The Mate

Prologue

WHEN WE WERE KIDS we were made to believe that we could make a difference in the world. We were made to believe that our future, our beautiful future was going to be promising and be pooled with prosperity. Our future was painted beautifully by the talented artists of our elders. We were made to believe that everything that was wrong in the present would automatically self-correct itself by the needs of the people and by the will of our children.

Turns out we were all stupid kids! - well I was anyway.

I was like many growing up. I was naive about the world around me. I was a bit taciturn in my early youth. I didn"t say much - but that didn"t last long though. After awhile, people wished that would shut up. But I won"t! I love words and words love me. I love talking much more like everybody - well not everyone loves to talk but you know what I mean. I think.

My mother was unlike any other person my father ever came across. You see with me and my history, we aren"t exactly normal. We were never normal - I was never normal. And I am proud to be abnormal. It"s just who I am. I don"t shame it. I welcome it. I welcome it with a smile in my face.

My family"s history...well my immediate family"s history started out when my father was still working as a deputy at the Ghorgemire Police Department. He had just been hired and was anxious to go out there and fight crime! Only for him to go around and clean the stalls because why the hell not I guess.

My Dad"s name was John Fredrick. He was a deputy working for the Ghorgemire Police Department. At the time he wasn"t as robust as he was now. He wasn"t as confrontational as he was now. He was just a young, enthusiastic young man fresh out of the academy. He always wanted to be a Cop much more like his father before he passed.

He would always be that one guy to be called last before a mission to which I would say bullshit. Bullshit to them. They were all jerks.

Most the guys from what I heard had problems on their own but yet wants to pour their problems onto him like he was a basket or some stuff like that. It was sickening to hear.

My father was a by-the-books kind of guy. Not the type of man you would see as a vigilante nor a tyrant. He was just him you know.

I would be hearing stories that they would push him around like a bean bag. Every time I hear that I get really annoyed. Why would a group of people who declare themselves to be the defendants of the law and the keepers of peace treat one of their own like they were disposable trash! It was maddening.

It wouldn"t be before he was recruited by an officer, if I could remember his name correctly, Officer River Fox. Or I think that was his name. Whatever. River Fox was a big guy. I mean a really big guy - not in muscle or anything. Oh no. When you see this guy walking, you can see his protruding stomach bouncing and whatnot, but yet he would try to act as if he was the s**t. He can be very annoying sometimes. A lot more than me and that is saying something. Like damn.

Fox recruited my Dad by the Department to come with him because he, like the few, was one of the guys who defended him whenever he messes up. He and my Dad go way back to the day when they were in the academy. They had been best friends ever since.

But I guess it was because they just want him out of there. My father wasn"t the man who would be 100% confrontational on subjects. He"s more of like a diplomat in most cases. He wasn"t the type of man back then to hit you if you punch him dead in the face. At least that was what I was told - and a little bit of my experience.

They were on patrol that night. Looking for any criminals out and about and everything. After hours of patrolling, my Dad and his superior was about to go back into the station - well until they were near a coffee shop not too far from the woods as it seems.

"I"m getting a little hungry," Fox said, "You in for a burger?"

"No," My Dad replied, "I"ll just stand right here and guard watch!"

"Alright whatever you say, your stomach dude. I"ll give you a nice batch of coffee on the way out," Fox said getting out of the car leaving my Dad inside.

"Whatever you say partner," My Dad said, taking out a cigar.

Just before he was about light, he saw something lurking through the woods when he turned his way out to the window to the empty highway.

He dismissed it at first as some sort of wind until the rustles got louder and louder and louder until he was left with no choice but to go inside and warn his friend.

"Why does it always have to be me," he said. He went inside of the Cafe and saw his friend chowing down on a boatload of pancakes...at night. Don"t ask.

He entered the cafe with a worried look. No one paid him no mind. He walked over to Fox, tapped on his shoulder and said, "Hey Fox..."

Fox did not acknowledge him until my Dad took his fork.

"I was trying to tell you that something is up in the woods," he informed.

"Like what?" he chewed.

"I don"t know..."

"Are you sure it isn;t just the wind?"

"Nope," he said, "At least I don"t think it is."

"Well, try to stake it out."

"Stake what?" My Dad was confused.

"Stake it out, you know investigate..."

"You know that is..."

"Bahh!" Fox yelled with his mouth full, "You will never go nowhere in life if you follow that little handbook of yours," he swallowed, "Sometimes you just gotta handle something yourself you know. All the great revolutionaries chanced the world by going their way. Nothing changes when you always follow the rules you know," he chuckled.

"That sounds anarchic. But I need your help though to investig..."

"Right now, this pancake needs my help to be eaten!" he snapped, "Just go up there and see for yourself. If you see anything call me. If not. Go back to the car and wait on me okay?"

My Dad, not wanting to argue accepted, "Sure. Okay."

"Good lad," he said.

My Dad came out of the Cafe feeling embarrassed. He wan"t sure whether or not if he should, but he knew he had to. He wanted to see what was going on.

"On one hand, it could be the wind," he thought to himself, "But if there is a possibility that something is going wrong over at the woods, I have to see it through.

Much more like me - several years later.