I was sitting in the bar. It was a dark and dreary affair, the kind of place you find yourself in after the world has crumbled. The furniture was old and wooden. It was straight up medieval. There was a crackling fire going, but it was starting to die down. All I saw around me reminded me of that fateful shadow over Innsmouth. Such a tragic shame that whole affair.
What I didn’t expect was this strong salty sea scent that wafted over from the dark corner of the bar. A figure in a cloak, a rather ragged brown affair. Their shape was difficult to look at. They were raising a flask to their mouth and the sea scent just got stronger. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see this evil black liquid flowing into their mouth. The flask was copper colored to match the buckles on their jacket.
They must’ve seen me watching, because as I tried to look away they started to approach. And as they got closer I could smell kelp and other sea scents like the stench of a stagnant bay. My heart was thumping. What was this evil approaching? As they approached I could feel the temperature in the room drop about 20 degrees.
“Want a taste?” It rasped. The barkeep looked over quizzically, like did this jerk really bring something from home, and not be a regular. Then the barkeep felt the colder atmosphere around this space and wandered off cleaning a glass with a towel. It’s not my problem.
Seeing that I had no real choice I manage to stutter out a “uhhhh yes.” The atmosphere was oppressive with the stranger’s haunting green eyes like those of phantom staring down on me. Not that much of their facial features could be made out.
It stared at the barkeep in that way like you know what to do, bring me a glass. The barkeep brought over the glass they were wiping and moved off to the far side of the bar. I could tell whatever was going to happen was going to be bad. Would my own eyes turn as alien as the stranger?
The stranger then started to pour this black viscous fluid in the glass from the copper flask. It smelled strongly of the ocean and the color was that of a clear night sky dark as could possibly be. I swirled it around and it coated the glass sides and ran down yet it remained opaque even with a thin coating. It was clearly not of this world that we live in.
I nervously lift it to my lips. I smell the sea. It touches my lips and tongue and all I can taste is salt. My mind is blown. I possess perfect causal knowledge of the ocean and horrors at the bottom. I cannot speak. I cannot think. The world stops for a brief moment. This will be the end of me……
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real drinks or real people is pure happenstance. It might possibly be inspired by some squid ink gin that I can’t buy.