Posted august 24, 2020

For The Wattys 2020

I wanted to anger Calumn Because when people are angry, they tell their secrets involuntarily.

"she should not have heard the guy. he didn't do anything."

he hit our AirCar with his fist. "don't tell me what to do."

"did you go around betraying the trust of the innocent. you're supposed to protect!"

At the Word betrayed, he winced. I knew I hit a chord. Calumn was afraid of betrayal. From my encounter as Autumn with him, I knew his 'family' topic was sensitive for him.

"Go back to your dad. If he saw this, would he be proud? Or is that what he taught you."

He hit the AirCar one more time, this time his knuckles bleeding. I stared at it. Blood. So much blood. But he was oblivious to it. I felt like I was back with Isic when he came to my workplace to heal his wound.

"Blake's not my dad. And don't you dare talk about my parents. Don't even know them."

When I head Blake's name, I knew I was close to getting him to admit the real name. only had to push him to the edge. "Blake is your dad. Whether you like it or not, youre related. You even look like him."

"No." he cried.

I jumped backwards. I never saw him so angry. "Blake's lives by himself in his own house. No guards.no wife. nobody"

Then, like the conversation was over, he went inside, jaw so clenched I was afraid he was going to spit out teeth.

I looked at the orange skyline with the sun setting. And with every second passing, I felt the guilt weighing on my shoulder. I went in to apologize, and found him on the ground, eyes focused on bandaging his hands. I knew he sensed me come in.

I didn't want to add him to the people I hurt beyond repair. I wasn't evil.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't answer but didn't reject me either. I sat down a few feet away. The he told me about his family, and how he was adopted. He was trying maybe to find who his biological parents were.

He asked me if he should fight for the people that left me as a baby. I said I didn't know.

Who was I to know anyway? I was struggling to find answers to my own family issues.

I realized we were more similar than I thought.

But the whole time were inside, talking about our issues, at the back of my mind, somewhere far, I was still thinking of what he had said by accident.

"he lives by himself. With no guards or wife."

It was not his name. But I could break into his house, and try to find his legal documents?

I still had to decide.