A Bloodborne Tragedy

Chapter 1

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Drunk off his ass he rambled on to nobody in particular, but the bartender stood and listened. He talked about his life, pitying himself. Pitying his dead lover, a man. Homosexuality was illegal and punishable by death nearly everywhere. He'd been in one town with a gay couple once. He was staying with them as a farm hand when he first turned 17. They treated him like a son since they could never have kids of their own. That was until they were found out and hung for their crime of love. They nearly hung Daniel too for "withholding information", even though they were the only people he'd ever met who ever taught him what true love really was.

They're the only reason he understood his feelings towards men. At first he thought it was simply admiration for what he could be. Strong, gruff, manly. But after he'd met the couple, he knew it was more than that.

He looked up and realized he'd been telling his life story to the nameless bartender, droning on and on about information that would surely get him killed. Shit. "Oh, fuck." He breathed with wide eyes to the bartender who had been listening to his story quietly while pouring drinks. "Don't worry." The bartender's voice was deep with a hint of a European accent. Daniel felt his face flush.
Embarrassment that he rambled on, he'd said it was for. He had never thought Europeans, fancy folks, would have ever gone to the south. It was full of hillbillies and murderers, and what good ever came from them.

"Okay." Daniel croaked and let his head fall back down onto the table. He already rented a room at the hotel across the street when he entered the town. Now he was thankful for that decision because stumbling over there would be difficult enough, and he definitely wasn't gonna have anyone to help him walk. He wasn't a damsel in distress or a child. He could make the walk of shame. So he tipped the bartender who nodded politely and stuffed the few dollars in his pocket, then he stood up straight from the bar. Feeling the weight of the world upon his shoulders, he gathered his confidence and staggered to the hotel acrross the street. He fell asleep the moment he hit the bed, not caring to take off his boots or gun belt.