A Powerful Sense Of Dread

All was quiet and still in the Beer Shop.

The Bear-Man lurked, as he usually did, behind the counter but today he was unusually silent.

The clink of a beer as I picked it up from the shelf echoed unnaturally loudly.

Almost guiltily I put it back.

The atmosphere was thick with tension like lady-custard left out in the sun.

I shuddered with an oddly powerful sense of dread.

I 'ave a powerful sense of dread.

Intoned the Bear-Man from behind me as if reading my thoughts.

You what?

I said, turning to face him.

He looked serious and almost frightened.

I 'ave a powerful sense of dread.

He repeated again with a little more urgency.

His eyes stared at me with an intensity not becoming of a Friday afternoon.

Why?

I half whispered as I looked around me for signs of danger. What could it be that would frighten a giant of a man like the Bear-Man??

The Four Horsemen an all.

Said the Bear-Man with a grim finality.

I reeled back slightly.

The Four Horsemen!? Was this the start of the apocalypse then?

But why!? Why here? Why now? Why Glasgow? Glasgow was a bit shit. Why would the Four Horsemen begin the apocalypse here?

When?

I asked timidly.

Did I have time to run home and tell my family I loved them? Maybe indulge in a final hand shandy? It would be unseemly to leave this mortal coil without at least one more in the bag.

Wait a minute... Wait a minute... For once, I reigned in my wild imagination. Come on. I didn't believe in all that nonsense. There was no such thing as the Four Horsemen.

The Bear-Man had obviously gone stir crazy. Who wouldn't, trapped in a shop full of exotic beers every day?

The door of the Beer Shop clattered open and a short, grizzled looking man in a suit came in.

He took a big deep breath.

Have you got a powerful sense of dread??

He asked his face lumpy with anguish like a dog reaching down to lick its testicles only to find that they are not there and instead there is only a line of crude stitches.

Aye.

Replied the Bear-Man grimly.

The man in the suit's eyes widened as if he could barely believe what he was hearing.

The Four Horsemen??

He asked hoarsely.

TheBear-Man inclined his head solemnly.

Aye.

Oh my God!? It was true?? It really was true!? I felt mybrown growler loosen involuntarily.

I let out a faint whinny of fear and desperation.

You want them as well?

Asked the Bear-Man pulling two can's of beer out from under the counter.

Wh.. what??

He pushed the cans towards me.

Chocolate Stout's!! A Powerful Sense Of Dread and the Four Horsemen. They look like a couple of beauties!

He exclaimed proudly as if he had birthed them out of some moist crevice he owned.

I looked at the beers in question.

Just beers.

No apocalypse.

I sighed with relief.

Aye, go on then.