bottles?"

   "Listen closely, my friend... shut up." Axel snapped, keeping focus on covering any trace he was ever there. He even took the glass she drank out of, and wiped for prints, gently placing it in the sink under the counter. He then left the poorly insulted bartender to his thoughts alone. He sauntered over to the staff only door to leave, but was stopped by the two staff members from earlier.

   "Ohh no, you're not going through there again! Look. I don't know who you are but you can't just do what you want. You're gonna have to go through the front door like everyone else."

Axel stared at the man poking at his chest. "You're awfully close, my friend." He watched as he clutched at his shirt, knuckles whitening from pressure. "Oh man, I'm warning you to back off," he snickered.

"Or what? What are ya gonna do about it, huh?! Punch me?" He provoked.

This felt like dejavú. This has definitely happened before, he was sure of it. Or maybe his screws were looser than he thought. After all, when living in solitude, everyday starts to feel the same. "Ugh..." a rumbling sound erupted from Axel's stomach, and his cheeks puffed up before the breakfast he ate that morning tumbled onto the staff member's hand, and splattering all over the floor.

   Just like Priester had done, the man whipped his hand away and quickly made distance. "Oh  hell no... HELL NO!" He screamed, rushing to the bathroom before he too threw up everything.

   "Alright that's it, bud," the other staff member seared. "We're calling the-!"

    "OH LORD I'M SO SORRY!!" A familiar and annoying voice came crashing in. "Pleaseee forgive him! You see he's got a condition that makes him act like this," Sonia explained, wrapping his arms around Axel, and pulling him close. She stared down the staff member. "And he's not supposedly be here cause he hasn't taken his medication yet, so please don't mind him!" Staring at him with puppy eyes, she hugged Axel tighter, pulling the air out of him.

"Agh, well... you better keep your boyfriend under wraps; he was 'bout to be punched in the face!" He yelled through his teeth, stomping out of frame.

"Boyfriend!?" They both echoed, looking up and down at each other. Sonia letting go, as she was a blushing mess.

'She's like at least 20 years younger than me.' Axel pondered in disgust.

"L-let's just g-go... while you were doing god knows what, Rose robbed the place, and got something valuable..." Sonia whispered, dragging Axel alongside her through the front door, and around to the alleyway. There Rose was, leaning against the stolen vehicle, filing her nails in annoyance. When she noticed the two walking towards her, she clicked her tongue, smiled, then climbed into the drivers seat.

   "Oh we gotta go, like, now." Sonia paled, jogging over to the back of the truck, and whipping open the doors. When she notice the ex-inmate stay behind, she looked around frantically. "What are you doing!? Get in the truck!"

   "You think I'm gonna willingly be kidnapped again but two brats, and a fake physiatrist? You're crazy! I'd rather have those pigs arrest me again!" Axel said in shock, taking tiny steps back.

   "No, no, come back! I swear you're gonna want to get in 'cause I don't think you want to die right?!" Sonia tried, beckoning him closer.

   "Die? What do you mean die?"

   "Pleaseeeee just get in!"

   "... Damn those puppy eyes." Axel cursed, claiming into the van. Just before they had time to close the doors all the way, the truck came to life, sirens blaring, and backing out of the alley. They must've been going past the speed limit, for the cars around the seemed to just blur behind. "Why are we going so fast?" He finally mustered up to ask. Surely they didn't know about him poisoning a woman. He just couldn't fight the urge not to. He had been locked up for too long.

   "Just watch outside the windows, and pay closee attention to the bar." Sonia pointed to the road. And so Axel did. He watched and watched as nothing happened. He watched as it got further and further away.

   Then it happened.

   The bar he worked in for 20 years emitted an explosion that made his ears ring, and his eyes sting. Everyone in there probably except to go home that day, just a little drunk. But that was the least Axel was thinking about. So many countless memories resonated from that place, and it was gone in an instant.

   "I guess... you guys are serious about this."