Rabbit - Final chapter "hunt and hunter"

To Henry, making the slaves of money taste defeat was easy; they were all crushed under the rules, the fair rules. The rules were genuinely fair, in fact. What made the rules crush them were those seemingly harmless little things. No one could see them as a threat. They would never see them, and he would always be the winner.

Henry had gathered players from state to state. All of them, desperate, entered the game with the hope of making money, but very few succeeded. Those who succeeded didn't even truly succeed. They had only managed to multiply their small amounts of money a few times. One was worthless; three times one was still worthless. Of course, this was enough for them, as everyone's need for money was different.

He had introduced his game to all of America. There were many losers and only a few winners. He was the only true winner. As he continued on his path to offer his game to as many people as possible, he won more and more of their hatred. The more the hatred spread, the stronger its scent became. The wolf ran after the scent. There was prey for him, an exquisite prey.

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Henry, tossing and catching the dice in his hand, was walking toward his next destination. Being the true winner was delightful for him, but there was a problem. Its effect was gradually diminishing. Just like before. When he first created gambling, he had experienced a taste that wasn't present in other games. He remembered very well the moment he lost his house. He felt devastated but also felt amazing at the same time. A perfect paradox. Losing in gambling was very different from losing in a normal game. Gambling could take something from us and add something to us. That's why even the feeling of losing was magnificent. But Henry didn't want a disgusting, deceitful, and simple game like Pierre's rigged gambling. He needed to create a better game. A much more comprehensive and extensive, fairer game. He had succeeded. And as the creator of the game, he constantly won. Winning was beautiful. Although losing was also beautiful, winning was infinitely better. But now, Henry was experiencing the flaw of human emotions. He felt the insatiability of humans. Just like those who kept playing despite winning millions. They ultimately lost. Would Henry, like them, lose these feelings too?

He saw a bar and started walking towards it. "I haven't had a banana milkshake in a long time," he said, licking his cracked lips. Did this bar even have banana milkshakes? And why did he want to have a banana milkshake from a bar? The name Josh suddenly popped into his mind. He smiled. It had been a long time since he left him. Would drinking a banana milkshake from somewhere else be an insult to Josh after all these years? he wondered. They couldn't make it as good as Josh anyway, he concluded.

Just a few steps away from the bar, his entire body shuddered. That feeling of unease, something he was experiencing for the first time, felt as if his skin was crawling from his legs to his head. He checked his body. He touched his legs but found nothing. Everything was normal. This inspection had caught his attention. Some people had instantly recognized him. Whispers like "Scammer" were almost blown into his ear. He chuckled. Forgetting all the unease, he opened the bar door. This was the city; hopefully, they had banana milkshakes, he thought as he took his first step inside. The whispers he left behind were nothing but comedy to him.

"Do you have any banana milk?" he asked, ignoring the stares he drew upon entering. The bartender looked at him in surprise. "Sir, you do realize this is a bar, right?"

"Do bars really not have banana milk?" he leaned in closer, placing his hands on the counter. "I'm afraid not, sir," the bartender replied as he polished a glass. "Alright..." Henry ran his hand through his long hair, deep in thought. He had intended to drink something non-alcoholic. There was no need to think about it, but what caused his hesitation were the two men approaching from behind.

"Hey, you!" A rough, deep voice. A hairy beer belly and the stench of pure alcohol. A massive hand gripped his shoulder. "I said, you!"

Henry looked up and opened his mouth. "What do you want?"

"Are you Henry?" the large man asked, increasing the pressure on his shoulder. Henry, showing no reaction, replied, "Yes, I am Henry." The man exhaled heavily. "Come with me."

"Why?" There was no fear or change in his demeanor. The one who loses control always loses. "I said come with me!" The grip tightened. Henry gritted his teeth in pain and swallowed. "Please tell me the reason."

"You bastard swindler, get over here!" A huge fist was raised. Everything was clear now. The man was a relative of one of his victims. Henry, with the same expression, shook his finger and signaled to the bartender. The bartender quickly intervened. "Sir, you can't cause trouble here, or else—" The other man threw a wad of cash at the bartender. "Shut your mouth!"

"Please don't cause any trouble here." The bartender took the money and went back to his work. How amusing, Henry thought. As long as people were like this, he would always be the winner. The big man grabbed his arm and started dragging him outside. He couldn't overpower the man. He looked around. He understood. No one wanted to get involved with this man. And he meant nothing to them; no one would risk their life for him.

