Aydrian Bartley felt his legs burn as if they were filled with molten lead. Under normal circumstances, biking home would have been easy. However, Aydrian’s legs had already been fully exhausted after twelve long hours of work. Despite this, Aydrian pedalled his bike forwards in the dark of night. The heavy pitter-patter of rain pouring down filled his ears, occasionally being interrupted by the crackling and rumbling of thunder. Rainwater collected into puddles, causing the occasional splash of water when he rode through them. Needless to say, his socks and shoes were absolutely soaked. Aydrian frowned and pursed his lips in annoyance.
Of course it had to rain.
Aydrian reached a street corner and turned his bike to round the corner, but the ground was slick with rainwater. The front tire of his bike lost its traction, causing Aydrian to tumble off his bike and fall straight onto a puddle. Aydrian avoided landing flat on his face by turning on his side, smashing his left shoulder into the concrete. In an instant, things went from bad to worse. Similar to his shoes, now his entire being was soaked in murky water. It clung to his shirt and pants, weighing down on him. It wasn’t heavy, only just enough to be annoying.
Aydrian rolled onto his back, too tired to get to his feet just yet. He gripped his left shoulder with his right hand. A dull, throbbing pain had begun to radiate through his left shoulder. It spread through his body slowly, creeping down into his arm like slow-flowing lava. A bruise began to form before Aydrian even noticed.
As Aydrian tried to push himself up off the ground, his shoulder protested violently. Like lightning, the pain was quick and came without warning. Aydrian fell back into the puddle and whispered to himself.
“Son of a bitch . . .”
Just then, Aydrian saw a stream of light burst through the darkness, Illuminating him and his surroundings. When he turned his head to look behind him, Aydrian felt his heart drop as he recognized a familiar car. In the distance, a black and yellow mustang was speeding towards Aydrian.
Why now Ben? God damnit!
Fueled by terror, Aydrian used only his right arm to push himself to his feet. He began to sprint away from the road into a dark forest, frantically trying his best to escape the person inside that car. His left arm hung limp as he hurried onwards.
Gotta move, gotta move!
Behind him, water splashed as that black and yellow mustang pulled up the curb. The screeching of the tires against the pavement reached Aydrian’s ears. After that, the faint sound of a car door opening. Aydrian increased his speed, finally reaching the edge of the forest which was nearby the road. From behind him, a voice rang out.
“IF YOU KEEP RUNNIN, I’LL JUST MAKE IT HURT MORE WHEN I CATCH YOU!”.
Aydrian hesitated for a moment. He seriously considered stopping. His hand unconsciously tightened into a fist as he deliberated. However, this hesitation lasted only a second.
Yeah right. Like hell I’m just going to roll over and take it.
Aydrian burst forth like a black shadow as he descended into the pitch-black forest. That bastard screamed again, but his voice became dimmer and dimmer as Aydrian continued into the forest.
“FINE, HAVE IT YOUR WAY YOU FUCKIN’ COWARD!”
As Aydrian frantically forged onwards through the dark wood, the cracking and snapping of the undergrowth filled the air. Everything he touched or stepped on left a clear path for that guy to follow. Aydrian thoughts were frantic and scattered, so it was only natural that he failed to realize he was leaving a path for his enemy. These feelings were only amplified as he traversed the dark, quiet, and creepy forest. The shadows cast by the tall trees almost seemed to form humaniod shapes that gazed at him from the edges of his vision. Adding to the creepy atmosphere was a silent ambience which was only interrupted by the soft pitter-patter of rain, the occasional sporadic boom of thunder, and the cracking of twigs and other undergrowth as Aydrian ran by. The fact that Aydrian was soaked and shivering certainly did not help.
Without warning, the ground suddenly tilted downwards, leading into a deep dale. With a scream, Aydrian slipped across the wet forest floor and tumbled helplessly. As he fell, Aydrian flailed his arms about, trying desperately to grab onto anything that could halt his descent. However, the ground leading down into the valley was rocky, and his hands were cut. Blood began to flow from his wounds like little red waterfalls .
