Remembrance Wall Read online

  Remembrance Wall

  by Taki Drake

  Contributing Authors

  B B Kern, Summer Donnelly

  Freddie Kim, and Kris Endicott

  A Badger Hole Bar Story

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Legal Stuff

  Dedications

  Foreward

  Chapter 1 – Not Quite Open

  Chapter 2 – Man with a Box

  Chapter 3 – Memories of Life

  Chapter 4 – Hold Fast For Me

  Chapter 5 – The Path of Prophecy

  Chapter 6 – Easy Parts of Life

  Chapter 7 – Lessons and Promises

  Chapter 8 – Terroir

  Chapter 9 – Shadowed Light

  Chapter 10 – Goodbye and Regret

  Chapter 11 – Hugs of Memory

  Chapter 12 – Hannah

  Chapter 13 – Moving on With Life

  Chapter 14 – Living a Life

  Chapter 15 – Looking Over Them

  Chapter 16 – Ghost Writer

  Chapter 17 – Captain to the Bar

  Chapter 18 – Options

  Chapter 19 – By Land and Sea

  Chapter 20 – Regrets

  Chapter 21 – Paladin

  Chapter 22 – Ready to Open

  Author Notes

  Author - Taki Drake

  Author - Summer Donnelly

  Author - Kris Endicott

  Author - B B Kern

  Author - Freddie Kim

  Keep Connected

  Legal Stuff

  Copyright © Taki Drake, All Rights Reserved.

  The individual stories incorporated in this work are covered under the copyright of the originating writer. The presence of their creative work in this story is by permission of each author.

  The Theft, ©Copyright 2017 Summer Donnelly, All Rights Reserved

  My Heart Outside of My Body, ©Copyright 2017 Summer Donnelly, All Rights Reserved

  For Hanna on the Anniversary of her Momma’s Birthday, ©Copyright 2017 Summer Donnelly, All Rights Reserved

  Hold onto My Memories, ©Copyright 2017 Taki Drake, All Rights Reserved

  Hugs for Grandma, ©Copyright 2019 Kris Endicott, All Rights Reserved

  Terroir, ©Copyright 2017 B B Kern, All Rights Reserved

  Fragments of a Legacy, ©Copyright 2017 Freddie Kim, All Rights Reserved

  Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited unless written permission granted by the authors.

  Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published by All Chaos Press.

  Dedications

  First and foremost, this book is dedicated to my husband. His support and devotion have created an environment in which I have been able to dare to extend myself into new areas with the absolute certainty that someone will always have my back. Thank you, John. Thank you for your love and support, and being there in my life.

  This book is also dedicated to the great group of crazy writers at Phoenix Prime. Those supportive, encouraging, and crazy indie authors have provided guidance, encouragement, and participation in my growth as writer of fiction.

  None of this would be possible without the incomparable Ds, Dorene and Diane. Editors, beta readers, cheerleaders, and a bright spot in my life.

  Getting the story to publish is the result of a ton of work from the All Chaos Press team. Thank you Ann and Sha for putting in the effort to get me going!

  My loving thanks to you all!

  Foreward

  This book in the Badger Hole Bar series is not for everyone.

  The stories that have been used to build this book are rooted in reality and woven into the strong characters that I like to have as neighbors in my worlds. The immersion of such intense emotional content may not something that you are comfortable reading. Those of you with traumatic experiences that are still raw may wish to avoid the triggers in several of the stories.

  I promise you that the book does not leave you in the pits of despair. Because I believe with every fiber of my being that there is hope, joy, and forgiveness out there for everyone.

  With my gut and heart exposed for all to see,

  Taki

  Chapter 1 – Not Quite Open

  In less than a week the Badger Hole Bar was going to have its Grand Opening. The mood was frantic, and to a spectator, it looked like a scene of mass confusion. People were rushing everywhere but didn’t seem to be getting a huge amount done. It reminded Madrik of a carnival and the horses on the carousel. In other words, there was a tremendous amount of activity, everybody looked busy, but there wasn’t a lot of discernible progress.

  Madrik was on pins and needles, worrying that something would be missed or not done correctly. He had tried to remember all of the things that a bar should have, but this one was different from anything else he had ever seen.

  He could feel the Badger Hole’s presence in the back of his mind, offering confidence and affection whenever he took a few seconds to relax. That was both an easement and additional pressure for the man since he didn’t want to let the Badger Hole down.

  Ever since he had been pushed down the hole that dumped him here, in a different dimension, the man had been hit with change after change. One moment he was out walking in the woods, numb from grief and unable to see a direction for his life to continue, and the next he was here.

  At first, scrambling to adjust to what he thought was a non-survivable trip, Madrik had found himself in an unbelievable position. Now bonded to a sentient building, he had responsibilities and the solace of work. His mind was still spinning, but he was either in a coma, or he was on a fantastic journey.

