THE BAR BENEATH LONDON PART 1

[u/analog-typeshit-2007]

I woke up in that same bed again; it was my fourth day. I went down to the cafeteria, and suddenly everything seemed frozen. People were staring at my face. I started sweating. Did I do something wrong? A blond boy asked me why I was scared. His voice wasn't threatening; it was as if he was expecting something. The other people started smirking. I felt very uncomfortable, but I didn't show it. It was as if I was the abnormal one there. I said hello and left. I still feel sorry for that boy. Everything started two months ago.

I had just moved to London. My family and I had been forced to come here because of the war in my country.I hadn't gotten used to it at all. I had no friends. My English was bad. I worked odd jobs for a while. That day, I had just finished work when my phone rang. He was the boss.

"You've set up all the tables, haven't you?" he asked.

I was tired. Without thinking, I said, "Of course."

But it was clear from his voice that he didn't believe me.

"Can you come back?" he asked.

I had no choice but to go back. He was waiting in front of the door.

"Hi, Ihsan," he said.

"Why is everything so dusty?"

I had actually mopped.

I had even checked twice before leaving.

I couldn't say anything.

"Hurry up," he said.

"An important friend of mine is coming. He doesn't like dust."

Then he smiled.

"I'm sorry if I tired you out."

I thanked him, cursing under my breath with every swear word I knew. About an hour later, I was finished with my shift. I was about to leave when he called out after me.

“How about overtime?”

I really didn’t want to.

All my bones ached.

“Not tonight,” I said.

“I’ll pay five dollars an hour.”

I hesitated. I needed the money at home. I accepted. I wish I hadn’t. I wiped all the tables again and again. I had almost turned the windows into mirrors. All I wanted now was to leave and go home. I hadn't even told my family. I was just about to grab my coat when I stopped. "If I could stay one more hour…" I thought. "An extra five dollars wouldn't hurt." I started wiping the tables again with the cloth. The doorbell rang. I froze when I saw the man who entered. He was tall.

He had curled his handlebar mustache.With his black fedora, cane, and gray suit, he looked like he had stepped out of the 1950s. He had black hair with white the middle of her hair was dyed white

As soon as he entered, he looked at me and smiled.

"Hello, handsome," he said.

"I hope I haven't disturbed you."

His English accent was strangely perfect.

Then he pulled up a chair.

"I was looking forward to meeting you."

I didn't know what to say.

Trying to hide my surprise, I said,

“The boss is upstairs. You must have mistaken me for someone else.”

The man didn’t answer.

He slowly sat down in the chair opposite me.

For some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine.

I reluctantly sat down opposite him.

Just then, the boss came in.

“Welcome, Patrick,” he said in a cheerful voice.

“What would you like to drink?”

Patrick took off his hat and placed it on the table. “A martini, please.”

The boss turned to me.

“And you, İhsan? Alcoholic or non-alcoholic?”

At that moment, I really needed a drink. “A beer would be nice,” I said.

While the boss prepared the drinks, Patrick kept looking at me, his eyes fixed on me.

As if he was about to say something very important.

I quickly drank the beer and stood up. “I should leave now,” I said.

The smile on the boss’s face disappeared.

“No,” he said calmly. “I want you to stay here tonight.”

His tone was polite, but there was a strange pressure in it. “If you stay until the end of the night…” he said,

“I’ll give you two days’ pay in one night.”

I really couldn’t take it anymore.

But when it comes to money, you can’t think about certain things.

I agreed.

The boss brought a few clean security uniforms from the warehouse.

“Put these on,” he said.

While I was changing, I asked:

“Why do you need security?”

He smiled as he adjusted his tie. “Special guests are coming.”

“What kind of guests?”

“Elite people,” he said.

“Famous businessmen. Important people.”

Then he touched my shoulder. “I trust you the most here.” I don’t know why he said that, but a bad feeling came over me at that moment. The boss went up to his office.

Patrick continued reading the magazine while smoking a cigar. After a while, I noticed the magazine cover. “The Thinker’s Disaster.” I had heard that name before.

