New Life

  “Where are you goin’ stranger?” The bus driver had asked the man when he boarded. He gave the only reply he could muster. “Not here.”

  It had been 6 hours since then. Countless cities has passed by, buildings and cars being nothing more than blurs in the grey sky. Flashes of muted colors that he could recognize briefly. Paying the next bus he could catch to take him farther. It never mattered, so long at it was away from home.

 The entire ride he felt numb, unable to process anything other than the events that had led him to make this decision. 

  He wanted to give her something special. It had been a month since either of them had been able to go out on a date. Despite sharing an apartment together for a few years, he’d never found the right time to ask her the question. Tonight he figured would be the night.

  He couldn’t afford a ring. Not the one he wanted to give her at least, but he could afford to spoil her, and that’s exactly what he planned to do.

  Leaving his job, he threw on his brown leather jacket and began to drive home in their car. Stopping by the store, the raven haired man picked up a bouquet and ingredients for a nice dinner, something elegant he wanted to share with her. Getting off early had its perks. 

  Pulling up, he was quick to notice a friend’s car in the parking lot. Wondering what he could want, Hunter shrugged it off, balancing the groceries on one arm while he locked the car and fumbled for the right key. 

God he wished he never opened that door.

It didn’t take him long to pack and leave the next day, despite pained screams from his girlfriend. He couldn’t face her, couldn’t say anything. He was just numb.

  As the bus pulled up to it’s stop, Hunter figured that this was far enough. Slinging his bags over his shoulder, picking up whatever he couldn’t carry, he existed the vehicle and stepped out onto the pavement. Harsh sunlight of a sunset blinded his eyes. Raising a hand to cover them, he quickly found himself looking at a nearby apartment complex.

  “Home sweet home.” He said to himself, walking across the street to the new building.