Irish Imbas: Celtic Mythology Collection 002 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Mythology, Celtic & Irish
Publisher: Irish Imbas Books
Published: 2017-03-28T06:00:00+00:00

***

Finnegas’s bar had been in the town since before Joe was born and was now in the process of turning itself into a place that young people might go to (or so the owner hoped). A pool table had been installed and a jukebox relentlessly played songs that nobody had chosen. Modern taps jutted aggressively out of the counter like great neon and steel erections. In the corner Sky Sports was displayed on a screen so monstrously big you’d be forgiven for thinking the pundits had popped in for a pint. Joe was one of the old crowd here, vanishing silently as the décor around them changed.

There was nobody in yet and Patsy the owner was nowhere to be seen. Joe took his coat off, undid the top button of his shirt and sat down on a tall stool. He took a breath. And then another. He tried to talk himself down. That’s where Patsy found him a few minutes later, the haunted Joe Malshy with his eyes as big as moons and his hands shaking gently. Which was nothing usual it must be said.

‘Alright Joe?’ said the big man.

‘Yeah yeah,’ mumbled Joe.

‘What can I get you?’

‘Double, double whiskey, double whiskey.’ Joe replied taking a wad of soggy cash from his inside pocket and placing it on the bar.

‘And a pint of Guinness.’

While the pint settled Patsy vanished out the back and Joe headed for the bathroom where he quickly upended his quarrelsome guts into the toilet bowl. He avoided the mirror entirely. When he returned he found the crow waiting for him. Sitting up on one of the stools happy as you like with the two feet sticking out front. Joe sat down beside it and with a trembling hand picked up the double whiskey.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ said the crow.

‘Aye,’ said Joe.

‘This the regular then? It’s a bit grim isn’t it? Bit dark. I dunno how you stick it. This used to be a lovely place when I came here. Different crowd then. Before your time.’

‘You used to come here?’ said Joe.

‘Oh I did indeed, many a long night was spent in here I tell. Too many if you ask me. Aye, too many.’

‘I didn’t know they served crows,’ Joe spat.

‘Times change. People change Joe. Sometimes they change into things they don’t like. You’d know all about that surely.’

Joe closed his eyes and took the whiskey to his parched lips. He felt it pour down into all the cold dark parts of him, down through the exhausted canals of his bloodstream searching for vital plasma to intoxicate. He could hear Patsy out the back moving things around.

‘How is it?’ said the crow.

‘Fucking great,’ said Joe. He meant it.

‘Listen Joe. People change into things they don’t want. You just keep that in mind right.’

The crow said something else then but Joe couldn’t hear it. He was so enraptured by the drink that the exterior world just fell away entirely. With every sip the voice was quieter and quieter and the next time he looked at the seat the crow was gone.

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