Silent Moon

“Taylor, pints are empty!” shouted Jimmy, the owner of the pub. “Alright, Jimmy, I’ll be with you in a minute,” she replied, rolling her eyes. She started working at the pub when she was fourteen; initially, it was just cleaning the place after school. After she turned sixteen, she began working the bar, which was nearly two years ago.

It was decent money, but the tips were excellent. In just one week, she would turn 18 and could leave this wretched town, and all her savings would come in handy then.

Taylor twisted her curly red hair into a bun, a few stubborn strands escaping despite her efforts. The rich waves fell past her shoulders, catching the dim pub light, but there was no time to admire them. She quickly started pouring pints before Jimmy could complain she was being slow.

The old pub was nothing to look at. It was a small building on the corner of the main street, tucked between a run-down convenience store and a closed-down hardware shop. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d probably miss it. The wood-panelling outside was chipped and faded, and the sign that hung above the door, reading Jimmy’s Pub, was barely legible anymore. Inside, it was dim, with flickering overhead lights and a faint smell of stale beer and fried food that lingered in the air. The regulars liked it that way, they liked the comfort of its familiar, worn-down walls, and the feeling that nothing ever changed.

Taylor poured the pint quickly, her hands steady despite the minor tremble of nervous excitement that had been building inside her for weeks. In just a few more days, she would be free. She could almost taste the freedom, untethered from this place, this town, and the life she had grown tired of.

Her thin, curvy figure moved easily around the bar as she worked, though there was a certain stiffness in her posture, something that spoke to long hours standing, long days spent juggling school, work, and the constant weight of responsibilities. She wasn’t one to stand out, but when people looked at her, it was hard not to notice her striking green eyes, bright and sharp against her pale skin. She didn’t spend much time outside, between school and the long hours at the pub, she was mostly indoors, and it showed in her skin. A bit of paleness that only deepened in the winter months, making her look almost ethereal under the pub’s low lights. Her eyes, though, were a stark contrast, bright and vibrant, always scanning the room like she was waiting for something, or maybe, just wanting to leave.

She slid the pint over to Jimmy, who grabbed it with a quick nod of approval. He didn’t have much to say anymore, not after so many years of seeing her here, filling glasses and wiping down tables. He’d never asked her much about her plans for the future, and she never offered up anything unless he pressed. But she had a feeling he knew. After all, she’d been working here long enough for the regulars to notice that look in her eyes, the one that told them she was about to make her escape. It’s a look they all knew too well, but the regulars found their escape in the pints.

Jimmy took a long sip from his pint, then grunted. “A week to go, huh?”

Taylor nodded, her face betraying nothing. “Yep. One week.”

“Where you going?”

Taylor shrugged, feeling a slight pang in her chest at the question. “Not sure yet. Somewhere far away, though.”

Jimmy didn’t press for more details. He just chuckled softly. “Well, best of luck to ya. You’re a good kid, Taylor. You’ll do fine.”

She smiled weakly. “Thanks, Jimmy.”

Jimmy’s gaze softened. There was something about him, some hidden depth behind those gruff eyes that always made Taylor feel like he could see right through her. As she went about pouring the next round, Jimmy cleared his throat, his voice dropping just a little.

“You ever think about staying here? You know, sticking around for a while longer?”

Taylor paused. It wasn’t an easy question. It wasn’t something she had really thought about much. Staying felt… suffocating. But sometimes, when the weight of the future loomed so large, it was hard not to wonder about the people who had no choice but to stay.

“No,” she said quietly, not looking at him as she cleaned the glass in her hand. “I’ve thought about it, but not for long. I’ve gotta get out of here.”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, sensing the hesitation in her voice. “What’s keeping you from staying?”

Taylor let out a deep sigh, setting the glass down on the counter with a little more force than necessary. “My dad,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jimmy’s expression hardened, and he nodded slowly, understanding. “Yeah, I’ve seen him stumble in here a few times.”

Taylor tried not to let the heat rise in her cheeks. “He’s been drinking for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I used to think he’d get better, that he’d stop, but…” She trailed off, not sure where to go with it. She had talked about her father with Jimmy before, but never this much. It wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on, not here, not now. But something about the way Jimmy was looking at her made her want to say more.

“It’s just hard, ya ’know?” she continued, her fingers picking nervously at a rag she had been wiping the bar with. “I don’t even think he knows I’m the one who keeps the roof over our heads now. He’s too lost in his own world. I’ve spent my whole life trying to make sure he doesn’t drink himself into oblivion, but he never listens.”

