Feraldo reached the apartment building. It didn’t look very nice from the outside. He opened the door and went right in. Normally, he would take the stairs to reach his apartment. But he was in too much pain to do so and he took the elevator instead. It was quicker. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this. Further embarrassment was the last thing he needed.
He went to the door of the apartment he lived in. He took the key from under the mat to open it. He slowly went inside and closed the door. He quietly tried to go to his room. He didn’t want his mother to know he was home. Aon the floor made a made a sound. It gave him away.
“Feraldo, honey, is that you?” she asked from the kitchen.
“Uh, yes mom. I was going to my room.”
“But I made cookies. Don’t you want any?”
“Not now, thank you. I’m very tired. It’s been a long day.”
His mother entered the room with a tray of cookies in her hands. She looked young for a woman of 52 years of age. She had red hair and very few wrinkles on her face. She gave a scream as she saw Feraldo. She dropped her cookies as she rushed to him. Being mother, she began to grow worried and scared.
“My baby, what happened to you?”
“I ran it to some trouble at work.”
“What trouble?”
“I lost my job. Then my boss started to throw me on tables with pizza after I told people things about the place.”
“You lost another job! How many did you lose already? Seriously, how can I keep you in my apartment if you can’t help me pay rent? If only your father was still around. He would be able to straighten you up.”
“Can we please stop talking about this?”
“Get some rest in your room. Tomorrow you will find another job. I don’t care how long or how hard. You will get one and keep one. Got it mister?”
Feraldo didn’t even answer. He just went into his room. He stared at himself in the mirror. He had short, black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore glasses; they were now bent from what happened today. He wasn’t very tall. He didn’t look very strong. To top it all off, he had pizza and soda stains all over him.
He looked disgusted at himself, of what he had become. He had struggled for most of his life to try and find his purpose. Every job he had was lost in different ways. If it wasn’t for his mother, he would have been homeless. It was very hard to understand this all. His father is a marine. He knew that strength and leadership was in his blood. He was the opposite of his father.
“Why did I end up like this?” he asked himself as he went to his bed. He lied down on it and looked out the window. It was a very nice day outside. The sun was about to set. He can hear his mother cooking dinner. He wasn’t hunger. He started to listen to music in his ipod and sing the songs he listened to.
“If I had my way, I’d change my life today. And if things were to change, it’s all the same.”
He started to think of what had happened today. He hoped the police did go to Mr. Rooney; he hoped Mr. Rooney would get in trouble. His behavior wasn’t necessary at all. Feraldo felt glad for what he did. Now people might stop going to his pizzeria and he’ll be out of business. Feraldo started to think back at the other jobs he lost. People usually learn from their mistakes. But Feraldo couldn’t see how. He made a new mistake the caused him his job. He started to think about the mistakes he did and how he would’ve avoided them. His whole life was a mistake. Nothing can ever go right with him. He didn’t want to accept the fact that he was a born failure. But it was a fact that he couldn’t hide. He lives with his mother. He couldn’t keep a job. Sometimes he thought it was better to just end it all just to stop his troubles.
All of a sudden, he started to feel very sleepy. Music had always kept Feraldo awake. This was very odd. His eyes were starting to close. He tried to stay awake. He put his music up louder. It was too early to go asleep and he wanted to watch tv later. It was very weird. Sleepiness started to take over of him. It was inevitable; he fell asleep.

“Please wake up Feraldo, please.” His mother was pushing him and hoping that his son would awaken.
Feraldo started to open his eyes. He looked on the worried face of his mother and sat up on his bed. He looked at the clock. It was already noon. “What happened?”
“You scared me half to death! You wouldn’t wake up.”
“But, it’s only noon.”
“Yes, it’s noon. But you had been sleeping for days. I was about to call the doctor. Now get up young man. You still need to search for a job, remember.”
His mother left the room as Feraldo changed his clothing. He couldn’t believe how time flew by. He felt sorry for making her mother scared and all. But, there was nothing to do about it. It was still a mystery to him; why wouldn’t he awaken? Should he worry about it? These questions ran through his mind as he got ready and went to the streets.
It was a cloudy day outside. The wind blew a newspaper right in front of Feraldo. He picked it up and searched for a date. His mother was right; days did pass by. It spooked Feraldo a bit. Then he was spooked a bit more as he heard a scream from a distance. He ran to the source of it. His heart was pounding hard.
