“Eh” - Jason thought approaching his bed. He couldn’t figure out if he is exhausted or just empty inside. But a good nap always helps. “What is wrong with me…” - a lonely tear went down his cheek. Hopefully good nap can change everything, dreams always been better than this grey reality….
A little buzzing of the phone woke him up. Torn away from the perfect dream, a momentary confusion appeared. Quick look at the screen. “Ah just some Reddit comments.. 10pm. Damn, I shouldn’t have slept that long. Another mistake.” Grabbed a bit dried croissant and a cup of water. Another sad meal. Scrolled down the feed on his phone. “The motivation every REAL man needs? Let’s see”
Few moments later Jason put on his training clothes and looked at the shoes in front of him. “That’s it. I need to be disciplined. I will get a good shape and people will start to notice me” Jason run outside the house and headed toward the park. What a quiet and nice neighbourhood. Little of cars, lots of green areas. Air a bit cold but refreshing, perfect for running. For a moment Jason could feel like a real man. “In the past real men hunted to provide food for families. Responsible and disciplined.” So he run forward.
A bit exhausted he finally got to the outdoor gym. Many metal bars in different combinations, levels and orientation. “Let’s do this” . Jason hanged with hands trying to do a pull up, struggling. “Damn, didn’t realise I am that weak… Let’s do something else” . While figuring out exercises Jason noticed a man on the bench. An empty brown bottle of beer at the side of the bench standing, man with slightly yellowish beard holding his bag tightly while sleeping on the bench. “Hmm homeless” Jason kept exercising, pain appearing in his muscles started to be motivating. While doing push ups, looked forward for a moment. The bench was empty accompanied by the bottle. “When did he go away, huh” . Jason noticed at this exact moment that it’s very quiet around, not a single car or person, just slightly buzzing lights. It created a little anxiety. “Damn 11 pm”screen flashed. Jason run back home, anxiety slowly faded away.
Getting closer to the house, put his hands in the pockets. “Wait.. the fuck my keys are.. no no no”. Jason stressfully checked his entire body. “You fucking idiot… pockets were unzipped. Great, just great, another mistake, such a failure.” Jason turned back, heading back to the outdoor gym, filled with anger and determination.
Cold fingertips of the air smacking his warm face, feet hitting the ground creating strong vibration in the body. “What a waste of time”. Stumbled over a bottle. “Fucking drunktards leaving bottles in the MIDDLE of the PAVEMENT!” . His thoughts in rage. “No, I don’t have anger issues, I’m just sad” . Looked at the bottle. This brown empty bottle. “He is following me…” . Anxiety kicked in like a warning. Jason looked at the other side, attempted to cross the road. Sudden loud honk, a pitch sound of tires against the road, blinding yellow lights. Jason found himself on the ground nearby a car. Somebody shouting at him. Jason, confused didn’t react, fear consumed all of his focus. Car went away quickly. Jason reached another side of the road, looked back. There was this man with the bag, holding and examining his bottle. Something primal awakened in Jason’s mind. Stunned, not daring to move looked at the man who didn’t even pay attention to him. Just focused on the bottle.
Jason made a first step. Very slowly and quietly. The man immediately looked at him. “FUCK”. Jason started running, looking back every few moments. Man slowly followed him. Jason tried to grasp a breath, but he didn’t care now. He must reach the gym and find those damn keys.
Outdoor gym was close. Jason looked around to be sure. Nobody in sight. “Those damn homeless people” . Jason took out the phone, turned on the lighter and started searching. 5 minutes passed…. 10 minutes passed… 15… His hands were very cold already. Stress started overwhelming his mind. He tracked back the exercises, he didn’t miss anything. And now he realised… “this man got my keys.”
At the moment when Jason wanted to make a call the phone turned off. “What the hell, I had 30%” . Jason didn’t realise that the cold lowers battery capacity. He could have just waited and warm up the phone but… but now he stared panicking. He run toward other entry. Bottle in the middle of the path. “No way”. Turned back trying to find another entry. Another bottle in the middle of the path. Looked at the small dark forest area of the park. “I’m not going there” . Headed back to the first entry he went in to the park. Brown bottle in the middle. His short breath gasping for more oxygen. Body shivering. Jason grabbed the bottle and moved forward. A sudden whistle of the air and explosion of the pain in his forearm. An arrow. An arrow in his forearm. Looked back. The man with a small crossbow, bag lying on the ground, reloading with another arrow.
Adrenaline kicked in. Jason leaped toward the man with crossbow. Controlled by a pure rage and fear at the same time. Man didn’t expect this reaction. It was flight or fight. This time he fights. Arrow missed, metal sliding on the side of the leg. Jason reached the man. Hit his head with the bottle, grabbed it and smacked on the metal crossfit bar. Took broken glass and put into his throat. Man dropped dead choking in own blood. Jason’s arm fizzy from the blood loss. Drops of warm dark red liquid leaking out going down his palm and fingers. Searched man’s pockets, spreading blood all over him. Found his keys.
Jason felt sudden calmness. And weirdly a satisfaction. “Real man hunts to provide for family…” . He took the small crossbow and examined it. He exactly knew what’s gonna be his daily or rather nighty activity from now on. “That’s the motivation I needed” he thought.