Page 32 of Sage

When she came back to the table, Hans skimmed over the menu and then proceeded to order his usual meal. “I know I’d miss your burgers too much if I didn’t order them one last time.”

“I’m sure you’ll find plenty of new favorite burger joints once you get to the big city.”

It was a slow night, which Hans was grateful for as it meant he got to talk with Delilah for longer than just a couple of sentences back and forth. They discussed his move and her plans for what would happen to the diner when she was ready to close it down.

“Honestly Hans, maybe it’s time for me to sell this place and move on myself,” she shared with him. The thought of it almost broke his heart. At the same time, she had been pouring her own blood, sweat and tears into the place since she was a teen, so much so that she didn’t have anyone to pass it on to.

Hans finished eating and paid his tab, Delilah grabbed him and gave him the tightest hug he had ever felt. Her eyes started to tear up and Delilah turned her head to hide it from Hans. “Promise me you’ll call and let me know how you’re doing?”

“Of course,” Hans wiped the tears from her waterline. “I’ll call so much you’ll want to retire from me, too.”

Delilah walked Hans to the door and waved him off as he pulled out of the parking lot. Hans kept his eyes on the rearview until he could no longer see her.

After Hans got home, he finished making sure he had packed everything he would need. It was really just the basics that would get him by, he had made a list of stuff he needed to get after he arrived at Marcy’s.I can’t believe that in a few hours I’ll be starting my new life.He crawled into bed, and pulled thecovers up over himself, falling asleep to the vision of Sage in his mind.

A few hours later, he was startled when his alarm went off.Five o’clock in the morning. He groaned. It had been a while since he had been up before the sun.

He got up and walked into the kitchen, electing to make a thermos of the hot tea that Sage had given him before they parted ways instead of his usual morning coffee. He looked in the cabinets until he was able to find his tea pot, filling it up to the brim with water, and twisting the burner dial onto medium heat.

While he waited, he gathered his bags and took them all down to the car, struggling and wrestling with them so he wouldn’t have to make more than one trip. Once he made it to the bottom of the stairs, he turned around and looked up to his apartment.And that’s exactly why I’m hiring movers.Hans played a game of luggage Tetris to get his stuff to fit in his car which proved to be the easiest task of the entire morning so far.

He could hear his teapot screaming from the parking lot, so Hans hurried back to his apartment before someone thought a bomb was about to go off. He separated some of the water into his travel mug before pouring the rest into the thermos that would become his best friend on his somewhat long adventure.

Making one last lap around the apartment, Hans assured himself that everything was ready and that he, especially, was ready to take these next steps. He took a sip of the tea that he had made.Wow, Sage sure knows how to create a tea blend.Hans took a mental note to suggest that she consider opening a tea shop when she was ready.

He went back to the kitchen to see if she had left any information about what the tea had in it aside from light hints ofchocolate and cherry. The Halloween-themed label simply readmors per socolatam.

Well, whatever it is, it’s good.

Hans grabbed the rest of his things for the trip, balancing them in his arms as he shut off the light and locked the door behind him.

Caw. Caw.

He looked to the right to see his raven friend seeing him off. The bird was soon accompanied by several of its friends, all watching him as he made it back down to his car and started to drive off.

As Hans was driving through Acadia, he glanced back through his rearview mirror, watching all the things he once knew and loved trail far behind him.

When he passed the sign that led to Brighton Forest, an ominous feeling came over him. Hans shivered, hoping the feeling would soon pass. Leaving Acadia meant that he would escape the grasp that the forest still had on him, and it was time for the forest to relinquish its control for the last time.

Epilogue

It had been two weeks since Marcy or Sage had heard from Hans.

“Maybe he changed his mind,” Sage said in a slightly worried tone.

Something still felt off.

Sage never expressed her concerns with enough emotion that led Marcy to believe that Sage was truly worried.

“Something feels off,” Marcy suggested but Sage continued to brush it off.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A loud pounding came from the door of Marcy’s apartment, startling both women.

“Maybe that’s him!” Sage seemed a little too positive as she filled her teapot with water and set it on the stove to heat up. When Marcy opened the front door, two police officers stood before her.

“Good afternoon ma’am. I’m Officer Stewart and this is Officer Dawn. Is there someone living here by the name Gretta, or perhaps you know her best as Sage?”

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