Jimmy let the silence stretch for a moment before speaking again. “You don’t need to carry that burden alone, Taylor. You can’t save him, no matter how much you try. You’re not responsible for him, not anymore.”

She bit her lip, nodding but not quite believing him. “I know. I’ve been telling myself that for a while now. But every time I think about leaving, I feel guilty. Like I’m abandoning him or something.”

Jimmy gave her a long, searching look, his eyes softening even more. “He’s a grown man, Taylor. You’ve done what you can. Sometimes people just… they don’t want to change. You can’t fix that.”

“I just want to get out of here,” she repeated, her voice breaking just a little. “I want to be somewhere else, away from everything that reminds me of him. I want to feel like my life is mine for once, not tied to a bottle.”

“I get it,” Jimmy said quietly, nodding in understanding. “You’ve been carrying a heavy load for a long time. Maybe it’s time you let yourself off the hook.”

Taylor exhaled, her chest feeling a little lighter as she finally looked him in the eye. “Thanks, Jimmy. For saying that.”

Jimmy gave a small, knowing smile. “Anytime, kid.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, the usual hum of the bar filling the space between them. Jimmy didn’t press her for more details, and Taylor appreciated that. She wasn’t ready to talk about everything, but for the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel quite so alone in her thoughts.

The door opened, and a gust of cold wind blew in. The bell above the door jingled, signalling a new arrival. Taylor turned just in time to see a tall figure step inside, a woman, probably in her mid-thirties, with short black hair and a confident stride. She scanned the room briefly before making her way toward the bar.

“Hey, can I get a gin and tonic?” the woman asked, her voice sharp, but not unkind. There was something about her that made Taylor pause. Maybe it was the way she carried herself, too controlled, too deliberate, or the way her sharp gaze seemed to linger a moment too long on everyone in the room. Taylor couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something… unsettling about her presence.

“Sure thing,” Taylor said, pouring the gin and topping it off with tonic water. She slid the drink across the bar, her fingers brushing the woman’s hand as she took it. It was just a touch, but it felt strange, like there was more power in that brief contact than there should have been.

The woman smiled slightly, taking the drink and settling into one of the stools. Her eyes flicked over the room, sharp and observant, as though she were waiting for something, or perhaps someone. Her gaze eventually settled on Taylor, and for a moment, the two of them held eye contact. There was something in those eyes, something dark and unreadable.

“New in town?” Taylor asked, trying to break the silence.

The woman tilted her head, studying her for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Just passing through.”

Taylor didn’t press. There was something about this woman that seemed like she didn’t want to reveal too much. Maybe it was just the way she carried herself, or the way her eyes lingered on the people in the room, always scanning. Either way, Taylor didn’t mind. She was good at reading people, but she also knew when not to pry.

The woman took a long sip of her gin and tonic, her lips curving into a slight, almost imperceptible smirk. It was the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. And as she leaned back against the bar, her gaze flicked over to Taylor once more.

The night dragged on. More customers came in, the usual suspects taking their seats at the bar or around the tables. Some stayed quiet, others joked loudly, but Taylor remained mostly focused on her work. The woman remained at the bar, her eyes watching the crowd, never really engaging with anyone, but always observing.

As the evening wore on, a thought began to creep into her mind. Maybe she wasn’t ready to leave just yet. The town was small, but it was familiar. Maybe she’d miss it. Maybe she’d miss the comfort of knowing where everyone was, even if she didn’t care about them. Maybe she’d miss Jimmy, with his gruff exterior and the way he always looked out for her in his own way. But that thought didn’t stay for long. The excitement of leaving was too strong, too much of a pull for her to ignore.

A few hours passed, and the pub began to thin out. Jimmy gave her a nod, signalling that her shift was over. Taylor grabbed her coat from the back, quickly slipping it on and heading toward the door.

“See ya tomorrow, Jimmy,” she called out over her shoulder.

“Goodnight, Taylor,” he replied, his voice muffled as he finished cleaning the bar.

As Taylor stepped out into the chilly night air, she pulled her coat tighter around herself, taking a deep breath. The streets were empty, save for the occasional car driving by. She turned down the alley that led to her small apartment above the old bookstore and paused for a moment, gazing up at the stars. There were so many of them tonight, more than usual.

A part of her was already gone, ready to leave. But for now, she was still here. And in just one more week, everything would change.