Chapter 5: Stitches

CHAPTER 5: STITCHES

The veins in Gail’s head popped and flared, sticking out on his head like a cable TV cord resting underneath some carpet. He was desperately trying to get ahold of Ben, but no matter how hard he concentrated, Ben wasn’t responding. He grew sweaty as he rubbed his palms together as he looked out at the city skyline. The same city skyline that Ben was so impressed by.

“You know he must be okay.” Timmy said, sneaking up on Gail. “You know, with your condition I find it much easier to sneak up on you. I wonder what your deal is?”

“Oh come on! You know the deal.”

“A lack of focus”

“Exactly! Besides I know he must be. But why hasn’t he responded to my distress calls?”

“I don’t know. It is odd considering how Ben has been set up on every Heart Breakers watch list. Which is also strange… I never remember a Heart Breaker escaping Cromwell.” Timmy pointed out. “If he is alive, it must be barely and if that’s the case then we can only imagine what has happened to that girl of his.”

“Well I guess we’ll find out.”

Later that night Gail met up with a hot date. The hot date being the opposite of what you’re thinking and a hot date not actually for Gail. More or less for Abigail instead. Each Heart Breaker was on full alert without Ben. And somehow Timmy knew that until Ben was apprehended then they wouldn’t be getting a replacement.

As Abigail flirted with and put her hands on the hands of a man, she was being watched, watched by a man in a stone fox mask. The mask was thin, and light despite being stone. It had the carvings of a mouth, nose, whiskers, and even eyes but the eyes bore no holes to see out of. Yet with any ability to see the man traversed along the rooftops no problem, in Heart Breaker fashion no less.

Abigail walked out of a high class restaurant. The restaurant was very expensive which was an unusual setting for Abigail to attend, because the dates didn’t usually have the money to afford such luxuries. But not this time since Abigail was even sporting a fancy red dress. She walked as she clung to her dates’ arm. Though thanks to Gail/Abigail’s time spent not relying completely on his/her powers as a Heart Breaker, he/she caught a glimpse of the rooftop man in the corner of her eye.

She stopped as her date got into the limo without her a she told him she needed a second of fresh air. Though in reality she was just standing there waiting. Waiting to catch another glimpse of the strange silhouette she had noticed before. Abigail then rubbed her head while remembering her most recent dream and decided to call it a night.

During the limo ride home Abigail whispered sweet nothings into her date’s ear. She was being extra flirtatious, or in Heart Breakers terms working extra hard. She was doing this because her friend Ben is basically wanted dead and not alive. It was like what other people in a depression do when they throw themselves into their work.

Though in Abigail’s (Gail’s) case it wasn’t helping very much. It was almost as if it were this parental mind block. Almost fatherly in nature, and Gail didn’t completely understand why this was. He did however equate it to how he took Ben under his wing when he first gained his new emotional presence. But then when he thought about that it pissed him off. The way Ben left him behind. That was the way he felt after Ben left. Abigail then said her goodbyes to her date as she got out of the limo, and it drove off.

“How ironic” Abigail (Gail) said laughing softly. “Ben left me behind… right.”

Abigail walked in her nice dress behind an alleyway. Her mind was so flustered she didn’t even notice the hooligans that were tailing her. Sporting black hoodies and switchblades. They followed behind her and then went into the alley to mug her. About twenty seconds later Gail emerged from that dark alleyway, and the muggers had not.

With crime up, Ben’s location unknown and a drastic increase in Heart Swallow activity, Gail felt a lot of emotional pressure for the very first time. This affected his view of the city too. It was much darker than before. The streets were ridden with colorful tags, and an increase in violence. Now in reality these things have always been present, it is just Gail now holds a heightened awareness to these things.

He finally made it back to his male alternatives apartment. It was in a much nicer neighborhood and somewhat of a bachelor’s pad but the city, nay the world still looked dark to Gail. Found himself staring out his glass bottle wall as he looked out at the city. The glass wall had never been touched until that night. That night when Gail put his bare hand up against the glass. Leaving a large hand mark.

“Where are you Ben?” Gail wondered to himself aloud.