He was thrown against the wall. He groaned in pain, leaning against the wall. The pain was now too great to hide. "Give us our money back, you bastard swindler!" the smaller man shouted, stomping his foot. The big man stood with his arms crossed, looking at him. Henry wiped the blood from his lip with his finger and looked up. Gambling had taught him the power of odds. He saw the odds now. A tight T-shirt that barely fit his body, oversized shorts, and an unbuttoned jacket... but these were insignificant. For the current odds, he needed details. He turned to the smaller man to confirm the important details. A more stylish outfit and well-groomed hair.

"I'm talking to you!" The smaller man kicked Henry in the chin. Henry, still slumped against the wall, calculated the steps necessary to win. This was the gamble he had devoted his life to.

The large man finally lifted him by the collar and pinned him against the wall. "We're the Hermingstons... you shouldn't have messed with us," the smaller man said, showing his knife. "Heh heh heh!" Henry laughed involuntarily. "What are you laughing at!" The knife edged closer. "Sorry, sorry... I remember you now. Your relative was doing quite well but lost."

"Because of you, you bastard swindler. My brother was going to cash out, but... but you made him keep playing." How crude compared to his appearance, Henry thought. This was a crucial step; he had to be careful with his words. "You're right, I did tell him to keep playing, sir. I told him he could win more."

"Ah! It's good to see you admit your mistake." The small man pulled back his knife. "Then we'll come to an agreement easily." He signaled by moving his knife up and down. The big man nodded and released Henry. "Will you give us the money?" The previously angry voice had turned calm. "Of course! Of course!" Henry said, smiling and holding his hands out. "Then don't waste time, hand it over." The small man opened his palm and wiggled his fingers to signal for the money. Henry reached into the massive pockets of his long coat and started filling the big man's outstretched arms with bundles of cash. The money filled the man's entire lap. "Good," said the small man, and they started walking towards the exit of the alley.

Henry slowly stood up. His bones ached. He didn't have a particularly strong body, but it was enough for what he was about to do. He reached into the other pocket of his coat and eyed the men walking away, focusing on the leader. He pulled out a small knife. His hand was trembling, but he was going to do it. The excitement was there. He was going to kill to win for the first time. But hadn't he already won by surviving? What was winning, anyway?

He threw the knife. Aiming for the man's head, it instead struck his spine. The big man turned to look at his fallen companion in horror. "That money is yours, go and live your life, or…" Henry reached into his coat pocket again. The big man nodded in fear and fled. At that distance, he couldn't attack Henry without dropping the money he was carrying.

Henry nudged the lifeless body's head with his foot. "Death and betrayal… how painful." He crouched down and gently removed the gloves from the dead man's hands. He put them on himself, pulled his own knife from the man's back, and took the other man's knife in his hand. This way, the knife that had caused the wound was switched. Of course, the two knives were different in size. To make it seem like a single knife had been used, he deepened the wound and left the other man's knife behind. Then he headed back to the bar to drink his non-alcoholic beverage. "You're lucky, Josh. They don't serve banana milk here. You're still the only one I'll drink banana milk from."

The awaited day had come. Another court day, but it had been easy for Henry to handle. The big man hadn't made any accusations against him. On the contrary, he had supported him. This way, he had saved himself. He had won this gamble but wasn't happy. He needed more, and more… There was no limit to human greed.

As the days passed, he got more people to play his game. More losers and more victories. But the satisfaction from these victories decreased each time. He had killed a man just for the thrill. He felt guilty for seeking that thrill... but none of it had provided the immense satisfaction he craved. He thought about it. What could he do? A bigger victory… a bigger victory… then he looked at the election poster hanging in front of him. "This will be a good deal…" he had been playing small. Now he would play big.

His first goal was achieved. Almost all of America knew him. The second step was next. It was time for a challenge. He went on the first TV program he could get on. From behind the gray screen, he made an offer to the president. "Mr. President, I would like to play a game with you. If you win, I will repay everyone who lost money because of my game. Don't worry, if you lose, nothing will happen. Please accept my offer." It would work. It had to. The president needed this. Until he got a response from the president, he continued with his plan. He made headlines in newspapers. It was all for that big victory.

Finally, the president responded to his offer. "I will do this for my people!" he had said confidently.

Henry stepped into the White House. He hadn't expected to play the game in such a special setting. Apparently, the president took the game seriously. Cameras surrounded them. On one side of the table was the president and his security, and on the other side was Henry.

"Yes, Mr. President… I extend my thanks to you for accepting me here." An involuntary excitement surged through him; he had gone this far just for the thrill. It was insane.

"Yes, but I didn't do this for you, Mr. Henry. I did it so you would return the money you took from my people," the President replied.

"Well then, would you like to start?" Henry composed himself. He mustn't lose control.

