When the night rises... *book three*

Accounts

The second man was a Russian man. His name was Alexie. He didn't seem to have a second name, but his account was more recent. It's from five years ago, and he lives in Slovakia.

And his is the easiest for me to read as I didn't have to use a translator.

Even after all these years I still have trouble reading English.

His account is also quite short.

'he was my best friend but I had a small crush on him. When they took me, They were all speaking in a language I did not know. I tried to tell them but I don't think they understood what I said either. And then I was surprised when the one I thought was my friend slapped me. He made me cry. He was the only one I could understand. He called me names and he told me that they were the only people I could trust.
At one point they were huddled and talking and then they just let me go.
That's it.'

Poor thing was only sixteen.

The next is from here in America, but in New York. His account is from the nineteen twenties.

James Cress

'Evan was the best friend I ever had. The saddest thing is I fell in love with him. And I know it's wrong but I felt happy around him. He made me feel like the happiest man in the world and once he kissed me on the cheek in an alleyway when I finally confessed my feelings. I was stupid to go with him, but I don't have very high expectations of people and so when I fall in love or find a new friend, I'll go for it, no question. He was amazing. He told me that he loved me and I stupidly believed him because I had spent all of my life not being loved by anyone and then I found him and he just made everything better.
And then he lead me somewhere I didn't know. He looked sadly at me before leaving the room.
Four other people came in and they started beating me up. It went on for ten whole years before anyone discovered I was missing. I know I shouldn't love him but I still do because I feel like he still cares about me. He always apologised and said that they had to do that and I believed him. I believe him Still and it may sound crazy but I hope to see him again someday.'

The last of the unfamiliar names is another man called Rudolf Wolf.

He's from Germany.

And this account is from ten years ago.

It's very very short.

'I hope that abusive piece of shit dies so he can never break anyone else's heart like he broke mine.'

I pick up my fathers.

'I will write down in words, what happened, as if I was speaking to you.
I will admit that the first time I saw him, I was a little in awe because he was quite handsome, and when he spoke to me, he had an unfamiliar accent but it was beautiful. He became my best friend. I introduced him to my wife Ingrid, and I think she could tell that I was in total awe of him. He told me that all of his other friends had turned their backs on him and so I told him that he could tell me anything. And he did! He liked talking to me, because I liked listening! And he listened to me when I talked about my father and how I was worried that i was like my father by always pushing my children to their limits. I just want them to be safe. He listened to me me and I felt like he was the only one I could talk to. I didn't want Ingrid to worry, or the lords, who I consider my friends. I especially didn't want to tell my children, Atlas, Piper and Pietro. My three little boys.
So it felt refreshing that I finally found someone I could talk about my worried to. My feelings for him grew. I decided I'd tell Inn (that's Ingrid), about my feelings for him. And she has always been the biggest supporter of my happiness, so she told me that I should go for it and tell him. She grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me all the way to Evan, where she grinned and tried to hi t it to him.
I was stood there like a blushing fool and he smiled and kissed my cheek.
Inn clapped her hands happily and Evan brought me into a hug. That night, we were together in bed and he amazed me. It was good for a couple of months and then he said he had a special date planned for me. He took me to this place in the woods and there was a trapdoor in the floor. That's where I started to get weary.
We went down and it was dark and that's when I decided I didn't want to be there. He grabbed my arm and dragged me around in the dark and then something made me pass out.
He and four others tortured me for weeks.
By this time in our marriage, me and Inn had figured out how to telepathically speak to each other. So I told her what was happening and she, being the genius she is, came up with an idea. She told me to tell them that she was expecting a baby.
So I told them and they let me go and I ran and ran and ran until I lost all energy and I collapsed against a tree and they tortured me. They had tried to tell me that no one had ever actually loved me and they were all pretending.  Evan specifically told me that I'm a horrible father and I'll never get any better. Inn found me and I curled up against her and I cried. I hadn't cried like that since our third child was born. Little Pietro. Not so little now. But I'm glad I get to be back with them now.'

And then it ends there.

Someone knocks on my study door.

"Come in."

Sam walks in and sits down on the seat opposite me.

I gather up the files and put them in the box.

I sit back down, "hey hun, how was work?"
"There was a new guy in today, name's Ken."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. And you know the boss, he's against discrimination of any kind."
"Yeah."
"Well, imagine how he reacts when Ken sees me and doesn't react well to the fact that there's a black man in the same place he works. And... I'm actually a fairly important part of the team and he's just an intern and he's supposed to be sticking around with me because everyone else has an intern type helper."
"Okay."
"He was let off with a warning."
"What did he do?"
"Oh, some snarky racist comments like I probably have a gun and all that. I don't, and I never have and never will because I don't feel the need to own one. When I first met Lidia, my ex wife, I found out that she had a gun and kept it in the kitchen draw where it was accessible to her four year old twins."
"My word."
"Yeah. Wait, did I already explain that my kids aren't biologically mine?"
"I can't remember?"
"Yeah, they found Out that she was a constant user of drugs and alcohol and smoked and so they didn't see her fit to continue looking after the kids and so I got custody and legally adopted them."
"Oh, cool."
"Yep"...