Is That a Gun?
"Help me!", a man in a shiny violet shirt and suit pants screamed while running towards Mason, in the almost dark road, with faint street lights.
Mason Elsher, the calm person he is, stopped walking, watched the man slow down as he came near him. Mason could not see the man's face clearly, but he does not know him for sure. He heard some footsteps coming from the direction the man just came running. "Nothing gives an ick like this on a weekend.", he thought. He just wanted to sleep. Reluctantly he looked around him and found a narrow passage on the other side of the road between two buildings. He signalled the man to run in there and hide. The space was darker with some boxes in front of the opening. Seeing the man hesitate, Mason grabbed his hand and pulled him into the space with him.
In the narrow space, facing each other, the man closed his eyes shut as the group of footsteps came closer and almost hugged Mason. Mason still stayed calm but frowned wondering why the man is being so touchy but when his hands unconsciously went up he felt something hard on the man's back, just above the hips. Then he also realised that he fit right into the stranger's hug.
"Just let me stay like this for a while, until they leave. I am not really comfortable in dark places.", the man said, eyes still shut, holding Mason a bit tighter than necessary.
The man was a few inches taller than Mason, smelled good, intolerably good. "Maybe cologne", Mason thought. Broad shoulders, noticeable muscles, and the chest was even hard, as he felt through the thin shirt, while being unable to breath properly.
Just the right way to end his hectic weekend, and it also fed into his delusions a bit.
"Staying like this is better. They should not find you.", the man said, more to himself.
"Yeah, I could die right now, but that doesn't matter, I am already out of breath.", Mason finally spoke, his voice muffled, in the strangers chest. "The space is that narrow?", he thought to himself.
"Well, they are dangerous. And no one else is walking this road at this hour. They can suspect you and ask you questions.", he stopped speaking and listened, stepping deeper into the gap.
"Did we lose him?", someone from the group of four to five people asked.
"Maybe he went that way...let's keep looking. And if you see him just shoot. He is alone today.", another said, and some other people said, "Yes sir!".
Then the men hurried away, the footsteps becoming faint. Mason felt the man's grip on him loosen. Mason's hands searched for the hard thing he felt earlier. He felt a little shiver when he realised what that is. Then he tried to pull back a little from the man and looked up at him. Then asked,
"Umm...is that a gun? Like a real working one?"
The man looked down at Mason and stared blankly and then furrowed his eyebrows.
"Not an uncommon place to keep it, though.", Mason said with a smirk.
The man straightened up, after realising that Mason's hands were on his waist.
"Umm...yeah, that is a gun. A real working gun.", the stranger said and let go of Mason and peeked out in the road to see if there is anyone before getting out.
Mason took a deep breath and said after exhaling, "The common sense would have been to use that without hugging a stranger you bumped into, in a movie-like style, at this hour." Mason fixed his hoodie and looked at the man.
The man looked away from him and came out of the space and Mason followed him out. Having made sure that there is no one nearby, the man said,
"Well, I like to keep people alive if it can be helped. And even if I shoot them and they survive, things can go wrong further. Plus, if they saw you with me, you would be in danger too. So, hiding and flight are the safest options."
"Logical. I cannot debate that. Also, you fulfilled a certain part of my fantasy, so, I won't hold any grudges. Now that I have saved you, you are welcome!", Mason said with a smile.
Realising what he just said, Mason suddenly stopped smiling, looked down at his feet and pretended to fix his glasses, by pushing them up the nose bridge more, even though it was fine. He scolded himself in his mind for being like that. He could not blow up his real side to someone that easily.
The stranger pretended to not hear the "fantasy" part, smiling, and said, "Well, let me walk you to wherever you were going. Home, I suppose? They might still be in the area. So I will see you home."
"And expose my location to you? You are just a stranger, with a gun!", Mason said, eyes filled with distrust, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh?! No, no! Sorry to ruin your fantasy, I ain't any mafia or criminal. I am a simple business owner and I like to keep things legal. I am Russell, nice to meet you.", the stranger said, placing his palm over his chest.
"I don't thi-"
"I just ran here in a hurry, my bag and coat is still somewhere in the restaurant I was in, I was meeting a client. So I cannot even give you my card. I don't even have my phone with me right now.", Russell said, cutting Mason amidst his sentence.
Mason looked clearly at his face now. Parted brown hair, wavy towards the ends, blue eyes, sharp jawline, a nice match with the body. Almost perfect, Mason thought. He never really cared about looks, but this man seemed a bit unusually attractive.
"You mean to say, people want to kill a little business owner just like that?", he asked.
