“One more,” says the shadowed man, and he downs his drink like a lightning bolt to the brain, slams the glass on the bar and stares. The barman doesn’t say a word, because he knows the look and knows the white knuckled grip lost men have around bar glasses like lifesavers in stormy seas. “One more,” the shadowed man repeats, and repeats again, and still the barman says nothing but holds the bottle out of reach and watches the man watching him. There’s a cyclone in his eye and that white knuckled grip squeezes all the hope from life and the shadowed man takes another, and yet another then stops. The airport moves around him and he touches his shadowed hands in shakes to greying hair and a black suit and tie, wipes a tear from his eye.
“She was young,” says the shadowed man, and the barman pours another, because he knows a shadow’s pain.

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Comment by Angela on September 9, 2010 at 10:03pm
Fine finish, Oceana. This was a viewable six - by that I mean I felt like I was watching a short film.
Comment by Oceana Setaysha on September 9, 2010 at 6:59pm
Thanks for the comments guys! :D
Comment by Teresa on September 9, 2010 at 6:03pm
This moved along swiftly and lands softly in compassion. Well done.
Comment by Bill Floyd on September 9, 2010 at 12:35pm
Another good one. I spent some time in the airport this past week and you'll see one of these every now and then. I admire the way you got into the heads of both the bartender and the drunk while keeping the details external. Advanced style, well delivered.
Comment by Gita on September 9, 2010 at 9:23am
Gorgeous writing. You put me right there on the barstool next to him.
Comment by Stephen Torelli on September 9, 2010 at 9:18am
The soothing barman. Excellent write!
Comment by michael r. oconnor on September 9, 2010 at 8:39am
This can be perceived in a couple of different ways, leaves you wondering, I like that. Good job.
Comment by Aradhana Choudhuri on September 9, 2010 at 7:14am
Beautiful imagery...perhaps shorter sentences?

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