Chapter 2: A Boring Death

A few minutes later, Sage arrived at the night market. The place was bustling with noise and activity.

The place was filled with pedestrians; the flow of people was quite dense even this late at night.

Stalls were lined on both sides, with all kinds of aromas mixed in the air; it was quite intoxicating.

Vendors shouted over each other. Oil and meat sizzled in pans, the air was thick with the smell spice,sweat and fried fish.

Sage took a deep breath as a flicker of joy appeared on his face, and without hesitation, he walked deeper into the night market, shoulders brushing past strangers.

He passed by food stalls and restaurants.

After three minutes, he arrived at a small stall; tucked between two closed shops,dim lights and a few tables mostly empty.

A handful of college students laughed quietly as they ate.

As there is a university not far from here, so mostly the night market is packed with students.

“Hey Sage… long time no see! How are you doing?”

The voice belonged to woman in her fifties,her gray steaked hair tied back,her smile as warm as the soup steam rising behind her.

“Mama Maria,” Sage said rubbing his neck with a grin”It’s only three days ago!”

“Three days…three months, its the same when you’re are my age” she smiled her eyes creasing.

“You are still young, Mama Maria, and beautiful as well. I bet when you are walking with Ellen, many people see the two of you as sisters, not mother and daughter,” Sage said with a serious face.

“Oh, stop that with the flattery! I’m not young; you are just exaggerating,” Mama Maria rolled her eyes.

Although she seemed angry, the joy in her eyes could not be hidden.

“OK, enough talk. The usual as always?” Mama Maria glanced at Sage and asked.

“Yes, the usual,” Sage smiled, found a table, and sat down while scrolling through his phone.

Mama Maria started preparing Sage’s food with great enthusiasm; it seems Sage’s compliment earlier had made her extremely happy.

Five minutes later, Mama Maria brought the food to Sage’s table.

“OK, enjoy Sage, I’ve added a few pieces of meat,” she giggled. “You are still skinny; eat more meat and gain some muscles, otherwise you will die a virgin.”

“Then it better eat before I die single” Sage didn’t pretend and started digging in.

The food was simple, nothing luxurious, just a bowl of rice and a fully fried tilapia. Simple but delicious. Every bit grounded him, the crunch, the salt, the faint sweetness from the salt.

This was peace, the kind of small joy he could still afford.

Time passed by, and ten minutes later, he was already done, licked the bowl clean, and finished the tilapia to the last bone.

He leaned back exhaled softly and picking his teeth, he put some bills on the table and waved his hand at Mama Maria.

“Mama Maria, I will be on my way; it’s getting late. I will come by tomorrow.”

“OK, be careful on the road, okay? The streets are not that safe anymore,” Mama Maria waved back while giving him a warning.

“I will…”

Sage echoed back and disappeared into the crowd.

——–

A taxi dropped him infront of a small supermarket. The flourecent sign flickered weakly. Inside it was quite except for the low humm of the refrigerators.

Behind the counter is an old man wearing a green apron, cleaning fruits with a white cloth.

“Evening,old Harry!” Sage approached the old man with a smile. Old Harry raised his head and smiled brightly,

“Oh Sage, let me guess ran out of supplies again?” The old man smiled deepened when he saw Rex.

“Sigh, you know me, Old Harry, I kind of hate all this, and besides, tomorrow is Saturday. I need to restock so that I don’t have to go out,”

Sage spread his arms and shrugged.

Old Harry shook his head chuckling; the wrinkles on his face creased even more.

“You could just take care of everything on your phone; there is no need to come and buy groceries yourself,” Old Harry sighed.

Sage shook his head, “I like to do everything by myself; having someone buy groceries for me is kind of weird.”

“Well, you can do whatever you want. Young people nowadays are always with the drama,” Old Harry waved his old hands at Rex.

Sage chuckled softly, made a peace sign, then made a beeline and started shopping for his groceries.

He didn’t need anything much, just enough groceries to last for a whole week. Within a few minutes, he had already bought whatever he needed and went back to the counter.

“Looks like the usual; nothing has changed. You act more like an old man than I do.” Old Harry scanned the groceries with a calm face.

“What can I say? I just like a simple life. This kind of life is more satisfying; just live life according to your own will; after all, we live once!” Sage’s eyes flashed with emotions as he said this.

“Hmmm… that’s an interesting perspective on life. You are completely different from today’s youngsters,” Old Harry sighed.

“I wish my children were much like you; those little brats really make me worried,” he continued.

Sage looked at Old Harry and couldn’t help but feel more emotional. Old Harry’s life is not that easy; Sage knows his children and how they… well, they are quite troublesome, always giving him troubles here and there.

“Come on, Old Harry; they are just children. I’m sure when they reach the right age, they will come back to their senses,” Sage smiled brightly at him.

Old Harry laughed heartily, “I appreciate your optimism.”

“OK, here, I’m done,” Old Harry handed the groceries to Sage.

Sage took out his card and swiped it at the machine and nodded at Old Harry, “Old man, I’m going; better close early; it’s not safe being here alone.”

“Brat, you should be the one to hurry home and take care of yourself!” Old Harry shooed him away.

“OK, I’m going. See you later, old man,” Sage waved back and exited the supermarket.

“Ha… what a bizarre young man,” Old Harry looked at Sage’s fading back and shook his head, going back to cleaning his fruits.

———

By this time, it was already deep in the night, the night clouds partially covering the moon hanging high up in the sky.

“Time really flies really fast!” Sage looked at the time on his phone and exhaled a cold breath as mists escaped from his breath.

He was walking on the only alley that led to his apartment block.

Half way through into the dark alley with his groceries in his hand, he felt the atmosphere becoming weird and heavy, the wind stopped and fog was starting to seep into the alley.

His footsteps echoed faintly.

He raised his head and looked around, feeling that the atmosphere was not quite right; he felt stuffy and breathing was becoming quite difficult for him.

“Hmm… this is strange,” he muttered to himself while looking back.

After confirming nothing was following him, he turned his head back toward the path in front of him, but the next thing he froze in his steps as cold sweat started seeping out from his forehead.

His heart started beating like a drum as it went cold.

Right in front of him, a few centimeters away, was a silver strange gun pointed at his head.

He couldn’t see the person behind the gun; only a dark figure wearing a tall hat could be made out.

“P… pl… please… do… don’t kill me! I have money; if that’s what you want, you can take it,” Sage stammered his voice cracking

Heart was beating rapidly, almost about to burst out of his chest.

“P… pl… please…! BANG!

A gunshot echoed through the dark alley. Sage’s eyes were wide open as a bloody hole appeared at the center of his head, with blood flowing out.

He felt his thoughts and life quickly draining out of him.

He fell backward and landed heavily on the ground, the groceries he was holding spilling out on the cold ground.

His eyes were becoming heavy; the clouds that were covering the moon dissipated as the full moon was revealed, and its beautiful silvery light spilled into the dark alley.

The fog that was covering the alley slowly vanished alongside the mysterious figure.

Sage felt his being stripped away.

“So… this is how I die, huh? Guess my boring life is over.”

This was the only thought that echoed in his head before he completely died.

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