The scream came from a lady in an alley. A guy was holding a gun and pointing it at her. Feraldo saw this while hiding behind a dumpster. The smell was intoxicating. But he paid very little attention to it. He didn’t know what to do. The guy didn’t look friendly as he pointed the gun towards the lady.
“I wont repeat myself,” the guy said. “Give me the money and no one will be hurt.”
“Never,” said the lady. “Wait until my husband hears about this. You’ll get what’s coming to you.”
“You got guts, I’ll give you that. Too bad I already killed your husband. And your next.”
The guy pulled the trigger on the gun. The predictable sound from the gun erupted. The lady fell to her knees as she held onto the area she was shot. The blood was dripping to the ground. The pain could be seen in her eyes. Feraldo felt the agony from his position. The guy pointed the gun to the lady’s forehead and pulled the trigger again. The bullet was drilled through her head. The sight of it all was unbearable. She collapsed to the ground and lay motionless.
“No!” Feraldo yelled without even looking. The guy with the gun saw him; he gave an angry expression on his face. Feraldo knew he was in trouble. He was also surprised. The guy with the gun was his former boss, Mr. Rooney.
“You, your next.” Mr. Rooney aimed and shot his gun at Feraldo. Yet, he missed as Feraldo ducked in time. Feraldo began to run away from him. He went into the sidewalk and rushed through the crowd of people walking. He looked back to see Mr. Rooney rushing after him. He wouldn’t shoot with so many witnesses around.
Feraldo saw a guy entering a taxi. He pushed the guy aside and jumped in. He shut the door and looked at the scared driver.
“A guy there is after me. I’ll pay you anything. Just bring me anywhere.”
The taxi began to move. Feraldo looked back to see Mr. Rooney following them. A car hit him as he tried to cross the street. A crowd of people surrounded him. Feraldo sighed as he knew he was safe.

The sun was setting. The beautiful colors of orange and yellow filled the sky. This looked even more beautiful at the park as the driver stopped next to it. Feraldo looked back just to make sure he was safe. He got out of the taxi and approached the driver from his window.
“You saved me a lot there. Thank you. How much do I pay you?”
“Knowing that I saved a person is enough already. Goodbye my friend.” The driver spoke with an Indian accent as he began to drive away.
Feraldo looked around and realized where he was. He was so far away from home. He should’ve asked the driver to bring him home. Then a thought came to his mind. What if Mr. Rooney was awaiting for him there? He didn’t know where else to go. In fact, he didn’t care. He remembered the lady that Mr. Rooney killed. Why couldn’t he help her? Why couldn’t he do that? Why couldn’t he do anything right?
Thoughts ran threw his mind. He suddenly realized something: was there a point for him to go on? His whole life was a failure. He couldn’t do anything right. If he could, the lady would still be alive. Maybe, he should’ve let Mr. Rooney kill him. Maybe it was a mistake to run away from what should of happened.
He had thought like this many times before. But now, these thoughts have taken effect on him. He started to walk away from the park. The beauty from the sunset disappeared; the clouds from earlier today returned. Nighttime has finally come. Feraldo continued on. He didn’t know where to go. He looked up ahead to see land that was untouched by man. It looked very calm and quiet. All the animals must had disappeared. He started to walk into the wilderness.

The sounds of crickets filled the air. The air itself felt so cool and refreshing. No stars could be seen due to the clouds. Yet, the night remained peaceful. If Feraldo was in a happier mood, he would have taken some time to enjoy this. But, he wasn’t.
The path he had taken led to a more elevated land. He saw the whole city from the cliff he was standing on. The sight was so amazing. The lights from the streets and buildings could be seen. He looked down from the cliff to see the forest down below. He picked up a rock and dropped it. He watched as it fell down far. The plan accumulated in his mind. He wanted to imitate what he had done with the rock; using himself instead of a rock.
The clouds served their purpose as the rain began to fall. It fell hard. That was how he wanted to fall. He wanted to fall hard; he wanted to fall to his end. He started to take steps back. The more he took, the more he’ll run so he can jump off. There was no other way for things. He started to run towards the edge of the cliff. His heart was pounding as he had done this. He knew this was what he needed to do.
“Stop.”
