North Burton

Chapter One- Prologue

Chapter One-Prologue 

March 40th, 2001 was broken down into three parts: Parts I remember, parts people tell me happened, and the parts that nobody knows, where my memory blanks. 

I was seven years old. 

I drove my best friend off the rail of a bridge.

Drew drowned, I survived.

I was seven, but that day I had never felt older.

Nobody knows how I started my moms car, or how I was able to get out of the car when Drew wasn't. 

We lived in a small town in Maine and news spread fast. Soon the town knew everything and my family was getting death threats. I was the boy murderer. 

My mother was getting threats for leaving the car unattented with the keys near. Anything and everything was being used for accusations. Drew's family hated anything to do with me, including Maine, and ended up moving to Arkansas. I got a letter the next year asking that I not ever contact them. I did as they wished. 

People burned our garage down, saying that our minds were compelled by the devil.

My family was forced to move as well. I stayed in Arkansas, as I was committed to a psychiatric children's institution. I saw a psychiatrist daily. Had group therapy every evening right after my schoolwork. 

We changed names. We made sure that no one from our home town can find us. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about what happened, in fear of their reaction, and in fear of being found again.

Months after the incident my small frame sat in a chair, three sizes too big for me. 

A man with a sad smile on his face looked down on me. 

"I hear we're going to get you a new name son."

I nodded at the man. 

"You can't go by Scott anymore, you hear? You're going to now always go by your new name. Your new name will be better," the man tried to sell it to me, but my parents had already talked to me about this.

I nodded again.

"Do you have any names in mind?" He asked me.

I shook my head no.

He pursed his lips, "Well, that's what we're here to find out. Let's find a name for you. Think real hard. Can you do that for me?"

I nodded, and looked around the room for any inspiration. Flowers, a book case. Computer, pencils, a compass. 

My eyes lingered over the compass. 

"North," I said.

"East?" 

"I want my name to be North," I clarified for the man. 

"Son, you're suppost to be fitting in, not sticking out. A name like North? Eesh. Why North? Why not James or something typical?" He scratched his temple.

I stared at him.

"Come on, Scott," he pressed.

I pressed my knees to my chest, shifting my eyes to the compass.

"Fine, North it is. North Burton. See if you stick out with a name like that," he gave in. 

Well, it's not like it could go any more south from here.

With our new names settled, the Burton family tried to make a new life.