back to the real world: Hunter part VI

four days after the anniversary of Beau's death-

Hunter wakes up sweating and breathing loudly. he tries to stand up. he looks at the clock. seven o'clock a.m. he falls on the floor and he stands up once more.

Hunter walks around of his room trying to think. he enters on the bathroom. he washes his face. he looks at himself on the mirror. he touches his face and his orange beard. he haven't been able to sleep properly for the last two weeks.

the Ferryman is quietly behind him watching his movements and actions. Hunter tries to ignore the man or better said the being that has become his shadow following his every step until the end of his days.

Hunter sighs. he is starting to feel paranoia and fear as he realizes that it has been indeed a year since the day in which he made that deal with the Ferryman. he is just human so of course it is normal for him to fear the idea of dying so soon.

when Hunter was younger he used to think that he was going to live until the age of seventy-two. now that he knows that he isn't going to be even thirty before his death, he is starting to regret not doing more things. he is regretting for taking so long in wishing to live a life that is no longer his.

Hunter washes his face once more and his hair gets all wet. he takes his shirt off. he turns around to face the Ferryman who is still in there watching quietly. Hunter asks him if he is going to say anything. the Ferryman looks at the floor without any words.

Hunter gets out of the bathroom. he changes his clothes in front of the Ferryman. Hunter is going to have one last date with Martha before leaving the city. Hunter wants to properly say goodbye to those who are important to him.

Hunter is starting to feel anxious once more, he had just calmed himself. he takes some pills with water. he looks at the ceiling and then at the floor before falling on the bed half unconscious. the Ferryman is just in there with a book on his hand looking at Hunter losing his mind.

Hunter knew from the begging that he was going to die, but he had the hope that with time he was going to get use to the idea of dying. he thought that he was going to accept his fate soon, but it is the opposite. the more he tells to himself that he is fine, the less calm that he is.

like five hours later Hunter was awaken by a strange sound. he stands up and he opens the door of his department. Stewart enters with a notebook on his hand. Stewart tells him about some stuff that he has been investigating by himself. he gives the notebook to Hunter. he takes the notebook with many questions to ask.

Stewart invites him to eat with him and some friends. Hunter feels uneasy about the idea of eating with some teenagers, but he was hungry and he wasn't in the mood to cook. Stewart tells him that he is going to pay for him. Hunter accepts the deal.

Hunter follows him to some Vietnamese restaurant. there were some guys and girls waiting for them. Hunter looks at the menu and he had no idea of what he was reading. he asked something randomly.

Stewart wanted to give a reason to Hunter to not give up and to fight with all his strength against the fate that he was given. Stewart wasn't feeling guilt, he knew that he was guilty for all the stress that Hunter is feeling right now.

Hunter started talking with his former students with a fake smile. one of the girls was bold and she asked for his opinion about her and if he was single for her. Hunter told her that there was someone on his heart and he affirmed that he couldn't like girls.

after eating Hunter asked for a beer. he gave advice to everyone in there. he drank two beers and told four jokes before leaving the kids. he wanted to think about his future or whatever is left of it.

Hunter took a cigar out of his pockets. he started smoking as he was walking. he receives a message from Stewart telling him to look at the notebook and the information that is in it.

Hunter looks at the bright sky as he keeps walking. the Ferryman has been following him the whole day without saying anything. he has been too quiet which is unusual on him. is probable that he wanted to give some space to Hunter to vent his feelings.

Hunter looks at other people walking on the streets with no knowledge of how much time they have left to live. it is strange how the humans don't care or are to busy to care about the time that they have left on earth until it is too late.

how is possible to live a whole life without stopping for a moment to think about the days that you have left? to say goodbye to your love ones or to do the things that you always wanted to do.

how is possible that the human beings are called the smartest creature on earth and they foolishly forget that they are mortals? how is possible for an intelligent creature to ignore the signs of their mortality?

the humans are the only creature that lives a lifetime feeling that they have a whole eternity to postpone what they call their happiness, said creatures are the same that die feeling like if they weren't able to live their lives.

Hunter stops for a second to look at the sun, at some clouds and every little thing in the world. he understood that if he was going to die then at least he could delight himself with every small detail of the things that life puts at your feet.

Hunter turns around to see Ferryman's eyes. since this morning he has been following him without saying anything which is not his style. he is a talkative being who says whatever he wants to say. if he is not talking is for a reason.

"is there anything that I need to know?"

"we Divine beings can't have proper communication with our kind. we are hostile towards each other or we use each other for our own benefit. unlike us, your species is always trying to connect with others with similar thinking or desires. my kind eradicates, mistreats, and steps on others just like humans do. there is no doubt that humans are our seeds of destruction."

"why the philosophical talk about the meaning of been Mortal or Immortal?"

"I am been investigated by my own kind and I can be executed at any moment. if anyone wants to frame me of a false crime no one would doubt even the most fake piece of evidence. is now that death can be mine that I think about how envious I am, I am so envious of the qualities of the mortals. their ability to feel or think like not even a god can, that truth is a magical seed of envy in most God's hearts."

"do you want a hug man? you seem like you need a hug."