"Well, my father, who passed away two years ago, liked to keep things illegal, unlike me. A price I am paying, still now, just as you saw. But don't worry, I am an ethical man.", Russell said.
"I am leaving. You do whatever you want.", Mason said, hoping that Russell does not leave, because after all, those men had guns too, and being alone is a disadvantage. He continued, "It's like 1 am now, and I don't want to anger someone with a gun, whom I don't know."
Russell just smiled and started following Mason behind, while looking here and there after each turn, staying on guard. When Mason reached his building, he turned back to face Russell and said,
"Well this is me", pointing his finger, "How are you gonna get back home?"
"I was planning to take the subway, for a change. I told my driver to leave with the car, like hours ago. I guess, I will just walk till I find anything. The restaurant is also closed by now.", Russell said, glancing at his watch.
"You can stay the night. But you have to let me lock that gun up somewhere only I can access, before we sleep.", Mason said, not making eye contact with Russell.
Russell stared at him, shocked to hear what he just heard. Then suddenly, his face brightened up with a big smile and he tilted his head to ask, "You will let me stay the night?". His voice and body language was overflowing with gratitude.
"Yeah. I am Mason by the way. Follow me.", he said and opened the main gate to the apartment. He lived on the top floor, and the 9 story building, to Russell's surprise, had an elevator. There was only one home on each floor. When they got in the elevator, Russell asked,
"You live alone?"
"Yeah."
"I can use other things to kill you though. Locking up the gun would mean nothing.", Russel stated, curious.
"For your information, you don't know me. I will have a 100% chance of staying alive if I only get rid of the gun.", Mason said calmly.
"You mean, I won't be able to kill you?", Russell asked, getting more interested.
"Yep. I am kind of, you can say, skilled in all major forms of martial arts and boxing. I just don't know how to use a gun. That's the only skill I lack.", came the reply.
Russell got quiet. "What do you do?", he asked after a long pause.
"Freelancing. I make video games.", Mason replied with a smile, while getting out of the elevator and walked down the corridor, motioning Russell, to reach his door.
When they got in, Russell realised that Mason was practically well off. Mason also worked as a part-timer in a library, and got the game designing contracts from his friend, who also worked part-time at the same library. The living room was practically filled with books, but they were organised and everything was neat. There was an open kitchen, no dining table, a large TV opposite the only couch in the room, and three doors to more rooms. Mason set his bag down on the couch and put out his hand saying,
"The gun. Hand it over."
Russell pulled out the gun and handed it over in a second, without hesitation. Mason took it and told him that Russell can use the shower if he wants. Russell said that he is fine and that he will just close his eyes and be off when the sun is up. Mason nodded, and left to freshen up, with a fear of being attacked, even though he had nothing to fear. He placed the gun in the hidden space behind the shelve in the bathroom, that was filled with pendrives.
He had tackled more bigger men with his skills. He has been learning karate, judo, Kung Fu and even taekwondo since he was 5 and also recently started taking boxing lessons. His height and looks were the best concealers of his well-defined physique. He saw himself in the bathroom mirror, his black wet hair, that was set up earlier exposing his forehead, now fell over, water dripping from the ends. He quickly dried it, wore the tank top and boxers he brought in with him because Russell was out sitting in the living room. Otherwise, he usually moved around in the apartment naked.
He smiled at himself and got out to see Russell lying on the sofa, reading a book that was on the coffee table. Hearing Mason clearing his throat, Russell sat up straight and looked at him. He kept staring at Mason's bare neck, arms and legs, before he realised he has to stay something. He was about say it when Mason cut him off saying,
"In the bedroom. Not here."
"Huh!?", Russell, said confused, and gulped.
"I said you are sleeping on the floor, in my bedroom. I can't let you stay in a different room while I am sleeping. I will have to keep you locked, with me.", he said with a smile, and mouthed, "follow me" while motioning towards the bedroom door.
This room was smaller, no photos, no furniture except for the bed, a wardrobe and a bedside drawer. There was another door in the room, but Russell did not ask anything about it. Instead he said,
"In the same bed?", his expression, as if he is seeing something unbelievable and with a frown.
"No, mister, I have got extra bedding.", Mason said, with a straight face, and opened the wardrobe.
Russell felt relieved and then helped Mason spread out the bedding on the floor next to the bed.
"Good night", Mason said, after locking the bedroom door, "and if you try to go out, the door lock comes with an alarm, so I will know. If you need to take a leak, that's the toilet", he pointed at the door that Russell saw when he entered the room earlier.
"Okay.", Russell said, unsure of what he got himself into. Mason gave him a mock salute and pulled up his covers on him, switching off the light.
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Hello there!! I am new here and wanted to share my story out with you all. Hope you like it!
