The Alternate

Part Three

After hanging up the phone, Steven made his way to the bus stop. While he was waiting he was thinking more and more about ending his own life. He felt like everyone who tried to help didn't understand what he was dealing with. This thing was out of control. The only way he would be free of the guilt and pain that came from knowing what the alternate did was suicide. Jail wouldn't stop him, the alternate was very resourceful, especially if that lawyer was watching him at the behest of the alternate. The bus approaching pulled him from his thoughts. Once on board and sitting there he contemplated about where to do it. One single thought came to his mind. Something he had read in his journal that the alternate wrote. It was about where his parents had died. A highway near Encinitas.
He would go there, it was fitting to think he would be ending it where his parents died. He justified it, convincing himself that this was the only way to be free and save those like Rebekah from this monster.

It was past noon and a few bus rides, but he was finally here. It was a convergence of things. 'It started here it will end here' he thought to himself. He sat there for an hour or so to watch the sun set. The beautiful waters below him crashing on the cliffside sounded relaxing. The grass under his hands reminded him of better times as a kid. Time before the accident, before all the abuse. Things were normal. His mom and dad were loving unlike the parents he knew now. He would never have children though. Feelings of hate were stirred up in him. Emotions directed towards himself, to the guy that killed his parents, to his abusive uncle and aunt. Now this alternate that has somehow destroyed other alternates and people here in the material world has caused him the greatest grief.

The sun was close to setting, maybe thirty minutes from it touching the edge of the world. Steven stood up, breathed in deeply, putting the cold barrel of the gun to his temple. The way he was standing after the shot, his body would fall off the cliff. As he raised the gun to his head, a black car screeched to a halt close by. Two men got out of the car. The older man yelled, "Don't do it son! It's not worth it."
Steven lowered the gun, "Look you don't know what I've been through, How can you say it is not worth it. You don't know me, what needs to be done. I'm stopping this monster."
The old man raised his hands in a placating motion, "You're right. I don't know you. However, I know the creature that lives in your mind. That he was born throughout hard times at your uncle's house."
Tears of relief brimmed in Steven's eyes.
Steven was intrigued at this mention of the alternate, even though he never met this two people. "The police can't help me, my psychiatrist won't help me. What makes you think I can trust you to help me even if you can?"
The older man nodded, taking a tentative step closer.
"I'm not going to make any promises that I can cure you? No. Would I be able to fix your life? Maybe. I perhaps can do that at least. But you need to beat this thing on your own."
"How do I do that?"
"What has it asked you to do?"
"You mean commit suicide?"
"Exactly, it wants you to give up control completely. You really think it wants you to get rid of yourself and him in the process?"

Steven thought about it, "Yeah that makes a lot of sense I guess."
"Okay, I need you to trust me."
Steven took a step forward.
"Look if this gun isn't loaded will you believe me and come with me, because I  can help you by giving you a purpose. However if the gun is loaded, then the choice is yours whether or not you listen to the alternate. Okay?"
As the gun passed from Steven to the older man a moment of hesitation occurred for the briefest second. He let the gun drop into the older man's hand. A smile stretched across the man's face, but one of happy relief and not menace as Steven feared the older man was going to trick him.
"Wh-What is it?" he said nervously.
"I guess you have never held a gun before, right?" as he took out the clip to show Steven.
The magazine was empty. There were no bullets, not even in the chamber.

"I don't understand? Why is the gun empty if he wanted me to kill myself?."
The older man put the clip back into the gun, "Perhaps, it had some control over and wanted more. Say if you had pulled the trigger it would realize it won. In doing so you would be pushed out of the conductor's chair and it would take your place." the old man put his hand on Steven's shoulder, "but looks like you beat him. I don't know if it's permanent or not. However rest assured, Thomas and I will help you through it. By the way I'm Bill."

The three men got into the black old Cadillac and drove down the coast. Steven looked at Bill and asked, "So, are you taking me to prison?"
Bill looked back, "To prison?" he asked back, "to do what sit and serve time for crimes that you committed unwittingly? No. You are going to pay back the community by helping others that are in a similar situation that you were in not so long ago."
"How?" he asked again, " How can I help anyone?"
This time Thomas answered, " We are in a line of work where we help stop monsters. To simply put it, we save those who need saving and kill those terrorizing. Whether they be a split personality or they be a creature from another world."
Steven looked at both of them confused, "Aren't you guys with the government? What's with all this monster hunter business?"

Bill responded, "We are from an old and forgotten section of the FBI. We don't recruit the traditional way. We find people who we deem exemplary through the situation they're in and you qualified."
Steven looks at his hands, "So if I had pulled the trigger and shot myself" he paused, "what would have happened?"
"Safe to assume we all know what would have happened" as Thomas makes a gun shape with his hand. " but it doesn't matter. You did the right thing."

Steven sighed, looking out the window  to contemplate over his old life he watched the sun finish its travels in the sky, leaving behind a deep violet and purple hue in the heavens.