Hitchhike

Prologue

I WONDERED FOR the millionth time today if bringing my new crazy guest to the mall was a good idea. Don't get me wrong, Ares was a good company. . . he's just, not right in the head.

Speaking of the insane imp, Ares was walking beside me, watching the entire place with childish wonder. I remembered asking him earlier if he had ever been to a mall before, remembered feeling a little bit unhinged because who the fuck has never been to a mall before.

"So many mortals flocking in one place. . ." he mumbled excitedly.

While he was busy ogling around, I quietly took off to the meat section and grabbed whatever I could find to feed the both of us for. . . actually, I don't know how long. I wasn't planning on keeping Ares on my apartment for eternity anyway, besides he was of no use to me when he's being his usual, weird. . . cute self.

Did I just say cute?

Shaking my head, I wheeled around to take a moment to observe my. . . buddy. He was just so oblivious to everything and everyone in this place that it almost made me believe his silly charade. But it couldn't be true though.

When I met him at the deserted road Five days ago, something must have had happened that made him into the weirdo that he is right now. Even though I might never be able to see him again, I felt this weird urge to atleast make him remember who he was. . . or what he was doing before I nearly rammed into his naked self.

It was really bizarre to be able to feel so concerned for someone. Especially for someone as innocent as Ares. Surely, I never felt like this before, hell I never even felt anything for my girlfriend since the start of our relationship.

So why Ares. Why him? What was in him that made me feel so. . . sentimental?

I was still watching him creepily even when this nice-looking old lady pulled up beside our cart. The lady took off somewhere in the east and Ares was looking at her cart with astonishment. He plucked out something in her cart and I craned my neck further to take a glimpse of what he had stolen.

I had to hold in my laughter when I saw him combing his hair. . . with a toilet brush.

Fuck, and he even looked so serious and adorable doing it.

This was Ares no-last-name, the guy I've been forcibly cooped up for the past week. He was genuinely curious — never knew things any normal human being his age should know by now.

Oddly enough, I couldn't have him any other way.