Broken Beginning

Home sweet home?

We find our Hero 6 months from his discharge. He is unemployed, homeless, and starving. He spends his meager income on alcohol trying to drowned himself deep enough that his back doesnt hurt, that his nightmares dont come back, and that he will forget his lost love. His family has written him off, all except his little sister. Our hero's best friend. She drags him out of the pool of sorrow he lays in, takes him to her home, washes him, shaves him, and lays him down in bed after placing a small photo in his hand. This is a monthly routine. Once a month she finds her big brother, drags him into her home and cleans him up, feeds him and trys to open his eyes to the love he holds.

Next morning:

As always Inger finds her brother gone when she wakes. a small note on the dry erase board that only says thank you for feeding me. and beside that, the small photograph, still folded, stuck behind a magnet on the fridge.

Jump to hero's 23 Birthday:

Our hero has now been homeless for almost two years. he does odd jobs around town, collects and recycles cans, and begs for enough money to fill his belly with booze. He eats out of trash cans when he can. Winter is coming, and our hero needs to find a place to shelter, and a way to create heat in his shelter. As he walks north of town in a small woods he crosses a church property. The Pastor calls out to him, asks him if he is ok. Our hero waves him off with a bottle in hand and continues towards the woods on the west of the church property. The Pastor follows, and soon catches the malnourished hero. Pastor then pulls a pack of marlboros out of a pocket and offers the hero a smoke. 

As our hero grunts his thank you and begins to walk away the Pastor says "if you need a place to sleep, i can leave the bathrooms unlocked. There is running water, hot showers and you will be out of the wind.

It is the last straw for our hero. he breaks down, falls to his knees and starts to cry. The pastor sits down beside him and lays a hand on his arm saying " I dont know what youve been through, or what you are going through now, but your will always be welcome here. And the door will always be unlocked."