THE BAR
RICHARD MOORE
GLOBE UNIVERSITY

The trick I used to get my soldiers to learn the signs and symptoms of a chemical attack was to put into a story that they could relate to. Being mostly all male, it was an easy task but it could apply females as well just have to alter it a little. The bar is a simple a place where people go to unwind after a hard day at work. Jim enters Jakes bar, not seeing anyone he knows he goes up to the bar and sits upon wooden round stool, you can see the indention of where past people have seat upon the faded leather padding. Jim orders a Jack and Coke’s from the bartender, an elder gentlemen wearing a blue shirt with Jakes printed on the front left pocket, an old pair of faded blue jeans and black Nike tennis shoes. By the time Jim’s friends, Harry and Bob, arrive to join him, he had consumed three drinks. As they approach Jim, they notice a wooden table with four chairs that just opened upon near the dance floor. Jim taking his drink following Bob to the table, sits downs and waves for the waitress. A redheaded female named Julie, in her early twenties wearing a blue t-shirt with Jakes across the front in fancy red print and black jeans and white sneakers. Julie lets you know that Happy Hour has started and the drinks are half price. Harry orders a Miller draft from tap and Bobs orders a Budweiser lite. Jim orders the same as he is having. Over the next few hours the conversation revolves around work and work related issues.
The time is getting to be around eleven o’clock at night and everybody has had enough drinking. Jim goes up to the bartender and asks him for the bill. While wait on the tab, Jim notices what seems to be a blonde female sitting at the end of the bar; she is dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans and western boots. But because of all the alcohol consumed that night and the dim lighting in the bar, Jim vision had become blurred. Jim makes his way down the bar noticing that the young lady is getting ready to leave and offer to take her home.
As Jim escorts the lady out to his car, he learns her name is Amanda. Jim’s car is an old Chevy S10, red in color faded from setting in the sun. The inside smells of pine from the used pine tree air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. Jim opens the passenger door hearing a creak from the rusting hinges and helps Amanda into the truck.
Upon arriving at Amanda apartment, Jim walks her up to her apartment door on the second floor. The hallway showed signs of wear in the faded beige paint to the worn runner down the middle, toys were scattered down to the opposite end from the children playing and leaving them there