The next morning miles upon miles southwest Sarah sifted through the aisles of a drug store. She found herself buying aspirin, and other various low dose pain relievers. She also had an abundance of or a cornucopia if you will of snackage in her cart the likes of which couldn’t be that healthy. Things in the vein of cheesy poofs, Chocolate, and garlicy flavored potato chips. Sarah then found herself reaching for gauze until she stopped herself.

“Well he doesn’t really need those anymore.” She said pulling her hand away.

She started pushing her cart through the aisles once more when she came across the stuffed animals section of the drug store. The selections were almost nil but Sarah still managed to find a good one. She rolled up as the cashier gave a little attention at the abundance of junk food and even the hill of pain killers. The cashier then sighed at the sight of the stuffed animal, giving a disapproving look towards Sarah.

“Really?” The cashier said.

“What!? He’s cute! Look at his big little eyes!” Sarah said hugging the stuffed animal.

“That doesn’t make sense but whatever. 117.50 is your total.” The cashier ended with.

Sarah found herself carrying the bags back as people walked passed with their dogs and their friends. It was very bright out and it held that small town aesthetic to it. Drive throughs had cola advertisements with faded paint but sidewalks were clean and well managed. She walked to the outskirts of that small town. As she stepped up to a rather humble motel. It wasn’t gross like your typical small motel, instead it more homey.

“I’m back!” Sarah said as she gasped dropping her groceries if you could call them that.

Back in the city Gail had just gotten off an early morning date with a gal and he had another one with another gal on the other side of town in an hour and a half. And lastly a late night date with the same high profile man from the night before. He was really feeling swamped. He then felt a massive headache come on. He was somehow so out of it that he was completely oblivious to what was really going on.

It wasn’t until he saw Timmy while passing a local playground that he was reminded of his very existence as a Heart Breaker. He then felt the headache set in again as he was getting really annoyed. Suddenly he noticed Timmy looking at him intently, almost looking as if Timmy was trying to remind Gail of something. It was then it hit Gail. Then realizing that what was happening Gail immediately responded to the telepathic communication.

“Hello!?” Gail said maybe a little too excited.

“Gail! You seem excited.” Ben said with a confident smile.

“Well of course! I have been trying to get ahold of you for weeks!”

“Oh really!? I haven’t noticed.”

“Really!?”

“Hell no! You have been giving me headaches for the last few weeks! I finally started mentally blocking you!” Ben yelled from atop the rooftop of the motel as Sarah ran out to look at Ben and as she spotted him she a big sigh of relief.

“You started blocking me! How could you!?” Gail said in surprise.

“Come on Gail… I hate to admit it but you were right about Cromwell destroyed me there. I mean talk about brutal! You must have known?” Ben admitted.

“Surely have known huh? I’ve been getting that a lot lately.” Gail whispered.

“Ben! What are you doing up there!?” Sarah yelled.

“Hold on a second buddy.” Ben said to Gail as he then directed his attention to Sarah. “I am so sorry Sarah! I decided to go up here to call Gail! I’ll be down in a minute!”

“But what about your injuries!?” Sarah asked.

“I feel great! Don’t worry!” Ben said.

“Was that girl worrying about your injuries?! Heart Breakers heal phenomenally, what the hell happened to you when facing Cromwell!?” Gail asked with a sense of shock in his voice.

“Yeah… it was bad. Brutal even, I got destroyed.” Ben said a bit timid but holding his smile and happy go lucky attitude.

“Destroyed how?”

“Oh it’s a figure of speech.” Ben said as Gail face palmed.

“I know that, I mean tell me details!” Gail said frustrated.

“Oh okay. Well I walked in and it started out civil enough but after I refused to kill Sarah that is right about the time things went sour, and he dominated me. He was so fast! Even as Brea, it wasn’t almost impossible to outrun him! Then if he got ahold of you then you were guaranteed to bleed. If he got you again then prepare to bleed more!”

“Wow… it was that bad huh?” Gail said with eyes wide open.

“Oh it gets worse. His blue flame ability deals physical damage too.”

“What?!”

