Home, You Say

Deep within, he sits facing forward toward the bartender, finding refuge in a pocket of angles through which he can navigate. The bartender does not seem to feel the directness of his gaze, or else he would be set ablaze by the passion with which those eyes surround him.

Though he could find him if he followed the eyes. There are simply too many of them, and none quite point toward him.

Photo by Joey Banks on Unsplash

A slight piano tune plays, the keys struck hard, as it demands attention, which is a mere thought among the clink of forks and spoons and the slight simmer between the plates and trays surfing among the lanes.

The piano stops its hammering. Perhaps the intent was to warn us. The violin emerges, carrying a smooth and sorrowful harmony, while the piano occasionally nudges it upward. Poking, in a way. Yeah, I'm still here.

It grounds the sadness the violin suggests, because that is what it does. It goes up and up, to the point where the reverberation is in sync with the heart, and that takes it all away. The immediate betrayal.

Elias is being pulled. His eyes flicker with the changes in light, a disturbance here and there, and little by little he keeps fading.

He is disturbed by a slight nudge from the intruder sitting at his table, Adrian.

Adrian speaks as he does so.

"Do you want something to drink?"

The intrusion shakes him. Visibly, he appears haunted, though he knows there is no rest for him.

"No."

"Let me get something for you too. It feels odd doing it alone."

"I said no."

"Okay, okay. I was just asking."

Adrian sounds irritated by the dismissal.

Elias notices the expression on his face.

"What is that?"

"Nothing."

Adrian tilts his head away and looks elsewhere.

"I've told you before," Elias says. "Do you remember..."

"What?"

"Just forget it."

Adrian feels relieved and says nothing.

The argument had started quietly and slowly brewed into a clash. Adrian could no longer tolerate this nonsense. He had dragged Elias to this place, and still he remained bitter and distant.

On the other hand, Elias is doing everything he can to resist the ecstasy that surrounds this place. The pull is there, and everyone seems to want it as well. Adrian would embrace it without hesitation, but it is not up to Elias.

But Elias knows himself, the way he is built. Suggestions lead to habit, and habits, however good they may come to be, are not all good.

Adrian remains seated while Elias grabs his keys, pushes back his chair, and leaves.

Onto the streets, on foot, not the way they arrived. But it is not all grim. Walks have a way of grounding.

He has been in these situations before, but not like this, where he feels he could do something just to spite someone.

He walks and walks, and the distraction around him is not enough. He sees bars, stops, then continues on, and then stops again.

There is nothing to lose, there is nothing, he thinks. All that was to lose went anyway. What stayed is him, and still the leash remained.

It does not seem all that bad, one day off.

"Whatever. I am home and have no energy to turn around."

While standing in front of the door, just as he puts his foot forward, Adrian pulls up in his vehicle, honking.

"Hey."

He stops without saying much.

"Don't bother. I am going home."

"Home," Adrian smirks.

Elias realizes he was not going home. Adrian was there to take him.

Daily Prompts for FreeWriters

Prompt: Do you remember...

_{Posted using SteemX}