My Own Blood

Introduction (Teaser) Alistar

I walk back up to the apartment building where I lived. It was nice, compared to the rest of the city. The bellhop simply let me walk past, he never did notice me waltz in after our first meeting. Let's just say he'd be a little nervous to. When I arrive to the penthouse suite on the top floor, Mother is already anticipating my arrival. 

"Hello mon fils, how was school?" She asks. It was the same statement everyday. "Hello mon fils, how was school?" Mother stayed home while Father ran his company. He'd always preach about how I needed to get high marks or else I'd never inherit the company his father spent years building. Not that he had much of another successor. I was his only son, his only child. He really hated children. He'd hoped that Mother would bore a good little child on the first try, who would take his word as law and follow in his footsteps from day one. 

Unfortunately for him, he got me. He always was disappointed in me. I never got good enough grades, I talked too much, I don't listen to everything he says, stuff like that. I nod in acknowledgement to Mother before setting my bag down in Father's chair at the small kitchen table. Mother always hoped we'd sit down every night, talk about our days while eating a beautiful homemade dinner. That didn't happen as you may have guessed. Father never came home early enough to even see me to bed and Mother lost the will to cook for us, calling the cooks from the restaurant in the lobby to do it for us. Mother and I sometimes ate together, but I usually have projects or homework keeping me busy. 

"It was ok, maman. I got the highest grade on our practice test. Madame thinks that I will have no problem getting into any college I want." I say, sliding into the chair nearest to my bag. 

"That's nice honey." She says from the kitchen, probably making a batch of macarons or something. "Why don't you ever bring any friends home? Are there no nice girls in all of Paris?" She asks, pressing for an answer. 

"Father wouldn't approve." I say.

"Alistar, since when do you listen to your father?" She asks, coming through the empty doorway into the room where I sat. 

"Since I turned 17 and will be taking le bac in less than a year. Father would be so disappointed if I failed. I don't think he'd let me come home." I say, slamming my head against the table. 

"Honey... that's not true." She says, coming to pat my shoulder gently, which was the only form of affection I got from either of my parents. They were always very distant. "He would simply make you redo the test until you got high marks, that's all." She says as if the test was a simple thing that everyone passed on the first try. 

"Merci maman." I say uncomfortably. "But I have homework to do. I will try to accompany you for dinner." 

I knew I would not be eating dinner with her that night. There was little homework assigned, but I knew Father had planned to be coming home tonight and I'd rather be away from him. He intimidated me with his taunting words and harsh judgement. I was never good enough for him, as I've said. I look in my mirror of which covered the door to my walk-in closet. The scar on my face was still there. I'd always hated that scar, but not as much as Father. It served as a reminder to him of my first disappointing thing. My irrational fear of animals. 

Don't judge me! I have a reason. 

When I was little, just before both my parents became distant, Mother and Father took me to a zoo. It was one of those where they let you pet the animals and play with them. They took me to play with all the fun ones like the gentle sheep, the excited chicks, the lazy piglets. Mother had offered to go get some fresh apples, and Father, being cold as he was, left me to go with her. I'd been playing with the chickens, so I had no idea where they went. I was a lost, scared, and confused child if that makes sense. I'd begun to wonder around, calling for my parents to no avail. I'd accidentally wandered into a cage I shouldn't have and saw some stray animals. I'd never seen strays before, having lived in the upper class neighborhoods of Paris. There were two cats and a mean looking dog all fighting until one of the matted cats looked at me with it's evil eye. Before I could even scream for help, it lunged, sinking it's claws deep into the skin of my face, leaving four bleeding cuts on my face covering my right forehead to my left jawline in prominent white and pink tissue. 

I look in the mirror with disdain. How I wish I could be normal.