  I’m taking the things that I can see and feel, accepting them as my new reality, he thought to himself. There is always a possibility that I’m totally insane, but this all feels too real.

  Looking around the room, the BHB Anchor wondered if a different person had fallen down that hole if the building would have turned out differently. This is a bar, something that I managed before and a business form with which I am comfortable. I wonder if the building forms from the anchor’s desire or if the person is summoned by the building.

  Before Madrik could get too far down that rabbit hole of an idea, his attention was claimed by Brechal, the bartender. The demonic-looking man was quite obsessed about the setup for bar service and had been obsessively setting up the different stations repeatedly, looking for the perfect configuration.

  For the umpteenth time, Madrik signaled his approval of the minor change and then quickly turned to look at how the rest of his staff was doing. Hopefully, if he were busy with the rest the people working on the preparation, the bartender would stop taking his own nervousness out by involving Madrik.

  Overall, the bar manager was pleased. The new employees were doing well, with a bartender who obviously knew what he was doing and a waitress that was willing to pitch in and do anything necessary. The massive strength and easy-going temperament of the bouncer helped everything move along well. But Madrik was still unable to calm his nerves or to stop worrying. There was so much that depended on first impressions, and the bar manager knew that whatever happened over the next few days would set the tone of the business itself.

  The main room was starting to come together, and the bar itself was getting organized. Alastair, the bouncer, was moving tables around as Wynn, the petite waitress, arranged and rearranged everything to look just right. Brech
al was behind the bar checking stock and setting out glasses. It was a scene of preparation and the sign of a successful team.

  The movement in the bar came to an abrupt halt when the right-hand door opened. The presence of three entrances had been a mystery to Madrik from the beginning. The middle door made plenty of sense since it was the one that led out to the rest of the Badger Hole environs. It was the others that were the mystery that no one had been able to solve at first.

  Madrik now knew that the other doors did, in fact, open, but they were controlled by the BHB, not him or the other people in the bar. The bar manager was still trying to figure out the rules and mechanisms that determine which door opened, but for now, he was satisfied just to be aware of when to expect another visitor.

  There were other entryways in the BHB, of course. There were several doors that led to the outside gardens, and Madrik suspected that more would be added later. The BHB seemed to enjoy reconfiguring and extending its shape. At first, the bar manager had felt a bit frantic every time the architecture had changed. However, now he just took it in stride. >

  The bond between him and BHB was flooded with the bubbles of amusement that Madrik had come to recognize. Yup, definitely wicked sense of humor, he thought with a smile.

  There was also a door that had been boarded up and secured. It had explosively opened when the bartender had arrived. Brechal had come from a horrible situation, pursued by something monstrous. It had taken everything that Madrik and the BHB had to help close that door.

  The bar manager knew that if he had been alone, the story might have ended differently. However, with the help provided by some of the BHB’s supply vendors and the not inconsiderable power of the bartender, that portal was closed.

  It was very understandable when the opening of the door caught everyone by surprise. There was no creaking, no slamming, the door just opened. A soft puff of smoke temporarily tinted the air a gentle blue and wafted the smell of flowers into the room.

  > the bar manager sent to the BHB.

  All that Madrik got over his bond was a feeling of shoulders shrugging. Apparently, the BHB hadn’t gotten any advance notice either.

  Madrik had taken two steps toward the door when a man walked in, the door closing soundlessly behind him.

  Starting to block the man, Madrik was frozen in place by a firm, clear message from the Badger Hole. > it said. Startled, Madrik just watched as the man moved toward the bar.

  Brechal glanced from Madrik to the man, apparently hoping for a clue on how he was supposed to react. When Madrik made no sign, Brechal let instinct take over and invited the man to have a seat.

  Lost in his thoughts, the strange man sat down on one of the barstools. He looked to be a human of European or North American descent, with a worn face and sad eyes. Not a young man, he appeared to be perhaps in his 60s. The man was dressed in casual clothes, nondescript and unremarkable.

  He sat at the bar carefully holding a small wooden box in his hands. It was an unmarked pine container, approximately eight inches across, and the man stared at it with a strange, pained longing on his face.

  The man just sat there, making no sound. Brechal glanced at Madrik with a quirked eyebrow. They had discussed instituting a policy that the first drink anyone had at the bar was free but had never made it an official policy. The bar manager knew what he was being asked and gave the bartender a sharp nod, urging him to go ahead.

  Taking a deep breath, Brechal addressed the man, “What would you like to drink?”

  After a second of delay, the man responded in a quiet tone, “Scotch. A good one, please.”

  Brechal reached back and grabbed a bottle of Macallan 25-year-old Scotch. Pouring a generous measure in a glass, he set it and a glass of water in front of the man. “Would you like anything else?” The bartender asked.

  The man just shook his head no, once again, without saying a word. His eyes remained on the box in his hands, gazing at the wood as if it contained an answer for him that he desperately needed.