“It’s true, I swear! Only a minute into our fight there wasn’t a single moment that I wasn’t sure I would die that day. And the escape was no picnic. I couldn’t feel my arms nor legs. But I still ran and drove like a beast to get away. Every moment was like me just clawing to get away! I bet I looked desperate bro!”

“My god! It sounds like you are lucky to be alive. I heard every Heart Breaker that fought Cromwell didn’t survive. Not a single one! How’d you do it?” Gail asked with genuine curiosity.

“It wasn’t easy. I am not quite sure how I pulled off gaining the strength to get away but after thinking on it the past couple of weeks I think it was an adrenaline rush. You know, a mother with little strength lifts a car off of her child… you know something like that.”

“How did you reach that conclusion?”

“Well… I just feel I must have. I haven’t experienced strength like that almost ever. But now I had something to keep fighting for. It was Sarah. There I lay like a wounded animal, ready to die. And as I was cornered it was as if I thought of my own cubs when I thought of Sarah. I unleashed a wrath of furious strength and anger, and I escaped.” Ben said with a blank face and a very somber voice to boot.

“You did good kid. I’m proud of you.” Gail softly said as a gust of wind distracted Ben.

“What?”

“Oh uh… n-nothing.” Gail was embarrassed and left it alone. “Oh um, I have some good news to share. Me and the gang had a heart to heart and have decided to help you regardless and we still have your back.”

“What about your work as Heart Breakers?” Ben asked.

“Well we’ve thought about it and we decided if we ever left to help you then we’d inform all the remaining sectors. That way they could pick up all the slack until we got back, and trust me we will be back but you are part of our family so we found it right to protect our own!”

“Wow thanks! I can’t believe you got the others to do that!” Ben said as Gail interjected.

“Well actually it was Timmy/Tina. He said to us that we were his responsibility, and he would decide what happens to us. He even said he would take full responsibility for these actions.” Gail told him.

“Wow I can’t believe he said that. But it’s a little weird when you think about it. Yeah, Timmy has been around the longest by far, double the rest of our times put together but even though we share the same sector it isn’t a group effort. We have no leader therefor any repercussions would go against the whole group.” Ben said flattered but confused.

“Yeah… I think we all knew that on some level. But maybe that is Timmy’s quirk. I mean we all seem to have those humanizing quirks. Even Timmy. Revy only wants to be a girl, Kyle gets angered easily, Timmy feels responsible due to experience and we are basically just humans at this point.”

“Well I appreciate it you guy’s. Why don’t you guys head west? I don’t have an exact location in mind yet because we are still on the move but when I do settle down I will let you know. Get here before Sarah’s Heart Swallow evolves into something much more devastating.”

“Okay we will.” Gail said. “You get better you hear!?”

“Better!? Yeah right!?” Ben yelled as he flexed his muscles. “It may sound funny but I actually feel stronger than ever!”

“That is weird… talk to you later.” And just like that they “hung up” with each other.

Ben then started poking his right bicep with his left hand. He felt the wind flowing through his hair and it felt so freeing. All accept for the gauze that were still wrapped around his bruised body. He slowly unwrapped the gauze as he held them in his hand. He let go of the gauze as it flew away in the wind. Giving him this supreme comfort.

“Umm Ben. I am sure that was a very touching gesture for you but you kind of littered.” Sarah said laughing at him as he looked down and smiled at her. “Why don’t you come down?”

“Not this moment. I think I need to stay up here… it feels kind of nice.”

“Okay, I’ll be back inside watching something or maybe reading something. See you.”

“Yeah, see you in a second.” Ben said.

Ben stared out at the sun as it hovered high in the sky. The peak of the day it was, and Ben felt great. Standing on that motel with a gentle breeze blowing by. Not to mention all the people driving by who just stared at Ben. He would notice them staring as he would smile and wave. Not realizing they were staring at him because he was doing something strange, but Ben couldn’t help but be a happy strange person.

To Ben this was the first time he survived and encounter like the one he had with Cromwell and quite frankly he felt good to be alive. Suddenly it was like Gail said about doing what he does to simply survive. And all that philosophy and questions about who he was or what he was no longer mattered, for now at least. It was total peace.