As he reached the deepest part of the valley, Aydrian slammed onto his back with a loud crash. The wind was knocked out of him. After a moment, Aydrian gasped for air and snarled with resentment. If his father heard the words he spoke next, he would be apalled.
“God damnit, that hurts- Fuck!”
Across his arms, legs, and back, many wounds had made their appearance. Each wound was small by itself, but all together, they hurt quite a lot. Blood began to trickle down his arms and legs, mixing in with the rainwater, painting his extremities red. Death by a thousand cuts, except in this case its not really death, just pain.
To make things worse, his whole body ached with pain not only on the outside, but also on the inside. His joints seemed to creak as he tried to move, his muscles were wracked with fatigue, and his mind was foggy with exhaustion. Most notably, his legs were completely dead. Aydrian doubted he could run anymore, even if he managed to get to his feet. After wiggling a bit, Aydrian noticed he had a lot more pain in his left shoulder and ribs. Luckily, you don’t feel much pain when you’re hyped up on adrenaline.
With a little bit of fear in his eyes, Aydrian reached down and gently touched his ribs and shoulder, trying to prod for any broken bones. He could only feel squishy, bruised tissue around his ribs. His shoulder was different. The point where the collarbone meets the shoulder was exceptionally swollen. Additionally, the shoulder felt weak and was hard to move. Even slight movements made something grind together inside his shoulder joint, causing a sharp pain to shoot through him like an electric shock.
Aydrian leaned his head back after he was done assessing himself and let out a deep sigh. Aydrian laughed without an ounce of joy in his expression. The absurdity of the situation had dawned on him.
Why do things always end up like this?
The laughter turned into a hacking cough, causing Aydrian’s body to shake. His shoulder let him know just exactly how it felt. More pain radiated throughout his left arm like red hot nails were being stuck into him. The pain was like the tides of the ocean, growing stronger, then weaker, and then stronger again. His left shoulder throbbed in unison with his heartbeat.
Just when the pain was getting to its worst, Aydrian saw a beam of light being cast through the forest. Being unable to move, all Aydrian could do was close his eyes and hope.
“I told you I would find you, but no. You just had to make my life harder, didn’t you?”
Aydrian had hoped in vain. When he opened his eyes, he could see his high school bully smirking at him. Ben Atkinson, the star player for the school’s basketball team. He had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He had a straight nose, a sharp jawline, and a narrow chin. He wore his varsity leather jacket and ripped blue jeans. He was handsome, but he was an absolute dickhead. Aydrian was in no mood to play his games.
“You can have the money, Ben, just leave me alone.”
“Don’t you remember what I said?”
Ben pulled his right leg back and slammed it into Aydrian’s rib cage. With a sickening crunch, multiple ribs were broken or at least fractured. Aydrian grimaced and let out a groan, before quickly inhaling as much as he could. That was a mistake. The tears that had gathered into his eyes before began to fall from his eyes as the pain of merely breathing overwhelmed him. Aydrian coughed violently.
Ben just looked at him from his standing position, and for a second, his expression faltered. Ben’s eyebrows twitched upwards, and his eyes scanned Aydrian. After taking a good look, he snorted as his expression changed to a sneer.
“Figures you’d get yourself hurt, dipshit. You’re lucky I'm here.”
Ben always tormented Aydrian. Ever since they were kids. Aydrian was in no mood to thank him.
I wouldn’t be in this fucking hellhole if you would just leave me alone!
Obviously, Aydrian didn’t say this out loud. He had once protested like that before, and let's just say it didn’t end well for him. After a moment of staring at Ben with eyes filled with hatred, he reached into his pocket and handed Ben all the money he had on him. Two hundred thirty-six USD, all earned by Aydrian that night. Now it was Ben’s. That bastard shoved his hands inside Aydrians pockets and ripped his phone out.
“Same deal as always, tell anyone about this and I’ll really beat the shit out of you.”