"you often call saving your friend your destiny, but is it?"

"of course it is my destiny to save him. he came to my life to save me and I am meant to pay the debt by becoming his savior."

"maybe such a thing as destiny isn't given but built."

"then I will built a future in which Beau is alive, I am building a tomorrow in which he can smile once more like he used to on our days of youth."

"can you really save someone else? when you can't even save yourself."

there is a moment of silence as they are trying to accommodate their thoughts. Hunter wants to yield and scream out of desperation, but he stops himself knowing that if he acts aggressive people on the streets may confuse him for someone crazy.

Hunter knows that he isn't on his home to scream and act like a child in the middle of the street when the Ferryman is invisible on the eyes of the other humans. he tries to hold his feelings as much as he can. some tears are falling from his eyes.

how can he not cry when the words that the Ferryman use were brutal and realistic about his situation. he knows that he is running out of time and that he won't be able to save Beau at this rhythm.

the world is like a ferocious beast running with the speed of youth, when Hunter is a man walking slowly running out of days to breath. Hunter is in a race against time, a race that seems to be impossible to win.

Hunter keeps walking thinking about the time that he lived with his friend. he thinks about those memories of the past. he isn't even in his winter and jet he is closer to his grave than an elderly man is.

Hunter puts his hands on his pockets. the day is as cold as life can be, the breeze is as free as a tame beast with false illusion of freedom, the freedom that is found in a cage. the sky is as blue as the depths of the ocean.

Hunter keeps walking with simple and basic steps. he walks as slow as time in a capsule oblivious to the outside. in his eyes the reflection of determination and fear. in his heart the heartbeats of a dying man conspiring against the fates.

there is no right nor wrong, there is no black or white when you are walking on a gray path full of danger with some safety measures. he is walking on the road of guts and blood that the brave and the fools constructed with their shadows and dreams.

looking back at the past when you have walk forward for so long without stopping, not even for a second. looking back now will meant stupidity or wasting the time that was invested in the journey. that is why Hunter keeps walking without looking back.

there are thousands of things to admit, there are past mistakes or incomplete dreams of an age of innocence, there are wasted stages of someone's life, there are many things that were never resolve but all of that is meaningless now.

Hunter stops for a moment. the Ferryman who has been following him in silence walks in front of him and he asks if there is anything that he can do for him. the Ferryman is worry for his state of mind. the mind of a mortal is so fragile that it can break by anything, even by the most gentle touch.

Hunter looks at him with teary eyes. he wants to say something, but there is a lump on his throat. there is something that is mentally stopping him from speaking to him. Hunter cleans the tears from his eyes and he looks at the Ferryman once more.

the Ferryman has guided many mortals to the underworld. he has seen and interact with many mortals, but it is hard for him to understand the way in which the human mind works. it is hard for him to understand them all.

"I... I am, I am afraid of dying. I know my time is coming and I am anxiously trembling with horror and I can't concentrate on my duties."

"do not fear what you don't understand. it is normal for you mortals to be afraid of death, but death is just the other face of life. it won't do you any harm something that is so natural and is part of your existence as it is life."

some hours later Hunter found himself on a park staring at the moon. it was almost completely empty the place. there were some families that went there for a moment. some few hours later it was just Hunter on the park.

Hunter was thinking that maybe in another time or in another circumstances he might had been on this park not alone, but with the company of the lady he loves. he closes his eyes to think that Martha is at his side right now. he calls for her. some tears fall from his eyes.

the Ferryman sits next to him and he asks him if he really loves her that much. Hunter opens his eyes and he looks at his companion. his answer was a simple, but effective smile. with a single smile he was able to say more than with words.

"I see, so that is what you mortals call love. isn't it surprising to be alive and to feel."

said the Ferryman with a force smile.

at midnight Hunter was back at his place. the Ferryman told him that he had work to do and he left without saying goodbye. Hunter was alone as he was looking around at his room. his room felt strange and alien to him. he didn't belong in this world anymore. there was so little left of him.

he looks at the notebook that was given to him by Stewart. he takes it, then he opens it. he looks at some names in some pages. he keeps reading every detail that Stewart found about the company Son of Sun and about cases similar to Beau's.

he stops in a page. there were some names that he recognized. there was a name that was in particular especial to him. it was the name of a Gamer who in games was a rival or enemy to Beau.

Hunter search the name of that Gamer on internet. he feels like if he investigates this person he will find something (probably) he is thinking about investigating him and his every move (more like stalking him.)

"I don't know why but I had a feeling. I believe in me and my journey as the man who is meant to save you."

said Hunter in a soft tone of voice.

Hunter found important information about that Gamer. he even found private information like the place in which he lives and events on which he will take part. he found the needed information to carry on with his job.

Hunter looks at the clock and he notices that it is almost one o'clock. he feels tired and the need to sleep. he organizes all the things that he had on his desk. he jumps on top of his bed.

"I am going to find a solution. I am going to save you Beau."

said Hunter with faith on his determination and capacity to fight against any outcome.

he received a message from Martha asking to meet tomorrow. he puts his phone down. he looks at the ceiling as he falls asleep.