“I can’t believe I am still kicking… I should be dead right now.” Ben said as he jumped down from the top of the motel. “I better go chill with Sarah, we’ll be heading out tomorrow.”

Ben opened up the door and saw the groceries on the floor. He saw all the painkillers and decided not say anything yet but he didn’t need them anymore. He had been guzzling painkillers nonstop since the incident. They were cheaper than other pain killers and no prescription was necessary. Plus as a Heart Breaker and not a human he could keep taking them without fear of overdosing. Then Ben saw the stuffed animal as well.

“Another one?” Ben said pointing at the stuffed animal.

“Yeah I got him just for you! Isn’t he so cute?” Sarah said while showing it off.

“So in other words you got it for yourself?”

“Yep!!” Sarah said all happy as she tossed it with the other ones she got the past week.

“By the way I won’t be needing anymore painkillers. I feel great now!”

“Well it was your money after all. Plus do you think it was a good idea to take out all your money in cash?! It seems kind of risky.” Sarah asked.

“It is but what if Cromwell tracks me down like in those cop shows. Checking any credit card purchases or withdraws. It seems kind of dangerous to leave any bread crumbs so I grabbed every single dollar I had and that was that.”

“Yeah… that seems logical.” Sarah said then she grew a frown and started shaking.

“What’s wrong? You look scared.” Ben said with a worried look.

“I am. I keep have nightmares about this Heart Fiend thing inside me.” Sarah said as she held her hands up against her chest.

“Well it is only a Heart Swallow right now so don’t be scared. Besides you have at least a couple more weeks before you produce a Heart Fiend and by then I swear we can handle it!”

“But what if you can’t defeat it by yourself.” Sarah said starting to cry just a little.

Ben got down next to her as she lay in bed and he grabbed her hand, much like he did when he made his first promise to her that fateful night. “There’s no need to worry about that! I spoke with Gail finally and he and the rest of the gang are going to meet up with us further west. So we will be ready for that beast, don’t you worry! Everything will be fine, I promise. I won’t die and you won’t die.” Ben said comforting Sarah as she sat there smiling.

The next morning Ben and Sarah had everything packed up and they were ready to go further west. Luckily they had a vehicle too. They bought it at a junkyard for ten-hundred dollars and paid for any repairs it needed for five-hundred dollar so they were clear. It was muscle car too so it was sturdy, and built to last.

Further out west where they were headed was almost perfect for them too. Ben explained to Sarah on the car ride thus far that out in the dessert where the towns got even smaller and there was an abundance of truck stop bars and little towns that the likely hood of being anywhere near a Heart Breaker was sparse. On top of that it has been easy to avoid confrontation with Heart Breakers so far too. Because it isn’t uncommon to feel a Heart Breakers presence for another Heart Breaker and they will most definitely just think Ben is another one of the local Heart Breakers Ben explained to her.

All the explanations for why they were going west had been tackled as they drove and ate snack foods along the way. Ben just loving the unique flavors from some of the snack foods Sarah had purchased. He chomped away, talking with his mouth full. Explaining how they were going to isolate the Heart Fiend from society to take them out, and how he’s periodically check on the group’s progress.

“So we are heading out into the dessert huh? Does this mean we are going to camp out there too?” Sarah asked.

“Why? You afraid?” Ben asked.

“Well kind of, but also a little bit excited. I have never gone camping! Sitting around a fire at night! Telling stories and roasting weenies, and who knows maybe tell a story about a serial killer who also roasts weenies if you know what I mean?” Sarah said bumping Ben with her elbow as she said that last part.

“Ha, well you’re in luck. Because that’s where we’ll be as we wait for the others.”

“Woohoo!”

It wasn’t long before there was no more farmland or grassy pastures. Almost in the blink of an eye too. There was suddenly sand, and a hard soiled wasteland. It was a spectacle with uniquely shaped tan rock formations. Sarah stared outside the window at them with joy.

