A Story

[Emrin]

Heads up: In no way, shape or form is this related to Etrian Odyssey. Just a few ideas I've recently discovered...

A story. A story told from beginning to end. A simple story. Or the idea that the story would be simple. A simple plot. A simple character. A simple problem. A simple solution. And a simple happy ending. A story. Nothing more but simple. But what is simple? Simple as in plain? Simple as in normal? Normal as in what? What is normal? A boy? A girl? Show me what is normal and that's where this story shall being. For, once that normal child is given birth to, then this story will be told. A story. A simple story. A normal story. The story of a boy. Or maybe the story of a girl. He has no fears. She has no secrets. Normal? Is that normal to you? A child. A boy. A girl. Nothing to hide. Nothing to try and shun from society. A normal human child who will grow up into a normal adult. This adult. No. He is still a child. She is still breathing her first breathe. They know nothing. They understand nothing. Under the care of two parents? A single mom? A single dad? Two mothers? Two fathers? Does that make a child normal? Those he calls mom. Those she calls dad. He who learns mom and dad. She who learns mom or dad. Are they normal? Is it normal for a child to have only one parent, whether it be a mom or a dad? And is the child with two fathers or two mothers normal? No? Then a child with neither a mom or a dad, let alone one of each, still qualifies as normal?

I ask you again: what is normal? He who at one year of age sees two faces. She who at one year of age sees one face. Or maybe he who at two wonders why he has two "mommies". Or she who at three asks why she has two "daddies". Are they normal? To you, do any of these children seem normal? The boy with two parents. The girl with just one.The boy with two mothers. The girl with two fathers. And the other child. The one everyone forgets about. The one everyone abandons. The one everyone oversees. Do you remember who that is? No? Remember? The one with no parents. Yes that one. The one everyone forgot about. The one who grew up silently. Quietly in the background. The one you lost. You payed more attention to the boy with a mom and dad who at four finally learned how to use the bathroom all by himself. He was so proud. He ran downstairs and told his mother all about it. Night falls.

He sits at the dinner table and he is asked how his day went by his father. He almost chokes on the juice he is drinking, coughs a little, and excitedly tells his father everything. The father is so proud. He congratulates his son and smiles at him and the moment is perfect. Everyone is happy and everything is normal. Normal. The phone rings and the mother answers it and a woman has called. She asks for the father. The mother is a little confused but she lets the matter fly away. She worries not about that. The father returns but a little disgruntled. He says he was just informed of an important matter back at the office and he has to leave. He grabs his coat. The rain outside is no hindrance to him. He is determined to get to his destination. Whether it be the liquor store for some cheap wine and a box of condoms or the office. Who knows why instead of arriving at the office he arrives at a cheap motel. He parks awkwardly. Before getting out of his car he pauses. The rain outside soothes his weary soul. He sighs. He knows the procedure. He also knows that he can't keep doing this. The image of his smiling son pops into his minds and he shakes it off. What his family doesn't know won't hurt them. Right? He grabs the paper bag containing the wine and condoms. He walks out of his car. He closes the door and thinks for a second. But he brushes that thought away and locks his car. He walks through the rain and locates the stairs.

Up he goes and he takes a right. Down the aisle and he stops. Room twenty-nine. He takes a deep breathe. He looks to his left. Then he looks to his right. No one around. He knocks three times. Then twice again. A secret code. Locks turn. The door opens slightly. An eye. Then part of a smile. The door opens and a woman asks his to come in. He stalls. She beckons him to come in. She entices him. She talks to him. Sweetly. He stands at the door. Hesitant. He can't go in. He can't do it. No. He doesn't want to do it. He's had enough. His grip on the paper bag falters and it drops to the ground. The wine breaks. Five dollars and seventy-five cents. Cheap wine. But before the woman has time to say another word the man quickly turns around. He reacts. He doesn't think about it. He jumps up onto the metal railing. He stands up, closes his eyes, and clenches his fists. He reaches into his pocket and takes out out a small piece of paper. His will. He thinks "I'd rather die than cheat on my wife." And with that in mind walks forward. The woman tries to reach out to him but it's too late. Instead she feels a strange pain on her foot. She looks down and she had stepped on the paper bag the man dropped. The glass hurts and she bleeds. But where her blood ends and the wine begins is unseen by human eyes. Her foot isn't what worries her. All that's on her mind is the man plummeting to his death. The man who smiles and tightens the grip he has around his will. He'll hit the ground. Hard. His blood will join the puddles if water at the bottom. He'll hit it. Soon. Any second now. Right now. Now. Now. He opens his eyes and lifts his head up from his table.

"Wake up now!" He looks to his left and one of his coworkers is standing next to him. With a concerned face he asks if he's okay. He reassures him countless times and finally succeeds in driving him away. He looks at the clock in his cubicle. Four-thirty. One more hour and thirty more minutes and he'll be out. He turns back to his table. His coffee got cold and he looks once more at the picture he has at his table. A son of four years and a wife. Both smiling and both waiting for him. He smiles, grabs a few papers laying on his desk and he heads towards the copy room. A dream. He had a dream. And a very strange one at that. He'd rather die than cheat on his wife. Besides, why would his boss be interested in him? Crazy right? Normal. Right?