Daily Flash Fiction Challenge

Amidst the muted hum of a dimly lit bar, Maria sat perched on a worn stool, nursing her drink and trying to disappear into the shadows. She had come to this place to escape, to forget about the world outside, if only for a few hours. But fate had other plans.

Across the room, she spotted him. Jason, her ex-boyfriend, the man whose memory still haunted her. He was laughing, surrounded by friends, seemingly oblivious to her presence. Panic surged through her veins, and she desperately wished for an escape route.

Just then, the bartender approached, a sympathetic glint in his eyes. "Maria," he said softly, "your ex is here. He's been asking about you."

Maria's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't face Jason, not tonight. She looked at the bartender, her eyes pleading for help. "Tell them I'm not here," she whispered.

The bartender nodded in understanding and discreetly made his way to Jason's group. He leaned in, speaking low, and then turned to glance back at Maria. She watched, hidden in the shadows, as Jason's face fell with disappointment.

Relief washed over her as she sipped her drink, grateful for the bartender's quick thinking. In that moment, she realized that sometimes, the best way to find peace was to simply disappear from the past. As the night continued, she lost herself in the comforting anonymity of the bar, savoring the freedom it offered.