I'll Pay Damages

…wait. I think I passed­­ “beyond” 4 Miles ago, and I’m still talking to you.

Yes. I hear you. You’re still here.

So I didn’t pass onto the great beyond?

I doubt you passed much beyond the parking lot.

What?

You weren’t gone that long…

So how did I wake up here?

You walked in the door, like everybody else.

Front door, or back?

Is that important?

It is to me.

Don’t know. Couldn’t tell if I had to…

And I just showed up?

Like you do almost every night, except this time you left and showed up twice.

And you tell me this, why? Am I supposed to be some kind of fucking miracle that is not allowed to show up twice at the same party?

After your first grand exit…the ‘fuck-you-people’ exit….

What?!

You don’t remember people throwing shit? Food? Drinks? Hell, John Higgs threw a stool. We threw him out.

So I wasn’t involved?

Only to the point that you caused the riot in the first place…

But beyond that…?

You were taking a whiz and a walk in the bushes for all I know.

But, surely some time had surpassed…

As time will do…

But not a long time…?

That is relative to the participant…

Meaning?

You were back in well before closing

There was no riot. It was quiet…very…almost…

Dead?

Was going to say ‘Zen’. But...

Zen don't work for a bar

Then why so 'Zen' ?

Because the ones that weren’t about to wait to be arrested, decided not to stay…the others were too busy beating the shit out of each other to notice and were taken away.

Well there you go…their own damn fault for stickin’round.

I believe the cops thought the same...

There were cops?…Lights?   …sirens? All that?

Oh, yeah.

How did I not know this?

We…the police and I…surmised you lay face down in the field, probably passed out.

How?

How? How did we know?

Yes?

The moss, dirt and grass on your face…twigs in your hair…feces on your khakis…

That’s me? Damn, I thought you...

No, that’s you. Notice the place is pretty empty…especially in this vicinity, which is important, because this is the bar…

So I owe money…

Just pay your tab…

Which is greater?

Your tab…

In that case, I’ll pay for damages.