"Of course, go ahead," the President said, gesturing to the table. Henry placed the dice and explained the rules to the President, who nodded in understanding at each point. At that moment, Henry realized something was wrong, but there was no turning back. After all, he was the one rolling the dice; he would be the winner.

He took the dice in his palm, ready to secure his guaranteed victory against the President. Yes, it was cheating, but it was necessary for the grand win. Everything was going as planned. Only a few people knew about this trick, so it would never be a problem. He shook the dice and threw them. He took pleasure in the President's facial expression—an expectant politician who would lose. Maybe this move would win you a few votes…

And then the unexpected happened. Henry's eyes widened. A sudden gust of wind caused the dice to bounce more than they should have, and the President's bet won. No, no, no! This was impossible… the second major defeat. He fell to his knees.

"I expect you to promptly repay the people you wronged," the President said, standing up and walking back to his palace. Henry was lifelessly escorted out of the palace by the guards. "I-I lost…" he muttered. He had lost while cheating. Just like Pierre… no, this was different from Pierre. Pierre had won while cheating but lost to a fair game. Henry had lost through cheating. He had never expected this.

He didn't give anyone their money back. He had enough money, but he couldn't do it. How could he find all those people? This gamble was entirely based on him winning, and the consequences were thought out accordingly, but he had lost. Even while cheating. He occasionally looked for new players to continue his game, but now everyone knew about him. No one wanted to lose their money to him. He was crushed under their gazes. His feelings were strange. He had never felt like this before. The defeat tearing apart the ropes inside him and the people crushing those ropes underfoot. All victories were erased by a single defeat. He was helpless… helpless and utterly alone.

As the days passed without him returning the money to the people, those feelings intensified. Terrible feelings, these feelings weren't real. They couldn't be real, but they were more real than ever. He saw shadows, moving shadows, very fast shadows… occasionally, those shadows replaced his own. He was sure he wasn't schizophrenic; he couldn't be schizophrenic. These shadows were real. He fought those shadows in his hotel room, battling these thoughts.

Over time, the shadows became more frightening and stronger. He couldn't fight the shadows anymore. The best thing to do was to accept that he was schizophrenic at that moment. What was real was now a dream, a brain illusion to him.

One day, his room door opened. He grabbed his knife in fear and pointed it forward. Had someone come to beat him up for their money? The person who opened the door took off his hat and sighed calmly. "Hello Henry, it's been a long time…"

"Y-you... Josh..." The knife slipped from his hand, bouncing on the ground a few times. He quickly crawled to embrace his only friend. Tears streamed down his face. He needed this. Josh patted his back. "You're insane... what did you think you were doing?"

"I-I-I was going to win... my victory was guaranteed..."

"I saw it... you cheated and rolled the dice yourself. I guess God punished you, buddy. The one against cheating, used cheating. Why did you do this, Henry?.."

Henry wrapped his arms tighter around Josh. "I w-w-wanted to win..." Josh gently patted Henry's back. "You were already winning... why did you have to complicate things?"

"I-I..." He hesitated. Before he could finish his sentence, he saw two eyes in the dark shadow on the ground. He recoiled quickly. "What's happening, Henry? Why did you suddenly jump back?" Henry's breathing quickened. He leaned against the bed, trembling with fear. "I-I-I-" His throat constricted. He couldn't speak. It wouldn't let him. Josh quickly grabbed his friend's arms and shook him. "WHAT'S WRONG, HENRY?"

"Nothing..." Henry said, submitting to its authority. It was much stronger than him. The strong always ruled the weak. "Then what was that just now?" Josh's concern was palpable to Henry. He swallowed and opened his mouth. "I'm... feeling a bit under the weather. Must be obvious from my condition." It was a big lie, he was perfectly fine except for these shadows, but it was still a realistic lie. "Are you sure it's just a bit? And how does suddenly recoiling relate to being ill?"

"Something... got stuck in my throat..." Henry choked lightly, then swallowed.

"Ahh... I see. Do you need anything, Henry?"

"No... thank you..."

"Don't lie to me, you idiot!" Josh put both hands on Henry's shoulders. "You're not okay. I can see it. Let's work together like old times. Forget about that money. Distribute it as you promised. Let's hang out like we used to. And I bet you haven't had banana milk in a long time."

"No, I haven't hehehee!.." Henry scratched his head.

"That's my man-"

"But I was going to. Turns out they don't make banana milk at that bar."

"What?" Josh slapped his knee, laughing. HAHAHAA! I never thought I'd laugh so much. Did you go to a bar for banana milk?"

