The Honky-Tonk Ghost, Part I

Janet went down to the honky-tonk for some line-dancing and some beer, down to a joint called ‘Edna Mae’s,’ she always had a good time here. Old Edna, tattooed, worked the bar, three bikers player pool, one guy scarred, a country band played Hank up front, soon her first beer Janet had drunk. She joined in with all the dancers and did soon find herself besides a blond-haired cowboy who moved well, with such deep, haunting, grey eyes. After working a sweat both took leave, at the bar he said,”Hi, I’m Steve.” Up and down Janet’s eyes did roam, he was the type she could take home. They both did shots, rot-gut whiskey, then made their way back to the floor, there they both kept up the hot moves, for another full hour more. In a corner the two made out, she took his hand and led him down the front steps towards her small car, for adult fun, they would go park. But Steve froze at the sight of it, then ripped his hand clean from her grasp. he turned and sprinted for the bar, she’d never seen a man move so fast. Confused, she followed him back in, could not find Steve, started looking, half-hour passed, he was not found, she went to the bar, and sat down. Janet told Edna about it, who listened to what Janet did say. Edna smiled, and asked softly: “Did this man have deep eyes of grey?” Janet confirmed the truth of this, Edna said,”Come to my office.” She took down a picture, carefully, said,”Took this back in ’eighty-three.” Janet gasped at the image there, what she saw then beggared belief, where, dressed in nineteen eighties clothes, was the young, grinning face of Steve! “He was my partner’s son, you know. He rode the local rodeos. But then in eighty-three he died, murdered, in the lot outside.” CONCLUDES IN PART II