A New Horizon- Aiken's story- Facing the past
Disclaimer: I do not own Peter, Sophie, or Katherine. But I do own Aiken Gregory, his mom Katy Heart, his father Mitchell Gregory and his paternal grandparents Kevin and Amy Gregory
In this installment (it isn't chapter 7): We learn about Aiken's hidden past and the letter is revealed.
~ Flash back ~
San Francisco CA.- March 21, 1994
"Mommy." A little boy with a red shirt and dirty hands called out.
"What Aiken honey?" a woman, Katy Heart, asked her son kneeling down to him.
"Do I have to go to daddy's?" Aiken asked solemnly.
"Yes Honey. Daddy wants to see you too. He loves you." Katy said hugging her son. "Now come on get your stuff."
LATER THAT DAY...
"Bye Mommy!" little Aiken shouted as his mom walked towards the car.
"Bye Aiken. I love you sweetie." Katy called blowing a kiss towards her son.
"Come on Aiken. Lets get inside." Aiken's father, Mitchell Gregory, said gruffly pulling his son in by the arm.
Mitchell's house was all out of order. Things were everywhere. Aiken, though only 5, knew something was up when a lot of the stuff was packed in boxes.
"Daddy, what are all the boxes for?" Aiken said following his father into the kitchen.
"We're taking a little trip." Mitchell answered.
"Where?" Aiken asked excitedly.
"You'll find out soon enough. Now go to your room and pack." The father said sounding kind of annoyed. "Now get." He said smacking Aiken on the butt.
Aiken ran to his room. He was scared of daddy when he was like this. He started packing.
Buffalo New York- July 27, 1994
Aiken missed his mom. He hadn't seen her in over 3 months. Daddy had said that she was busy and that she would be there to pick him up soon. She just kept forgetting. But Aiken didn't think his mommy would forget him all that time.
"Daddy, can we call mommy? Please?" Aiken whined.
"No."
"Why not? I want to see mommy." Aiken begged.
"What you want and what you get are two different things Aiken. You've got to learn that." Mitchell said lighting a cigarette.
Aiken hated when his father said that. That ment no. And he wanted to talk to his mommy.
"Please?!?!" Aiken whined.
"No." Mitchell said slapping his son across the face "Now quit your crying."
Tears stung at Aiken's eyes. His face hurt from where daddy had hit him. But he didn't say anything else. He went to the bed and laid down. Covering his face with his pillow he started to cry, but daddy couldn't hear him this time.
Kansas City, Kansas- March 1, 1999
Today was Aiken's 10th bithday. But there were no presents, no cake, no balloons, no cards, not even a happy birthday from his father. He was in the living room trying to watch tv over the loud moans of his father and his girlfriend Kristy coming from his fathers bedroom.
"Why can't they just shut up." Aiken said as he threw the remote against the ground. It didn't break. "Why do they have to be so loud." He said bitterly and angrily.
"happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Aiken happy birthday to me." He sang to himself. This is what had happened on every birthday since he was 6.
Aiken went to the kitchen and took a cupcake from the fridge. He pulled out a candle from his pocket and lit it with a match.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles Aiken." He said bitterly to himself.
"I wish that mom would come for me." He said. It was the wish he wished for every year.
San Diego, California - March 17, 2002
Aiken couldn't move. Mitchell (as he called his father now) had come home drunk the night before and beaten him pretty badly. No matter which way Aiken moved his body hurt. Tears welled at his eyes. He wanted to be safe again. More than anything he wanted to be safe.
He made his way to the phone. He had to do something to help himself, to stop all ths stuff his father was doing to him to happen anymore. He was getting in fights in school now because people were saying things, and Aiken hated fighting. He had seen the effects of it to young.
He dialed the easiest number. 911
"911 how may I help you?" a voice on the other end asked.
"You need to help me." Aiken said desperately.
"Honey slow down. What's your name?" a woman asked.
"Aiken... Aiken Gregory." He said hastily, he didn't know when Mitchell would be home.
"Aiken, what's wrong, what's the emergency."
"My dad beats me up a lot. And he'll be home soon. And I don't want him to hit me anymore." Aiken said hurriedly and hung up as he heard the door slam.
Aiken looked up his father was there and his fist was already in the air above Aiken's head. Aiken looked for somewhere to run anywhere in their little apartment. But nothing to get to fast enough. The blows came faster that usual, his father must have been sober then. The last thing Aiken heard before passing into unconsiousness was the cop sirens coming closer.
MARCH 25, 2002
Aiken sat up in his hospital bed, the doctors were watching him closely, but he could go home very soon. The words had been funny, going home, when Aiken had first heard them. Home ment getting the blunt of is fathers anger thrashed at him. Aiken didn't want that. But Donna, the social worker had come and said he would be staying with his grandparents for a while. His maternal grandparents.
Aiken heard a knock on the door. A couple in their late 50's came in.
"Hi Aiken." They said as they came over to him.
"Hi grandma, Hi grandpa." He said cheerfully. It was the first time he had seen them in almost 7 years, but memories of them, the ones he had not forgotten in that time, were playing in his mind.
"The doctors said you could go home tomorrow." His grandfather said.
"Really?!" Aiken said cheerfully, bad mistake cause it hurt his ribs, that were bruised, to squirm to much.
"Yep." His grandmother said. "Now lay down. You've had enough excitement today." She said kissing her grandson on the head as he yawned.
OCTOBER 21, 2002
It wasn't really the abuse that had Caused Aiken to make the call to 911. After thinking about it, his father only hit him when he was High. Aiken knew his father loved him, (maybe only a bit, but still it was love) He just loved the drugs more, and the drugs made him do things to Aiken.