After saying such a thing with a menacing tone, he dialled a number on the phone. Then, he spoke in a kind voice, completely different from the one he had just used with Aydrian.
“Yeah, I need help. I was in the woods and I fell into a deep valley, only a few hundred yards off of 113 Santis road . . . yeah . . . . no, I’m hurt badly. I think I broke my ribs on the way down . . . alright. Thank you.”
After he hung up the phone, Ben tossed the phone back at Aydrian before walking off into the forest. Once he had disappeared, Aydrian snarled under his breath with a tone of voice that was laced with hatred.
“Fucking asshole.”
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Aydrian didn’t go home and was admitted into the ER. He was given drugs to enhance the healing process, as well as a sling for his arm. The drugs numbed most of the pain, but it was still annoying to breathe. Whenever he inhaled, there was an uncomfortable pressure on his right side, as if his lungs were pushing on his ribcage. He was lying down when the nurse came in. She had a clipboard and pen as she mumbled to herself.
“Admission date . . . 1:32 am, November third, twenty forty. Approximate release date, morning of November tenth.”
Then, she looked Aydrian over and sighed. Aydrian was a tall brown-haired boy with greenish eyes, tanned skin, and a small, but lean build. He obviously spent a lot of time outside due to work, but that alone wasn’t a good excuse for the injuries he had accumulated. Now, instead of his usual healthy appearance, he was pale and sickly.
The nurse thought that there were two primary reasons for his sickly appearance. First, Aydrian had probably gotten sick from having open wounds, but that could probably be healed by his body on its own. Being soaked during a cold night didn’t exactly help either. Second, Due to one of the drugs he was given, his cell’s rate of mitosis had increased many times over. All these new cells required energy and material to build. Thus, he was looking skinny after only one night’s sleep. In order to keep up with his body’s healing rate, he would have to eat and drink a lot more. On the bright side, she knew Aydrian was more than used to this kind of treatment.
"Mr Bartley, you have to stop getting injured like this.”
Aydrian responded curtly with a contorted expression. He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn’t.
“I know.”
The nurse was someone with whom Aydrian was familiar, as he was injured like this at least once every year. It wasn’t that big of a problem, since new advancements in medicine made it possible to heal even broken ribs within a week. The cost was a little difficult to scrounge up, but Aydrian had a lot saved up. It was the one bonus from basically living at school and work. The nurse gave Aydrian a worried look and continued.
“Whatever it is you are doing to get hurt like this, It’s my medical and personal opinion that you stop.”
Aydrian laughed but there wasn’t a hint of happiness in his expression.
Femi looked at Aydrian with a face tainted with pity. He was an enigma to her. He always came to the ER injured, but never with a clear reason. At first, she thought “boys will be boys” but the more he came in beaten and bloodied, the more Femi became concerned. From the many conversations she had with him, she didn’t think he was the dare-devil type. Yet, he kept getting hurt to such a degree. He also didn’t seem like the type to pick fights with other kids. He was too sweet for that.
He never told Femi anything. He would always say something like “I tripped” or “I accidentally fell” and other excuses like that.
How do you break three ribs and fracture a shoulder from ‘tripping’?
Obviously, she didn’t say this out loud. She knew that no matter how much she asked and probed, he wouldn’t say anything. He was stubborn to a fault. Femi returned her eyes to Aydrian after a moment of thought. His appearance was bogged down, with dark circles under his eyes and many bandages were strewn across his body. His skin was pale, almost sickly. He looked tired, sick, and done with life at the moment. She knew that her asking about anything would only make his mood worse. The only thing she could do was be there if he needed a shoulder to cry on.
“Well, I’m going to let the doctor know that you’re ready. Mr Bartley, if there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
With that, the nurse left the room. Aydrian watched her go with a sad expression. Being around her always made Aydrian feel a little better, as she was one of the few adults in his life that he felt comfortable around. For an instant, Aydrian considered telling her everything.
