As a man that lost his job, Hiro Holmes felt deep sorrow, despite how great the month was. One of the most peaceful months since World War III. Many people believed that, and Hiro Holmes used to believe it too, until yesterday.
A day after he was fired, his girlfriend had visited him. She told him she was sorry, and then confessed about what happened that day.
"Look....I don't know how to say this but.. I cheated on you with your friend."
He had pretended to be shocked, not wanting her to know that he already knew.
"I didn't mean to... At first we were just friends, but then... I don't know, we just messed up...We didn't do anything serious, we just kissed."
"Wow Andi, that makes me feel a lot better," his voice dripped with sarcasm uncoated.
"Look I didn't come here for us to fight, ok? I said I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
He swallowed the urge to raise an eyebrow.
From what he saw, the way she kissed her new boyfriend so passionately, it didn't look like she "didn't mean to"
"Yeah...whatever," he brushed it off.
"So we're good.. right?"
"Yeah... Sure," he lied when all he wanted to do was yell that he wanted nothing more to do with her.
He hated lying, but he had to.
"You really forgive me? Like everything's okay?"
He wanted to scream, tell her no, that nothing could ever be ok, but instead he chose to give a slight nod.
Suddenly, in a swift motion, before he could realize what was happening, she hugged him.
He felt a ball of rage, rise to his throat, which he swallowed too.
Just as suddenly, she pulled back, and pecked him on the cheek, before letting go.
Every part of him urged him to scream at her, and tell her to leave, but he kept all his rage bottled in, and focused on listening to what she had to say.
However, without warning, she started to inch closer to him. He realized what she was trying to do and quickly leaned back.
He could swallow a hug and a peck, but he could never swallow a kiss. Not now after all she'd done.
When she realized that, she frowned but then gave a slight nod of understanding
Slowly the awkward moment passed and then after some small talk, she hugged him again and told him she and his friends would come to throw a party at his place, then have a sleepover.
By the time she walked out the door, his head was spinning with confusion. She had just done what he'd never expect her to do since they started dating.
She had apologized.
When she walked out, he had felt different, he was relieved to hear that he wouldn't be alone for two days, but also felt confused at her actions.
Now he realized he'd been played.
He couldn't even phantom why she would lie to him like that. If she was still dating his friend, then why come to him to apologise?
He stood up and walked towards his bar and - at a snail's pace - ran his fingers through the brands of moonshine, until his fingers landed on one.
Slowly he took it out and snatched the bottle opener, then walked back to the living room.
As he opened it, the strong scent of alcohol filled his system, muddling his senses.
He had promised himself never to drink, but now as he took his first glass, he realized he had nothing to lose.
It didn't take a while before he got drunk. He could not tell how many glasses he had taken.
They had all merged together to form a beautiful drink, that filled his senses with an emptiness. With a sense of numbness.
A few more glasses later his glass slipped and crashed on the center table. He swore and leaned over for the other glass.
Suddenly a wave of nausea knocked him off the chair. He sprang, making a run for the toilet.
The rest that happened, happened in a blur of movements, he managed to reach the toilet in time, right when another wave of the persistent and certainly dominant nausea hit him.
The next thing he knew he was lying on the floor.
Very sober now, he managed to drag himself up. He silently moaned for his lost lunch. He was about to walk out the toilet when he felt a sudden ache in his neck. Before he could turn everything became black.
---
It was dark. Very dark when Hiro woke, he slowly rose from his position; sprawled on the living room floor- his head slightly ached, the aftermaths of the short-termed migraine he had earlier, his head spinning as he tried to set place the incoherent memories that took place before he fainted. Or at least he thought he did.
He reached for his new phone he had bought, which should still be where he left it; On the couch, if he remembered clearly.
And he did remember correctly.
He pressed the on button, his hand slipping once.
It was 7:38.
He had fainted for hours.
He stood up sluggishly and walked out the door, he needed more than drinks to cure his pain and he knew just what to do.
His ears catch the sound of a low growl, and he whips his head to the direction of the sound.
Nothing.
Strange.
He thought to himself.
Very strange.
He shrugs after staring for a while, continuing his journey, kicking pebbles down the street.
Unaware of the creature that awaits.