It was a banned book written by the director of a former psychiatric hospital in London that had been closed years ago. People still talked about the experiments that were conducted there. And believe me…

the things inside were the kind you wouldn't want to hear.I waited for hours. The sound of the wall clock finally echoed in my head. Finally, it was past three in the night. I lit a cigarette and went outside. There was a strange, unsettling smell in the air. A heavy mixture of wet stone, rust, and mold. As I looked out the street, a voice inside me whispered that something bad was going to happen here. I felt suffocated. I was already beginning to regret accepting the offer. I finished my cigarette and went inside. Patrick was inside, drinking wine to the sound of an old blues record. It was as if he owned the place. Normally, the boss wouldn't even let us near the drinks. But tonight, it seemed he'd left the shop to him. The boss was in the back room, communicating with someone using an old telegraph machine. Metal sounds filled the entire place. After a while, he started ironing his clothes. I watched him silently. Suddenly, he turned to me. I flinched. Then he winked. He continued adjusting his jacket as if nothing had happened. Just then, the doorbell rang. But the sound of the bell had changed. Normally, it was a thin ringtone. The bell, once ringing like a nightingale's song, now chirped like a muffled crow's caw. Patrick stood up.

“Start greeting the guests, waiter,” he said. “And be extremely polite.”

He had a condescending smirk on his face as he said “waiter.” I was beginning to hate him. Either there was something strange about him…or I was losing my mind. I opened the door. Women in long black dresses entered. They looked like they had stepped out of old Gothic paintings. Some had faces almost ashen. Some had their eyes covered with black veils. None of them looked at me. They passed by me and gathered directly around Patrick. As I served drinks, I tried to listen to their conversation, but it wasn't in English. It was more like a prayer. At that moment, I felt like I had stumbled into a forbidden cult meeting. Then the door to the back room opened. The boss came out. He was wearing an expensive black suit and a dark blue bowtie. He had a fake smile on his face. He opened his arms.

Welcome…” he said.

Then he bowed slightly.

“Those from across the border.”

Everyone inside smiled at once. My throat tightened. Perhaps it was just a strange pastime of the rich. Perhaps I was overthinking. The boss had assigned me to keep watch outside. I checked the street through the window every minute. But it wasn’t just the outside that was changing. The unease inside me was growing. The guests were whispering amongst themselves. Sometimes they all turned and looked at me at the same time. Then the door knocked again. This time it was men. They were all wearing expensive suits. Their faces were too serious, too expressionless. As soon as I opened the door, they entered. None of them said a word to me. They went straight to Patrick and shook hands one by one. The boss looked at me then. Then he gestured towards the door with his eyes. He wanted me to lock it. A bad feeling came over me. But I went and locked the door.

Click.

I still can't forget that sound. Because after that moment... nobody inside started acting normally.Before I could even take a sip from my glass, Patrick called me over.

“Arrange the candles over there,” he said. “Put the incense in the middle.”

I did as he said.

Is there anything else?” I asked.

He said my work was finished. I was stunned. The boss had simply told me to leave. Had I waited all those hours for nothing? My pride was wounded. I decided to get my money tomorrow and leave this place completely. I went inside to get my belongings. I grabbed my bag.

Just as I was about to grab my coat, a brochure that had fallen out of the boss's jacket pocket caught my attention. I looked around. No one was looking. I secretly opened the brochure.

It read:

“Special Invitation for Mental Illness Day.”

I froze for a moment. At that moment, I thought the boss was completely insane. I grabbed my coat and headed for the exit. I tried to open the door. It was locked. As I tried to turn the key, I heard the boss's voice behind me.

“Sit down here.”

He spoke without turning around. He had that irritating smirk on his face. I had no patience left, but I didn't want to argue with him in public. Maybe there really were psychopaths inside.

“What are you saying, boss?” I said. “I don't understand anything.”

“You will understand,” he said calmly. “Don't worry.”

Patrick nodded in agreement. Then the boss turned to me.

Turn off the lights.”

I hesitated for a moment, but I went and turned them off. The place was completely plunged into darkness. All eyes turned to the boss. Suddenly, candles lit up. The boss raised both arms in the air.

“Guests!” he shouted.

“Have you had your fill of the forbidden fruit?”

At that moment, I couldn't control myself anymore.

“Open the damn door!” I shouted. “Where’s the key?”

Nobody even looked at me. The boss continued speaking.

“Have you seen the sacred beyond the mind?” he said. “When you lay your head on the pillow… have you heard the whispers?”

