LoveTober: In the World of Samaritan's Legacy

Chapters 1-7

10/1 Alone

There is a man amongst you who lives like the smoke of hot breath on a frozen night. He is appreciated for a few fleeting moments before being forgotten. The bite of the cold of life causes us to forget the joy he gave us. He recognized the pattern in the short time he's been alive.

People don't attach themselves to him, and the connection he wants with others seems to become a childhood myth. As time marches on, his hopes for relationships diminish.

The man spends hours in despair in his dark apartment room. On his way to and from work, he is tormented by his loneliness, holding his knees to his heart in an act of superficial comfort. Sometimes, he cries. Sometimes, he murmurs to a listening ear in the air. All the ear does is listen.

Otherwise, he is left on his floor in an undesired confusion—a prison that has followed him all his life. A chain that takes his freedom.

His cheek rubbed up against his own knee and arm.

"I'm sorry."

Why was he apologizing? So, he left his room.

Where was he going? He didn't know, but he went, guided by the One Who Listens, which was the sole reason his despair did not conquer him.

The building he lived in was nice, several stories tall, and his room was comfortable. He took the stairs to the ground floor, and his heart flipped pleasantly when he saw the streams of people on the sidewalk. It was a weekend, and he did not have work.

Instinctively, he stepped toward his office but shook his head and turned to go the opposite way. It was midday, and although he was wallowing in his loneliness, he cleaned himself up and was sure to dress casually.

He blended in with the crowd.

"Hello, sir!" As he passed, a woman in dingy, old clothing called out to him. "Excuse me!"

"Yes?" He responded curtly.

"I'm terribly hungry. Do you have any money I can have? Anything will be appreciated." Although her mouth curved into a smile, the man could tell she was distressed.

He fished his wallet out and pulled out a bill that would buy her enough food for several days.

"Here you go," He handed the woman the money.

"Oh! Bless you, sir. Thank you!" She grabbed his hands, and the man enjoyed the contact and gratitude. He was glad to help—and it was so easy.

He responded by patting her hand, but when he pulled away, she tightened her grip around it. Puzzled, he stopped to hear what the woman had to say.

"Listen, young man. You will be broken from this awful trial you've been trapped in. The loop will end; just be patient."

Entertaining her, he said, "I'll be patient. Thank you so much for your words." His heart did not reflect his own words.

Right then, a bus pulled in on the road right behind him. The woman smiled wryly and let him go. He wanted to get on the bus, so he did. He paid the fee and sat down. His eyes closed as he listened to the moving vehicle's sounds and other passengers' murmurs and noises.

Yet, for some reason... He was still painfully alone. Tears pricked his eyes due to the ache in his chest. A suffocating feeling overwhelmed him, and he wanted to be back in his room, back in his dark corner where he could live and die slowly... Alone.

It would be the same as before, letting the years pass by him until age took him to a grave. That was how his childhood went, and now that was how his youth was going. That was how the last 21 years had gone.