back to the real world: Hunter part II

it has been a month since the victory of chapter one. at the moment Hunter is in classes in front of his students smiling while his students are trying to impress him with their paintings. Hunter smiles and he sits next to Stewart and the rest of the students are furious to see that he gives more importance to Stewart than to the rest of them.

"Mr. Jackson if you keep trying to get close to me the other students are going to get jealous and they might even invent harmful lies. I don't care anymore about what they say to me but you are doing so much for me Mr. Jackson."

whispers Stewart while he is painting.

"sorry if you feel uncomfortable around of me but the truth is that I see you like a younger brother and who doesn't want to keep safe their younger brothers? now keep doing what you are doing. I really like what you are painting is gorgeous."

said Hunter aloud for the whole class to hear.

he stands up and he walks around of the whole class watching everyone's work with a gentle smile that makes the male students feel jealous of his looks and good manners and on the other hand the female students are blushing and sighing every time they heard his gentle voice. Martha knocks on the door and she enters in the class room. Hunter looks at her unsure of what to say. in the last month they had become closed friends and he is having doubts about their friendship with the Ferryman appearing in front of him every once in a while to remind him that he is meant to die soon.

"the principal wants to meet you Mr. Jackson."

said Martha avoiding eye contact.

"tell that witch to keep her rusty claws far away from our Hero Teacher if she doesn't want problems with us."

yields a girl.

of course if Hunter knows about the rumors (more like facts) about the Principal and her tendency to like the younger male teachers then everyone else knows including the students. Hunter tells to a student to take care of the class while he goes to the Principal's office accompanied by Martha. Hunter also asks to the student to make sure that nobody bullies Stewart. at the moment Hunter is thinking about many things and he is stop by Martha.

"I know what is happening in between Helen Green our principal and you. the whole school knows and I just want to know if you need of my help. I can help, my uncle is super nice and he is in the police department so please let me do something for you."

said Martha feeling concern for him.

"you might thing that I am trash but I am allowing her to do whatever she wants with me in exchange for her help with Stewart. he is a student of mine who reminds me of me when I was a kid so I want to make sure that nothing happens to him."

said Hunter with a fake smile.

Martha doesn't say anything else and Hunter enters alone in the Principal's office. he smiles while Helen approaches him and she starts to kiss him in the neck while she unbuttons his shirt. she starts to kiss his chest while Hunter closed his eyes. she keeps kissing him and when she is about to touch his pants someone knocks on the door.

"sorry my young and beautiful toy it seems like we still live among caveman unable to understand when someone is busy with a routine of rejuvenation."

said Helen looking at him with desire.

"yes ma'am I understand if you had something more important to do but I wish we could continue this later so we can also talk about Stewart's situation and about how I wish to help him with his situation."

said Hunter thinking that she actually cares.

"don't get me wrong honey you are just a toy that is meant to be used for pleasure and that little favor that you want me to do. I would do it whenever I feel like it and not when you tell me to do it."

said Helen proving that she doesn't care for anything but for her own self.

Helen walks in front of the door while Hunter is trying to put his shirt on. he looks at the face of surprise of Helen when two policeman enter on the office and Hunter leaves looking at the floor. he keeps walking and he looks at Stewart who is in the corridor with a smile. Hunter walks slowly towards his student.

"sir I know what you are doing for me I am not stupid but I couldn't let someone as good as you sir to make that many sacrifices for me."

said Stewart with a broken voice feeling guilt.

"what are you talking about?"

said Hunter pretending to be ignorant.

"I can see them. I can see the things that others can't and that man used to follow me but after that night that I tried to jump that man stopped following me and is now behind you all the time and is clear that you can see it for your reaction."

said Stewart angry and sad at the same time.

"yeah the Ferryman a really nice guy by the way."

said Hunter.

Hunter walks back to his classroom and he sees two students fighting and he tries to stop them. the rest of the class was normal. the rest of the day was normal until the bell rang to announce the lunch. Hunter takes his lunch box from the floor and he gets out of it some tuna that he eats with bread peacefully while he puts some music ( he has tutorial during lunch Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but today is a Tuesday which means that no one is going to disturb his peaceful lunch. once Hunter finish eating his food he takes a soda from his lunch box and he is drinking it when out of nowhere the Ferryman steps inside of his classroom and he walks slowly towards a corner in which he sits and waits for Hunter to notice his presence.

"hello, it has been a while since the last time we spoke. may I know what does need such a distinguished gentleman like yourself."

said Hunter avoiding eye contact.

"not much really. it is just that I have been the man who guides the souls of the dead to their resting place and it gets lonely and boring but since we sign a contract together you are able to see me and to be honest it feels great to talk to someone who doesn't look down on you or doesn't see you as a tool. I could say that I consider you a friend."

said the Ferryman looking at his book.

