The Haunted Traveler Vol. 2 Issue 1

“What the Hell are you doing!?” the stranger demanded.
He tossed his paper aside; Pepper was half sobbing
and picking up the broken glass with his bare hands.
“Alright, it’s time for you to go,” Diego walked over
to the man. Though Diego’s head only reached the man’s
chest, the stranger noticeably flinched. Pepper could see Diego’s
fists trembling. It was obvious that Diego wanted to hit
the man and it was taking all of his effort to refrain.
Diego gestured towards the door and the stranger
made an audible huff before exiting. “Adios pendejo.” Diego
flicked the back of his hand under his chin.
Once he left, Diego immediately ran behind the bar to help
Pepper clean up.
“It’s okay, I got this,” Pepper sniffled.
“I know you do, I just want to help,” Diego picked up
a few big pieces and tossed them into the garbage under the
sink. “Don’t let that fucker mess with your head.”
“No, it wasn’t him. Honestly.” Pepper took a deep
breath. “I’m okay.”
Diego caught the hint and returned to the billiards
table. Pepper wiped his nose and walked into the men’s
bathroom, locking the door behind him. The lights flickered
as the door closed. Pepper sat down in the stall and his legs
immediately began to shake. He sobbed freely in the comfort
of white noise provided by the fan. He could feel his breasts
sag as he slouched and rested his elbows on his knees.
All Pepper could think about was the eye he saw
before the glass broke. He knew that Diego probably thought
the stranger got under his skin. Diego had always been protective
of Pepper ever since they became friends.
When Pepper was 16 he was mugged outside the
grocery store. Diego found him outside of a coffee shop
off Main Street; he was gasping and at first Diego thought
Pepper was having an asthma attack. When he dropped to
his knees to look for Pepper’s inhaler he noticed the swollen
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