The Human Realm (Huntlow)

The Night

     Everyone was stirring and shuffling to get comfortable in their sleeping arrangements. They had all agreed that it would be best if everyone slept in the living room for the night, so that they could all stay together and nobody would feel alone. Gus and Amity ended up taking the couches, while Luz, Willow, and Hunter were getting comfortable in sleeping bags on the floor. It was dark, except for the dull moonlight flowing in from the large bay window. The night couldn't be more peaceful, yet everyone's heads were reeling. 

     Eventually, it did seem as though everyone had fallen asleep. Through sheer physical and emotional exhaustion they managed to doze off. However, despite his heavy eyelids and tired  body, Hunter couldn't sleep. He could hardly even close his eyes. Whenever he shut them he saw flashes of horrifying images, thoughts, memories. He felt sick to his stomach. He felt guilty for what everyone was going through. It was unbearable.

     Willow had been asleep for maybe an hour before being roused by quiet movement. She sat up tiredly and glanced around the room, noticing Hunters sleeping bag crumpled on the floor, empty. She sat staring at it for a few seconds pondering, before she heard another subtle noise emanating from somewhere near the front door. Willow quietly lifted herself from her position on the floor and began walking towards the noise. She turned the corner to the porch area and witnessed Hunter, wrapped in layers of clothing, carrying a bag full of food from the kitchen. He was reaching for the door, but looked up with surprise at Willow standing there watching him.

     "Couldn't sleep?" She asked him, obviously knowing exactly what he was doing, but choosing her words mindfully.

      "Uh, yeah" Hunter sighed nervously.

      "I was just going for a walk to get some fresh air." He looked at the ground guiltily.

      "Sure." Willow crossed her arms at him. She grabbed his arm firmly before opening the front door quietly and pulling him outside so that they could talk.

     "What the hell is all of this?" She snapped in a half whisper gesturing towards all of the supplies he was carrying.

     "It's nothing" Hunter lied, looking away from her.

     "You were going to run away?!" She accused with a questioning tone.

     Hunter couldn't look at her. He didn't try to refute it.

     "All of this is my fault, if it weren't for me non of you would be stuck here, non of this would have happened" Hunter admitted.

    "You guys are better off without me." His voice cracked and his face twisted with guilt.

    Willow was taken aback by his unyielding hostility towards himself. How could he possibly blame himself for everything that happened?

    "Hunter how could you say that?" Willow pleaded.

    "That's not true, and even if it was, running away now isn't going to fix anything!" Her voice was firm but empathetic.

    "I was going to come back once I found a way to get you all back home" He explained.

    "Hunter, you and I both know that our best chance of finding a way home is to work together" Willow scolded.

    Hunter turned his face away once again.

    "I just thought...." He trailed off. He couldn't find the words to justify himself. He knew that Willow was right. He just couldn't face seeing all of his friends so broken. He couldn't face the consequences of Belos' plan almost succeeding, and the aftermath of it, knowing that he had helped him. He couldn't face it knowing all of the parts that he had played in assisting one of the most vile people in all of the worlds for most of his life. He felt the weight of their pain on his shoulders knowing that he was responsible for it in some way.

    "Did you ever consider that maybe we care about you?!" Willow burst out with a jolt of frustration, her eyes welling with tears.

   "I-" Hunter started.

   "What did you think was going to happen if you left? That we would all just move on? Just like that?" Willow questioned.

   Hunters voice caught in his throat for a moment.

    "Yeah..." He admitted, holding back tears of his own.

    "Hunter..." Willow's voice went quiet.

     "You're our friend. You can't just disappear on us." Willow said, pulling Hunter in to a gentle hug.

     "...Ok." Hunter promised, watery eyed.

    "Let's go back inside. You can put all of that stuff back where you found it tomorrow. Try to get some sleep." Willow pulled Hunter inside by the hand and closed the door quietly again. 

     Hunter set everything down in the porch and followed Willow back into the living room. They both settled down on the floor again. Hunter huddled himself into a ball under the covers and shut his eyes. He still couldn't sleep, but now, instead of everything else swarming his thoughts, he thought about everything Willow had said to him. 

"We care about you".