Duck Walks (ForthBeam Stories)

Childhood Sweethearts ~ Part 1

Hello Friends! 

I have wanted to write Forth and Beam in this track for a long time now. With all that childhood innocence, the deep emotional dependency and conspiracies! 

This series of "Childhood Sweethearts" is going to be around ~10 parts or more, depending. So, brace yourself.

Now, let's get on with it. 

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3rd Person POV: 

"He hasn't talked a word since he has been here. And, a week has passed! I am worried, Dan." 

"Give that kid some time, Grace. He is barely Eight and his entire world has collapsed. I would be surprised if he was happy, shouting and jumping merrily."

A soft echo of footsteps is heard as these two people walk in the silent corridor, talking in between. Time to time they look into the rooms they pass by and switch the lights off when they find the other kids sleeping. 

Finally, they come across a room where they pause. Both of them hesitate before opening the door to that room.

"I don't want him sad. He is not meant to be here. His family -" 

He interrupts her. "Those family members who are more than willing to have him killed any second they get their hands on him? Our job right now is to protect him. We promised his mother we would until the time comes."

"But, Dan, talk to him, will you? Maybe, he doesn't understand..."

"He understands everything, Grace and that is the problem. He understands very well. He knows how corrupt this world is and he has faced it. Five times, Grace. FIVE times! The number of times they have tried killing him and that is from what we know. There might be many more times that we aren't aware of." 

Grace gasps as she listens to him. How cruel were these people to try to murder a small kid? They were too pitted. 

"It's not the time to push him. He just, we just need to give him time to adapt." 

"Will he?"

"Maybe..."

After their talk, as the door is opened, what they find has them both in shock.
It's an empty room. There is nobody inside. 

Hurried steps echo in that once silent corridor. Shouts commence. There is chaos. Security is alerted. 

"Find him," Dan orders. The door falling shut behind him with a loud sound. Thud.

X---X---X---X

This is one of those orphanages in the entire district of Bangkok that many don't even have an idea about. It is located in the middle of nowhere alley and unless people know there is an orphanage here, its existence goes unseen. This is where unknown kids are taken in, where kids without families end up, and sometimes where kids with families round up here too. 

Somewhere in one secluded corner at the back of the building, where it opens into the garden, a silhouette of a boy is seen. The rays from the moonlight fall on his stiff back and on his lap are two hands tightly rounded in small fists. 

Even amidst the darkness and despite him being young, he appears as the king who is ready to conquer it entirely and swallow it to feed his appetite. 

His body is bubbling with anger. There is anger against those pitiful selves who dared act ruthlessly. There is anger against his own mother who crumbled under their tricks and sent him away. There is anger against... himself, for not being capable of protecting self. 

There is anger because he doesn't want anything those fickle people were fighting for. He didn't want that money, he didn't want that business. He didn't think, not even for a second, want to be part of that Jaturapoom family. 

In these past 3 years, a lot has happened. There were bits and pieces that he remembered. How his so-called 'father's brother' came to find his mother and him when he was only 5 yr old. How his so-called 'normal' life was upturned because of that. And, how he suffered ever since he entered the Jaturapoom's family. 

All because he is now the heir of the Jaturapoom empire. 

If anything, he wanted to take his mother far away, live their lives as if the 'Jaturapooms' never existed.

But, that wasn't possible now. His mother was still part of that twisted family, struggling with their inner politics always and he was here...nowhere. 

More so ever, there is anger because he knows his life changed. 

Right at that second, his face hardened and all the emotions, any sign of struggle wiped away. A strange resolve in his mind. 

What if he couldn't change the past? He will control his future. 

Just then, there is a rustle of leaves. A pair of footsteps is heard.

"Master, we found him, he is here" A voice sounded from the end of the corridor and soon a presence could be felt behind him. 

He didn't try to run. He didn't even turn.  He sat there staring into the nothingness as no other thought bothered him.

Soon, he was engulfed into the arms of a plump lady. He knew she went by the name Grace and he didn't mind her hugging him. She was kind to him ever since he was brought here. He could see she was concerned and he didn't have the heart to push this sweet lady away. 

"Dan, he is here. Safe. He is safe," she breathes. 

From the gaps of her hands, he could see a steady figure stop near them. 
Dan. The person his mother trusted in and left him under care. 

"Are you my mother's friend?" he had asked when he first arrived.
"No, I am your father's friend," Dan answered. 

That was the only time he had talked to him or rather anyone here at the orphanage. If he could, he didn't want to be here, he didn't want to be part of anything that was connected to his father. 

He didn't know much about his father - who he was, is or whatever. His mother never mentioned him and he never cared to ask, until everything fell out of place. Even now, though he was entangled in this mess, he didn't want to know who his father was. 

He wanted to be as far away from it as he could. He had already decided. 

"Tae," Dan starts, but his words stop him. Cut him off before he can say anything at all. 

He stood straight as he released himself from Grace's embrace. 

"I am not Tae." He starts walking in the direction of his room. The sound of the rustle of leaves drifts into his ears.

Before that, he stops and turns to look at Dan once more. 

"I want to be trained," he states, his eyes landing on a couple of strong-bodied assassin-bodyguards in the background, hiding in the dark. 

Both of them look eye into an eye for a while before Dan releases a deep sigh and a low mumbling. "Your father would be so thrilled with this new development." The sarcasm clear to anyone who understands. 

And, he understands. Clearly. That's why a smirk grazes his face as he takes in those words. "Yes or no?" 

Dan stares at him for a while before nodding and hardens himself. "From now on, you call me Master," Dan says, leaving no room for disobedience. "We can start tomorrow. 7 AM."

He only nods. "Okay, master." He leaves right after. 

Even after he is gone, his words still linger behind. 

"I am not Tae."

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For now, I am writing this story here instead of making it into a new book. Makes it simpler for me as I don't need to look for a new cover. 

Any thoughts, suggestions - shoot!