Faceless Game

Chapter Nineteen

May 2019
Seattle, Washington

Art was swimming in a sea of fear, confusion, and hopelessness, but most importantly he was angry. His body vibrated with anger and his fists clenched, he wanted to punch something, he wanted to let out his frustration the only way he knew how, by wreaking havoc. So that's what he did. He found a bar a few blocks from the hospital and walked into the shaded, crowded bar.

He felt as though he'd been transported into a different world. A quintessential punk world. The bar was covered in graffiti and posters, the walls seemed to have more stories than any library. Goths, headbangers, emos and old grungers looked to be the clientele.

Laughter overpowered the jukebox, conversations swirled in a cloud of smoke. The smell of cigarette smoke, perfume clinging to clothing, skin and furniture permeated the air.

Perfect. Art's lips lifted in a devious smile as he walked up to the bar where a woman with purple hair and a thousand piercings stood behind the counter serving drinks. She acknowledged him and indicated she would take care of him shortly. He settled on a stool and waited for his turn to order. When the bartender was done serving a customer his drink, she went up to him.

"Hi!" she greeted with a warm smile and placed a cocktail napkin in front of him. "What can I get ya?"

"An Old-fashioned, neat!" Art shouted to be heard over the noise, and as she started to mix his drink he added, "Keep em' coming."

She looked up at him. "Rough day?"

"More like rough life."

"That bad huh?"

"You have no idea."

The bartender placed his drink in front of him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that buddy."

Art tipped his glass in her direction and knocked back the drink, loving the rich, smooth and silky taste of the liquid going down his throat. Old-fashioned was his father's favorite drink and that's how he came to love it. He started drinking at the tender age of thirteen, he would sneak into his father's study and mix himself drinks at the wet bar.

He had always been too wild and reckless, and those traits were what always got him in trouble. Those traits were what led him to do what he did that day, to go that far. If it weren't for him, if it weren't for his temper, him and his friends would have been living normal lives. Art blamed himself for what happened all those years ago at their boarding school, but he was a coward to admit it to himself and to his friends, that was his biggest flaw.

The bartender mixed him another drink and just like the first, Art drank it quickly. He slammed the glass back on the table and the bartender made him another. A couple more drinks later, Art was buzzed and feeling in his element. His eyes were glossy and red, and he sang along to The Clash song blasting from the jukebox.

The bartender had gone to serve other customers, but was now back in front of Art. "Can I settle your tab or do you need a few more minutes?"

"No..." he slurred, "Gimme. . . another drink."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why the... hell not?"

"It's policy sir, you've already had too much to drink."

"Bullshit!" he spat.

She ignored his outburst. "I'll get your bill."

He wobbled on the high stool, his leg buckling when he stood up. "I said that's bullshit, give me another drink."

A group of men noticed the commotion and came up to the bar. These men were big and beefy with shaved heads and tattoos snaking up their necks, but Art wasn't afraid, in fact in his alcoholic stupor his heart rate rose a little with adrenaline and his face flushed even pinker.

"There a problem here Cathy?" One of them asked.

"There's no problem James, just getting this man his bill so he can leave."

"I'm not going anywhere until I get my last drink." Art said.

Another man stepped up to him, "Listen man, you're trashed, you gotta go."

"Listen man," he mimicked the man's tone, "Why don't you mind your own fuckin' business."

That was all it took to aggravate them and before Art knew it he got punched. Hard. Son of a bitch, that hurts! He groaned at the throbbing pain in his jawline and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth.

He quickly recovered and landed a swift punch to the man's gut. The other men who wouldn't tolerate their friend getting hit, joined in. It was five men against one. Art's ears rang and he groaned as a few more hard blows landed on him. But being stubborn was like second nature to him, so he didn't back down.

He lifted an empty beer bottle from the counter and smashed it on one guy's head. Then he kicked another on the knee, making him collapse on the floor. Two of them grabbed him around the elbow and dragged him out of the bar.

After taking all the cash Art had in his wallet, one of them yelled "Don't come back here asshole!" and they left him on the sidewalk to lick his wounds. Just then, the rain started pouring from the overcast sky, soaking Art.

He groaned. "Great."

● ● ● ●

Art's whole body was battered and brusied, but he somehow made it back to the hospital. The nurses offered to help him but he turned them down and limped to the waiting room.

"Oh my God," Didi gasped at the sight of him and rushed over to his side. "Who did this to you?"

Overwhelmed by emotion, he pulled her in for a hug and buried his face in her hair. He inhaled her familiar coconut shampoo, tears stinging his eyes. The love he had for Didi was so big and fierce that sometimes it scared him. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her, he had killed for her before and that action was the reason why her mother was lying sick in a hospital bed. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm sorry," he said in a choked voice.

Didi pulled back a little so she could see his face, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm so sorry bubbles,"

"Oh, baby," She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.

His eyes dripped with tears. His walls, the walls that always held him up, that made him strong, collapsed. Moment by moment, they fell and so did he.

***

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote and comment. I appreciate all your support :)