Indigo

XXVII

On January thirteenth, 1976, at 11:54 PM, a boy was born in Orange County, California. The boy was given the name Blake Samuel Nowtan. There was no father and his mother was dead the night she took him home to her apartment. Murder: that's what the news said. When the boy was stolen away in the night, no one noticed. If only Ms. Emma Nowtan hadn't been so ashamed of herself, someone would've looked for the baby, but there wasn't a single person who knew he existed. Emma's murderer was well known but never caught.

After Blake was kidnapped, he grew up with his mother's murderer- the so-called Cutter- happily. The Cutter, after all, hadn't abandoned him the way his mother had. That's what he thought at least. The Cutter, known by his "friends" as Charlie Lamark- which was his real name- was known by his "son" as Father. He had placed false memories of Emma in Blake's mind, telling him that she had left him under a weeping willow in the woods behind her apartment and left to chase her dreams in New York City. The truth was much more gruesome: there was a reason Charlie was nicknamed The Cutter. Every murder he committed, the bodies were found with both hands and feet cut off and lain around them, eyes carved out of their sockets and placed on their chests, as if they were staring up at the heavens they'd departed to. Charlie had never told Blake about any of his murders. He only taught him what he thought would be useful in his life.

That being said, Charlie taught Blake far beyond what any normal high schooler had ever learned: he may as well have gone to med school. Blake knew everything that would help him through his adulthood.

When he was eighteen, the powers started. They were inexplicable, like magic. Blake could do anything he wanted. After the powers began, however, Charlie was different: using Blake, threatening him. Blake was a good boy, just living with the wrong person in unfortunate circumstances. He knew this was wrong. The man who'd loved him all his life now abused him because he was special. With his power, Blake learned the truth, but not without costs. He killed Charlie after knowing what he'd done. It wasn't as if he hated him: that would've made it easier. But despite everything, Blake still loved him.

The mental torture that he went through afterward made him hole himself up in an inoperable warehouse for years, studying the science of genetic transplanting and hiring twenty scientists sworn to secrecy. From his secluded spot, he found fifteen children around the country who were unloved, but kept to show off. He presented the parents with $85,000 each in stolen bills, telling them of the risk that they might never see their children again. And they were fine with it still. He sent out his workers to collect them and when they came back, each child was crying but one: Indigo Astoria. Blake loved her immediately, she was a perfect baby.

Each infant was placed in an isolated chamber where they were given five doses of Blake's blood injected directly into their hearts. Indigo was given an extra vial in secret, Blake telling her that one day she would be his leader, all of their leader. Four of the children's hearts stopped, they were incapable of handling so much power.

After the experiments, the babies that survived were sent back home in the hopes that one day, they would return and help him destroy whatever or whoever stood in the way of his happiness. Because after his life with the Cutter, that was all Blake wanted: to be happy. Once they were gone, all that was left was to wait.

Years later, a story hit the news. A boy sixteen years old had been found walking through solid walls, who Blake stole away quickly. Brayden. The same year, a seventeen year old girl was seen protecting herself from a robber just by staring at him. He'd been writhing in pain on the ground when the cops finally arrived. Erin. Next, the three brothers. Josiah and Gabriel had run, but Josiah had been taken once Blake heard of him creating an electrical storm in his backyard. Sophie, well she was just an orphan that Blake saw hiding behind a building on one of the rare days he went into town. She'd grown up quite a bit, but Blake immediately knew it was her. He took them all back, and everything was perfect, until The Humanity began. They'd learned of him. And would do anything to take away his children. But they all fought to be happy, and they stayed alive. The only thing last was to find the girl who would lead them.

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     "Wow," was all I could say in response. I stuck my hand out across the table for him to shake.
     "Nice to meet you, Blake Nowtan."