“I used to come here with my family when I was wee little. It’s hard to believe. That I was driving this very road with my family… and my mother was here too. This place seems so different, yet looks exactly the same… weird.” Sarah said with a smile and sadness in her voice.

Ben didn’t know what to say, so he just kept driving. Sarah kept staring out the window, and she wasn’t aware but her pain from remembering the past in a sad light was making Ben feel uncomfortable. Later during the night after having been driving for a while they were parked by the side of the road. Sarah was asleep in the back seat as Ben lay on top of the car. He was looking up at the cornucopia of stars before him. In the city he hadn’t seen so many stars.

It was a bit jarring at first, he almost didn’t know where to look. But he soon started to find it one of the most beautiful scenes he had ever experienced. It wasn’t long before he grew to love it. He had spent the past few weeks curled up indoors and he hasn’t had the chance to experience these stars until this moment.

“Of course we are going to camp outside Sarah. That will happen.” Ben whispered.

Ben then gently whisked away to dreamland. He had his first, vivid, unpleasant dream in a while. Recounting the beating of “Michael’s” mother as well as the leaving of his father. This time around instead of just being a shadowy silhouette he got a better look at his father’s face. He looked so familiar looking, but for some reason Ben could never remember it clearly when he woke up.

The next morning they were driving yet again, and they had the whole road ahead of them. They weren’t really tired from their journey, but more or less tired of junk food, when they decided to stop at the first they saw that had food. They finally stopped at a bar on the side of the road. It was a humble little place but it was booming, filled with muscle cars and motorbikes. So thanks to Ben’s black clothing and car, they fit in.

As they walked in and waited to be seated Ben spotted himself in the mirror. He was shocked when he noticed his hair. His hair had grown out to his shoulders. It was still thick and wavy but there was much more of it. He ran his fingers through it and everything. Before it barely passed his ears.

“Sarah, was my hair growing during my recovery or something?”

“What? Hair grows when you don’t cut it. Doesn’t yours?”

“No, Heart Breakers hair doesn’t grow out unless you cut it. Then it just grows back to its default height. Maybe my body forgot I was a Heart Breaker during the point I had extreme injuries or something?” Ben said as he played with his hair.

“I don’t know, but that sounds a little weird.” Sarah said.

Finally someone came to seat Ben and Sarah. As they walked Sarah choked up a bit from the intense amount of smoking that was going on. It was like a dense fog was consuming the area, surrounding pool tables, stools, tables and the customers sitting on and at those stools and tables. Sarah tried not choking as to not draw attention to herself as Ben continued walking, the whole time unaware that something was even wrong. She wouldn’t admit it but she felt really uncomfortable.

Making jokes to appeal to new people she meets, Working at the age of fourteen, and carrying her bloody and battered boyfriend to the highway were okay but this was something different. It was like trying to fit a square block into a circle hole. And the whole time Sarah just prayed that they were a small enough square block that they would just slide right through undetected.

Once seated they looked at their menus. They decided to get the cheese burger. And when I say they I really mean Sarah and then Ben copying her order due to the lack of direction as far as ordering food goes. Though that isn’t entirely true, he did start out ordering Alfredo which produced a strange stare from the waitress and a few of the bikers which resulted in Sarah face palming. Ben didn’t know either, he got it because of Kelly. Thus he felt sad afterwards.

“Shut it bitch!” A biker said to his girlfriend who criticized his pool playing.

This caught Ben’s attention real quick. Sarah was talking to him about her excitement to go camping but after that all Ben’s focus was on the couple near the pool table. He shook his head at Sarah and gave vague responses. But Ben just couldn’t stop staring at the odd couple and the way the Biker yelled at her.

It was just like the couple from room 03 from his apartment building. Worse, it was just like his father from his dream and Ben found himself consumed by every diminutive interaction between the couple. It got to the point where Ben was wishing for a good reason to interfere, and just as he wished it happened.

The moment the bikers hand went up to hit the woman it was stopped in place just as easily. The woman braced herself for a strike to the face that never happened. Instead you had a struggling biker gang member who was trying to pull away from Ben’s iron grip. Sweat dripped down the man’s face, falling onto his nice leather vest as Ben stared at him with the look of a demon. The whole time the Biker was yelling for Ben to let go and finally for help.

