Ministry Fiction Irritant #002: Man Walks Into a Bar

It was barely half-past noon when the sky turned dark and they started ringing the church bells. Didn't matter if it was rain or snow coming, wind was gonna get us.

Chris showed up just as I unlatched the weathered wood-plank front doors of The Columbus, like a regular spent all night on a bender and come to me now for a few more drinks.

"You looking for something hard this early?" I asked.

He smiled and carefully pulled himself up the bar stool. "Root beer," he declared.

"Sent you home from school?"

He nodded vigorously and I poured his drink.