Identity Distortion: The Perfect Family

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Bryan Shaw

June 3, 2016: The Day of the Disappearance

Smoke fills the clear blue sky as the firefighters try their best to put out the raging fire. The screams from inside the house have stopped. They're all dead now. I can hear the roaring of the fire from where I stand. Tiny pieces of debris are floating in the air. This is a terrible thing to have come across on an otherwise beautiful Friday afternoon. I was just returning home when I spotted the smoke and heard the sirens. What I'm hearing from other onlookers is that this former couple had been going through a bitter divorce and custody battle. Apparently, things didn't go in favor of the ex-husband and so he trapped his former wife and four children in their home and set the house on fire, ultimately killing them. The man responsible stood in front of the house and watched it all. He remained there until the cops showed up and now he's at the station. He clearly has no intention of going on with his life. It's the victims I feel bad for. I bet that woman had no idea that the man she married could be so heartless to purposely kill her and his own children and stand by as they scream for help. It goes to show that you never really know someone. It makes me wonder: Who exactly are the people we invite into our lives and even into our homes? Who exactly are the people we already have in our lives and already have in our homes? Our family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, romantic partners, etc. Who are these people really? How well do we really know them? What are these people capable of? We all want something in life but just how far will one go to get it?

The time is now 8:15 p.m. and I'm forcing myself to sit through this interview. In the last eight months or so, my family and I have been doing regular interviews together as a part of the campaign of my stepfather's run-for-mayor. By now these interviews have become exhausting but it has to be endured as it is a key part of the campaign, which has been in the works for a long time now. Shortly after my mother re-married four years ago — following the untimely and tragic death of her husband/my biological father — her new husband, Scott, became more and more involved in politics until he eventually became affiliated with a political party. Soon afterward, he decided to go the extra mile and run for mayor of our city, San Diego. Although his opponents don't regularly involve their families in their talk show interviews and such, Scott does it quite often in an effort to prolong his gimmick of having the 'perfect family'. As the campaign progressed, many media outlets started dubbing us as the 'perfect family'. In the tabloids, magazines, and newspapers, there are usually pictures of the four of us with perfect smiles portraying an exemplary family lifestyle. Our family is often regarded as the standard in our community and as result, we are well respected. This gives Scott the edge he needs to triumph in the upcoming primary election. The four members of our family normally do photo shoots and interviews together but only three of us are present for this interview. This interview is particularly important as it is one of the most high-profile interviews of the campaign so far. It is also the first interview to be conducted in the comfort of our own home — to give the public a deeper look into our family. Therefore, it's odd that my younger brother, Nathan, is not with us. We had to start the interview without him after delaying for half an hour and not being able to get in contact with him.

These interviews usually follow the same procedure. First, we discuss our family bond, then Scott goes into detail about the actions he plans to take should he become mayor, and then we discuss all the interesting things that we have going on in our individual lives. The process was exciting at first but at this point, it has become too predictable and feels forced. It doesn't help that we always have to smile while doing these interviews, even if we have to put on a fake one. I'm trying very hard to look alive right now but the pace of this interview is so slow that it feels like torture to stay attentive. Mom doesn't seem like she's too into this interview either. Well, actually, she seems a bit worried. I've realized that she has barely said anything since the first part of the interview. She simply just nods along as Scott speaks and cracks a little smile here and there when necessary. Scott, on the other hand, looks very tense which is unusual. His demeanor is normally calm and relaxed, though his tone is quite assertive. Perhaps he is just upset that Nathan is not present for the interview tonight like he expected.