"Hahahaa! Yeah, I always had banana milk at your bar."

"Hahha! Ohhh! You cracked me up, Henry." Josh laughed heartily, then removed his hands from his stomach and looked at Henry. "You're really something, Henry."

"Hahaa! Yeah, I am."

"Anyway..." Josh got up. "If you want..." he walked to the door. "You know where to find me." He opened the door and left the room. Henry had managed to continue the conversation smoothly. This allowed Josh to leave the room, leaving Henry alone with the shadow of the gigantic wolf in the room.

The rabbit was running, hopping as fast as it could. Its leg was injured, but it kept hopping with all its might. The blood flowing from its leg kept the wolf chasing it relentlessly. The rabbit finally saw a hill ahead. A black stone, devoid of a single footprint, amidst the pristine white snow. It leaped toward it quickly. Seeing this, the wolf accelerated. It wouldn't let the rabbit escape.

Henry quickly sat up from his bed. He had been sweating profusely in his sleep. The massive dampness under the armpits of his clothes was a testament to that. He hurriedly jumped into the shower to soothe himself. With his eyes closed, he lathered his hair with shampoo and opened his eyes. The wolf was there. He slipped and fell to the floor of the cramped shower cubicle. When he raised his head again, the wolf was gone. He was out of breath. The wolf was closing in. It was going to hunt him down. He needed to do something. He needed to play his last gamble against the wolf.

After showering, he quickly left his room and left the hotel. He had a purpose, more victories...

He sought out the weakest links around him. He dragged them into the game and made them lose. This time, the odds were completely against him losing. After all, he was rolling the dice himself. He made many people win at first and then lose. As he did this, he felt the wolf's breath more on his neck. But this was not enough, he knew that. He was afraid, but he would do this. This would be his best comeback. The gambler's grand return. He was going crazy; this wolf and the president had changed his life again. For a moment, he suspected that the president was cheating, but that was impossible. The president couldn't control the winds. But what about the wolf?

He took to the streets. "LOS ANGELES! WAIT FOR ME THERE! AT THE WINN BAR!" he shouted everywhere. His aim was to attract those who wanted his money. On the way, he made more people lose and increased his scent. After all, he was the one the people hated. He went to the banks. He had his money stuffed into bags. He continued his announcement as he did this. "COME TO LOS ANGELES AND WAIT FOR ME THERE! AT THE WINN BAR!" The plan was successful. He had caught the attention of the journalists. He had caught the attention of those who looked at him with hatred. He hailed a taxi with bags full of money. Without telling the taxi driver where to go, he counted thousands of dollars and gave them to the taxi driver. "Los Angeles," he said. An adrenaline rush surged within him. The wolf was at his heels. The wolf seemed like it would kill him, but he would do this.

His request reached its destination in a few hours. It was time for the second step. He stepped into a phone booth. "Josh! I'm here. Wait for me with your family..." He hung up. Josh hadn't uttered a word. But he had no doubt about what Josh would do. "I'm sorry..." he said, feeling remorseful for what he was about to do. But if what he thought was true, he would be the winner of this gamble. Or he would be the one to crush a great power. His eyes gleamed. The wolf was by his side, but this time he wasn't afraid.

He spent the night in a hotel and browsed through newspapers in the morning. And he was in the news. Everything they wanted had come true one by one. The wolf was powerful, but he was cunning. As the wolf breathed down his neck, he fell asleep again, filled with nightmares.

Morning came. He quickly got ready and completed the next stage with the bags. Everything was set.

A large crowd had gathered outside the bar. Henry entered the crowd's view with slow steps for the next plan. Journalists quickly thrust their microphones at him. He walked into the bar, ignoring them.

"What's going on, Henry?"

"First, let me ask you something. Do you see that wolf over there?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Henry? What would a wolf be doing here?"

"Ah... hahahaa! Alright then."

"Explain please-" Josh's voice was cut off by the gun Henry pulled from his waist. "What are you doing?" Henry aimed the gun at Josh's wife. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" and the sound of a gunshot, a woman falling to the ground, and a girl crying beside her.

Henry quickly started to run away. Josh, without being able to look at his daughter and wife, chased after Henry. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?" His voice was filled with hatred and sorrow. What had Henry done? "WHY, HUH? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?" Henry continued to run in silence. He had exited through the back door of the bar, and those who heard the gunshot and witnessed what happened had started to chase after them.

Henry had never felt the wolf so real; he was running to the top. To that peak where either the wolf would catch him, or he would reach the top, or even if he did, he would be hunted down. This was the true gamble...

