The teenage boy stepped into the small pub. The consistent smell of sweat and alcohol engulfed his figure as he made his was towards the bar at the opposite side of the room.
He took a glance at his surroundings from underneath the safety of his hood, taking in the people that were going to be joining him on tonight's celebration.
The pub was extremely run down, as one could tell simply by looking at the peeling paint or the ripped carpet with endless unknown stains on it. Booths lined both sides of the walls. Older men seated with friends and their chosen bimbo for the night seated on their laps, minding their own business and simply unaware of the families most of these men had waiting at home. In some booths, the men played poker, eyeing one another as they placed their next bets. In the centre of the room, a pool table stood. Younger men crowded around it, smoking freshly rolled joints with their crew as they each cheered on their player in which they betted on at the start of the game of snooker.
As usual, the hooded boy ignored everyone around him once he had observed them. He took a seat on one of the uncomfortable wooden stools at the bar and kept his head down.
"Fancy seeing you here tonight" The young bar man made his way towards the boy with a teasing smile on his face, his long hair pulled away from his face in a bun behind his head. Only in his early thirties, the man ran the place and was heavenly acquainted by all of his customers. Although always friendly, many fights break out in a day in the pub which leads to the young barman sorting them out very quickly using their method of choice, fighting. And so with the reputation, he was gifted the nickname Bruise.
Receiving only a grunt from the teenage boy, he rolled his eyes, slinging the towel over his broad shoulder and leaned against the counter.
"What can I get ya, Synn?" Bruise asked, watching as the lost boy in front of him tore up his beer mats.
"The usual" Synn mumbled. Bruise nodded and grabbed a glass. Synn set aside the mats and folded his bruised and cracked hands in front of him. He heard the seat right next to him being taken. He shifted uncomfortably, sneaking a peak at the woman before turning his attention back to the drink that was placed in front of him. He nodded at Bruise before he tended to other people who made an appearance at the bar.
Synn took a sip from the glass, then proceeded to swirl the liquid around, his hand tight around the glass as he tried to control the anxiety that was creeping in from the scrutinising stare of the woman next to him.
The woman, however, was oblivious to his discomfort. She studied the boy - what she could see of him, that is. He pulled the hood of the sweater he wore down over his face, only a dark shadow visible. Her dark eyebrows were pulled together, causing deep winkles to stretch a cross her forehead. Her thin lips, painted a dark pink, were pulled into a frown which only dragged her wrinkled skin down further. Raven messy hair was scattered messily across her shoulders, covered in a pink shawl. She glanced down at the glass clenched tightly in the boys hands. Her green, beady eyes squinted. She quickly reached forward, placing one of her long fragile fingers on top of the boys glass, instantly stopping the rotation as her heavy rings clanked against the rim. Synn tensed further.
"Aren't you a little young to be in here?" She questioned. Her voice was hoarse, almost as if it were painful to speak. Synn turned his head slightly to look at her. The cheek of her to ask such a question angered him. Although what the woman stated was true, he still knew it was none of her business. Synn had been coming here for a couple of years after he met Bruise through the shared profession they desperately took. Bruise offered the boy to swing by for some drinks, oblivious to his age as he thought no kid would be doing what Synn and he were doing. Though as Synn put more effort into the relationship they devolepd, Bruise finally became aware of his age but it was left an unspoken secret between the two.
"What makes you think that?" Synn asked in a low, daring voice. One that would usually make whom ever is on the receiving end of it quiver, yet this woman was unaffected.
The woman lifted her finger from his glass and shrugged. She hastily picked up her whiskey on the rocks and took a drink.
"Call it intuition" She dismissed. Synn rolled his eyes at the reply, putting pieces in his head which led to the solved puzzle stating that this woman was bat shit crazy.
"I wonder, why are you here tonight? Shouldn't a young fella like you be at a party, acting the maggot, celebrating another year you've been fortunately gifted?" The woman knew what she was doing as she watched his hands clench tighter, his head turning away from her to look at his hands which had veins visibly popping.
"I'm here to drown my sorrows with the thought that I was forced to live another year on this hell, wishing once again this year would be my last" The woman smirked at his gritted reply.
"Surely you don't mean that now, boy" Her sympathetic tone fooled Synn as he sagged his shoulders in defeat. To her, this was a game. "That's an awfully sad thing to say"
"It's even sadder that I mean it" He deadpanned, lifting the glass to his lips once more. The young man felt his existence on this planet was a waste of space that brought him nothing but pain and torture. As the years went on, he knew that nothing credible could change his will to live. Happiness and peace wasn't meant to exist in his life, as he accepted this a long time ago.
"What if I told you I could make your wish come true" Her offer caused Synns shoulders to tense once again. He titled his head to looked at her.
"Ten minutes!" Bruise called over the buzz in the room. However, Synn and the woman seemed to be in their own bubble.