If I told her though . . . she wouldn’t believe me. Even if she did, I bet Ben would beat me half to death if she told anyone. I can’t- no. I won’t tell her. Either way, I bet other people wouldn’t believe her. She would get accused of lying for my sake, or some other bullshit. This town is wrapped around Ben’s finger tightly . . . when I get older, I’ll leave this town in the dust.
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Aydrian fell deep into thought, imaging scenarios of him living just about anywhere but here.
He imagined himself having his own car and house.
He imagined not having to work and study for every second of his life.
He imagined not having to worry about Ben showing up and taking his money.
When I turn eighteen . . .
Once he turned eighteen, he gained rights as an adult, and would no longer have to live with his mother. Once he turned eighteen, he could run away from this all. Aydrian closed his eyes as memories of his mother flashed through his mind. He forced himself not to get angry. He forced himself not to show any sign of wrath.
Janet Bartley, biological mother to Aydrian.
She may be my mother, but she’s not my mom.
Aydrian seethed quietly. The women who kept him from his father. For years, he had thought his father had been the bad guy. She lied, she abused, and the entire time, Aydrian thought it was all his father’s fault. For a moment, Aydrian unwillingly recalled his childhood.
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When Aydrian was just five years old, his parents got divorced. He remembered sitting there in his room when she came in. She had a wine bottle in her left hand and a glazed look in her eye. She stumbled into the room and wrenched Aydrian from the ground. As he was only five and had no idea what was going on, he protested by crying loudly.
“Mommy! Put me down! I want to keep playing with the game daddy got for me!”
“Oh sh-shu-shush honey. We’re leaving.”
“Put me down, please!”
She did no such thing and slowly made her way downstairs with her child Aydrian. Unable to do anything with his feeble arms and legs, Aydrian began to cry loudly.
It did nothing.
Downstairs, Aydrian heard arguing, but it didn’t make sense to him. It sounded like two masculine voices, one being his fathers, and another he didn’t recognize. Once they reached the bottom of the steps, his mother made for the door. From inside his mother’s arms, Aydrian could see over his mother’s shoulder. There, he saw his father and another man arguing. Before he was whisked out the door, Aydrian heard one sentence that stuck with him for the rest of his life.
“How could you do this to me Will? First my wife and now my son?”
Then, Aydrian was taken into the car. At the time, he had no idea what was going on. He was just a child, but not he wasn’t. As he looked back on the memory, Aydrian felt nothing but anger towards the injustice his father was subjected to.
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It was a short memory, but an important one to Aydrian. Unknowingly, Aydrian had formed an expression chock full of anger. His eyebrows were pulled down, his nose wrinkled, and his top lip was pulled upwards. All of his negative feelings were shown clearly on his face, whether about his mother, his current situation or Ben.
“Bartley? Mr Bartley?”
The sound of Miss Femi speaking to him snapped Aydrian out from his stupor. He quickly hid his expression. There at the door, a doctor he didn’t recognize and Miss Femi stood. Miss Femi looked concerned, as she always did when Aydrian came in injured. The doctor gave Aydrian a once over and laughed.
“My word, what happened to you? You look like you got put through a lawnmower and then contracted the flu.”
The doctor had a charismatic smile on his face as he approached Aydrian, who was laid down on a medical bed. He began to pull out a bunch of medical instruments as he assessed Aydrian. There was a handheld device that emits red light, various syringes, a stethoscope, and other medical items. During this assessment, he asked Aydrian a bunch of questions.
“Well? What happened to you, Mr Bartley?”
“I was exploring in the woods when I accidentally fell into a ravine.”
“Accidentally fell into a ravine?”
“Yeah, I, uh . . . lost my footing near the edge . . . and since it was raining the ground was very slick and- yeah. I slipped. ”
Aydrian stuttered through his excuse, trying his best to sound coherent.
“Well, I don’t doubt that, but what could possibly prompt you to enter that place? And at that time of night, no less!”
The doctor looked at him with curiosity in his eyes.
“ . . .”
