Evolution of a Man
By HannahC
He was like clockwork. I could always count on him coming into the bar every night.
At first it was every Friday, he got off duty and came in for a single beer to relax and kick the weekend off. At this point, he was friendly to everyone he saw and he was a complete gentlemen to me. And around this place, a gentleman was very rare indeed. Most of the guys around here were just interested in getting drunk and sneaking a hit at the bartender's ass, which just so happened to be me. But he was never like that. We never really spoke but he was always very pleasant… and handsome to boot.
But then something changed…. I heard that his sister was killed. My heart went out to him and I wanted nothing more than to just comfort him… But he didn't even know my name. When I first heard the news I thought the routine would stop and I would rarely see him, but in fact he started coming in every day. And not just for one beer, now it was for eight or nine, or until we had to call him a cab… and he was no longer the gentlemen I once knew; now he was angry and bitter at everyone around him. This went on for over a year. He came in every night, got drunk, and occasionally started an ugly bar fight. I even started morning for the man that I never got a chance to introduce myself to; even though the man himself was still alive… he just wasn't the same man anymore. But then one day that all changed.
I heard he had become the lead detective in the search for the Jigsaw Killer. For awhile nothing much changed except that he didn't get completely drunk on some nights, but then he didn't come in for a few days and I began to worry that maybe he never would again. Then one Friday he was back. He was back and almost like his old self again… almost. He ordered one beer and was pleasant, but his smile no longer reached his eyes. He was almost a shell of the man he once was, but there was something else there now. A purpose… He always looked as if he was planning something greater than… this.
And this is how I came to observe the evolution of this man, a man named Mark Hoffman. Even now as I watch him from behind the bar, I realize he is no longer the man I first saw and still I just want to walk right up to him and say "Hi my name is Sara…" But what would a man like that want from a girl like me.
Stop thinking do negatively! My own internal voice commanded me. You are beautiful, smart, independent, funny… Why wouldn't a man like that want you? All you have to do is walk right up to him and say "Hello". It's that simple. Yes, but I lacked the courage to turn my thoughts into action. Aww Hell, just get it over with….
Author's Note: So this is my first SAW story and I don't truly know where it is going to go, but I felt as if I started writing it, it would just flow outta me, so we shall see….. hmmmm anyways, as you can guess, I am a fan of Costas Mandylor. I find him very attractive and I can't even tell you why and since there are not very many stories about Hoffman, I decided to write one of my own. So I hope you like it and will review :D Until next time…
~Hannah