Infusco. (Winner in third place of #W.S Awards)

Punisher

"What the heck is Gary doing that's making him so damn late?" Asked forty-five year old Samuel, who was already too drunk that he couldn't have kept his bony legs straight. Every word came out incoherently slurred, but amazingly, he could carry his precious liquor flask in his hand-even though they were trembling like crazy.

"Speak properly would ya?!" The homeowner and host of the reunion party, Bob, scolded the drunkard as he continued complaining. "Geez, how did you manage to even get here without driving to your death? I swear you're one son of a lucky man."

"Thank you." Samuel responded complacently, not showing an ounce of shame, despite receiving a glare from the fifty year old man with a gray goatee.

"Ah give it a rest, Bob." Reassured forty-one year old Garrett, who was examining any speck of dirt on his glasses. "It ain't the first time Sam drinks and drive you know. Remember when we were in college? This guy here drove his truck and bulldozed the wall of our frat house."

"Practically murdered everyone." Bob mumbled to himself. He prepared pouring his favorite smoked maple flavored bourbon with a hint of cinnamon-for the celebration-into four small dainty cups, serving to each of his long time friends, and sat in his rocking chair-which was handcrafted by him.

Three men traveled out of their own states to stay inside Bob's bachelor pad (but is now called 'Man cave'), for only two days before they returned back to their families. It had been a long time since they last saw each other, and not one of them could recognize what one looked like. In the past, they visited annually and spent the whole day doing guy activities, share their life stories and jobs by the cozy fire, drinking alcohol, and just...bring the liveliness like the youthful days.

Gary, the fourth and last friend, also was the same like his amigos. The forty year old father even brought his twenty-nine year old son, Val (short for Germanic origin of Valdus) along, because he was so attached to him than his other children, he wanted to share every bonding moment with him until the day he died. 

However, Gary was not the same, ever since the day his son went missing.

Four years ago, his buddies and Val went out at night, hunting in a small forest area, just a mile away from the Man cave. As for Gary himself, he and Bob's dog-a Doberman Pinscher-was inside of town, buying dog food and some chip and dips. Shopping was done and once he headed for his car, far away he heard a gunshot. Fearing for his son, he dropped the bags and quickly revved up the car.  At ten thirty PM-just one hour after he and the dog returned to the Man cave, he clutched his heart in despair as he felt someone drop a heavy weight inside him. Though the car he was in still had the heater on, there was an indescribable chill, a disturbing presence, within that warm slender body. 

A few police cars parked on the street roads and in the middle stood his friends, clothes caked with soil, face of concern and fright. None of it mattered to Gary. None at all. The most his cerulean eyes frantically searched for was his son. 

But no matter where his vision roamed...

Val was nowhere to be found.

Now back to the present, Bob was telling his men how good it was to reunite again after Val's death but was cut off when someone, who had a face of a shriveled tree, burst inside through the front door and slammed it shut, yet, neither men was surprised nor aroused out of their own seats.

"Val, Val, my son!" The stranger who knelt and wailed in sobbing grief was none other than Gary. "Since the day you were gone, I have been searching all around in that ungrateful forest just to find you, dead or not. Oh, why wasn't there a trace, a footprint, even Ebony can't smell your scent anywhere!"