Aydrian cast his gaze downwards and played with his fingers, trying to evade the doctor’s gaze. As silence filled the room, the doctor turned around to look at Miss Femi, who shook her head slowly. The doctor sighed and turned back around to face Aydrian. He patted the boy’s knee and relented.
“Well, I guess it’s not my place to interrogate you . . . I’m your doctor, not your parent. However, please let me or Miss Femi know if anything is bothering you. Just take these and get some rest kiddo. Don’t forget to drink and eat a lot, your body needs it.”
Aydrian didn’t say a word, only nodding in agreement. He didn’t trust his own voice. The doctor handed a few pills to Aydrian before leaving the room. Miss Femi hesitated, looking at Aydrian for a few seconds before leaving. Aydrian stared at the pill in his hands with an empty expression before swallowing them.
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Six days later and Aydrian’s stomach turned into a black hole. He was constantly eating and drinking due to the effect of the medicine. Before long, he was feeling much better. The pressure in his ribs had almost completely left, and his left shoulder moved without much difficulty. There was still the occasional pain, but for the most part, Aydrian had improved.
As he was eating his fifth meal of the day, the door suddenly opened. Miss Femi entered, as usual, so Aydrian thought it was another check-up or something like that. However, when he saw who was behind her, he basically lept up from his bed. Aydrian threw off the covers and ran straight forwards, and wrapped his father in a great big hug. A smile brighter than the sun covered his face. Adrian’s father also cracked a big smile and returned the hug. He picked up Aydrian and laughed.
“How’s my boy doing? I heard you got hurt and came as quickly as possible.”
Aydrian’s father was a tall man wearing a black and white suit, giving him a sophisticated look. A pair of dinky glasses sat on his nose, increasing that intellectual air about him. He had brown hair that was parted in the middle and green eyes. The only difference between father and son was height and muscle. His father had a much stronger build than his more lanky and lean son, as well as being a few inches taller.
The reason it had taken his father so long was that he worked a corporate job, and as such, it was very hard to find time to do anything. However, whenever Aydrian got hurt, he would always make time to come see his son. It was one of the few good aspects of getting injured so much.
His father looked at Aydrian with a big smile and patted him on the shoulder.
“You hurtin yourself on purpose to see me more?”
Aydrian panicked and waved his hand’s side to side.
“No, no! I don’t mean to drag you away from work . . . besides, we still have our agreement, right?”
Aydrians father nodded.
“Of course. If you’re still up for it, you can live with me while you attend college.”
Aydrian’s smile somehow got even brighter than before. He said nothing, only hugging his father for a few more seconds in pure bliss. Miss Femi watched this exchange with a smile, as their relationship was more than perfect. As Femi looked at the two, she thought to herself.
He is exactly what Aydrian needs right now. A good father figure.
Once Aydrian pulled away, Femi cleared her voice and spoke.
“Well, Tobias, I’ll leave you two to catch up.”
Adrian’s father, Tobias, smiled and thanked Femi. He looked at Femi with eyes brimming with affection.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for my son, Femi.”
“It’s my pleasure, Tobias.”
Aydrian blinked in surprise. The way they gazed at each other for a long second before parting set off alarm bells in Aydrian’s head. Slowly, a smirk formed on Aydrian’s face. Once Femi was gone, Aydrian mimicked Femi’s voice with a smile.
“ ‘It was my pleasure, Tobias’. I didn’t know you knew Miss Femi.”
“Well, with how much you get hurt, it’s obvious that I would know her.”
Tobias made up some excuse, not looking Aydrian in the eyes. Aydrian smirked even wider. Seeing his son giving him that knowing look, Tobias shook his head and chuckled.
“Seriously, it’s not like that. She’s just a nice lady.”
“Mhm.”
“Oh, whatever. You can believe whatever you want, but let’s talk about more important things. Tell me, how’s school going?”
