Having completed both Spining Portals and Tainted, I turned my fracturing attention to the last story for May, a Political Satire. I spent some time trolling headlines, and after seeing the deluge of articles that focused on COVID-19, an idea popped into my mind. With the barest of concepts floating in my mind, I reached out to NYC Midnight to select a prompt to flesh out the storyline. When my cursor landed on this entry, I cringed.
A lot of the headlines were talking about how most states were in some kind of process of reopening, and then the swirling ideas solidified into a fledgling concept. Dropping my protagonist into the Karaoke bar that has a handful of regulars, without wearing a mask and have her recovered from the disease felt like the right way to go. As the story continued to flesh out, the interactions became vivid in my mind, helping me finish the tale. Pull out a chair and follow my narrative of how someone wins over a small but boisterous crowd.
Having endured a trial, Kathy is in search of a pleasurable night out, but when she enters a karaoke bar, she’s met with hostility…
Kathy slipped through the entrance and watched three sets of eyes latch onto her. Her hand flew to her mouth as she dashed to the bar and tapped on the counter. “What’s available to drink here?”
The bartender pulled out a laminated page and slid it to Kathy.
She lifted the card and pounded her forehead with her palm. “Don’t you have any regular drinks?”
Shaking his head, the bartender snatched the list of canned cocktails.
“Fine,” Kathy huffed as her eyes closed. “I’ll take a couple of hard lemonades.”
The bartender opened the refrigerator and collected the requested beverages. He placed the bottles on the counter and laid an opener on the bar.
“I don’t require that.” Kathy rose and grabbed her drinks. She tucked a drink under an arm and used the opener on her key chain to open the other. Kathy sipped the beverage as she sauntered over to the karaoke machine.
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