• About eighteen years ago to this day I have been watching a boy, whom even now as I stare into his blank and expressionless eyes all I see is anger and hatred, afraid of everyone around him. His thoughts a mystery even to himself, lost inside of an endless abyss of dark and painful memories whom only he has seen or even imagined.
    This boy had a difficult life since his first breath of air and yet the boy was full of joy for the first four years of his life. It was just him and his mother, she had long black hair and a soft smile; she was very young, too young to be a mother. She was struggling to support her child since she was a single mother with no one to help her. The mother was loving and cared for the boy more than her own life, she went out searching endlessly for a job and home. She found a boring job accounting but it put bread on the table, and she found a nice apartment in a town called Stringfield.
    "Tony! dinner is ready!" his mother yelled, Tony walked out of his room and into the kitchen his mother handed him a bowl of mac and cheese.
    "Thanks mom," he walked back into his room and sat on his bed and ate slowly while playing with his Lego's at the same time.
    His mother walked into the room and said "Tony, I am going to go out for awhile, will you be OK?"
    "Sure mom," he smiled and got back to building. I always found it strange how his mother would leave him home alone at such a young age. Tony didn't mind much he just disliked the strange smell his mother would be covered in when she would come home. Sometimes she would have a man, the man would change every once in awhile and Tony would never see the man who was replaced again.
    As I watch him putting block after block on top of each other building small buildings for him to knock down again. As he knocked down the current tower he made he heard fumbling keys and knew right away it was his mom. Tony ran into the next room excited to see his mom after a few hours.
    Tony ran into the room and shouted "MOMMY!" after he hugged her he noticed a tall man behind her, he was new Tony has never seen this man before.
    "Tony this is Kevin I met him while I was running errands yesterday." Tony starred at the man silently studying the dark seemingly robotic man. He looked down at Tony, his bloodshot eyes burning into Tony's forehead. Tony felt trapped, Kevin's eyes kept Tony frozen in fear. He had the smell that Tony would smell on his mom every once in awhile.
    "Hello Tony, your mother has told me a lot about you." Kevin said. His tone was sweet but Tony could immediately tell that he was trying too hard to be genuine.
    "Hi," Tony whimpered
    "I bought you a new Lego to build your mother told me you liked those." Tony starred for a moment at the box letting his four year old uncorrupted mind take over.
    "Thank you." Tony said in doubt. Tony ran to his room as if there was a monster in the living room, he shut his door and leaped onto his bed with the new Lego and starred at it for what seemed days until he eventually fell asleep.
    I made sure that Tony could not see me as I observed him. It just wasn't necessary, but I wouldn't be able to hide forever it was just a matter of time before those sweet innocent eyes would be opened to this cruel and twisted world.
    "Tony wake up," Tony's mother said while gently nudging him.
    "Huh, what is it mom?" Tony said in a daze.
    "I am going to go to work, Kevin is here but he is still sleeping so try not to wake him up."
    "Why can't I just stay by myself I don't need Kevin to watch me I'll be fine."
    "I would but he is sleeping I didn't want to wake him up I told him last night he can leave you home if he needed to leave."
    "Okay," Tony whispered. Tony's mother left he was now alone with that monster. Tony could not go back to sleep it was too dangerous the man could not be trusted.
    Tony did not understand these new feelings, usually he wouldn't mind people his mother brought home. But this man was different he had a horrible aura coming off of him.
    Later that morning Tony mustered up the courage to go into the kitchen and make cereal. He thought if he was quiet Kevin wouldn't wake up. Tony pushed his bedroom door open carefully trying not to make a sound. As he crept to the kitchen he saw Kevin sleeping on the couch he had a lighter on his chest and some kind of glass tube on the coffee table, but Tony did not pay attention to it, he was too busy trying to be quiet.
    Tony entered the kitchen and pulled the milk out of the refrigerator after he set the milk down he looked up and remembered that the cereal is way to high to reach. The only way he could get to the cereal would be to use a chair to climb up on the counter, Tony was afraid to do this because when he would move a chair it would make loud screeching noises and that would surely wake Kevin up. Tony's stomach growled in hunger so he decided to do it as quietly as possible. Tony grabbed the chair and tried lifting it, he couldn't so he quietly dragged it across the kitchen. Tony set the chair against the counter and climbed up the the cabinet to grab the cereal and bowl.
    Tony was relieved to hear Kevin snoring as he ate his breakfast. When Tony finished he walked over to the sink and put his bowl into it, it made a loud crashing noise but Kevin was still asleep Tony sighed with relief and turned around.
    Kevin was standing behind him starring down at Tony, Tony again felt that helpless feeling.
