Written by Ace Flemmings

There was an island, far and desolate in the South Pacific, where monstrous creatures thrived. For years they had kept themselves hidden from the grasp of humans, with whom they struggled to coexist peacefully. But peace itself never persisted among the creatures of the small island. Their current ruler Kramos grew older and more brutally savage than ever before. Most of his frustration came from having only female descendants. He feared he wouldn't live long enough to provide tutelage to a son who would someday take his throne. That is until one day the spotted egg of his firstborn male hatched. It was laid by his favorite wife, Elondra. She was the youngest of the tyrant’s 7 wives. Females were generally a third of the size of their male counterparts, with softer kaleidoscopic scales. The tyrant’s wives were collected at a young age and were chosen for their lustrous golden crests.

Elondra however, was more than just a pretty creature. She was ferocious and never ceased to bear her claws, something Kramos always admired about her. This admiration was not in a mutual sense however, as Elondra despised Kramos tremendously. His egg was the first she had ever laid, which terrified her perhaps even more than did Kramos himself. She didn’t want his son to be born, but to kill something so innocent and faultless would diminish her. Her heart, which had turned stone-cold, seemed to crack open upon the initial sight of the little hatchling. The top part of its spotted eggshell covered his head, blinding him as he bumped against the rocky walls of the cave. Elondra couldn't help but giggle.

"What a silly little thing," she thought. He lifted up the shell and looked at her with bright green eyes and a captivating smile. Then he rushed to snuggle himself into the comfort of her embrace. How could she ever refuse him?

"I must do whatever it takes to make his life better than the one I have known", she vowed.

The rising sun beamed through the cave’s entrance, making Elondra's scales glisten and exposing the little hatchling. The sun's gleam was soon darkened by Kramos’s shadow. He stood before them, an enormous rough-scaled beast, radiating fear as he grinned.

“Bring him to me,” he rasped.

Elondra's scales bristled at the sound of his voice. She was paralyzed with fear, not so much from concern for herself but for the young hatchling. She nuzzled the hatchling even closer to herself and refused his command. This vexed Kramos and he forcibly snatched the hatchling away from her.

“Do that again,” he whispered, “and it'll be the last time you’ll ever see him.”

These words petrified her. She couldn't bear such threats but she knew better than to succumb to fear. Kramos named the hatchling after himself but Elondra refuted him, secretly calling the hatchling “Little” instead. Not an ounce of Kramos would taint their son's well being. She concocted a plan for them to escape. She waited patiently and played along with Kramos’s games until her hatchling was capable of understanding her directions.

At the far end of the island, beyond a thick and formidable forest, was a magical cavern containing a portal to the human world where they would be safe. Elondra enchanted the hatchling's leaf-shaped tail with magic that would leave a mark on any object it touched, duplicating his essence and leaving behind an inanimate replica of himself. This would make it harder for Kramos and his hunters to track him, keeping them a few steps ahead on the way to the cavern. Inside the cavern she carved signs, visible only to the hatchling, that would direct him to the translucent multi-colored whirlpool that was the portal.

Years passed and Little was finally ready. Elondra set the plans in motion. But Kramos,

with his watchful eye, had acquired knowledge of Elondra's plot. As he tracked them through the forest, Elondra realized that her only choice was to sacrifice herself in order to buy the little critter some time.

“Run! I will meet you on the other side,” she told him. He wouldn’t let go of her, but his mother's voice became stern. “I said go! and don’t stop until you reach the portal.”

Kramos soon found Elondra, alone.

“Where is he?” he asked.

She refused to speak and rushed towards him in an effort to slow him down. Overflowing with rage, he buried his claws into her chest, killing her.