"STOP, YOU BASTARD!" Josh's voice was filled with even more hatred now. Henry's silence and this ridiculous escape enraged him even more.

Henry felt the wolf. The wolf was now completely here. It was chasing him from within the crowd. The wolf wanted to kill him.

And finally, he reached the top of the hill. Everyone stopped when he shouted. "STOP!" Josh had stopped too, before reaching the top. "W-what are you planning, you bastard...?" he cried. He was exhausted. Everyone had stopped. Except the wolf. The wolf was still coming at him from the crowd. The wolf was going to tear him apart with its claws.

Henry lifted the bags and threw them as the wolf leaped at him. The claws of the wolf collided with the bags in the air and tore them apart. The hateful stares of everyone turned into astonishment. Money was raining down. Seriously, money was raining down. Josh stared in disbelief at the falling money. He too had lost all his feelings and was staring in shock at the falling money.

Henry, with his arms wide open, waited for the wolf. "Show us! Who's going to win?" The shadow of the wolf, lost in the money shower, was getting closer and closer. It was going to tear Henry apart with a single claw. The shadow approached and approached. And finally, a feeble human fell out of the disappearing shadow and rolled down the back of the hillside. "And you lost... hahahaa! Poor divine creature." Making a god taste defeat... that fulfilled all his pleasure. He licked his lips and descended from the hill to go to Josh.

"What are you doing?.." Josh grabbed Henry's collar, crying. Henry smiled and gestured for him to look behind. When Josh turned his head in curiosity, he saw his wife approaching them, perfectly unharmed. "B-but how?" Josh looked at Henry's face with curiosity. Henry smiled and hugged his friend. Then he took out the toy gun from his pocket. "It may be a toy, but the bullet really feels realistic..."

"You... why did you do this, IDIOT! IS THIS A JOKE?"

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to make the final act impressive." Henry pointed at the money still floating in the air. "I've accomplished my goal, Josh... now we can be like old times." He put his arm around Josh's shoulder. "Y-you idiot, you scared the life out of me... ugh..." Josh broke free from Henry's grip and punched him hard. Henry fell to the ground. "Hahaa! I deserved that..."

"You absolutely deserved it, you moron..."

"Come on, let me not keep you from your wife and daughter any longer, you can satisfy your longing during your little separation. You'll wait for me at the bar."

"You idiot... still..." Josh clenched his fist. "Anyway, it was all a joke... not real."

"Yeah, exactly, I'm really sorry, Josh..."

"Ah... no problem, Henry... just don't do it again..."

"Promise... now you go, wait for me at the bar."

"Alright..." Josh hugged his wife and daughter with love, then took their hands and started walking towards the bar. Henry smiled as he watched them. "Just like old times together..." Then he turned his head to the news reporters, stood up, and straightened himself. He made a statement as if trying to gain the respect of the people. It was a forgiveness show. At least, it was for them. In a way, it was for him too. After talking to enough people and hours passed, he was finally left alone at the top of the hill.

As he walked towards the back of the hill, he looked at the feeble body groaning in pain on the ground. He approached and stood beside it. "Too weak for a god."

"You... how did you... see me...?" The feeble man crawled towards Henry's feet, clinging with his bony hands. "I have no idea. But you picked the wrong person to mess with."

"P-please... stop..." the man began to plead with a dry voice from his parched throat. It was a cracked and disturbing sound. "Please..." deep breaths. Henry opened the cylinder of the toy gun revolver in his hand. "Let luck decide for you." The man looked at Henry with fear, but he couldn't escape, he knew that. Henry took out the five bullets from the cylinder and put one back in. He spun the cylinder and closed it. "Whatever luck brings..." he pointed the gun at the feeble man crawling on the ground. "3..." he put his index finger on the trigger. "2..." he cocked the hammer. "And one..." and he fired.

The man turned to dust and disappeared into the air. "How unlucky," said Henry. "Just like me..." He threw the gun to the ground and started walking. There was no more gambling. He had a new life now. He had learned to enjoy life. Enjoying life wasn't about defeating others and ruining their lives. This would be the last life he ruined. There was no more gambling. He was no longer the one creating possibilities. He was just an ordinary person. He would live nicely with Josh.

Suddenly, he paused in front of the white rabbit in front of him. "What are you doing here?" he remembered this rabbit. He had seen this rabbit before he lost his family. "How ironic... I won't be surprised by this. I just killed a god a moment ago." He crouched reluctantly. "What's happening?" He began to reach out his hand to the rabbit reluctantly. "Wh-what are you?" And he petted the rabbit's head.

"AAAAHHHGHHHHH!" The last sound heard in this world was his painful scream.