Aydrian ate and spoke to his father in between bites. School was a boring topic for Aydrian, but for some reason, his father was always interested. Tobias asked questions like “Do you have friends” or “What’s your favourite subject?”. It was a perfectly normal father-son conversation until Aydrian’s father switched subjects. Tobias’s eyes got serious and he spoke in a quiet and worried tone of voice.
“Aydrian, why do you keep getting hurt?”
“I . . .”
One second Aydrian was complaining about calculus with a bored expression, and in the next he looked like he had just been caught sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar. Aydrian’s face froze, like a deer caught in the headlights as his father suddenly asked such a question. He said nothing as he had absolutely no idea how to answer. After a deafening few seconds of silence, his father continued.
“I heard from Miss Femi about how you always blame being clumsy, or that you just slipped, but I know you, Aydrian. You’re smart. Maybe once, but twenty-six instances of serious injuries is a pattern. Please, Aydrian. What is going on? If you’re fighting other kids, or in a gang, I need to know.”
Aydrian stared at his father and tried to hold in the tears. Despite his best efforts, tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes. At the sight of his son in tears, Tobias’s gaze became even more worried.
Every single brain cell Aydrian had was firing on all cylinders. His thoughts were quick and wild, each trying to find a solution to the problem at hand.
If I tell him, will he believe me? Even if he does, what if he tells the school, and then Ben harasses me even more? What if the school doesn’t even believe him, and does nothing. Then Ben would beat me up twice as much and I would have only made the situation worse. Even if they believe my dad, I bet Ben has friends who could do his dirty work for him. Hell, Ben might even tell the school that I’m a liar all over again . . . just like middle school. God damnit, why does this have to be so hard?!
Aydrian deliberated in agonizing silence. Tobias watched Aydrian with worried eyes, and after a minute or so, held Aydrian’s hand.
“Listen, Aydrian. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want too, but know that me, Femi, everyone is here to help you. Whatever it is that you’re going through, we can help you only if you let us help you.”
Aydrian was silent as he considered his father’s words, slowly digesting them as he held hands. After a moment, Aydrian quietly disclosed his feelings in a somber tone of voice.
“I’m fine, ok? It’s just . . . someone at school really doesn’t like me for some reason . . . but that’s ok. Soon enough, I’ll turn eighteen and leave this town forever.”
Tobias’s expressions went hard in an instant. His grip on Aydrian’s hand grew a bit stronger. With his eyebrows tilted towards, Aydrian’s father spoke.
“Who?”
Aydrian closed his eyes and felt hot salty tears roll down his cheeks. Without saying a word, Aydrian shook his head side to side. Tobias released his strong grip on his son’s hand and hugged him tightly. After a moment, his father softly uttered a few words to him.
“I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Aydrian felt like a kid again as he sunk into his father’s hug. The huge body of his father was like a shield against everything he had ever faced in life. The love of a parent for their children is the strongest bond in the world. He hugged his father back and cried. All his frustration with the world manifested itself in the form of tears and was cried out like twin waterfalls.
Soon enough, Aydrian had cried all the tears there were to cry and fell asleep in his father’s arms like a baby. Even though he was about to be eighteen, he would always be Tobias’s little boy. No matter how old Aydrian got, he would never cease to be his son. This seems obvious, but as people grow and mature, they get treated differently. This is true for most things, but not for a parent's love. No matter how tall Aydrian got, or how much muscle he grew, he would always be a daddy's little boy.
As Aydrian slept soundly, Tobias looked at him and smiled, remembering the times when he was just learning how to walk. Back then, life had seemed so happy. It had been perfect. Tobias sighed.
“I wish I could see you more . . . my son, my little sunshine . . .”
Tobias dug into his pocket and pulled out a black and white rectangular cuboid, around the same dimensions as a Gameboy. It powered on, shining bright vibrant colours into the dim room which illuminated Tobias’s face.
