Black Strings: Threads of Revenge

Mini Chapter 6

Benjamin and Tommy sit at the bar of the Starlight Tavern after just arriving there moments ago.

The tavern isn’t busy at this moment in time. Little people, a low hum of chatter. An all-around slow evening.

Bri passes by with an empty tray in hand. Spotting Tommy, she stops walking.

“Hey, blondy,” She calls out to him.

Tommy and Benjamin pause their conversation to look at the waitress.

“Yeah?” Tommy responds with inquiry in his voice.

“Aren’t you the guy who passed out during brunch?” Bri asks him.

Flipping his hood over his head, Tommy’s face burns red.

Benjamin laughs, patting him on the back. “That sure is the guy.”

Bri snickers. “What is he? An overworked office guy?”

Benjamin shakes his head, and with that, Bri walks away, tray in hand.

“Aww, foxy. There’s no need to be embarrassed.” Benjamin coos.

Tommy’s face burns hotter. Gipping his hood, he covers his hace as much as possible. The hood is too short to fully cover his face, though.

Benjamin laughs.

Bri calls out to him from a distance, rummaging through the bin of menus as a group enters the tavern. “Start getting ready for your shift, Benjamin!”

With a sigh, Benjamin slides off his seat.

Tommy pulls his hood back a little.

“I’ll be back, foxy. Don’t get bored without me.” Benjamin tells Tommy with a cheeky smile and a wink.

Tommy’s eyes follow him as he walks away, reluctantly ready for work.

“That’s a real half-cat if I've ever seen one.” Whispers a voice too close to be from anyone in the tavern.

A second voice whispers, “That is a human. Tried and true.”

“Leave me alone, ancestors,” Tommy mutters. “Benjamin’s a human.” He taps his fingers on the bar, eyes looking around the tavern.

“Ask him when he comes back.” A third ancestor whispers.

More let out a flurry of agreements.

“Wh-what’s with you guys and Benjamin possibly being a half-cat?” He mutters.

The door to the back creaks open, and out walks Benjamin, dressed neatly in his bartending attire, already slipping into his work persona.

Benjamin steps out in a charcoal-gray button-up, sleeves pushed past his elbows, worn untucked for a relaxed look. He wears a plum-purple bandana around his neck— the same shade as Bri’s—with a bar towel looped at his side and a notepad tucked into the front pocket.

Faded black pants and scuffed leather boots complete the outfit, comfortable and worn-in. A simple woven bracelet on his wrist adds a personal touch. He doesn’t strut—he just looks like he belongs behind the bar.

Tommy’s breath catches in his throat as he watches Benjamin head in his direction.

“H-hey, Benjamin…” Tommy mutters as Benjamin stands in front of him, grabbing a whisky glass.

“Need something, Tommy?” Benjamin asks with care as he takes his bar towel and begins to wipe down the glass.

“I’m just wondering…” Tommy begins. “If you’re actually a half-cat…”

Benjamin cracks a smile that quickly turns into bright laughter. “Me? A half-cat? No, I’m human. I’m part half-cat, but still human nonetheless.”

“Someone go tell the Spirit of Life!” An ancestor shouts.

“Counterintuitive to my existence, but ok,” Tommy mutters under his breath.

He looks at Benjamin to see if he heard, but sees him making a drink for a customer instead.

“Thank you, ancestors.” He mutters, looking away.

Through the window, you can see the sun set, the sky filled with soft pinks, blues, and oranges. The colors of the sky dance through the clouds, and in the distance, something zips through.