He was always alone. Ever since then. His parents had left him for dead when they had discovered what he was. His friends, the few he had at the time, all left him behind as well, moving on to bigger and better things. The one that had remained with him was a mere shells of his former existance. And him, he had just remained the same, a neverchanging reef in the sea of life.

"Michael? You okay?" his only remaining friends asked. "Just thinking, Jaques." he said as he stretched his arms over his head. "You been doin that a lot recently, ain't you?" Jaques said as he sat down next to him, staring across the bay, watching the sun sink beyond the horizon. "Yeah, well, there ain't really much to do here. And besides, them bastards from across the way are comin here tonight for the damn game anyway, so what the hell is the differance gonna be if we sit here all damn night and think about things that ain't gonna happen anyway, no matter how bad we want them to?" dave retorted. Jaques looked at him strangely. "You still hurtin over Ian and Derak levin, ain't you bro?" Jaques asked. The four of them had been inseperable up till Ian and Derak moved across the way to Dogtown. They still swung by every chance they got, but most of the time, Dave wasn't around to see them, so they might as well not even bother in Jaques mind.

"When did you plan on telling me, Jaques?" Dave said suddenly. "Tell you what?" Jaques asked, clearly startled. "When you leave for Dogtown, you just gonna pack up and go in the middle of the night like everyone else did, ain't you?" Dave said scathingly. Jaques sighed. "No, I was gonna tell you, man, I just needed to find the right time. It like Sensei always be tellin us, there a time for everything. Knowing when the time is be a sign of a warrior." Jaques quoted stubbornly. "Just go then." Dave said sullenly, knowing that he was about to be alone again, left to face the terrors life held for him alone.


Michael opened his eyes and looked around. He had been dreaming of that day again. Looking back, he could see that he ahd been a bit of an asshole. He too had left Rolland Heights behind for another place. Where? He had no idea. He could not care less. He ahd seen Ian and Derak the other day. They didn't recognize him at all. He had changed much over the last few years, going from Abercrombe and Fitch to gothic stlye clothing, keeping his burning red hair combed down to letting it grow wild and free, like he wanted to be, always smiling to showing as much emotion as a guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Hell, he had even changed his name. When addressed by his old name, it took him a few minutes to relize people were talking to him. He had gone from Michael James McManus to Dave Sean Burnside.