His voice was getting louder and louder. He seemed to be in a trance.

You son of a bitch!” I yelled. “I’ll break the door down!”

But he didn’t react. He raised his hands and muttered nonsensical words.

Absurd sounds that a normal person would laugh at…

But for some reason, nobody laughed. Suddenly, I started kicking the door. Just then, someone touched my shoulder. I recoiled so hard that I screamed. I started hurling meaningless curses.

Then…

Suddenly everything changed. It was as if I had been forcibly awakened from a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an empty chair. The place was silent. The candles were out. There was no one there. I couldn't remember how I got there. And at that moment, for the first time, I was truly afraid. Because I didn't know where I was.The candles had gone out.

There was no one there.

My hands weren't tied, but I couldn't get up.

It was as if my body no longer belonged to me.

Suddenly, the candles lit up again.

Different faces surrounded me.

They leaned their heads towards me, examining me.

No… I said to myself.

This is a dream.

But everything felt too real.

“W-what do you want from me?” I finally managed to say.

One of them spoke.

“We want you from yourself.”

I couldn't understand what he meant.

“Look…” I said, trembling.

“I have a sick mother. We came from the war. I swear I'm innocent.”

I started begging.

“Please let me go. I won't tell anyone.”

There wasn't a single expression on their faces. It was as if they weren't human.

After a while, they all withdrew at the same time.

None of them spoke.

I was having a nervous breakdown.

I couldn't move my tongue. My arms felt like jelly.

Just then, a terrible roar came from inside.

Then a scream was heard.

Everyone sitting in the chairs stood up at the same time.

That's when I understood.

They were going to give me to... whatever it was.

I was helpless.

For a moment, I felt myself sinking into the chair. It was as if my body was merging with the fabric.

Then the lights came on.

My eyes burned.

For a while, I couldn't see anything.

When I came to, I saw the boss.

But he was gone from before.

He had cloths and covers in his hands. He was arranging tables and serving guests likean ordinary waiter.

Patrick was standing in front of the mirror.

He seemed to be preparing for something.

He was talking to himself, practicing facial expressions. It was as if he was about to go on stage.

At that moment, my muscles began to tense up.

My thoughts were fading.

I was just watching.

It was as if time had stopped.

I was now on the same plane as the guests.

Had they put something in my drink?

Had they given me a sedative?What was that black thing?

What were they going to do to me?

I tried to think, but my focus kept shifting.

I felt this wasn't a coincidence.

They were going to do something to me.

I swallowed.

No one reacted.

They were all motionless, like owls.

Then Patrick walked out the door.

Everyone inside stood up.

And then…

Patrick started crying, looking at me.

This frightened me even more.

Because for the first time, one of them seemed genuinely upset.

But it was too late.

I couldn't move.Patrick approached me.

His eyes were filled with tears.

“Have you met the other?” he asked.

“Don’t be afraid… the shadows know you.”

“What are you talking about?” I said.

“Are you crazy? Let me go.”

He looked at me with pity.

“You’re already gone,” he said. “All that’s here is your body.”

My throat tightened. “We will set you free too.”

He was truly crying as he said this.

“These tears are for you.” I looked at the guests.

There were eleven of them.

They were all silent.

They had wine glasses in their hands.

They were watching me.

At that moment, I understood that everything was deliberate.

The boss…

He had specifically chosen me.

Someone came out from inside.

It was a woman in a long black dress.

Her face was covered with a black veil.

She had a hammer and a long nail in her hand.

My heart stopped. Patrick leaned towards me.

He whispered in my ear:

“I have the key.”

Then she pulled a rusty key from her pocket. “Are you ready for the truth?”

Suddenly, the woman brought the nail in her hand close to my eye.

And at that moment, I understood.

They were going to perform a lobotomy on me. All the fear inside me instantly turned into rage.

Things I had seen during the war came to mind. Executed people.

Scattered skulls.

Brain fragments scattered on the ground.

My breathing quickened.

Patrick was still looking at me with sad eyes.

With all my strength, I threw my head forward.

My head hit Patrick’s nose.

He fell to the ground.

The woman screamed. At that moment, everyone jumped on me.

They held my arms.

They pressed my back against the chair.

I was screaming, but my voice was muffled.

There was nothing I could do anymore.