This is a background chapter please be advised that there are some sensitive topics in this chapter.
Mel was a good man with a shady background. He had taken you in when your parents were mysteriously murdered, he and his wife had known for years that your parents were neglectful and they often stepped in to help you. The night your parents died you had called Mel sobbing that they were dead and that there was blood everywhere. When the two had arrived, your hands were covered in blood, they cleaned you up and called the cops. Of course, there was speculation that you had killed your parents since you had called the Culvers instead of the police. They defended you saying that since you were so young and scared you had called them since you trusted them so much.
Luckily the police bought this, you were nine when it happened and the thought of a nine year old murdering two full grown adults was highly unlikely in the first place. After that the Culvers formally adopted you. They had never had kids and had already considered you part of the family so adoption was a no brainer.
Ida, Mels wife, was a kind woman that knew when to be stern. She did her best to keep you safe growing up and to teach you useful things like sewing and foraging. She was the one to teach you how to shoot from the hip with a six shooter, even though she told you to never use the skill unless necessary. Mel taught you about cars and wound dressing, he was the one that often found you at low points in the bathroom. Instead of yelling and being angry he would simply sit with you and teach you to clean and dress various wounds. He knew using harm reduction would be much more useful than punishment.
Both of them fought tooth and nail when you would end up in institutions due to teachers or therapists calling in on you. They knew those places were hell on earth and were only causing more harm. You had gone through the hell of your parents dying and it would take years for that to heal. Ida and Mel were the only way you had survived. Everytime you came out of an institution they would take you out to the family cabin for a few days to unwind. You grew to love that cabin because in a way it meant freedom.
They never hid things and therefore you always knew about the newest crime going on in the world and had a much better understanding than most. That was how you first learned about the infamous Shape of Haddonfield. The three of you would stay up at night sometimes pouring over old killer cases making up theories. Some of the notable ones were the Haddonfield murders, Camp Crystal Lake murders, and the Hackensack killings. Those were fun nights filled with hot cocoa and fireplace warmth. Mel and Ida never claimed a religion but if you had to place them in one it would be something akin to witchcraft. They were in tune with the planet, never took more than they needed, and never let anything go to waste when hunting. This meant that they and yourself were very open to the idea that some sort of supernatural thing could be involved in the cases.
Ida would often theorize that Camp Crystal Lake stories about Jason may be true and that if so he must be one very sad and lonely boy. You would joke that if he ever came to Haddonfield that Ida and Mel would probably adopt him. Mel and Ida would never deny this. Their past may have been shady but they weren't bad people. They were loving and kind and because of that it didn't matter to you about whatever happened in their younger years.
Life was near perfect with them, until Ida got sick. She never showed the pain she was in outright. She was a tough old lady like that. Ida was well aware that there was no getting better and therefore she lived the last few years of her life as fully as she could. The pair had a lot of money saved up and for the last few years of Ida's life the three of you spent the majority of the time traveling. At this point they had even taken you out of school for homeschooling so you wouldn't miss any of the adventures.
When Ida passed you felt as if your heart had been torn in half. Up until the very end she had a loving smile on her face. She told you how much she loved you and to never stop being you. She told Mel one simple phrase "To the grave" you didn't know what it meant but assumed it must've been some sort of promise they kept to each other. The two of you buried her by the cabin as it was one of her last wishes.
After that the house grew quiet for a while, but of course Mel wouldn't let you mope around forever. He knew how to brighten your world and he did this by getting you an older worn down car. At first you had no interest in it but slowly you began working on it with Mel. On the back bumper you painted Ida in beautiful letters. You still have the car but don't often drive it due to being so used to walking everywhere and not wanting to drive it unless necessary.
Mel continued to watch you grow and helped you get your first and current apartment. You had been working at the Diner since you were fifteen so you kept that job after high school. Life was back on track and you often felt Ida watching over you. It's because of their kindness and knowledge that when you found Michael you chose to help him. Mel was a proud man that you had done so.