Feraldo forced himself to stop. He looked in front of him. There were only a few steps he needed so he could jump. The mysterious voice he heard told him to stop. He didn’t know where this came from. There was no one nearby. Maybe he was hearing things. He started to get closer to the cliff.
“Don’t you dare make another move!”
A chill ran down his spine. That same voice came again. This time, it had an angry tone. Feraldo continued to look around to see no one. He was starting to get scared.
“Who are you? Show yourself!”
“How can I show what’s deep inside of you?”
“What do you mean? Where are you?”
“I am a voice in your head. No, I’m not your conscience. That thing had failed to serve it’s purpose. That is why I finally came to you.”
“What do you want?”
“All I want is to help you, Feraldo. I know all about you. You need to make some serious amends to yourself. I’m honestly embarrassed to be in your pathetic head at this moment.”
“I thought you said you would help.”
“And you thought right. You may not know this, but I know everything that is to know.”
“How can you do that?”
“I have my ways. And I have a way for you to get back at Mr. Rooney.”
“He’s still at large?”
“Yes. The cops went to him and discovered his gun. But the sneaky little snake managed to escape.”
“And the cops are after him?”
“You must love to ask questions,” the voice said sarcastically. “Yes. And if you were to capture him and turn him in, you would make yourself look useful.”
Feraldo was interested by his idea. He didn’t see how he could accomplish this. “How can I do this?”
“That is why I am here to aid you. I know where his location is as well. It’s nearby our location; which I find quite odd.”
“No. It is best if you get some rest. Rest here and follow him tomorrow.”
“Ok. But, who are you, really?”
“I shall say who I am in a later time. Now rest. If things go as well you shall benefit greatly.”

Feraldo awakened on top of a tree branch. He looked around to see himself in the forest. A squirrel on the branch startled him and caused him to fall. He didn’t fall far. Yet, it was enough to make him wide awake.
“Seriously, a squirrel made you fall?”
“Where is Mr. Rooney?”
“He is hiding in a log cabin nearby. Follow my directions to go there.”
Feraldo went where the voice told him to go. He wished he could’ve stayed longer. There were so many animals around. Squirrels were scurrying around the trees. Birds were flying above them. Deer were prancing around. He even saw a couple of wild turkeys. But he knew this was no time for sightseeing.
The log cabin looked really old as if it was made by settlers. Mr. Rooney left it as he looked at his old Ford. He got onto his car that was parked next to it and started to drive away. Feraldo wanted to go after it. But Mr. Rooney could have seen him.
“What now?”
“Go inside his house. No worries, it has no lock.”
Feraldo entered it to see what would expect. There were heads from deer hung upon the walls. Fur from bears was on the ground as a rug. There were nice wooden tables and chairs. The fireplace had no spark in it as it remained cool. He looked at the stairs and went up it. There was only a bed and desk up there. The bed looked nice and soft. There was a candle on the desk that kept its fire.
“Take what’s in the desk. Then let the candle fall to the ground and run outside.”
He slowly opened it to see only one thing. He remembered it greatly. It was a gun. He held it and examined it. He didn’t know what kind of gun it was. But it was the same gun Mr. Rooney used to kill the lady. He placed it in his pocket as he knocked the candle off the desk. He didn’t get a chance to see it burn the floor as he ran outside.
“Can you please tell me what is happening?”
“Before Mr. Rooney owned a business, he was a murderer and a bank robber in another country.”
“He is continuing what he used to do?”
“Yes, he is going to rob the bank now. He was supposed to do this successfully. But you won’t let him.”
He started to get frustrated by this voice. He knew all of this so easily. He was so mysterious and annoying. How did he know this?
“I know what you’re thinking Feraldo.”
“Good. And I won’t be doing anything until I get some answers.”
“Fine. Remember that lady Mr. Rooney killed?”
“Yes, what about her?”
“I’m her husband.”
Feraldo couldn’t believe what he heard. Now he understood why he was helping him. He wanted to get back at Mr. Rooney in return. But how was this possible? How could he get into his mind and tell him what to do. The voice started to laugh as he heard every thought Feraldo had.
“Explain more to me.