The little critter ran as fast as he could, imprinting on rocks which turned into decoys, allowing him to blindside the hunters that were sent after him. He entered the cavern and followed the signs that lead him to the portal. He paused for a moment just before diving in. Glancing back, he saw an incoming shadow that he hoped would be his mother’s. But it was one of Kramos's hunters rushing towards him, claws extended. Little was shattered knowing his mother wouldn't make it, but there was no time to waste. He dove in and spiraled into the human world.

The little critter was washed ashore the next morning. His unconscious body drifted back and forth against the waves. A 7 year old kid, who was carrying some sort of animal skull, spotted him and poked him with a twig.

“Are you alive?” The kid muttered.

The little creature woke up, startling the young boy.

“Ahhh!” the boy exclaimed and fell on his buttocks.

“What are you?” He asked.

The little critter noticed the skull the boy was holding and panicked. He sprinted towards the rocky part of the beach and hid.

“Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you. My name is Carlos,” said the boy.

The little critter stepped out slowly and revealed himself to Carlos.

“Are you alone? Where are your parents?” asked Carlos.

Although the critter couldn’t comprehend his language, he understood the boy's concerned tone. He bowed his head and thought of his mother. The little critter couldn’t conceal his remorse.

“It’s okay; I lost my parents too,” said Carlos who was an orphan himself.

They heard a woman’s voice coming from behind the tall beach grass along the sandy path.

“Ei Carlos! Andale! We gotta catch the bus!” She called.

“Wait here,” Carlos muttered to the little critter.

He went to the woman. She had the exasperated look of someone who had been dealing with multitudes of children for years. Her name was Anita. She was a safe keeper tasked to escort Carlos to meet his adoptive parents.

“What is that?! You can’t bring some rotten skull with you. Leave it or you’ll scare your new mom! You are to make a good first impression, otherwise she’ll send you back!" she scolded.

Burdened by the incessant admittance of children to the orphanage, Anita found relief in sending them away for adoption. Especially in this rusty and impoverished town where homeless children ran barefoot in the streets. Carlos was lucky enough to have his estranged aunt take him into her care.

In the orphanage, Carlos had always been an outcast among the children. He was an introvert, always drawing pictures and writing in the notebook he had entitled “The Book of Ideas”. He spent most of his time on the beach drawing and collecting the loot that was pushed forth by the waves.

“I granted your request to play on the beach, now grab your belongings and follow me before the bus leaves!” She demanded.

Carlos looked back and noticed the critter following them. “Shhh” he gestured, trying to keep him out of Anita’s sight. Once they arrived at the stop the little critter hopped into a bush, causing Anita to pause and track the sound.

“OK, I can handle things from here!” cried Carlos, nervously pulling her arm in an attempt to distract her.

Anita thought little of the disturbance in the bush, as there were stray cats and dogs in the area.

“Pesky animals” she said. “Are you sure? Do you know which bus you are supposed to take?” She sensed that Carlos wanted her to leave. “Your new mom should be waiting for you at the bus stop there.”

Carlos nodded. Anita checked the time.

“I need to run back and help out in the kitchen; it’s almost lunchtime. Alright, the bus number is 405 and it should arrive soon. Do you remember which stop?”

“Miraflores!” he answered.

“Okay then, I’ll leave you to it.” She gave him a hug and kissed his head. “Take care, and behave, alright?”

“I will and thank you,” he replied. He waited until she was out of sight before going behind the bush to see the little critter.

“She’s gone. Would you like to come with me?” he asked.

The little critter seemed excited, circling around him. Then it rubbed its head on his leg.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Carlos emptied his luggage, keeping only his Book of Ideas.

“Hop in!” he said. The critter went inside. Carlos unzipped a tiny portion of the bag so he could breathe.

“It might be a bumpy ride but try to stay still and as quiet as possible, at least until I get inside the bus,” said Carlos.

Up to this point the little critter had done well following his commands, which reassured him. The bus came and sounded off as it halted at the stop. Carlos ran straight from the bush and hopped on. An hour later Carlos and the little critter arrived at Miraflores. He exited the bus and walked to a nearby bench where he sat and released the critter.

