The only light that illuminated the bathroom flickered constantly like it was ready to die out, but it persevered and lit the room. It was accompanied by a humming noise that filled the quiet space. When the light flickered the room wouldn't be fully encased in darkness as the heat lingered in the dying bulb making the room dimly lit before it switched back on. Asher stood in front of the sink looking down at his hands. They were shaking uncontrollably. He took deep breaths to stop the tremors and calm his nerves but it didn't fully help. He could see his own breath in the cold. The mirror he looked into was scratched with letters and words carved into it but he could still see his eyes. The veins in his eyes reached his iris. They were a dark crimson from the sleep deprivation he had been experiencing. His unkempt dirty brown hair and clearly worn jacket added to the mess he saw himself as.

After composing himself he stepped away from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom into the old forest-side diner. His senseless driving through the night to escape his thoughts had brought him there when he became hungry. He sat down at the booth furthest away from the door and waited for the waitress to come by. There was no one else in the diner besides him and the waitress which was nowhere to be seen. He started to get impatient and nervous. He bounced his leg up and down and looked around the diner and outside into the dark for some sign of life. Just as he was going to stand up to look for her, she walked out of the kitchen still tying her apron. "What would you like to eat today sir?" She asked while quickly pulling out her notepad.

He noticed she seemed flustered. "I would just like a bacon cheese-burger with fries please."

She searched her pockets seemingly looking for a pen but gave up and looked at him. "I'm sorry about the wait, I'll have your food out to you as soon as possible." She turned around and briskly walked back to the kitchen.

Asher looked back outside and towards the dark forest as he waited. The sun had set and clouds had rolled in which covered the light from the stars bathing the world in an eerie gray blackness. No cars passed either which made the small diner like a beacon of light that warded off the darkness. He zoned out looking into the woods as he thought about what had brought him to where he was. Memories of a time where he was truly happy crossed his mind. So many moments of joy and love just to be tarnished by a few bad moments that defined the rest of his life. "What would you like to eat today sir?" The waitress's voice broke him out of his zoning.

He turned his head and saw a man sitting on the opposite side of the booth from him looking at the waitress. He didn't recognize him but the man sat nonchalantly like he was sitting with an old friend. When he spoke his voice matched his stature, it was deep and confident, each word poured out of his mouth with deliberation. "I would just like a club sandwich please."

"I'll have that right out for you." The waiter said while writing his order down.

His thoughts wandered to the pen but quickly went back to the man sitting in front of him. The man watched the waitress as she left to the kitchen.

They sat in silence for a few moments before the man looked him in the eyes and spoke, "I know what you are planning on doing tonight," His gaze was intimidating, "It's not a good idea."

"What?" Was all he could stammer out while his thoughts raced through trying to rationalize the mysterious man's words.

"After everything you've worked for and everything you've gone through do you really want it to go to waste?" His dark burgundy eyes stared deep into Asher causing him to squirm in his seat.

Asher looked at the table. Many thoughts and responses crossed his mind but all he could ask was, "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" He looked taken aback, "I am the one person left to try to help you out of the hole you've dug yourself into. I am the one who is here to give you your final chance. You have nothing left don't you? Wouldn't you like to at least take a risk before, well, you know." He leaned in and smiled with the last statement.

"How are you supposed to help me, you can't bring back what I had." His voice was angry but laced with fear.

"Remember, good things come to an end and you can't hold onto things that need to be let go." With that he stood up and walked out of the diner past the light of the diner.

Soon after, the waitress came out with two platters of food. One had the club sandwich and the other had a burger with nothing on it besides for the patty and buns. "Where did your friend go?" The waitress asked.

"I don't know." Asher said with a hollow voice, his thoughts were elsewhere.

He couldn't get the words from the man out of his head, "You can't hold onto things that need to be let go. Could he really know?"

He looked outside and saw no cars in the parking lot besides his and the waitresses. The man seemed to have come in from nowhere and vanished. He grabbed the club sandwich and started eating it because the burger didn't seem appetizing.

After finishing his food he left the money on the table and stood up. As he passed the booth he noticed a folded piece of paper placed where the man had sat. He picked up the paper and unfolded it. It was a map of the nearby area but it seemed old and looked like it had been well used. In the town north of him there was a red circle around a building that was marked as, "City Hall" on the map. The place was a small lakeside town he had never visited in his time living in the state. It was close enough to strike him as odd that he had never heard of it before but it was far enough to not linger in the forefront of his mind. He put the map into his pocket and walked out of the diner and to his car.

 He sat in his car and stared at the picture on the dashboard, it was of him and his wife. In the picture they were hugging and his hand was on her pregnant belly. They were smiling and looking at each other with mirth that he hadn't felt since. He sighed and put the key in the ignition to start the car. The old car stalled a few times before it finally started. He looked at the map again and headed north to the town to hopefully find what he was looking for. He didn't know exactly what it was but if there was a chance to fix everything that had happened or move on then he was going to take it.