"thanks for your sincerity. if I am honest I saw you as a scary creature the first time I saw you but the more I get to know you the more humane and sympathetic you seem."

said Hunter thinking of the Ferryman as a new friend.

"so you don't have a problem if I keep visiting you?"

asks the Ferryman while he drinks some tea.

"of course not. actually it would be nice if we meet tonight."

said Hunter thinking about having some drinks with him.

The Ferryman leaves and Hunter gets ready for the next classes. Helen was busy dealing with the cops so he knew that she won't bother him for the rest of the day. the rest of the day was slow and boring even for Hunter. at the end of the day Hunter was walking alone to his home thinking about the day that he had. the moon was so bright and the sky was clear enough for him to see the stars. Hunter enters in his home and the first thing that he does is take a beer from his fridge and then he sits in a sofa thinking about forgetting everything. in a blink the Ferryman is sitting next to him with a bottle of tequila.

"this is no longer strange. I don't even know in which moment I become used to your extravagant entrances."

said Hunter while drinking his beer.

"do you want some tequila. this is my favorite brand from my favorite year. we could say that I am letting you take a drink from my own personal collection from the best tequila."

said the Ferryman feeling proud of himself.

"last time I check they don't sell tequila in the underworld."

said Hunter while drinking.

"in the old days the mortals used to give me coins for their pass to the underworld but in the modern days they give me anything that is important to them or that holds some personal importance and among those things I get jewelry and alcohol among many more things but that is not important at the moment."

said the Ferryman feeling happy for once in a while.

"did I told you that the guys on my team are angry at me because I wan't there when they passed the first chapter nor when they passed the second chapter and I wasn't much of help when they passed the third chapter last night."

said Hunter feeling guilt.

"what monster did they fought in each of those chapters? I mean I am just curious to know."

said the Ferryman who is as curious as a child.

"well in the first chapter they fought against an Amphisbaena in zombie shape. in the second chapter they fought against a dozen of zombie centaurs and last night we fought a zombie Minotaur but I was useless in all of those times."

said Hunter feeling worthless.

"take it easy not everyone is good at games so don't take it personal."

said the Ferryman already half drunk.

"thanks man you are too nice. come back another time so we can keep drinking and talking like this. I mean I have no one to tall so it could be nice."

said Hunter who is already drunk.

the Ferryman leaves and Hunter is left alone thinking about his next action. he falls on his knees and he looks at the hourglass on the table. he screams in pain holding his tears. he drags himself on the floor feeling a lot of pain. he is afraid of death and he doesn't know what to do.

"is too late to feel regret. is too late to wish to live jet I want to be alive to see the return of my own friend. of the man I called my brother. if there is a god watching me right now I want to confess that I had never believe in gods or demons but now that my life is getting shorter. but now that the return of my friend to this world seems impossible I wish just for an opportunity. I wish for a possibility to die after one last hug of the man I called my brother."

yields Hunter with teary eyes.

Hunter goes to the bathroom and while he piss he thinks about Beau and everything that Beau did for him. he washes his hands and he looks at a mirror and he sees his reflection. he puts a hand in the mirror and he looks at his face and his hollow eyes. there are so many things that he didn't do right and many more that he couldn't. now that he is alone he stops a second to think about the past and the mistakes that were never meant to be resolved. he laughs and cries at the same time stuck in his past.

"I look at my shadow afraid of the claims that it would do for all the years that I had mistreated it and all the times that I had step on it without a single apology jet there has never been anything more loyal to me than my shadow since the first days of embracing my solitude. truth to be told there has never been a moment that I had felt so lonely than now that I had lost the only real friend that I ever had and is now that I think about the days of the past and the unknown future while I acknowledge my present before I let my soul be drowned in the dangerous waters of the guilt."

said Hunter feeling sorrow.

Hunter gets out of the bathroom and he walks towards the living room and after a few minutes he goes to his room and he thinks about getting inside of the game but he knows that he is drunk and at the moment he would be more of an obstacle than any help so he lies down on his bed looking at the ceiling. he thinks about many things and he smiles while thinking about Martha. he doesn't move until he falls asleep after a few minutes.

in Hunter's dream: he is running away from some zombies and when he looks back he sees how they are shattering Beau into many pieces and Beau asks him for help but Hunter is unable to do anything and he watch his friend dying slowly.

Hunter wakes up sweating and he stands up. he goes to the kitchen for something to drink and after drinking some milk he sits in a chair while he tries to relax. Hunter laughs nervously thinking about going to sleep again. he is afraid of having another nightmare like that so he decides to stay awake for another hour before going to sleep.