PART ONE
[19.12.05]
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Honestly, life was great.

Mum woke me in the mornings and walked me to the school bus. In the afternoons, I could always expect to see her across the block in her big truck, waiting for me.

In our spare time, she told me wild stories of far off places and courageous knights. Or other times we would just read, and I would suddenly become her little librarian.

Life couldn't get any better, I thought.

I was right.

Life got a whole lot worse.

Mum ended up dating this guy—see, my dad had disappeared before I was even born, though mum never spoke a word against him—and soon enough they got married. We were happy. He was happy.

But then he just changed into this monster.

You know, I don't think I've heard him say a single decent thing to me since the day of their wedding.

Ryan Clarke is his name, and I hate him. I'm pretty sure everyone hates him, but he always puts on this act when he goes out in public, so maybe not.

Words cannot express my absolute, putrid hatred of this man. He was awful to mum and awful to me. I know for a fact that he hit her many times before he even turned on me.

I'm not a violent person, really, I'm not. I hate being physical, so much so that I've only been in a fight twice in seventeen years.

In case you didn't catch it, I'm seventeen years old.

Mum died two years ago.

She always had a weak heart. Said she was born cursed. I didn't believe her.

She was so kind, too kind for her own good. But that's what made her brilliant. And that's what gave her me.

When she met dad, he was injured—he probably wouldn't have survived the night had she not found him. She always said that he had the bluest eyes anyone could ever see, bluer than clearest skies.

She called him Orion, which is why she named me after him, but I know that his actual name was something rather different. I guess she couldn't pronounce his name properly.

He recovered slowly, over a series of weeks, but they couldn't contact anyone he knew. That's what lead to him staying with mum. And eventually to me.

They got real close over the years, and dad got a job as a semi truck driver, helping mum pay the bills and take care of the farm. That's probably why mum bought such a large truck; it reminded her of him.

It was when mum got pregnant that it all collapsed.

She had been going to tell him that day.

That day also happened to be the day that one of his mates found him.

He didn't want to go. But he didn't have too much of a choice in the matter. His people needed him.

Mum couldn't bring herself to tell him that she was having a baby. She let him reunite with his friends without a word.

She had him promise her something.

"Come back for me."

As far as she was aware, he never broke his promises.

"I will come back to you."

I guess there's a first time for everything.