They both stretched out their limbs and heard a stomach growl.

“That could be either one of us,” Carlos muttered.

He squinted up at the glaring afternoon sun, engulfed by the heat that was searing through the pavement. It wasn't long before the hazy figure of a woman approached them. It was his aunt's partner Celia. The little critter hid behind Carlos as she drew closer. Carlos lifted a hand and waved.

“Carlos! How are you? Did you eat? I can’t believe they let you take the bus all by yourself. I thought someone was going to be with you,” she said, a bit concerned.

“I’m used to it; I take the bus all the time,” he replied.

Celia and his aunt Valeria had frequently visited him, but this was their first contact outside of the orphanage. He felt secure enough around her to introduce the little critter.

“This is... Lito by the way!” he said. Although he had a while to think about it on the bus, this name was finalized at the last minute.

“What is it?” she asked.

“He’s my pet iguana,” he told her.

“That’s a weird looking iguana! I've never seen one that big,” she said.

“I found him this morning. Can I keep him?” he asked.

“Of course you can, now come, I want you to see your new home”.

They walked a few blocks before reaching a two-story house, which looked grand to Carlos given the squalid state of the orphanage. Celia showed them around the house and led Carlos to his newly furnished bedroom.

“What do you think? It’s not much but let us know if we can make any adjustments,” she said.

Carlos, overwhelmed by the kindness bestowed upon him, had nothing to say. He had never had a room of his own. Back at the orphanage, he slept in a room with 2 full sized beds which he shared with 4 other children.

“We'll get Lito his own little spot if you'd like to share this room with him,” she added.

Carlos nodded and gave her a hug. This made her tear up a bit, knowing that her efforts gratified him. Celia thought of her partner Valeria, who had missed all of this because of work. She had made all of this possible.

“Where is Valeria?” he asked.

“She’s at work but she'll be home soon enough. Let's get you tidied up and then I can make you lunch."

Valeria didn't come home until late that night. After turning on the kitchen light, she noticed a drawing Carlos had left on the table. He had drawn his new family and included Lito in the picture. She carried the paper upstairs and joined Celia in the Master bedroom.

“He’s quite an artist isn’t he, but what is this thing?” She asked as she held the drawing up in front of Celia.

“I don't know. I've been looking up species' of iguanas all day and haven't seen one like it," said Celia. "He calls it Lito.”

“I see… well, the more the merrier I suppose,” said Valeria. “I wish I had been there to welcome him,” she added.

“Don't worry about it, you'll have plenty of time tomorrow. He's such a lovely boy,” Celia said, shutting off the bedside lamp.

But the night had just begun for the hunters sent by the tyrant Kramos. They had just set foot into the human world, following Lito’s tracks. It led them to a rock on a beach near the orphanage. The rock was shaped in Lito's guise which puzzled them.

“What is it?” said Glob, one of Kramos’s goons.

“It’s magic designed to distract us,” replied Jurasso, Glob’s higher up.

“It’s quite pretty!” said Glob, staring admirably at the illuminated mark.

Jurasso lashed at the rock with his heavy iron-scaled tail and destroyed it. Glob shifted uncomfortably.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Wherever he is we will find him and bring him to Kramos. The sooner we end our mission, the sooner we can leave this god-awful place,” Said Jurasso.

“Why, are you scared of the humans?”

Glob immediately regretted asking the question. Jurasso grabbed him by the neck.

“Listen you gobble smack, ain’t no one here is afraid of the humans, but we are outnumbered in their territory. Do you know what humans do to pesky big old fools like you?”

Glob shook his head.

“They will skin you alive, grind up your meat and hang your bones in a museum!” Jurasso scoffed.

Glob trembled at this newfound awareness of human brutality. “A museum?” he said.

“We will destroy every single decoy until we get to him. He couldn’t have traveled far" said Jurasso. "We're just getting started.”

