The Fox, Red

084 - Michael's Story Of Sorrow

My name is Michael. I live in a town with my mother, father, and three brothers. I help my dad as a stone mover. I help move large stones from the countryside to be used in building homes somewhere far away. My dad is paid by the king for his service and he pays me for helping. He and I have been doing this for a few years now since I was 11.

My mother takes care of our home while my brothers aren't old enough to help work yet. My mom tells me that her job is important. Once my brothers get old enough and strong enough to help, we'll be paid more and able to live a more comfortable life.

She also tells me that being the oldest, she relies on me the most to make sure that dad is taken care of. As a reward, she made me a journal out of some spare leather she had from making dad some clothes. I had to go with dad to town the next time to buy some paper and something to write with using the penance that I have. I got home and realized that I don't know how to write.

With me helping dad, mom has the time to make sure that my younger brothers can learn to a degree. She assured me that she would teach me one day. For now, I will have to make do on my own. I came up with my way of telling myself stories so I can at least remember these days when I look back at them. Mom did share a story with me though. She told me she named me Michael after her favorite angel.

It was when I turned 13 that my dad called me in and told me I was finally a man. He let me know that he had been talking to a local farmer. He wanted me to marry his daughter so we could clear his farmland of stones and have the ability to grow our own crops. I was too young to understand the impact of the decision but I agreed. She was one year younger than me. We had a small celebration but it seemed as though nothing changed. Her dad offered up trees to build a home for us but I would have to build it. I didn't have the strength or knowledge to do it.

It was years before I was able to build us a home. We didn't live in the house for years after that. We were both too vested in making sure that our families were taken care of that it wasn't good for us to live together. By the time we did finally move into that home we were both considered at the age where we should have children of our own. Her dad let us know that he hoped for a grandson to pass down the farm to. My dad is also hoping for a boy to carry on our family name. Mom is the only one who just wants us to have a healthy baby.

It was around the time that she and I moved to our house that I became sick.No treatment seemed to work. No doctor knew what to do. My parents sat by while they watched me seem to slowly die until one day I was just better. I woke up with no illness. I didn't think anything of it. I just stood up, put on my clothes, and went to work. My dad nearly dropped a rock on his foot at the shock of seeing me standing once again.

My wife and I lived a simple life. Once my sickness had passed she realized that we should start a family as soon as possible. I think it was her dad pushing that on her but I went along with it. We had two daughters before our firstborn son. Janine, then Lily, and Maxwell. My wife and I made sure to spoil the girls while the grandparents spoiled our son. We knew it was going to happen. I'm just glad that she didn't take her dad's idea of how to raise our children. She wanted them all to have a chance at happiness.

Happiness... I thought I was happy. It did feel like something was missing for quite a while until he showed up. He called himself a hunter of sorts and that he was looking for me. But what he hunted wasn't to take my life but just to find me. He asked very odd questions about me. They all seemed oddly specific. Finally, he let me know his true purpose. He asked that we talk alone before he told me that I was something special. I told him that I knew I was special. I had a family with a loving wife. My family was supportive of our life but he stopped me and told me that none of that mattered to what he was referring to.