“Let go of me man!” the biker yelled as his friends gathered around.

Ben looked around in disgust. “This many people are coming to the rescue of this brute! Fine then, you want to condone this! Then you can all go to hell!” Ben said as he braced himself.

Ben threw the man across the pool table as three other biker gangers charged in on him, his back against the pool table. The one to Ben’s left threw a punch as Ben caught it. The one to Ben’s right went to kick him as Ben used his foot to stop the bikers’ foot, then pushing him to the ground right after, and lastly the man in front of Ben. The third one swung a pool stick at Ben as Ben just let it happen.

Moment the stick was ready to make contact with Ben’s face, Ben positioned his face to allow the pool stick to be caught by Ben’s teeth. The man tried pulling the stick away but could as Ben put the force of his jaw on it. In just an instant Ben snapped the pool stick with his mouth as splinters of wood flew through the air.

It was so ferocious looking that many of the bikers backed off before the gang leader yelled for them to hold their ground. After seeing it the employees just sat back. None of them being brave enough to stop the fight. The vicious display even shocked Sarah, forcing her to shiver before Ben’s brutality. And she was the only one in there with the slightest clue of what Ben was capable of.

Ben then screamed a bloody war cry that sent shivers down the spines of everyone there. Everyone except for Sarah. All Sarah heard from the war cry was the cry, and not the declaration of war. And after hearing that she saw the sadness in his eyes. Sarah’s heart skipped a beat as she whispered “Ben” behind a crowd of people ready to tear Ben apart.

“Are you hurting?” She whispered.

Ben was a titan of fury. More bikers ran in swinging pool ques and pulling out switchblades. Only to have those weapons stripped from their hands before they could even use them. Almost every swing in attempt on Ben missed, and even if they did hit the odds of any major damage being dished out was zero.

Ben the whole while was trying desperately to hold back his anger, his strength, and most of all his tears. He felt his heart swell up at the thought of that woman being struck but he wasn’t doing this for her, he was doing this for himself. Because of the swelling of his heart. He was taking the occasional punch and pool que strike for his own beliefs. Something he suddenly had.

Another biker jumped in from the side and he was spotted before he knew what hit him. The biker swung with a pair of Brass knuckles. In a split second Ben not only caught his fist but squeezed so hard that he broke the poor man’s fingers. Another got kicked by Ben at the same time. That biker was kicked into a chair, falling backwards as he landed in it.

Before Ben knew it he was completely surrounded on all sides as they all pounced. Smashing into Ben as if they were playing the game involving a football known as smear the queer. So that’s what they did. As they all toppled on they hadn’t expected what was to come. Without even struggling they were all blasted off of him, some flying into others, and some going over the pool table, and some even smacked into the ceiling lights. This still impressive despite the ceiling hanging low.

A biker that was flown across the room pulled himself from off the ground as he looked at Ben dominating his pals. He watched as Ben ducked and dodged forcing bikers to fall due to their own momentum, and the occasional punch thrown by Ben that would knock a man out quickly and swiftly. It angered the biker as he reached into his jacket. He felt around with his hand and he found it. He felt a bit of early remorse as he slowly pulled a revolver from his jacket.

The man slowly limped his way up to Ben as ben was metaphorically slaughtering his comrades. It pissed him off even more when their leader was thrown to the side like he was nothing, and not all the pool ques, brass knuckles, and metal chains in the world could stop this pretty boy with white hair. The biker kept limping with no attention being given to him, all while he held the gun to the ground as not to get spotted.

“Hey pretty bitch!” the biker said as he aimed right at Ben’s head.

Ben got done throwing a rather robust man over his shoulder before turning around. The moment he was face to face with the man his rage turned to surprise when the smiling biker pulled the trigger. The whole room hit the ground and hid as Sarah just stood and watched as bang! The gun was fired and the room went quiet. A biker on the floor opened his eyes only to see a shocked companion with a gun frozen in time.

