Emerald glow

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Hunter

5 years ago

The ring was empty. Soulless.
I wasn't one of those people who did this and felt free and less angry at life. Some people loved it, and were good at it. For me, it was a flesh eating addition, one that I couldn't shake.

Every punch I hit, every kick I threw, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel good. I felt like I was living someone else's life. Not mine.
The money I was making was dirty, filthy. It was made from bloodthirsty bets, greedy gamblers, and savage killers.

The best part: my father was the one who introduced me and supported me through this. Even after the divorce, even with us meeting only once in 3 months, he still had a hold on me, and was still the only thing pressuring me to fight. He was a great fighter himself. You could say I had inherited those wrestling genes as well. But I hadn't inherited the heart for the sport.

I sat in the back room, preparing for my fight, preparing for the rowdy crowd, for my opponents punches, but most of all, I sat there preparing for my fathers look of pride at the end of the fight. Whether I won or lost, he always gave me that look, of pride and knowledge  that his son was in the sport he loved.
I hated that I couldn't love the thing he loved.

The Present

You need to tell them Hunter.

No.

You need to tell them.

No.

Don't you want to get out of here?

Fine. Fine. Fine.  I'll tell them.

I sat down in the counch and looked away from the rest.
"Yes, I used to fight okay? Was pretty good at it too. And then one day, a fight went wrong, my dad got hurt, and the last thing he gave me was that watch, a family heirloom. After he died, I had an excuse to stop fighting." I whispered out fast.

"You.. Didn't like fighting?" Richelle asked.

I sighed and shook me head.

"You're rich, you fought, and you didn't like it, you're mysterious and sexy. Talk about the perfect man," Richelle said under her breathe.

"That symbol, it's one your wrestling certificates as well. When you competed while in high school. I remember them," Morgan said, the watch now I'm her hand, ignoring Richelle.

"What does this mean? Is this the clock the clue was talking about?" Emma asked.
"What was the song again?
Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up he clock, the clock struck one, the mouse ran down, hickory dickory dock."

"Well, let's make the hands of the watch point at one! " Richelle said.

Morgan quickly spun the hands around the watch to make it 1. We all waiting in silence for something to happen.

"I think we are on the right track, but we are still missing something. Has anyone thought about it, but this emblem has basically been in Hunter's family his whole life. That can't be a coincidence!" Richard said.

"Your right! Hunter, does the song mean anything to you? Or does this emblem or watch been in any specific incident in your life?" Emma was looking at me intently again. Her eyes were hazel, I just noticed. A very pretty hazel.

"No, ive never even noticed this symbol before, I have no idea what it means. The watch, as I said, is from my late father."

"We do know the song though," Morgan suddenly said. She made eye contact with me.
"Dad used to sing that to us when we were kids, remember? He'd stand in the centre of the room and sing it so we could sleep. Gosh I barley remember dad now." She whispered out the last sentence.

"That's it! We need to place the watch in the centre of the triangle and sing the song," Emma said.

"That's so logical. A key is gonna fall from thin air by singing a damn song? This is ridiculous!" Keith suddenly yelled, frustrated.

"Look we have no better ideas okay? It's worth a try. C mom Hunter, go do it!"

What? Why did i have to do it?

"Hunter it needs to be you," Morgan said,  reading my mind like when we were little. "The triangle affects only you, the watch is yours and dad used to sing you the song. This room is all about you. Go. Now. "

I slowly for up from my seat, and walked to Morgan carrying my watch set at 1. I took a deep breathe and walked into the emerald triangle once again.
Whispers and wind blew tendrils of hair on my face. I heard a hundred voices and callings. I placed the watch in the middle.

"Hickory dickory dock. The mouse ran up the clock, the clock struck one, the mouse ran down, hickory dickory dock. "

The voices only got louder around me, but nothing happened. The wind was growing stronger, the green hue becoming brighter and brighter, blinding me. I felt the energy drain out of me, and I saw the floor coming closer to my face. The word went dark.

                                     ****

As I opened my eyes, I saw myself in a complete green room. In the corner, my father stood. My supposedly dead father.
"What.. What is this"

"Relax son, this is just an image in your mind" Father said, his hands outstretched in front of him.
"A image?"
"Yes. An image to give you a chance to say what you never got to say to me,"

"What didn't I get to say father?"

The man sighed. He came closer to me, and then suddenly shot back, as though he had touched something hot.

"It's okay, I think you'll have another chance. Son, you need to learn to fight"

"I know how to fight father."

"Not fight in the ring Hunter. Fight for yourself."

Then he slowly faded away from me.

                                  ****

"Hunter? Hunter? You okay? Hunt!"

I opened my eyes to see 5 people looking at me.
"What did I miss?" I stood up.

" Well, I don't think we're gonna find the key in this room? " Keith told me.

"Why not"

"Cause your green magic opened a portal" Richard said. " also known as a secret underground path to somewhere else."

Behind me,there was a huge gaping hole in the middle of a burning green symbol. Stairs led down to a pit of darkness.

The radio piped back on. The eerie voice filled the room.
"Good job, my heirs. Good job.
Darwin once said " it is not the strongest , or the smartest of species that survive, it's the one most adaptable to change.
1 hour and 30 minutes left. " laughter filled the room before the radio shut down.

"Well there's no time to lose," I said standing next to the gaping hole, looking into it. "Ladies first?"

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