“When we humans die, we are done with. But oddly enough, I remained here in spirit. I didn’t know why. Then I started to see and know things without trying. I know my wife would die. I knew you would about to jump off. I knew Mr. Rooney would rob the bank. I didn’t know how I knew all of this. But I knew, without I doubt that you can stop him from getting away. That’s why I entered your mind; I had to keep you asleep for days for me to do so. That’s why I chose you.”
Feraldo was stunned by all of this. Yet, he was also thankful of him for not jumping off. He made him regret to even think of jumping off. He gave him a reason to remain alive. Feraldo didn’t want to let him down.

At 10:00, the bank was open to the public. It was odd of how it was very busy and crowded by many people. There weren’t many security cameras in it due to the fact that the bank has been in business for many years. Yet, they never needed those cameras for the whole time it was active. This leaved the bank very inexperienced with any trouble that may or may not occur.
Mr. Rooney parked his car in front of an alley. Across the alley was the bank. He slowly walked across the alley and blended in with the people that were entering the bank. As he walked in front of it, he took notice of a few policemen that were standing outside. He was able to get a few words from their conversation.
“Look, let’s just leave. You heard about the new donut shop a few blocks from here?”
“Yes, they are supposed to be great.”
“Exactly. Come on, let’s go.”
What he had just heard proved to be very fortunate for Mr. Rooney. Now there was no one in his way. He entered the bank to see it very busy. It looked like your typical bank. The lines were very long. Yet he was pleased to see an empty one as a lady opened a new one. He went to it so one else can be in front of him. He approached the lady and tried to get close to her.
“Look, I got a gun in my pocket,” he whispered. “Just give me the money and no one gets hurt.”
“Oh my,” the lady whispered back. She looked around to find any police. Unfortunately for her, they just left. She opened the box that had the cash. Mr. Rooney was able to see her do this. He looked around himself to make sure there was no one looking.
“How much do you want?”
“Half a million will do. Here’s a bag to put it in. Then get another bag to put this one in.”
Mr. Rooney slipped the bag to the scared lady. She began to stuff the bag with the cash as quick as possible. Her co-workers paid no attention to this due to the many people around. As soon as she placed the desired amount in the bag, she tied it and placed it in another bag. After she handed it to Mr. Rooney, he nodded his head.
“I’ll be watching you when I leave. If I see you make a move, you’ll be dead on the spot.”
Mr. Rooney began to walk away. Every few seconds, he would look back to make sure she made no motion whatsoever. He blended with the crowd as he walked outside. A while as he got away from everyone, he rushed into the alley and ran towards his car for the escape.

The forest began to disappear as Feraldo began to run away from it. With the gun in his pocket, the only was he would fail this is if he was too late. The voice gave the directions to Mr. Rooney’s car. It was very busy that day and he had to rush pass the crowd. He heard very rude comments from people as he ran pass them. The voice told him that he was getting near.
Mr. Rooney was able to get to his car. He was about to unlock the car with his key until he saw Feraldo. He quickly recognized his face as he quickly reached into his pocket for his gun. Yet, he wasn’t quick enough as Feraldo shot Mr. Rooney’s arm with his gun; the gun he took from Mr. Rooney’s cabin. He reacted quickly to the pain as he dropped the key and held on to his arm.
“Drop the money or else I’ll shot your other arm.”
The gunshot could be heard from a distance as people began to scream and run from the distance. As people ran away from the source, the police started to run towards the source. They professionally ran into the area while pointing their guns towards Feraldo and Mr. Rooney.
“He robbed the bank,” said Feraldo. “Check his bag.”
The police paid their attention towards Mr. Rooney as they checked the bag that was in his possession. They quickly handcuffed him after they discovered the half a million dollars. They started to carry him away to their police car. Some of them remained to question Feraldo. During this, the voice told him what he should say.
“How did you know what he was doing?” One cop asked.
“I used to work for him. I discovered him planning this and decided to stop it after he fired me.”
“Where did you get that gun?”
“I took it from his log cabin that I found burned down.”
“Why did he fire you?”
“I couldn’t do the job right because he was a horrible boss.”
“Are you one of us?”
“I am if you want me to.”
“Well then, come with us.”
Feraldo followed the police to their other car. He saw Mr. Rooney being pushed into a police car and being taken away. He was going to jail. Feraldo knew he wasn’t. Maybe there was going to be some luck for him in the future. The voice knew what would happen. But he wanted the future to be a surprise for him so he can face it.