Mickey's Bar

PROMPT for 'Writer's Cramp'
Write a STORY or POEM that includes ALL of the following words -- you must bold each word to make it easier for the judge to find them:

Valentine
zookeeper
barstool
trombone
freezer

Word count:459


Jed Reed trudged down 13th street. Going against the wind and blinding snow made the walk difficult, but he was close enough now to see the flickering neon sign.

Mickey’s Bar and Grill

The sign’s glow lit Jed's last steps as he reached the entrance to Mick’s. He stepped through the doorway, adjusted his eyes to the darkness and made his way to an empty barstool.

“The usual?" Mick asked.

Jed nodded and asked, “Tonight band night, Mick?”

“Yeah,” Mick said, setting a bottle on the bar. “Given’ the local wannabes a gig, they work cheap and I promised to feed ‘em. A little entertainment should bring in a hungry crowd.”

Both men watched as three musicians readied a small stage. The tall, skinny one pulled a trombone from its case and a trumpet from another. The other two, shook uncut hair out of their eyes and slung guitar straps over their shoulders, letting the instruments swing at their sides. Jed thought they looked wasted and under fed.

“Will you stick around for the music, Jed?”

“Nope”, Jed answered. “I hate music and long haired freaks even more and I expect to be rather busy most of the night. Valentine died today.”

“Natural causes, Jed?”

“Old age finally caught up with her I’m afraid.”

Mick looked around and leaned over the bar and said. “You don’t look for any trouble do you?”

“No trouble, Mick. My position as zookeeper gives me special privileges and it’s my choice how she will be disposed of. I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to deliver, you meet me at your back door then…like always. Have the money ready.”

Mick shut the freezer door behind him, silencing the loud music. He moved his small supply of frozen meat into one corner. He stacked pre-cut fries in another corner and frozen vegetables off to the side. Satisfied with the space he had made, he went back to the kitchen and put more steaks on the grill. Business was good.

Jed removed 10 rolls of white meat wrapper from a rental truck. After several trips from the truck to the electrified enclosure, he was ready to begin. He gassed up his chain saw, yanked on the cord and began the arduous task before him. The sharp chain saw blade made its first cut through Valentine’s upper leg bone. The leg fell to the ground.

Hours later, Jed had the last of the carcass wrapped and loaded in the truck. The elephant, affectionately called Valentine by all those who knew her was now in pieces. The zookeeper let the jackals and hyenas into the enclosure, satisfied they would clean up the remains and fatten themselves. With that thought, he smiled and dialed Mick’s number.