Carlos started school the next day, which felt different. Celia and Valeria had bought him a plethora of school supplies but he was not used to having so much stuff.

His Book of Ideas was the only thing he felt he needed to get through the day. It was his journal, a stranger he confided in. And since Lito wasn’t allowed to go with him, jotting down notes of future adventures with him was something he would look forward to when the final bell rang. His teacher Mrs. Ramirez ordered him to put the notebook away and asked him to pay attention to her lecture. This attracted the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kind of kids. He locked eyes with Jose, the notorious school bully, and gave him a mean look. A group awaited Carlos in the yard outside after school. Accompanied by two other tough-looking boys, Jose cornered Carlos and confronted him. Carlos took a step backward.

“You’re the new kid aren’t you?” Jose said to him.

Carlos looked him straight in the eye but did not respond.

“I heard he lives in that house with those lesbians!” said Louie, one of the bullies.

“Shut up! No one asked you to speak, boy! I’m trying to make a friend here, aren’t I Carlos?” Jose said.

Carlos was still quiet; he stood ready to pounce. He learned how to fight in the orphanage even though there were no bullies. They were all outcasts who relied on each other for guidance. They embraced their wild nature, wrestling and tossing each other around in a playful sense. The nuns that ruled the institution taught them to fight as more of a rough play where they could laugh and hug it out at the end of the sport, discouraging hate and harm.

Jose and these kids were different. Carlos knew that setting foot in a new territory meant new challenges ahead. He readied his fists, making the other kids step back as they realized he wasn’t the slightest bit threatened by them.

“Yo! easy now, see, we brothers here,” Jose said. “We the gang-style,” he followed.

“I don’t want to be a part of your gang,” Carlos replied.

“You sure look tough, but there’s more of us,” said Jose.

Carlos felt hesitant. The reality of being a lone wolf going against the wolf pack began to sink in. This is not how he intended his first day to turn out.

“I’ll be waiting just in case you reconsider,” Jose teased.

“Pssh, he’s probably gay like his gay moms,” Louie commented.

“I said shut up you moron!” Jose yelled and pushed Louie in front of Carlos.

“Maybe you two should fight it out, see who wins, what do you think Chuy?” said Jose.

Chuy, the biggest of the three said “I think they’re both sissies.”

Jose laughed. Louie picked himself up, his face reddened, embarrassed by his own “gang” throwing him in to fight alone. And alone he felt.

“I guess we’ll see you around,” Jose told Carlos as they made their way out of the schoolyard.

Louie followed shortly but had given Carlos such a threatening look. After the boys left a girl holding a teddy bear approached Carlos and introduced herself. “Hi my name is Nallely,” she said extending her arm for a handshake. “And this is Mr. Charley, " she said, holding up her teddy bear. Carlos, already worn out by the events of the day, ignored her and continued on his way home. Once he got home Celia pounced on him, excited to hear about his day.

“How’s your first day in school?” she asked.

Carlos didn’t say a word but couldn’t hide his gloom. Celia quickly understood and tried to offer something that would cheer him up.

“Rough day,huh? Nevermind, I have a surprise for you!”

She went with Carlos to his room and revealed a little pet house for Lito.

“Ta-dah! I made it. There’s a little food bowl and a water container for him over here. He has been such a good boy; no accidents and he ate his food,” she told him.

Carlos went to Lito and pet him. “What did you feed him?” Carlos asked.

“Well, I read iguanas like to eat all sorts of leaves and greens, so that’s what I gave him,” she said.

“He pretty much eats anything but thank you!” said Carlos.

“Why don’t you change into some comfortable play clothes so you two can play outside,” she said.

Carlos and Lito played outside until dusk while Celia watched over them. Lito sensed the presence of the monsters nearby. This immediately altered his mood. Searching for an item he could transform, he ran into the woods. Carlos became worried and followed him.

