FINALLY LOVE

I was almost always being in the wrong place at the wrongest time, it almost never paid off. It did man, it seemed like my life was supposed to be some big lonely adventure. I always thought I was a good and fairly decent man. I worked hard, and always tried to lead a good life. That movie line quote comes to mind:  Even the man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.

Okay, so you got me on that one. I don't become a wolf, but for some reason, shit happens and I'm forced to intervene. Meaning nobody else is moving so I do it. I don't know the position of the moon when all this happens, I have no idea if wolfbane even grows here in America. 

I pray for an easier life, a good life and no more of me having to be a hero. I hate that shit. In my off time, I go to see a lot of movies and sometimes a quote just sticks in my head, because it fits my life. You ever done that? Or am I just weird as hell? John McClane: You know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. You get a little pat on the back, blah, blah, blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can't remember your last name. Your kids don't want to talk to you. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me, kid, nobody wants to be that guy.

I was married, had three daughters, but my exciting lifestyle blew it for me. My wife at first thought that I went looking. Then one time while she and I walked the sidewalk some guy attacked a woman and was putting the hurt to her. I tried to back away and not get involved.

My wife grabbed my arm: "Do something, Superman!" She almost screamed.

I went forward and got involved, I grabbed the man and put the sleep hold on him and he was out for the count.

A loud hush fell over the people, I was pissed because I saw plenty of men in the crowd that could have moved in and done something. There were a few women that also had looked very capable.

I walked to my wife: "Hope you're happy...I'm Not Superman! I'm me, I'm your husband. I'm just a mortal man."

Two days later she actually kicked me out of the house and filed for divorce.

Here I am up to date okay. I'm divorced and nobody in my life. Still always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still expected to be the hero.

It has now been three years since my divorce, my daughters are now 16,17 and 18. My wife is just three years older, it seems nobody is really interested in her either. A week ago she called me and said I could come by if I wanted to.

In other words, she has reconsidered her situation. It was that, or she is horny and wants a quick feel, I mean pill to appease her burning desires.

No thanks, that truck has done wrecked.

It was getting dark, and the movie had just let out. I'd just watched the latest Star Trek movie Beyond.  Pretty cool the way they're doing the franchise. The most and best quote was when Spock told McCoy that he was such an asshole, then laughed.

I was walking on guard, not knowing when or where the call was going to come. I could have stayed at my apartment, drank and watched some movie either online or on the tube. But trust me that gets very boring, eating fried chicken from the store gets old. So, I have to get out, and smell the fresh air, and feel the setting sun.

It's now my one curse that I could do without, in my past life I must have really pissed fate/karma off. Maybe I was a chicken shit and didn't help those who needed help. So I'm paying for it now.

If that be the case, there's going to be a lot of chicken shits, to be forced to pay up in their next life. If I'm around, I'm going to point at them, and laugh my ass off.

So here I am walking the darkened street, to be truthful I have not been feeling all that great lately. It's kinda hard to explain. My body just feels off. It's not working on all twelve cylinders. 

Maybe, I've been eating too much-fried foods and jalapeno peppers. I eat my veggies. I eat the store brand cole slaw, and I eat hot buttered corn on the cob.

I saw her walking towards me, and I saw her smile as though in some relief. There was something kinda familiar about her. Something so very familiar. 

My brain began clicking and that was when I felt the pain in my chest, and I was forcing myself to walk faster to the woman. Almost as though I knew that she'd know what to do.

I fell at her feet, and the crowd gathered around, and as usual, nobody was doing jackshit. "How long has it been since you had your meds?"

"I'm not sure, how long have I been gone?"

"6 months this time."

"Holy God, surely I haven't been off of them that long."

She pulled her cell phone and call for help, and she held my hand and refused to let go.

The EMTs showed up and began treating me. I was hoping that she was keeping her voice down, and not letting anyone know that I have a serious mental condition. That sometimes I zone out, and sometimes it takes a bit of time for me to zone back in.

