Page 179 - Musings 2022

Joseph: How’s business been lately, Luke?

Luke: Gone to shambles after that riot a few weeks ago – you know, martial law and all. But
things are slowly recovering, though I reckon it’s gonna take a few more days until we’re back

in black.
Ritchie: (Laughs) Nice reference there. You gonna play some Back in Black?

Luke: I’d love to, but the sound system’s a bust. Some drunk dimwit a few days ago slurred

some choice anti-protestant words at me and bashed his mug into the woofer. Thankfully, a
policeman who was off duty arrested the maniac.

Ritchie: The hell? Was he catholic? Blimey, I thought the Catholics were better than this.
(Turning towards Joseph) No offence to you, mate.

Joseph: (Taking another sip of his beer) None taken.

[By this time, both Ritchie and Joseph are a bit tipsy, but continue chattering about mundane
things. Suddenly, a man in a red shirt comes in through the door with a serious face.]

Man: Don’t come outside for a while. (Turns around and leaves, but the door stays open)
Ritchie: (Frowning with drowsy eyes) The hell was that about?

[Suddenly, multiple people can be heard screaming outside. There’s a fight outside with
multiple explicits being hurled, and it looks like that the man wearing the red t-shirt is in the

middle of it all. He is being surrounded by multiple men, wearing large crucifix effigies as

necklaces, clearly Irish Catholics. The dispute turns into a brawl when the man in the red shirt
punches one of his confrontations and comes to a climax when multiple men hold the red shirt

man’s hands in an effort to bind him and one of his assailants takes out a knife.]
Knife holding man: (Visibly enraged) Jesus died for our sins! And this is how you protestant

nobodies thank Him? You all were a mistake! Your kind needs to die for your transgressions!

[The man stabs the red t-shirt man straight in his heart. There is an audible gasp and laboured
breathing from the man in red as the blood from his chest slowly mixes with his shirt, virtually

indistinguishable. He slowly starts slipping from his assailant’s grip and as he falls to the
ground, his eyes roll up and one painful, very audible breath, he lies limp, dead.]

[As this goes on, the three men in the bar watch on with horror and shock. All three are

awestruck by what just happened, seemingly unable to process a fellow Protestant get
senselessly murdered in public.]

[As a few moments pass, the sober Luke makes a consternated face, while the drunk Ritchie
with a subtle unhinge in his eyes looks at Joseph from the corner of his eye. He slowly reaches

for his beer mug, and before either Joseph or Luke can react, he bashes the mug into his
colleague’s head.]

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