That same biker glanced over the smoky stereotypical bar to see an even more pissed off Ben standing there. Nobody noticed at first but all were sure that the bikers’ bullet struck Ben. Only a few seconds later the crushed bulled that had flattened against Ben’s skull emerged from behind his bangs as it fell to the ground. Everyone, even the biker with the guns’ attention was on the crushed bullet.

And in a flash Ben was right in front of the man with the gun. Ben grabbed for the gun as the biker fell back, tripping over a bar stool with a full beer sitting on it. The beer bottle fell to the ground and shattered as did the hopes of the biker. The biker who was so sure that now that Ben had his gun that he was going to get shot. However, pissed as Ben was that didn’t happen.

“This is deplorable! Using a gun to kill a man over this dispute! Sickening!” Ben said as held the body of the gun, crushing down on it as a lot of the bullets went off in his hand. The gun was reduced to scrap metal that sat on the end of a gun handle, crumpled like a piece of paper.

It was safe to say that at that point that the fight was over, at least for the bikers. But it wasn’t for Ben, not until he noticed something very unsettling. Something that nearly drove him to tears right in front of all the tough biker gang members. It was the gal he thought he protected. He didn’t exercise the thought that this may just be who she is. He couldn’t do that, even as he saw her shivering in fear before Ben.

“Are… you sc-scared of me?” Ben asked her gently as she shook her head.

“Why?” Ben asked softly as she lay there silently, everyone else silent as well. It was then that Sarah walked up next to Ben and put her arms around his waist, hugging him as he started to cry lightly.

“Come on baby, I have our food. Let’s just go.” Sarah said as she started to walk Ben out.

Ben felt sad as they were walking out together, and as they were almost out Ben turned around and yelled “Why!? Am I nothing more than a monster to you!? WHY!?” Ben kept yelling until someone threw a bottle at his face.

“Get out of here already freak!” someone yelled as Ben’s heart sank.

As they exited the bar, Ben fell to his knees as Sarah dropped down to comfort him. She hugged him and whisper sweet thoughts into his ears to calm him down as his tears kept hitting the floor, soaking into the dry, splintery wood that is the porch to the bar. Ben looked back at the Bar, and despite his sadness he knew he couldn’t leave things like this. He turned around to face the bar full of people and put his hand up.

“Biel, oh Biel. Remove myself as you once did thyself.” Ben chanted and before he knew it the whole bar had forgotten all about him, going into a frenzy of confusion as to what just happened.

“What was that?” Sarah asked.

“It was the Biel chant. I told you about it the moment I revealed I was a Heart Breaker.” The sniveling Ben informed her.

“Oh… right, that.”

“Sarah?”

“What is it?”

“Am I human to you in the slightest?” Ben asked and he continued before she could even answer. “I feel like a monster. I feel like a brute.”

“Is this about what happened in there? You protected that girl from abuse. Albeit escalated incredibly fast but that doesn’t change the facts! And if I am being honest with you then no! I don’t think you are human.” Ben’s heart just sank.

“I think you are a super hero!” Sarah said to him as Ben’s face lit up. “I mean do you see what you did!? You just walked out of a bar full of dangerous bikers and fought them all over one of them dealing out abuse to his girl. A good person would be disgusted by that, a great person would even stand up to it. But a super hero would prevent it from even happening, and then beat the pulp out of a biker gang and then walk out without a scratch! I hope that answers your question big guy.” Sarah said with a smile.

Ben looked at her with his mouth wide open. He wanted to say something but couldn’t think clearly. He was so happy that Sarah was sitting in his corner. He looked at her with such happiness. He started crying yet again, but for the first time ever it was because he was happy. Sarah stood up with food in one hand and her other stretched to pick Ben off the ground. And Ben just looked at it at first.

“Well what are you waiting for? I’m like you, I can’t make it over that hill alone.” Sarah told him with her hand arm still stretched forth. Ben then grabbed it with a smile, and pulled himself off the ground.

“Let’s hit the road, and eat then! I am starving!” Ben said with a smile as he cried, and Sarah just smiled as their hands stayed in a warm embrace all the way to the car.