“Carlos! Not too far! It’s getting dark out!” Celia yelled. The moment she lost sight of Carlos she went in after him.

Carlos looked for Lito but he seemed to have disappeared. “Lito?” he called, growing wary and afraid of the dimming sky. He heard the trees rustle and followed the sound. He gasped after seeing one of the monsters sent by Kramos. Jurasso heard him and shifted his gaze in the boy's direction. Carlos managed to dodge his glance and hide. Then he let out a little shriek as someone grabbed and pulled him away. It was Celia. She covered his mouth.

“Shhhh… there’s two of them!” she whispered.

“It’s getting dark, man.” Glob seemed worried.

”Be quiet! someone’s here; are you afraid of the dark?!” Jurasso asked, growing impatient with Glob.

“Si, it's when la chupacabra comes out and…” Sure enough, they heard a loud howl that startled them both.

“Glob you stupid big old fool, let’s get out of here,” Jurasso said.

Celia and Carlos stayed in hiding until they left.They returned home where Valeria awaited them.

“Where were you guys?” she asked. "I was worried."

“Carlos got lost so I went after him and it took us a while to get back,” Celia told her.

Carlos didn’t mutter a single word and went directly upstairs to his room.

“Carlos?”Valeria said, but then decided to leave him be.

“We’ll talk to him later,” Celia told her.

The next morning Carlos went to school worrying about the monsters, speculating that they were after Lito. To make matters worse, he heard rumors going around about a fight between himself and Louie that was to take place at lunchtime. Jose tossed a crumpled piece of paper at Carlos during their morning class. Carlos opened it and read.

“You really angered Louie so I decided it’s best if you settle this like men. We’ll see you on the playground during lunch.”

Jose was sitting on the far end of the classroom right next to Louie, who was staring at him as if he was out for blood. Jose grinned. Everyone single one them stared at Carlos, which made him anxious. Nallely, who was sitting on his left spoke to him.

“I would just ignore them,” she said.

“I’m not going to fight anybody. I have no reason to. Louie was just mad at me because he felt embarrassed,” he said.

Jose laughed as Louie said, “Watch him start a gang with his weird girlfriend and her ‘oso’ toy.”

Carlos couldn’t do anything but direct his attention out the window. Outside he saw Lito, which lifted his spirit. He hadn’t seen him since they went into the woods. After class, Carlos snuck outside by the wire fence to see Lito.

“Those monsters were out to get you weren’t they? That’s why you ran,isn't it?” he asked.

“Carlos?” The boy was startled by a voice from behind.Nallely, had followed him.

“Who are you talking to?” she asked. She stepped closer and Lito hid behind a tree.

“It was nothing, just talking to myself” Carlos replied.

“It sounded like you were talking to someone-- I saw it!” she said.

“Okay, but you can’t tell anybody. He’s not supposed to be here. Can you come over to my house after school?” said Carlos.

“Okay and I won’t tell, I promise! ” she said, obviously excited about having made a new friend.

Lunchtime came and Carlos thought it best to avoid Jose’s gang, until he heard a ruckus coming from the playground. The children gathered as they watched Louie take Mr. Charley, the teddy bear, from Nallely.

“Give him back!” She cried.

But he was much taller and had lifted Mr. Charley higher than she could reach. She jumped and tried to take him, but Louie pushed her to the ground.

Carlos ran to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Nallely nodded. Despite his hesitancy, Carlos felt he had no other choice than to confront Louie, Mano a mano.

“Give him back!” he demanded.

“She’s too old to be playing with toys,” Louie mocked.

Carlos grabbed his arm and tried to take Mr. Charley but Louie yanked and ripped part of his stitchings, letting out pieces of black beans all over the ground.

“You stuffed him with beans! You poor little brat!” Louie jeered.

The kids laughed at them. Then Carlos punched Louie in the face.

Louie fell to the ground but immediately hopped up, ran to the wire fence and threw the stuffed animal over it, far enough that it rolled down the slope and into the woods.

