Past, Present & Future

23

Time passed quickly and before I knew it weeks have passed as every day blended in with one another. It was hard to keep track of how long it has been since I came here but that was a good feeling – I didn't mind being ordinary for a while. Even if that meant I had to deal with old men staring me down each evening as I served them drinks.

Not everyone who came to the bar was like that, some had stories to share. Every Tuesday, a fragile old man would come at exactly 9PM and order the same drink each time – a single glass of Bourbon which he would never actually drink. Then, he would tell me tales of his past and the adventures he had with his wife which died 15 years ago; it was always the highlight of my week. Last time he told me how they travelled across America without a single penny in their pockets whilst the week before he explained how they met for the first time.

Otherwise, I never did talk that much as there was no one to really talk to – Gloria was always either preoccupied with something else or she was gone.

Today, the sun was still prominent in the sky, meaning our usual customers were still drunk and sleeping or at work leaving the bar empty again. Sometimes I enjoyed the silence like this, whilst other times I wanted nothing more but there to be some noise to give me a distraction.

I read a book in the corner of the large room, hidden in the shadows with a single light hanging above me which gave me just enough brightness to make out the words. Yet even when I did read, none of the information went through my head as if I was just staring at a blank piece of paper.

The peaceful silence in the air was disrupted by voices.

"You gotta be kidding me." Gloria said with a playful tone which hid an underlying sense of concern – who just came in?

The answer came quicker than I could look up as the familiar British accent replied. "So, a hybrid walks into a bar says-"

"Stop. You may be invincible but that doesn't make you funny." There was a slight pause as Gloria appeared to notice someone else. "I remember you."

"You're Gloria. Shouldn't you be..." Stefan Salvatore trailed off as he stood next to Klaus as if they were partners in crime or one would even dare say friends. Why was Stefan fraternising with an enemy?

"Old and dead? Now if I die who is gonna run this place?" Gloria laughed again as if even the idea of someone else owning the bar was ridiculous.

"Gloria is a very powerful witch." Klaus explained to Stefan.

"I can slow the ageing down with spells and herbs but down worry, it will catch up to me one day." Gloria stated as I watched the scene in front of me unfold, holding onto my book tightly. They haven't noticed me yet, but that was bound to end very soon.

"Stefan, why don't you go and fix us up something from behind the bar." He made his way there as slowly as possible as he assessed his surroundings, his eyes stopping at one particular wall which was covered in photos from the 20s. "What is this?" He questioned when he saw the subjects of one of the pictures – him and Klaus sitting together and smiling. It was my first time seeing it too and I couldn't believe that I missed such a thing when it hung right there.

"Well I told you Stefan, Chicago is a magical place." The Original replied with the usually smirk gracing his lips but Stefan was quite the opposite as his brows furrowed, making him look even more broody. "This is me, with you."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Stefan." He paused for a moment, finally looking around. "Well, well, well Chicago indeed is a magical place. Hello love, I've been looking for you." He said, appearing in front of me in a split second.