I also have heart problems and have special meds that I'm supposed to take. Yeah, I guess I'm pretty well fucked up. Not like I'd ever wish this shit upon myself.

THE MERC

My life was spinning out of control, and I had no idea of what direction I should take. I was only good at one thing, and I had made money at that skill. I had been injured and was healing when my life began to fall like that well-known ton of bricks. 

I had gone to do some shopping for something to eat for the next few days. My injury was serious by some standards but I'd been hurt worse. My arm was in a sling and I was pushing the cart one-handed when I saw her.

For the briefest moment, I was no longer the man I had been for the last ten years. The man my family refused to talk about. 

She walked up to me and smiled: "You look like you could use some help."

I was rendered speechless for a moment.

I nodded and she took over pushing the cart. "You don't remember me do you?"

"Wish I could say yes, but I'd be lying."

She smiled this really incredible smile and her eyes drove me wild with desire. "Maybe, I'll keep it a secret for a bit just to tease you."

"That would be mean, you don't look like you have a mean bone in your body."

She smiled and put her thumb and forefinger on my chin. "You'd be surprised at just how mean I can be. What do you do for a living John?"

Shit, she knew my name.  "I solve problems for people, who need extra help in their lives."

"Interesting way of putting it, John. You're a bodyguard for some people, and for others, you're a soldier."

"How do we know each other? I know we've never worked together."

She was just about to speak when the burst of gunfire interrupted the calm of the store. It was instinct for both of us to dive for cover.

We both crawled for cover and we could see the gunmen and we could see the victims laying in a pool of their own blood.

Okay, enough of kidding myself. I am who I am, as well as what I am. I crawled backward and stood up against the stack of can goods. I saw the towel someone had lay on the stack of Golden Corn. I took one can and wrapped it in the towel.

I could hear the sound of the gunman walking my way, he was cursing and firing his pistol, and I heard him pause as he reloaded. That was when I spun around the corner and swung my weapon face high. It hit him with a loud whap, and he was knocked off his feet. I grabbed his pistol and fired one shot into his skull.

Rule number one never leave a living, breathing enemy behind you. Kill them or leave them to be a no threat to you or others.

It was growing quieter. Jesus...everybody must be dead. I never heard any more shots.

I went forward watching and was preparing myself for an attack.  I was getting closer to the front of the store, and I was seeing even more dead bodies. But I noticed that some of the bodies were those of the gunmen. They still had their bandanas tied around their faces.

What The Fuck was going on?

I got to the front of the store and there on the counter sat the woman, she had a gun in her hand. "Took you long enough. No need to concern yourself about any more of these fuckers. They have been seen to  and they were found to be lacking."

"Lacking?"

"Lacking the skill to survive The STORM."

I had heard of a Merc that went by the name The Storm. I had always thought her to be some wild tail. A myth. Nobody had ever seen her fight, they just knew that she had. She moved like a whisper of smoke, but her wrath was that of a violent storm.

The police had entered by then and as if on cue she and I both dropped our guns to the floor. The cops were shouting orders, but I don't think that we heard a one of them.

We had moved closer and we could now touch one another. My hand moved out and touched her's. We turned to face each other, and again I saw her smile and those eyes. All I could hear was what sounded like whispers.

Somehow my arm had slipped out of the sling, and I felt no pain at all.

I felt the rushing of air and we were both suddenly standing on the outside of town.

My brain caught up with me and I found myself kissing her wonderful lips, and my brain was fighting to keep the memories. 

"You should be safe here." She replied softly.

"How did we get out of that?"

She looked at me with a brief moment of confusion on her beautiful face. "Your memory should return to you in a moment and you'll have all the answers you ever needed."

I felt as though my body was on a merry-go-round spinning faster and faster. I remember falling to my butt, and then I was flat on my back,

I slowly stood up and looked at her with a smile.

"You've been lost for many years, but now you are found. I went undercover to find you. Posing as a Merc to sort out all the wrong ones. Now we go home, our own world needs us to save them."

"Eath?"

"We save our own world and Earth will be saved at the same time."

I took one last look around and smiled. "See you all later."