“Catch him outside how bout that,” Louie scoffed.

“Nice throw Louie,” Jose remarked.

Carlos ran beyond the schoolyard and into the woods to go after Mr. Charley. He felt responsible for this whole situation. He slid down the slope and instantly froze when he saw Glob standing in front of him holding Mr. Charley. Glob looked at him and waved.

“Hi, is this your little buddy?” Glob asked.

“It’s my friend’s,” He replied. Glob handed him the teddy bear.

Jurasso saw them and became furious.

“You idiot what are you standing there for? Get him!” Jurasso ordered.

“You should run,” Glob whispered.

Carlos grew pale and ran away from the monsters. He sprinted out of the woods and onto a road where he spotted a Police car pulled over by the side of the road. One of the cops stepped out of the car after seeing Carlos rush towards him.

“Help please!” Carlos cried. The cop looked past him and saw Jurasso. He quickly alerted his partner.

“Get some backup,” he commanded, surprised to spot a monster such as Jurasso. He pulled out his gun and chased after him.

“Stay right here,” the other cop said to Carlos.

He could hear shots being fired in the woods as the second cop followed the first one in. Even though Carlos was ordered to stay put, he sprinted back to the safety of his home.

Lito greeted Carlos when he arrived.

“You don't have to worry about those monsters anymore, the cops took care of them,” Carlos told him.

Celia noticed that Carlos was home early.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” she asked.

“The monsters came back and went after me,” he explained.

“At school?” she asked.

He nodded. She pulled him to her chest and hugged him.

“We need to get out of this place, I’m going to talk to Valeria. It's not safe here,” she said. “Who's stuffed animal is that?” Carlos was still holding Mr. Charley.

Just then, the doorbell rang. They opened the door to find Nallely, who had come for Mr. Charley. Carlos let her in and introduced Celia and his little critter friend.

“This is Lito by the way,” he said. “What is it?” she asked.

“I'm not sure what he is, I found him at the beach,” he replied. "By the way, I got your Mr. Charley back."

Tears dropped from Nallely's eyes as she hugged him.

Celia was touched by what she saw in front of her.

"We'll patch him up so he could be in tip top shape once again," she offered. Nallely nods, "thank you," she said finding it hard to speak clearly as she cried in joy.

“Well, I don't know about you guys but I'm famished, I'll go ahead and fix some food while you guys play,” Celia said.

Back on the Isle of Monsters, a wounded Glob rushed to inform his master.

“DON KRAMOS! The humans! The humans have killed Jurasso!” he exclaimed.

“What!?” Kramos responded.

“Your son is being protected by the humans!” Glob followed.

“What?!” Kramos’s voice grew louder and more agitated.

“We were… outnumbered and they fired at him, they shot him in the head!” Glob wailed.

Kramos stood fiercely, vexed at their incompetence.

“You fools! You are both worthless!” he exclaimed.

“Please! We tried our best…” Glob pleaded but was interrupted.

“Silence! I shall go there myself and take hold of my son,” declared Kramos.

The next morning Carlos thought for sure he would be in trouble for punching Louie, but there weren't any calls from the principal's office. He saw Jose in the hallway and walked up to him.

“Hey, how's Louie?” he asked.

“Why do you care?" said Jose. "Oh, I get it, you’re worried he's gonna snitch.”

Carlos didn't even consider this until he mentioned it.

“No, I just feel bad, that’s all,” he explained.

“He acted like a little brat so he deserved it, but nah, my boy’s not like that. I told him to shut the hell up. He messed with you and that's on him. You’re not gonna punch me now, are you?” Jose jeered.

Carlos didn't mutter a word. The gang-style knew not to mess with him anymore, and let him be. He quickly glanced at Louie during class and noticed his face had swollen up pretty badly. Nallely smiled at Carlos, as a way of telling him to not beat himself up over hurting Louie.

