Crossroads

Millie's Tavern was the kind of place where both the hopeless and the desperate came to quietly drink themselves into oblivion. The building tilted precariously next to a dusty crossroads.  A dark cloud seemed to hover over the roof, blocking all possibility of sunlight, and the windows were grimy with the dirt of ages.  Loud, heavy music could be heard all all hours, Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" occasionally rattling the windows of houses miles away.

Cadence Jones stepped into the tavern doorway.  A glowing smile on his face, he took in the low hanging cloud of smoke, the lack of good lighting, and the barest scent of sulphur.  Murmurs of conversation floated around him, punctuated by raucous laughter.  The bartender had been spirited directly from the 1880s, with muttonchop sideburns and a prodigious mustache. Above the bartender's head, a large sign sat on the wall. TRY THE SOULBINDER IF YOU DARE!  

Exactly what he was here for.

"I'll have that." Cadence pounded once on the bar to get the bartender's attention and pointed.  All music and conversation stopped, a hunger in the air.  The entire bar was listening; Cadence politely refrained from noticing.  Hands shaking, the bartender began the concoction.  When he was finished, a foul black liquid was placed into a stone cup and placed in front of Cadence.  The mixture resembled hot tar, and smelled of death.

"You must drink the entire SOULBINDER in one swallow," the bartender read the rules from an obscure manual.  "If you can do so, all debts are forgiven, and we are free. Otherwise, your soul is bound to Millie's. We brand you with her mark and you'll be stuck here."  

A warning completely ignored.  Cadence tilted his head back and downed the entire drink.  There was a flash and then the entire bar vanished, leaving Cadence sitting in the dust.

Score one for alcoholic angels, Cadence chuckled.





The prompt is the third definition of the word "BRAND".



Let me introduce you to Millie:

Millie’s Tavern, Hampton Beach NH

Millie was a character. I just know it. But what an incongruous image for a bar sign, right?
So for this week’s Write at the Merge, our weekly writing prompt and link up — where we give you two points of inspiration, 500 words, and from Sunday to Thursday to write and share your fiction, non-fiction, or poetry, I give you Millie’s Tavern sign, and the first song that popped into my head the night I saw it: (Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Til Brooklyn")