A dark bar, light by candles in corners. Shuffling sounds and soft murmurs. There aren’t many people in here. A tall, muscly bartender clad in black stands behind the counter wiping out a beer glass with the white tea towel in his hands.
A guy sitting slouched on a stool at the bar “one alcohol problem please” he says, slouching forward to the bartender, gutturally.
“One alcohol problem coming up”, says the bar tender with a bare trace of an accent. He finishes wiping the glass in his hands, replaces the tea towel over his left shoulder. He pulls a bottle from the back of the nearest shelf. “How serious?”
“That one,” says the guy on the stool pointing at one. The bartender pours out a shot glass full and slides it along the counter towards him. A girl, looks about 17, bursts in through a hidden side door followed by a bright flash, like from a laser beam. Smoke wisps up from the wooden paneled floor, a small fire is starting. (In the background a sob is heard, “They revoked my smarts license today. I'm not allowed to be smart anymore.”. The man sounds truly broken.)
The bartender leaps over the counter, puts out the fire with his bare hands and looks down at the panting, sweaty teenager. “Would you mind not setting my bar on fire?” he says to her.
“It nearly got me. I saw a door. I didn’t have time to think. I opened it.” She appears to study her surroundings for the first time.
“What nearly got you? Is my bar in danger?” He says this quietly, calmly. For the first time there’s a hint of a threat in his voice.
“The … the moon …”, she says, cutting off half way through the last word. “I’ve heard of this place”, she says, meeting his eyes for the first time. “You have the …”
“No.” He cuts her off and starts walking towards her, forcing her a step back, closer to the door from whence she came.
“I’ll have a drink”, she says, voice slightly high pitched, as she senses only patrons are welcome, not fugitives, no exceptions.
He stops mid stride, and studies her. “Very well”, he says. He walks silently back to the hatch, opens it and walks behind the bar. “So what will it be?”