Carlos scribbled and wrote in his journal to escape the tension he could feel between himself and the other kids in the room. But Mrs. Ramirez scolded him.

“Carlos, I think it's best if you hand over that notebook so you can pay attention in class, ” she said.

He handed it over and expected the other kids to laugh at him, but not one of them even bothered to glance. Louie had nothing to say and avoided his line of sight. Carlos, overwhelmed with guilt, thought maybe he deserved to be punished by having his notebook taken away.

After school, Carlos walked home and sensed someone following him. But each time he turned back to check, he saw nothing. He entered his house and couldn’t find Celia. He went through to the back yard and found Lito, petrified and staring at the trees just beyond the wired fence.

“Lito, are you okay? What's wrong?” he asked.

The trees shook and the ground trembled. A gigantic shadow was cast over them.

Lito ran to Carlos with a look of despair on his face. The tyrant Kramos had come to claim him and there was nowhere else to hide.

“Imprint on me! I will face him for you,” said Carlos.

The little critter pressed his tail on the boy's chest and disappeared.

“Carlito!” Kramos called. Suddenly the tyrant shrank into the form of a man.

Inside the house, Celia had just returned from Carlos’s school after receiving a call from his teacher, Mrs. Ramirez. The teacher had mentioned that it was a matter involving the police so Celia had hurried to the school to find Mrs. Ramirez accompanied by the principal and the two cops whom Carlos had seen the day before.

The police explained that there had been a recent shooting of two armed men near the school. They were identified as members of the cartel under Carlos “El Tirano” Mendoza, the most ruthless drug lord on the west coast. The police also identified Carlos as the missing son of El Tirano.

Having read his Journal, Mrs. Ramirez concluded that Kramos was El Tirano and that Lito was an imaginary version of himself Carlos had created. There was also an island under the cartel’s occupation where Carlos had witnessed the death of his mother.

This shocked Celia. She was unaware of Carlos’s past. She told the group that “Lito” was the skull of some sort of an Iguana he had found on the beach. She merely thought of Lito as an imaginary friend and played along with him. The police warned Celia, telling her that El Tirano had been spotted in town recently.

Now, inside the house. Celia found Nallely walking down the stairs. She was also looking for Carlos.

“Nallely! Where’s Carlos?” Asked Celia.

“I don’t know, I followed him home but he was walking way too fast,” said Nallely.

They both went to check the back yard and there they found Carlos and El Tirano himself.

“It’s time to go miho,” El Tirano said.

Carlos stood awestruck and subdued by his father’s presence. Just as he was about to take his first step toward him,“Carlos!” Screamed Nallely and ran to him.

Celia soon followed to hug them both.

“He’s just a boy!” Celia told El Tirano.

Four armed men entered through the gate of the fence and aligned themselves beside El Tirano.

“Take the boy and kill them all,” he ordered.

Before the men could take a step toward the boy, Valeria appeared from the side of the house holding a shotgun pointed at El Tirano.

“Make any movement and I will blow his brains out!” She yelled at them.

The men switched to point their guns at her.

“No!” Celia cried.

“Valeria?!” said El Tirano, recognizing his estranged older sister. He had lost touch with her after joining the cartel and becoming El Tirano. This was not how he imagined their reunion would be like.

“Elondra put you up to this didn't she?” he asked.

Valeria gave him no reply. He stared at her, breathing heavily. Then he looked at his son and saw Nallely tightened her grip around him - younger versions of Valeria and himself.

“Lower your weapons,” he ordered his men.

“Carlos!” Valeria called El Tirano by his real name. ”You need to let him live as a kid for now.”

El Tirano locked eyes with Valeria, sensing the profoundness of her concern for his son. He remembered how Valeria used to defend his little old self. She was older and bigger than him then. A smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“You’re as tough now as you were then, Val,” He said to her.