  The bartender continued to work on setting up the bar, keeping an eye out for his only patron. Behind the man, Madrik gestured, encouraging Alastair and the waitress to continue what they had been doing. With twinned starts, the bouncer and Wynn returned to their tasks but continued to check on their mystery customer.

  “What is this place?” the man asked.

  “The Badger Hole Bar,” answered the bartender. Once again, silence covered the area.

  After a little while, Brechal couldn’t contain himself any longer. Trying to be as nonaggressive as possible, the imposing bartender hunched a little bit to make himself look smaller and asked, “We actually aren’t open yet. You’re welcome here, but I was just wondering how you found us?”

  “It probably sounds pretty strange, but I’ve been dreaming a lot these last few weeks. I kept seeing this blue door in my dreams. I was out wandering the streets, just walking, and I saw the blue door of my dreams. I felt a pull of curiosity and decided to explore what was behind the door. I opened it, and a little fog seemed to come out of the walls, but it smelled good and didn’t feel scary. So, I just walked through it. Then all of a sudden, I was here. I guess you know the rest.”

  Brechal’s face had frozen into immobility as the man had talked. It sounded too much like his own experience entering the bar for the first time, even though this man had not been chased by monsters. His eyes darted to Madrik, who was standing about fifteen feet behind the man and unabashedly eavesdropping.

  Madrik looked just as confused as Brechal, but shrugged in a clear signal of “I don’t know either,” and turned his attention back to the ongoing preparations for their Grand Opening. Uttering a short sigh, Brechal told the man, “I’m going to continue with the things that I have to do right now, but if you need anything, just let me know.”

  Still lost in his own thoughts, the man gave a short nod and continued to stare at the box in his hands. The activity did not seem to bother him at all as he sat and thought.

  Chapter 2 – Man with a Box

  Madrik looked over at the man every once in a while. Every time he checked, the drink was untouched, and the man was still looking at the box in his hands. Silently, with a look of profound sadness, he sat there, unmoving.

  At one point, Wynn, the waitress, walked over and asked the man if he wanted to order anything to eat. The man looked up and stared blindly at her face for a minute. At last, he responded, saying, “I am not particularly hungry, but thank you very much for asking.”

  When the woman tried to talk to him further, he didn’t seem to hear her. Looking at him in concern, she went back to working on the thousand and one tasks that needed to be done before the opening.

  Brechal was working rapidly to get things arranged behind the bar to his satisfaction. It wasn’t easy since every time he ran out of space, the bar would grow more space in strange places. Of course, that meant that the bartender needed to rearrange things again.

  The man wasn’t sure whether to be irritated or pleased, but it did make for interesting work. It would take some time to get acclimated to a living building that grew what was needed.

  Straightening up, Brechal looked over at his lone patron. Hoping to start a conversation, he asked, “Why are you so sad? Is there anything that I can do to help you?”

  The man glanced up to respond to Brechal and jerked in surprise as he finally noticed that the bartender had two large green tentacles peeking out of his waistband. It could not have been more evident since Brechal was using them to straighten up some of the mess behind the bar.

  The bartender braced himself, convinced that there was going to be loud screaming or at least some form of hysteria. In some ways, Brechal was looking forward to it, since at least the man’s response would give them some understanding of
who it was that was sitting across the bar from him. However, the unknown patron didn’t even look freaked out or frightened.

  Nodding toward the tentacles, his only comment was, “That certainly would be handy.”

  “Yes, it is, and it provides a lot of amusement for some people.”

  “All of us have to work with what we have. Sometimes it’s good stuff, sometimes it’s bad.”

  Brechal had been watching the man’s face carefully, trying to read his emotions. Only that careful scrutiny allowed him to see the single, small tear that ran down the side of the man’s face. The bartender opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted.

  “Oh my God! Where did that room come from? It wasn’t there five minutes ago, and now we have a new room!” The voice was Wynn’s, and it was apparent that she was totally freaking out.

  Madrik had come running back into the room as she yelled. He stopped in shock when he saw the change, eyes wide and mouth agape. Everyone in the room turned and looked at the new addition, even the man sitting at the bar.

  There was now an alcove past the bar to the rear of the taproom. The opening was not very noticeable. Although, if you knew where to look, you could see it from the front door. It was subtly different than the rest of the building, with red-brown brick walls and a smooth floor.

  Instead of darkened shadows, the interior of the room was lit by diffuse, soft lighting, which gave it a dim background glow. The room was not very large, just an alcove of about ten-by-twelve feet.

  Brechal let go a sharp laugh, saying, “Wynn, you know the BHB is always adding spaces that we need. Apparently, we needed a room all to itself.”

  “But that is just one more room that has to be decorated! I thought I had everything under control and now I’ve got to add this to it!”

  Madrik had moved over to the opening as the waitress and bartender had spoken. Glancing into the room, the bar manager could see that there were smoother rectangles of stones set into the brick walls and distributed in a scattered pattern. There were many of these stones, and they were totally unmarked.