    Kevin said in a daze, "Hey Tony where is your mom."
    "She went to work she will be home in a little while I think."
    "Oh well I see, I have something to tell you come sit on the couch with me." Tony was too afraid to deny his request so he followed and sat on the other end of the couch.
    Kevin put a strange material into the glass tube and started to light it, After Kevin was finished he said "Listen here Tony, I want us to get along I know we will and if we don't you better act like it around your mom. I don't want you screwing your mom and me up, she loves you a lot so I know if she saw you didn't like me she wouldn't like me either."
    "O...okay,"
    "Good I am glad we came to an understanding. Bad things happen to people who don't do what I say." Kevin lit the tube again breathing in the smoke and blowing it out into the air the smell was familiar, the same smell he could smell on his mother.
    Tony was afraid more than ever and tried to calmly walk back to his room and shut the door.
    Later that night his mother came home Tony was too afraid to leave his room. All he could do was listen to what Kevin and his mom were talking about.
    It sounded like Kevin was yelling at his mom, she tried to talk calmly to him but it did not seem to matter he was angry for who knows what reason.
    Tony heard a thud in the living room and ran out to see what happened, his mother was on the floor crying with little drops of blood on the carpet by her head Kevin's hand was in a fist as he turned his head towards Tony his eyes like a red see of anger. Tony's mother looked up at Tony and yelled "Tony go to your room I'll be fine just lock your door and stay in there I'll be OK."
    Tony ran into his room his face soaked in tears and huddled in a corner hoping his mother was alright. Soon after he heard his mom's bedroom door slam shut.
    "MOMMY!" Tony screamed but no reply all he could hear was his mother screaming for help and Kevin yelling. Tony was petrified in fear thoughts racing threw his tiny mind, thoughts he had never thought of before. Tony started to realize how cruel the world was, he saw that not everything was perfect he felt the cold dark feelings of regret, hate, and anger. Tony never felt such beastly emotions before the thoughts were like blades stabbing into his heart tearing him apart. The cold hatred overcame this innocent four year old child and opened his eyes.
    As Tony opened his eyes he saw a blurry image of a person standing in front of him, he wiped away the tears and said "Wh... who are you?"
    "I am the one who has been watching every movement you make. You have finally removed the filter you once had being innocent and because of this you can see me."
    "But why are you here, why can't you help me?"
    "I am not here to fight your battles nor am I here to start one, I am simply here," Tony starred at me with tears streaming down his face. Tony began to cry once more, he felt his joy drain from him leaving everything behind that he once held onto. "Why are you crying, do you really think sitting here sobbing is going to save your mother? Maybe you should get up and do something!"
    Tony snapped back into reality wondering where the man has gone, if he would ever see the man again. He felt his eyes still watching but he was not visible.

    Tony heard a scream of pain along with a slam against a wall. Tony listened to the worst sound he has heard all night, silence but not just any silence it was cold and dark it made him feel alone like everyone had left him. Tony jumped up his eyes full of anger and hatred as he ran into the kitchen grabbing the big butcher knife his mother would use to slice meat. Tony ran to his mom's room and listened all he could hear was pounding he tried to open the door but it was locked. Without thinking Tony stuck the knife into the side of the door and slid around till he opened it he silently snuck into the room and saw Kevin pounding on his mother's head with his fist he was in a blind furry but he didn't notice Tony.
    Tony lost all vision it was black and very peaceful he did not know what was going on but he felt OK in this dark place he could not feel or hear anything, it was comforting. It was all OK again the fear was gone. The feeling didn't last long as he noticed things coming back into place, as he started to look around he saw his mom lying unconscious and he looked down at his hands, covered in blood and Kevin on the other side of the room his body was cold and lifeless with the bloody knife left inside his stomach. Tony looked around the room and he saw me again and he starred long and hard at me.
    "Why did you do this to me?!"
    "Do what?"
    "You... you sent me somewhere... I know it was you, you were the only one here!"
    "I have no idea what you are talking about Tony, you did well you got rid of the problem and saved your mother I saw it all aren't you happy?"
    "I didn't do anything! I don't know what's going on anymore just make it stop."
    "Make what stop Tony?"
    "You! Your eyes they sting, stop watching me, leave me alone!"
    "I would Tony, I would leave if I could, but you see Tony how could I leave myself?" I said quietly.
    Tony starred blankly at me as he heard police sirens in the back round. He was puzzled and yet did not ask anymore questions he just starred quietly at the changed surroundings everything was different it wasn't happy anymore just pain and sorrow everywhere. Tony's sweet and innocent eyes have disappeared and have been replaced with the sick and twisted eyes of truth.