Work Share - An Affair of Honour

My other entry in the Creative Portfolio was a re-work of one of my previous assignments in the module (The strict form and free verse poems). This could involve re-working the strict form poem into a free form poem or vice versa. Alternatively, it could involve making either into a prose piece. With this in mind, I wrote a flash fiction from my free verse poem, The Demon Fencer. This was based on a Halloween pub crawl I went on with the fencing club and encountering the History Society in the first pub.

Legends has a lot of empty space tonight, yet the stereo drowns out our chatter with Michael Jackson’s "Thriller". It’s early, so I don’t smell spilt drinks above the floor polish. Some of the tables are occupied by mannequins of Dracula and the Wolf Man. Not the best ambience, but they have Doom Bar on tap.

As I walk to the bar, I see people in different period costumes gathered at the corner table.
“Bugger…” I say under my breath. I forgot that the History Society meets here on a Wednesday. I pull my hat down. I try not to look around as the bartender pulls my pint.

“Nice of you to show up.” I hear someone say.
I turn. A man in a toga walked up to the bar. 
“Francis…” I look back at the corner table. They’re looking in my direction. One of them raises their middle finger.
“You didn’t want to go on our social?” Francis says.
“I didn’t have any historical clothing,” I give a nervous laugh.
“They’ll think you’re a traitor.” He says.
“You’re in the fencing club too, so…” I pull a glove from my pocket and slap him across the face. The onlookers fall silent.
“I accept.” Francis says, “The Watershed. Sunday. 10 o’clock.”

Andrew Roberts, 2019