Thin Blue Skull

Chapter 38: Written By Punishment

Hunhow wakes up to the sound of his mother calling him. He doesn't want to answer the phone but he decides to get up. He answers and his mother says hello. He greets her and she then begins to ask him about where he was yesterday night. He explains he was at Holly's house and they were doing something private. She seems to become less tense and more calming after he explained where he was. He asked her why? She explained she was just a little worried. He tells her he is alright but as he is wrapping up his call, a news story regarding the brutal beating and killing of the purse snatcher he killed last night shows up on the news. He tells her he has to go and that he'll call later. She asks why but he hangs up on her and watches the news. The crime scene photos are shown on TV and the words one batch, two batch, penny and dime are shown. The police describe the gruesome crime scene. Some veteran officers describe how brutal the killing was. However the woman Hunhow saved isn't seen. "Maybe she hasn't come forward, yet" he tells himself. Hunhow sits there. He feels like a dark evil has taken over his mind, body and soul. He feels he is a monster on a rampage for blood. Just then, he hears a knock on the door. He gets up with his Glock 30 in hand and goes to check the door peek hole. It's Holly and Samantha. He slowly opens the door and they both ask if he is alright. "N-no I'm not" he says in a cold voice. Holly and Samantha both come inside and ask Hunhow to sit down. He sits and tells them what happened last night. "For what I've done, I should be dead". "I'm a monster who should be dead". Holly and Samantha both gasp and start to tear up. Holly hugs and holds Hunhow in her arms. "Please, don't ever say that". "It scares me" Holly says. Samantha gets up and hugs Hunhow as well. "You're not a monster". "You did what you had too".

~ Time Skip ~ Sometime Later ~

Hunhow calms down with the comfort and help of Samantha and Holly. He goes to clean his weapons and gear. He goes outside to repair his truck. The bullets fired at his truck from the male Anthro from yesterday night left dents but nothing serious. He also needs to fix an oil leak. While he is busy repairing his truck, Samantha comes outside and sits next to him while he is busy laying underneath the truck. "Hey, wanna talk"? she asked. "Sure, what ya want to discuss" he says. "I wanted to ask you how a good person knows when to kill". Her question almost hits him like a ton of bricks and he stops. He scoots out from under the truck and sits up. "I honestly don't know". "But if I feel an innocent person is in need or is a victim, it's my duty to protect and help them by any means necessary". "People in the city think they are invincible with me out there". "But they need to realize that they are not". "I've made mistakes". "Watched people die". "Killed people and Anthros alike". "There is no celebrating that path". "In the end, the punishment of their actions will be written down in the book of their life". "And only then, will the Lord himself decide if they are worthy of forgiveness". Hunhow speaks while Samantha listens. She almost seems to fully understand Hunhow and his physical and mental state. "Were you deployed overseas last year"? she asked him. "Yeah, I was". "I saw and did many things I wished I hadn't". "But what haunts me the most is the soldiers, friends, brothers and sisters I lost". "The ones that I couldn't save, Anthros and Humans". Hearing this makes Samantha cold. She knew he served because Holly told her. But she never told her Hunhow shot women and children plus lost friends. She hugs Hunhow not knowing his reaction. But he doesn't pull away from her. Instead he just sits there not moving for a while before finally breaking away to finish fixing his truck.

~ Time Skip ~ Seven Hours Later ~

Hunhow finishes up the final fixes on his truck before going inside with Holly and Samantha. "You guys are spending the night here"?? he asked surprised. "Yes, neither of us trust you to be alone" Samantha said. "I don't need you to hover over me like a mother wolf and her pup". "Im-im f-fine". Hunhow starts to feel a little dizzy so he quickly goes to sit. "Actually, I'm going to sleep early". "Alright, just Hollar if you need anything" Holly says as she goes upstairs. "Samantha quickly goes to make more room on the couch. She then helps Hunhow lay down and allows him to use her lap as a pillow. "You alright"? she asked. "I-Im f-fine". "Just tired and exhausted from that truck work". "Well, try and sleep". "I'll be awake for a while so call out if you need anything". "But you can stay on my lap for a while, okay"? she said. "Alright g-goodnight" he said. He falls asleep almost immediately and she watches him and strokes his short almost completely shaved hair and head...