Conner
It was February 3, 2033. *
There were many thoughts swirling through Conner's head as he approached the street of his childhood. He remembers joy-filled moments with his parents, teaching him how to ride a bike, walking his first pet, and learning how to throw a football. But what he thinks most about was the moment his brother arrived at home fresh from the hospital. Lucas, the brilliant one, the obedient one, the child that Conner could never live up to. The funny thing was, Conner never felt any animosity towards his brother, instead, he helped him though obstacles, studied with him, and even, on occasion, played with him. As Lucus grew older, the more obvious it became which brother was the favorite. Conner didn't care though, but he felt his heart squeeze a little every time he sees his mother dote on his brother and his father showering him with praises. But when Lucus received the family heirdom, a golden pocket watch belonging to Great-Grandfather Lassiter, one that was suppose to be his, Conner lost it. Never before has Conner felt such hatred toward the people who raised him, his perfect little brother who deprived him of his rightful inheritance.
That was the moment he snapped.
Conner started skipping school, dissing, professors, and hanging out with the "wrong" crowd. He quickly became known as the resident bad boy who had an ardent disrespect for the rules. He sees his parents disappointment every night at dinner (when he bothers to show up), the reproach in his brother's face every time he walks past Peter in the halls. At some point, his parents stopped caring, which was completely fine with Conner, until he saw the unwind papers.
Conner snapped backed into reality as a gaggle of passing kids in bikes splashed melted snow on the sidewalk. Brushing away the ice droplets from his face with his free hand, Conner turned resolutely, clutching a letter in his other hand and walked towards his first home.
The window curtains were open, and Conner felt the urge to peer inside. To see how life had gone on without him. His parents were obviously glad to get rid of him and with his persistence of not wanting to be on the media had left them with no clue that their son was not unwound. His brother probably flourished, with every school over the country willing to fight for his attendance. Oh, the living room was just as he remembered it. Plush couches, a fireplace and and family photographs all over the furniture. There was something different though. A clutter of toys were littered around the fireplace. Some dolls, a tea set, and a large selection of stuffed animals. Conner turns to look at the family picture on the mantle and remembers taking it only a few years before. He was late and his parents were extremely annoyed but eventually the photographer snapped the image.
It was the last time they took a photo as a family.
But there was another family portrait, where the old one used to be. His father and mother smiling proudly with their arms around his brother and another child. A beautiful young girl with golden curls and Lassiter blue eyes. Conner finally understood. Once he was gone, his parents conceived another child, a girl they always wanted, to fill the void left by the failure son. He almost turned back then, his mind trampled with a overwhelming horde of emotions. However, Conner steeled himself knowing without this he would never get closure.
He paused at the front door, his hand over the doorbell but hesitated yet again.
What if his parents...
If I had done better...
What if...
"No", Conner spoke, the word crisp and echoing in the silence. I am who I am because of all that. And finally, finally, after three long years, he pressed the doorbell to his past.
"Dearie, get the doorbell!" He heard his mother call.
His father's gruff voice answered,"Are you expecting someone?" His footsteps drew nearer.
Conner's heart was pounding in his chest, his blood rushing to his head. After all these years, he was scared to face the very people who sent him to be unwound. But he didn't have time to second guess himself before the door opened.
His father's face was the same, abet a little more wrinkled, his face a picture of annoyance. He opened his mouth as he turned towards the door, "We don't want..." and promptly froze. His face slowly drained of color.
"Honey? Who is it?" His mother came up and looked, "Mister..."
Conner could only stare at his father. "Hi, Mr. Lassiter." and then nodded at his mother. "Mrs. Lassiter." And his mom clutched her heart and promptly collapsed.
That shook both father and son out of their current state. "Conner, I..." HIs father licked his lips and got out.
"No, it's E. Robert Mullard now."
"I didn't come here to talk, I can see you're happier without me,
"Uhh..." His father gulped, "You see...e..."
"No, I can't say it would ever be okay what you did but without it I would never have had the chance to put a stop to unwinding." Conner rambled.
"Son, I'm..." His father tried again.
"No. I am no longer your son, I stopped being your son the moment you signed those unwind papers, the moment you decided it was worth it."
At this point, his father stopped trying to speak and merely gaped at his son.
"I just came by to see how my brother was doing, the only one I still care about."
"What's going on dad? Is everything all right?" A voice said behind him
Lucas
Lucas Lassiter was having a normal day. He just got back from school and was walking back home. In his doorway, he saw something quite unexpected. His mother was lying like a rag doll on the floor while his father stared slack-jawed at a stranger.
Even as he walked up the driveway and asked, "What's going on dad? Is everything all right?" His father still does not look at him. Then the stranger turned around and Peter was thrown into his own world of shock. The face was mangled with scars and one eye was off a shade but this was his brother, the one sent by his parents to be unwound. That was the last image he saw before the world turned into a blinding white.
Conner
The Lassiters, he noted, were a happy family, and then he came and turned their perfect world upside down. His parents had moved on, his brother didn't want to see him...And worst of all he broke another child's family. When he looked up, his father was swinging a book at him. Dizziness and darkness quickly followed.
When he awoke, he was back on the aircraft that took him to his old home. His girlfriend Rita smiled sadly at him, "I'm sorry Conner, I..."
Conner placed her hand in his. "Stop, shh... I understand now. They were never my real family. You are. Wherever we are together, I am home."
* This is a made up date.