Silence
The dim light in the stuffy pub flickered as a couple flew passed it, dancing to the fast-paced, the 1912 New Orleans Jazz that was filling everyone’s ears. The two men that were watching the dance floor at the safe distance at the bar smiled and chuckled at their own little joke. One of the men, James, knew he was having a bit too much to drink, which in his measures meant that he wasn’t drinking enough.
“A whisky on the dot!” , he almost shouted back to the bartender behind him and tapped on the counter, as if to gain his attention, not even bothering to look behind him to check if his order was registered.
He was too busy looking at the blonde woman at the other side of the pub. The way she wore that white dress, it was making his heart race. He prodded a bit to his friend, Walter, to gain his attention. He just pointed towards the woman and Walter grinned. He moved closer so he would hear what he had to say over the band’s furious tones on the saxophone.
“Didn’t think she was your type!” , Walter said a little surprised
“Neither did I, until I saw her.” , James answered, not taking his eyes away from her.
Suddenly, a glass of whisky glided across the counter and James still had the reflexes to catch it properly. He took some deep gulps and then put the glass back on the counter. He swayed to the beat of the rhythm.
Jake swayed to the beat of the rhythm. The 2012 techno beat was filling the dance floor and the flashy colored lights never stopped to reflect on the group of people dancing.
His buddy, Will, standing beside him laughed hysterically and Jake couldn’t help but do the same at the jokes he was throwing at him. But he never let his eyes go of the girl he had been targeting the whole night. Her night black hair and how her red, tight dress showed so much of her, made his blood pump faster.
He took a couple of sips of his beer. He had begun to see the room swirl a bit, a couple of drinks ago but he hadn’t passed out yet, and if anyone asked his friend Will that meant that the party wasn’t over. The beer bottle was soon empty and so he turned to the bartender who already was serving him another one.
“On the tab?” the bartender yelled questioningly to be heard over the loud music.
Jake nodded and took the new beer bottle to his mouth and took some more sips. He then tackled Will to gain his attention. When he finally reacted, Jake pointed at the girl in the red dress and did an imitated wolf sound to convey his interest in her. Will moved closer and yelled to overcome the voice of the techno-sound from the speakers.
“Don’t think she is your type, man!” , Will said with a disapproving voice.
Jake ignored him, he wouldn’t know a hot piece even if she was standing in front of him. He glugged the rest of the beer and did a satisfied voice . “Oh man, that’s good.” , he said, mostly to himself.
James put down his fifth glass of whisky and did a satisfied voice. “Oh man,, that’s good.” , he said, mostly to himself. James noticed his good judgment getting weaker and his boundaries did as well. He decided to approach the girl in the white dress. When he was close enough that she could hear him he opened a conversation.
“Hi beauty! What’s your name?” , James said with a flirty tone on his voice. He just pictured his face red and rosy because of the amount of alcohol in his body.
The girl just giggled and said. “You first, stranger.”
James smiled. “James. Nice to meet you.” He offered his hand.
She took the hand extremely gently and with her smooth and fragile hand. James couldn’t help but to adore it. Then he looked up and met the girl’s blue eyes with his own green.
“Lisa.” , she introduced.
“You don’t know what the wonderful things I want to do with you.” , he said with a secretive smile on his face.
“Like what?” she asked, not really knowing what he was referring to.
Then James noticed it. She was young, couldn’t be more than seventeen, but he didn’t care. After a while’s hesitation, he moved closer and whispered in her ear all the dirty and adult things he wanted to do with her.
Her face turned into shock, then anger. She slapped him, leaving a red mark on his face.
“The manners!!” Then she pushed her way through the crowd in the stuffy pub and headed towards the exit.
Now Jake knew he had been drinking too much, not remembering at all how many bottles or glasses of anything he have had. However, he hadn’t let the girl in the red dress out of his sight. He decided to approach the girl. He got so close that he could talk to her.
“Hi! I’m Jake.” he said while he jumped up and down with the rest of the dancing swingers.
“Hi! I’m Laura.” she answered. She turned around and their eyes met, now standing face to face.
James felt his nervousness kicking in when he stood so close to the girl he wanted do so much things with, none of them child-friendly. Now standing this close, he noticed that she couldn’t be more than seventeen. But he didn’t care.
“Want to have a good time?” Jake knew his mistake even before he had finished the sentence. He had really had too much to drink.
The girl stopped to jump up and down and so did Jake. Her face turned into shock, then anger. She slapped him.
“JERK!!” She pushed her way through the crowd on the dancing floor and headed towards the exit.
“Wait!!” James said, running after Lisa. He needed to tell her how sorry he was. How stupid he was. He ran out the exit and saw her moving away from the pub, walking down the street. He called on her.
“Lisa! Wait!”
Lisa turned around and looked at him with equal part fear and equal part determination.
“Get away from me. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”
He looked at her and his regret was openly shown. He noticed that she relaxed a bit.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.”
“No you shouldn’t have.” she said, hurt.
He moved closer and after his apology, she let him. When he got close enough, he could smell her rosemary perfume and he felt all the passion and lust coming back. With the alcohol in his blood he couldn’t help himself. He gave in to his lust.
“Wait!!” Jake said, running after Laura. He needed to say how sorry he was. How his nervousness had taken over. He ran out the exit and saw her moving away from the party, walking down the street. He called on her.
“Laura!! Wait!”
Laura turned around with equal part anger and equal part fear.
“Get away from me, creep! I have pepper spray and I am not afraid to use it!”
“I’m sorry! My nervousness took over.” He tried moving closer when Laura pulled out the pepper spray out of his bag and pointed it at him.
He tried to calm her down, putting his hands in the air and saying. “Take it easy, I don’t want to hurt you.”
She relaxed a bit and when he moved closer, she didn’t stop him. When he got closer he could smell her strawberry perfume and he felt all his passion and lust coming back. With the alcohol in his vein he couldn’t help himself. He gave in to his lust.
James pinned Lisa to the stone wall that belonged to the 1912 jazz pub, and kissed her.
Jake pinned Laura to the stone wall that belonged to the 2012 underground dance club, and kissed her.
Lisa tried to resist, using all her strength to push him away. James relaxed his grip a bit and that was all that was needed so that she could push him away. James got a grip on her big white dress and felt how the stitchery was ripped apart and Lisa tripped on her high-heeled shoes.
Laura tried to resist, using all her strength to push him away. Jake relaxed his grip a bit and that was all that was needed so that she could push him away. Jake got a tight grip on her handbag and Laura tripped on her high-heeled shoes.
Lisa and Laura fell and when they did, a surprised sound escaped their lips and their bodies didn’t have the time to react. Then their sound was silenced by a crushing sound. Blood started to spread from their heads, it was over. The blood of pool shone red in the moonlight that appeared above the buildings. The silence was augmented by the shock of James and Jake. Because that was all that was left. Silence.