On the screen, the title of a game popped up, accompanied by upbeat eight-bit music. It read
Aezogoth: Magic Mania
After a moment, a simple but appealing two-dimensional background appeared behind the title. It displayed a sprawling landscape filled with trees and green grass. Behind those were tall grey mountains with white snowy peaks. Standing on a hill closest to the camera was a small human boy. He had brown hair, greenish eyes, and a skinny build. In his right hand was a black blade with purple engravings. It was almost as tall as the boy himself, so it was probably some sort of long sword. The pixelated character bobbed up and down in a repeating animation.
Tobias gazed at this game he had bought for his son all those years ago.
How long has it been since then? Ten years? Time really flies by . . .
Ten years ago, he had bought this small handheld device for him and one game. As a child, Aydrian had adored it and played it nonstop whenever he could. It was almost like an addiction. Seeing his boy smile like that made Tobias smile as well. The knowledge that his son was happy intrinsically made him happy. Sadly, life happens. Tobias didn’t get to see his son smile like that for a while.
All it took was one night, one surprise early return from work to shatter his reality. That night, Janet had left with his son. In the rush, she left Aydrian’s game. Tobias had neglected to return it, even after all these years because he thought he had lost it. A few weeks before Aydrian got hurt, Tobias had found a cardboard box filled with all kinds of trinkets from times past. There were all kinds of objects inside, but most importantly, Aydrian’s favourite childhood game Aezogoth: Magic Mania.
Aezogoth: Magic Mania was like any other fantasy game. It was generic, but, it stood out to Tobias for one simple reason. That character bobbing up and down at the start screen looked exactly like his son did. It was hard to describe, but the eight-bit character had an uncanny resemblance to Aydrian.
Even after ten years, Aydrian still looks like this guy . . . hell, he might have grown to look like this guy even more.
The more Tobias stared at that screen, the more he felt that this character bore an unreal image to his own son. It was almost a little amazing. Suddenly, Tobias’s train of thought was interrupted by a buzzing in his right pocket. Upon looking at the caller ID, Tobias felt his heart drop. It was his boss.
Shit, he’s going to wonder why I was a no show . . . I have to take this call.
Tobias quickly stepped outside Aydrian’s room and spoke to his boss. Needless to say, his boss was not happy in the slightest.
“Where the hell are you Bartley? I got a serious talking-to by the CEO for not coming prepared to our monthly report meeting!”
Tobias pressed his thumb and index finger together on the bridge of his nose with frustration as he replied to his coworker.
“My son got hurt again, I had to come see-”
“Oh don’t give me that bullshit again, everytime it’s “my son this” or “my son that”. If you don’t want to work so bad, I can just fire you! Is that what you want, Wentsworth?”
“No sir, its just-”
“I don’t want to hear anymore excuses! Get your ass to work tomorrow so we can give the report, or you’re fired!”
After three beats signifying the end of the call, Tobias sighed. The distal end of his eyebrows tilted downwards to form a tired expression. The meeting would be at five pm, and it was a ten-hour drive from here to his work, meaning he had to leave at seven am. Aydrian starts school at eight thirty.
I can’t beleive I have to say goodbye through a note . . . what a great fucking dad I am.
Tobias reluctantly wrote a goodbye note, attached it to Aezogoth: Magic Mania, and left it right next to Aydrian’s bed on a nightstand.
Sorry, I couldn’t stay for long, but I hope this shows how much I love you son. I remember buying this for you all those years ago, but you only got to play it for a few days or so. Hopefully, you’ll find some enjoyment in the game, even if you’re a little too old for it now. I should be able to visit again at the end of the month. If you can stay out of trouble until then, I’ll have a surprise for you, so please try not to get hurt anymore.
Your loving father,
Tobias Wentsworth.
Before leaving, Tobias gave Aydrian’s a look filled with yearning. For a moment, he reasoned against his unwillingness to leave.
It’s fine, I’ll see him again soon. Plus, if I get fired, who’s going to pay for his hopsital bills? I have to leave, for his sake.
After a few more moments of reluctance, Tobias finally left his son to go sleep in his car. He had to get sleep now so he could wake up early to drive. Tobias had no idea exactly how soon he would see his son again.