Then he shifted his gaze to Carlos. But the young boy stared him down through the cold dead eyes of his mother. He could never forgive him for what he had done to her. El Tirano sensed the boy's abhorrence and could not free himself from his own guilt.

The betrayal he felt from Elondra did not justify her death. He truly loved her and had no but himself to blame.

Will she ever forgive me? He thought.

"Leave!" he ordered his men. They did so without hesitation. They knew better than to disobey him however puzzled by his change of heart.

Valeria nodded at him and started to tear up. Without saying a word, she gave him a look that registered more than words say. Her remorse over losing him back when he was only 5 years of age, made her feel weak and responsible for the man he had become.

Deep down he knew how much he longed to see her. The pain of being left alone, to survive in the unforgiving streets of poverty, returned to him.

He had grown up and managed to rise amongst powerful men, inflicting fear and eliminating those who stood in his way.

But the semblance of her diminished him back into that snotty little boy,who just like his son, couldn’t have wanted so much out of life.

It may be too late for him now but not for his son, who had clung so dearly to the family he wanted to belong to.

The family he chose.

He was too proud to have said it out loud but in his mind, he envied the young boy.

He lifted his chin up and squinted as he stared up at the sun glared sky.

Valeria and the others stared at him during his state of contemplation.

The voice of Elondra sounded in his head.

El Tirano smiled.

“Come to me when you’re ready miho, I’ll be waiting,”

Then he lit a cigar, made his way through the back gate and disappeared.

Valeria dropped the shotgun and ran to join Celia and the children in hugs and tears of joy and relief. None of them had expected El Tirano to yield.

“I'm so sorry I put you all through this,” said Valeria.

She explained to Carlos that she knew his mother and helped her plan their escape.

A year went by and Carlos made friends out of old enemies. The gang-style disbanded and Jose with his cunning ways proved to be a thoughtful and meaningful friend, though still heavily misunderstood.

Nallely became his biggest supporter almost like a sister to him.

He thought about his father's offer ever since the incident up until the news of El Tirano’s death.The entire island where he and his men resided had been seized. Glob, whose real name was Gabriel, played a huge role in their demise. He had been an undercover agent for 3 years and was Elondra's sole conspirator on the island. He was the one who had brought Carlos to the orphanage. And now he had set up an arrangement for Valeria and her family to migrate to Canada.

Gabriel, whom Carlos still called "Glob" , looked after Carlos ever since however could not accompany him in his journey overseas. He helped the family load up their luggage and offered to drive them to the airport.

They all gathered one last time to celebrate the arrival date of the former orphan. Jose wasn't as emotional but had given Carlos a letter which included his phone number. Louie and Chuy wrote theirs as well.

"Read it when you get to the plane," Jose instructed, he's too cool to bid his goodbye in person but Carlos hugged him anyway, grateful for the short while they got to know each other. Louie and Chuy joined in as a sign of good faith.

Nallely couldn’t stop the flow of her tears as she said goodbye to her dear friend.

“I’ll come back and visit you, I promise,” Carlos told her, tapping her back to calm her down.

He left with a heavy heart but deep inside he knew he had to leave this place to grow and see more of the world beyond.

Celia and Valeria made sure to give him a choice before moving forward with their life as a family. It took awhile but Carlos ultimately saw the value of starting over. He had one final request before they leave.

They made a quick stop at the beach near the orphanage. Glob carried Carlos to the beach on his shoulders. Carlos had brought with him the skull he found by the shore. Glob put him down on the sand and Carlos glanced up at the marijuana leaf tattooed on his arm.

Glob nodded.

Carlos went to the rocky part of the beach and began climbing.

“Be careful Carlito! You might fall!” Glob cautioned.

Carlos stood on top of the highest rock and placed the skull there.

He narrowed his eyes and could faintly make out the silhouette of the faraway island.

He wondered if there were creatures living there now and wished for a more peaceful world for whoever they might be.

-end-