Raffey
Member
Marion stood up from behind the bar when the front door burst open with an inward rush of cold air. She saw a man’s shadow splash across back wall as he entered her bar.
“We’re closed.” Marion called out to confront the incoming stranger. She set down the glass she was cleaning and covertly reached for the handle of a revolver she kept hidden in the till next to her.
“Hello, Marion,” Spoke a familiar voice she had not heard in many years.
“Raffey!” Marion exclaimed. All tension left the air and she moved her hand away from the gun. “I was wondering if you’d ever step through those doors again. Where have you been all this time?”
Raffey grinned, “Just life! Sometimes you lead it. Other times, it leads you.”
“So…jail, huh?” Marion teased.
“God no!” Raffey shook his head still grinning. “But I am back…for a little while at least.”
Marion thought she heard Raffey mumbled something under his breath about recently finding a lost diary full of forgotten usernames and passwords…terminology that she did not quite understand.
“Good! You still owe on your tab.” Marion said giving him a stern look.
Raffey’s eyes widened momentarily at the thought of years of compounded interest being added to his original debt.
He flashed Marion a lopsided grin. “Aw… Marion, I’m good for it.”
Raffey downed the shot Marion had poured and slid across the bar top at his direction. “The old Raiders Adventurers gang? Ameera, Zharah, Azn, Indy IV, Finn?
“Many of them gone. Years now.”
Raffey paused for a moment to reflect fondly on the fun and adventures of times long gone. “I guess they are in the archives now.”
Then, Raffey shook his head as he suddenly recalled. “No…no archives. All of it was lost during the Great Raven Purge of ‘03 or ‘04.”
Marion looked at Raffey askance—once again hearing Raffey’s words but not understanding their meaning.
Raffey ignored Marion’s bewildered stare. “It HAS been years…too many to count. My guess is that they’re all living their lives. Moving on and maybe with growing families of their own now.”
That thought made Raffey happy. Ameera, Zharah, and Azn with little rugrats? They were so young back in the day.
“Thanks for the drink, Marion.” Raffey set the empty glass down on the bar and got up to leave.
“Don’t be a stranger, Raff!”
“I won’t. I will be back. I hear Indiana Jones has got one more adventure in him. Wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
“Really?” Marion retorted, “You missed the last adventure and our wedding too!”
Raffey adjusted the backpack on his shoulder with what appeared to be an unusually shaped crystal skull tucked in it.
“Oh… did I?” Raffey smirked as he headed out the door. “If they ever happen to drop by again…tell the old Raiders Adventurers ‘hello’ for me!”
Raffey paused a moment to wink at Marion before stepping out into the dark streets of Nepal and disappearing into the frigid night.
“Dammit!” Marion scowled. “Raffey still hasn’t paid his tab!”
“We’re closed.” Marion called out to confront the incoming stranger. She set down the glass she was cleaning and covertly reached for the handle of a revolver she kept hidden in the till next to her.
“Hello, Marion,” Spoke a familiar voice she had not heard in many years.
“Raffey!” Marion exclaimed. All tension left the air and she moved her hand away from the gun. “I was wondering if you’d ever step through those doors again. Where have you been all this time?”
Raffey grinned, “Just life! Sometimes you lead it. Other times, it leads you.”
“So…jail, huh?” Marion teased.
“God no!” Raffey shook his head still grinning. “But I am back…for a little while at least.”
Marion thought she heard Raffey mumbled something under his breath about recently finding a lost diary full of forgotten usernames and passwords…terminology that she did not quite understand.
“Good! You still owe on your tab.” Marion said giving him a stern look.
Raffey’s eyes widened momentarily at the thought of years of compounded interest being added to his original debt.
He flashed Marion a lopsided grin. “Aw… Marion, I’m good for it.”
Raffey downed the shot Marion had poured and slid across the bar top at his direction. “The old Raiders Adventurers gang? Ameera, Zharah, Azn, Indy IV, Finn?
“Many of them gone. Years now.”
Raffey paused for a moment to reflect fondly on the fun and adventures of times long gone. “I guess they are in the archives now.”
Then, Raffey shook his head as he suddenly recalled. “No…no archives. All of it was lost during the Great Raven Purge of ‘03 or ‘04.”
Marion looked at Raffey askance—once again hearing Raffey’s words but not understanding their meaning.
Raffey ignored Marion’s bewildered stare. “It HAS been years…too many to count. My guess is that they’re all living their lives. Moving on and maybe with growing families of their own now.”
That thought made Raffey happy. Ameera, Zharah, and Azn with little rugrats? They were so young back in the day.
“Thanks for the drink, Marion.” Raffey set the empty glass down on the bar and got up to leave.
“Don’t be a stranger, Raff!”
“I won’t. I will be back. I hear Indiana Jones has got one more adventure in him. Wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
“Really?” Marion retorted, “You missed the last adventure and our wedding too!”
Raffey adjusted the backpack on his shoulder with what appeared to be an unusually shaped crystal skull tucked in it.
“Oh… did I?” Raffey smirked as he headed out the door. “If they ever happen to drop by again…tell the old Raiders Adventurers ‘hello’ for me!”
Raffey paused a moment to wink at Marion before stepping out into the dark streets of Nepal and disappearing into the frigid night.
“Dammit!” Marion scowled. “Raffey still hasn’t paid his tab!”
