Closing Time

The sound of gun shots rang through the air. The cries of children and the screams of their mothers added to the chaos within the burning village. Zoongash stood frozen from shock among the madness going on around him. Everywhere he looked he saw the soldiers rampaging through the village, killing any of the hindu villagers that crossed their path. Zoongash felt something holding on to his leg and looked down to see a young boy looking up at him with dark, pain-filled eyes. The child didn't make a sound and only looked at Zoongash with the piercing dark eyes.

Zoongash awoke in jolt of terror as he began to regain consciousness from his fit-full sleep. "Blood dream." His heartbeat slowly began to return to its normal rate, but not before Zoongash took a swig from the bottle of whiskey he kept next to his chair behind the counter which often acted as his makeshift bed. Wiping the sweat from his brow he glanced at the clock. It read 11:30, time to close up shop. He slowly made his way out of the chair and walked towards the front door to lock up. As he approached the door a woman appeared from the outside darkness. "Sorry we are closed," yelled Zoongash through the glass door as he began to deadbolt the door. The woman appeared to be very shaken up and kept looking around as if expecting someone to come up behind her. "Please, I've had a bad night," replied the woman. Zoongash usually did not take kindly to customers who refused to leave, however something about the woman touched him inside. "OK, but hurry up," answered Zoongash opening the door and moving back towards his post behind the counter. After a few minutes the woman grabbed a bottle of Boston's and came towards the counter. She handed Zoongash a crumpled bill and he noticed a dark red stain on the sleeve of her shirt. He pretended not to notice the stain, which was without a doubt blood, and gave her change. He shook his head as she left the store. "This bloody city."