Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopian

Category: Novela

Title: The Sensei's Student

First Page:

Around 8 pm, Trei Martin would wipe down the bar.

The surface was a varnished wood that shined after it was cleaned. The concrete floor that he stood on was equally smooth, and, it too, required extra work done on it every night, so as to preserve its image. The drifter had been in operation since the early 20th century, and was a relic, with walls of old brick, coated with history.

The room was filled with seats for about 45 people, and on the far right side of the room, there was a piano, where tunes from centuries ago were played, in an attempt to immerse people in the setting. But, the space that had once been used for illegal drinking, and barfighting, had now been reduced to just one of the many bars in Chicago. At the bar, people used to clink their drinks together, and sing merry tunes. But now, people would sit down, and stare at their phones, with conversation being scattered. At least on Thursday nights. Trei looked down at his washcloth, and finished wiping down the bar. He rang it out, and set it back in the bucket. Then, he heard a rapping of footsteps behind him. He turned to see Lucy, tonight’s shift leader.

“You’ve done a good job so far, Trei. Only another…” she paused to look at her watch. “15 minutes, and you’re free to go.” she said, looking up again. Trei gave her a thumbs up.

Feedback: Any and all