"And how exactly would you do that? Wouldn't you be charged for murder?" Synn mocked. He eyed the aging woman and scoffed. "If I wanted to be killed, I would have a very willing volunteer"
"You would never give your father the pleasure. Just as your fear of doing it yourself has stopped you many a time" Synn slammed his hand down in the counter. Nobody seemed to hear the loud bang it made, though the woman didn't even bat an eye.
"How the fuck would you know anything about my father or me" He growled. His voice was low and threatening. The woman's knowledge of the stuff he never spoke of was unsettling, a silent reminder why he keeps it to himself. He could feel his heart beating at an ungodly pace, just as his breaths were becoming short pants.
"I told you, intuition" She dared. Synn wasn't happy with her answer, not liking whatever game she was playing. Yet a voice in the back of his told him there was no other way this woman could know such things. Synn withdrew his hand from the counter, his palm stinging as he clenched it in his lap.
"Five minutes!" Bruise yelled.
"Now, are you willing to listen to what I have to say?" She quirked an eyebrow. Synn remained silent, so she took that as a que to keep talking.
"I can grant your wish. But only at a cost. Your refusal to see the good in life is your unhappiness, Synn. Therefore, I will give you six months, in which those days would be the best days of your life. However, when the clock strikes twelve six months from now, your wish will be granted" She looked proud at her offer. Synn, on the other hand, found her ten times more crazy. He didn't ponder over how she knew his name, putting it down to the fact she may have heard Bruise saying it earlier. He managed to get his heart rate and breathing under control once he came to the conclusion this woman was very simply, mentally ill.
"You sound insane" He muttered. The woman chuckled, shaking her head.
"Well what have you got to loose? That is, you're afraid of dying. Afraid of leaving someone behind" She answered cheekily. Synn clenched his jaw.
"I have no one to leave behind" He snapped. The woman raised her hands in surrender, looking at him with an arched brow.
"C'mon them, deal?" She stretched her boney and wrinkled hand out in front of her.
"10!"
Synn ignored the countdown, looking down at the woman's dainty hand.
"9!"
He knew this woman was crazy and didn't fancy sticking around to witness much more.
"8!"
She was right, that he'd have nothing to loose.
"7!"
Perhaps if he shook her hand she would finally leave him alone.
"6!"
His mind was racing with thoughts and suddenly began to pound against his skull.
"5!"
"How will I die?" He questioned, looking up at the woman who was staring at him intensely.
"4!"
"Only fate can decide that" She smirked. Synn rolled his eyes.
"3!"
"Six more months, and then it's all over" He muttered to himself, looking back down at the hand waiting patiently to be clasped, sealing the deal.
"2!"
"Mhm, but I guarantee that relief won't be there when the year is up. Once you find your happiness" Synn disliked her reply. With the determination to prove her wrong, he grabbed her hand in a firm grip. The woman smirked.
"1! Happy New Year!"
"What the fuck" Synn gasped as he retracted his hand from the woman's grasp once he felt the shock that shot up his arm.
"What was that..." He trailed off as he looked back up at the seat beside him, only to find it empty. She was gone.
At least that idea worked. He though to himself. Though he couldn't help but wonder how she left without a sound. He looked around the room that was now celebrating, though there was no trace of the woman.
"Happy Birthday man, and Happy New Year" Synn flinched when he felt a hand slap his shoulder, instantly brought out of his daze. He turned to Bruise who was grinning at him.
"Did you see where the woman that was sitting next to me went?" He couldn't help but ask, completely disregarding his friend's appreciation. Bruise frowned with an odd look.
"What woman?" He questioned. He studied the teen with calculating eyes. He had no idea what Synn was talking about and began to question the amount of drinks he had given him. Synn frowned and shook his head.
"Hey, I think you should head home. Its getting kinda late" Bruise said with an encouraging smile. Synn nodded his head and muttered a thanks. Bruise returned the gesture before going to serve the eager men in a mood for a celebration.
Synn stood up, reaching into his back pocket to grab to money. He pulled the cash out and slapped it onto the counter in front of him. He glanced down at it but quickly looked back again once something caught his eye. He reached down and picked up the card among the money. Studying the card, he noticed it to be The Fool from the Tarot deck. He flipped it around, inspecting it and seeing the words 'Happy Birthday' scratches into the checkered design on the back. He glanced around, wondering if this was a trick someone was playing on him but saw no familiar faces.
His head began to throb once he thought of the weird night he just had, deciding sleep was well needed. He hastily shoved the card back into his pocket and walked out of the small pub, leaving his thoughts of the apparent imaginary old lady behind along with her ridiculous deal.
However, what the young man failed to notice was the half drinken glass of whiskey on the rocks sitting on the counter, the dark purple staining the rim as a reminder of the deal that was sealed that very night.