Born of Blood

Chapter 29

Edward had been a particularly challenged child.

His caseworker had made that clear to his adoptive parents, though they were so enthusiastic to find a two year old to welcome into their home they brushed her words off with a smile and reassurance they would contact her if they had concerns. The boy had been vibrant, pure sunlight embodied in the flesh. He contained all the energy of the world, walking and talking with ease, his sentences developing fluently with his age and his athleticism shining brightly in his toddler body. He ran and played basketball, he jumped and climbed and broke things as children do. His father loved him very much, having the epitome of a male child was a prideful moment for him. His mother saw a bright future in such an active and intelligent baby, she couldn't feel more warmth in her heart if she tried.

They expected his energy to fade as he aged, to transform into hobbies that would take more of his time from the running and play fighting he did with his dad. That his destructive childhood would evolve to a more careful demeanor as he matured to a boy- they were wrong. His energy increased with the size of his body, and with the discovery of a world he had never been able to reach his destructive nature doubled. He walked to his own path, playing endlessly into the night wether it be with his father, or by himself as his parents kept their window open to listen to him in the backyard. He never wandered past the border of their home, he was smart in the sense that he understood where his limits were, though the bright brain that had been so apparent in him as a child had grown bored. He began to find less and less things that could stimulate his mind, and the only form of entertainment that kept him engaged was any type of exercise.

Exhaustion had settled over the shoulders of his adoptive parents. They had sunk money into summer leagues, vacations and camping trips (Edward's favorite), and it was never enough to placate the child for more than a few hours. He began school on a rough start, the socialization of Edward with other children in a non-moving, educational, environment had not gone over well with the boy. He bullied and punished children he did not like, and those he did like walked a fine line of friendship that could turn any moment. His teachers could not control the child, and no method of education could grapple with his decreasing attention span. After a particularly violent incident that involved the cutting of a young girls hair, it had been decided he would be better off in special education classes.

Smaller class sizes would lead to a more individualized educational experience, that was what the school had pitched to Edwards parents, but they knew better. Their boy had torn apart classrooms, terrorized teachers, dominated all areas of the playground keeping others from their moments of exercise. He had physically assaulted other students, parents had gotten involved, the school board, it was a forced move.. but unfortunately, they agreed, it was the best option to appease everyone. Edward had crossed a line by assaulting the other children with special needs. Children with physical deformities, Down syndrome, cardiac issues who could not handle the energy of a traditional classroom, children with developmental delays and processing disorders. He did not distinguish between the alternately-abled, he solely focused on how they called to his nature.

His parents didn't know what to do any longer, they had tried to play down their frustration to their caseworker, but still relayed their concern to the woman with a desperate need for help. They had spoken to counselors at the school, spoken to therapists and other parents for advice on their methods of parenting. No suggestions had worked, and with the stretching silence from their caseworker they fell into a hole of despair that could only be answered with punishment. They started with spanking the boy, slapping his hands when he hurt others, taking his toys and time outside. It was only when they had locked him in his unused room for an afternoon that they found peace. He screamed himself raw, beat his walls and the door until the structures split under his fists, he threw his expensive toys that had hardly been touched and stomped on them with bare feet until his skin broke and the petty plastic snapped.