"Dude hurry up. Are you coming to the tracks or what?" Toby Metclaff called to Aiken.
Toby was Aiken's new "Friend" the kid was bad and had a reputation for doing weed and stuff. But Aiken had fallen into the wrong group. He didn't know any better. After living with Mitchell for so long he had become immune to drugs. They didn't seam like a big deal to him. He had friends that did it, but he never would.
"I'm coming Tob. Wait a minute." Aiken said as he took some money out of his grandmother's purse.
"Are you sure you won't get caught doing that?" Toby asked.
"Almost sure." Was Aiken's answer as they ran out.
All Aiken was really doing with the fights and all was testing his boundaries. He had never had them before really, and the destructive actions were to see how fat he could push before his grandparents would snap. Aiken knew they would eventually.
That night Aiken came home late to find his grandparents sitting around the Kitchen Table. A man was with them. It looked like both of them had been crying.
"Wha... What's going on here?" he asked.
"Aiken, this is Katherine Scarbrow. He runs a school called Mount Horizon. It's a school for teens that have problems just like yours. He's willing to take you with him." Amy said compassionatly.
"Problems, you don't know about my problems so just shut up." He yelled to both of them.
"Now Aiken settle down, don't talk to your grandmother like that." Kevin said.
"Why not? You guys don't know. You didn't even look for me and then I just drop in and you expect me to just be all hunky dorie? I DON'T THINK SO!" Aiken said screaming at both of them, the words he had kept so long from them spilling out like fire from his mouth.
"Is that what you thing? That we didn't look for you?" Amy asked.
"That isn't true Aiken. We looked all over for you." Kevin said.
Aiken shook his head. It couldn't e true. His father had lied to him. It was just to wrong.
"Aiken are you okay?" a voice called. It was Katherine.
Aiken looked up from the envelope.
"What?" Aiken said shaking his head awakening himself from his flashbacks.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Katherine asked conserned.
"I think I want to read the letter now." Aiken said, he had had it in his posession for over a week now.
"Do you want me to stay with you?"Katherine asked not sure if this would be a personal thing or if Aiken would need him.
"Stay." Aiken said wripping open the envelope. "It's post marked October 13, 2005, last week."
"Dear Aiken,
My therapist for drug rehab said I should apologize for all the things in my past. He said you mainly. But I don't think I should apologize to you. I didn't want to have you in the first place. Katie wanted you, not me. I only took you away from her to cause her pain for divorcing me.
I'm not sorry for the drugs, I had a right to do them, I'm an adult and I can do anything I want whether you like it or not. And I'm not sorry for hitting you either. It was your fault for being a wicked, evil child. Just like your mother. I thank god for the day you were taken away. Because then I didn't have to deal with you any more. I'm sorry if this letter isn't what you wanted but I don't care. I hate you.
Mitchell Gregory"
Tears fell from Aiken's eyes as he fought back angry words he was thinking.
"I'm sorry Aiken." Katherine said,
"I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM AND I WISH HE WERE DEAD. I WISH HE HAD DIED A LONG TIME AGO." Aiken screamed ripping the letter into pieces and more pieces until there were only little fragments left and Katherine gripped his hands stopping him from doing it anymore.
"It's okay Aiken, It's okay." He said pulling Aiken into a hug so he wouldn't struggle anymore. The boy was crying now.
"You can put it all behind you know Aiken, it's all behind you now." Katherine said searching for words to comfort the teen.
THE END
NOTE: Sorry to make the letter so mean. But I wanted Mitchell to sound like Purely evil. You see he ruined Aiken's life, well the pre-horizon ones. If Aiken hadn't been kidnapped then he never would have had to come to horizon. I also wrote the letter as I did so I wouldn't have to bring up Aiken's past again and when I did everyone would know what happened. Now he can concentrate on graduation and being a senior leader.
FEEDBACK PLEASE
Disclaimer: I do not own Peter, Sophie, or Katherine. But I do own Aiken Gregory, his mom Katy Heart, his father Mitchell Gregory and his paternal grandparents Kevin and Amy Gregory
In this installment (it isn't chapter 7): We learn about Aiken's hidden past and the letter is revealed.
~ Flash back ~
San Francisco CA.- March 21, 1994
"Mommy." A little boy with a red shirt and dirty hands called out.
"What Aiken honey?" a woman, Katy Heart, asked her son kneeling down to him.
"Do I have to go to daddy's?" Aiken asked solemnly.
"Yes Honey. Daddy wants to see you too. He loves you." Katy said hugging her son. "Now come on get your stuff."
LATER THAT DAY...
"Bye Mommy!" little Aiken shouted as his mom walked towards the car.
"Bye Aiken. I love you sweetie." Katy called blowing a kiss towards her son.
"Come on Aiken. Lets get inside." Aiken's father, Mitchell Gregory, said gruffly pulling his son in by the arm.
Mitchell's house was all out of order. Things were everywhere. Aiken, though only 5, knew something was up when a lot of the stuff was packed in boxes.
"Daddy, what are all the boxes for?" Aiken said following his father into the kitchen.
"We're taking a little trip." Mitchell answered.
"Where?" Aiken asked excitedly.
"You'll find out soon enough. Now go to your room and pack." The father said sounding kind of annoyed. "Now get." He said smacking Aiken on the butt.
Aiken ran to his room. He was scared of daddy when he was like this. He started packing.
Buffalo New York- July 27, 1994
Aiken missed his mom. He hadn't seen her in over 3 months. Daddy had said that she was busy and that she would be there to pick him up soon. She just kept forgetting. But Aiken didn't think his mommy would forget him all that time.
"Daddy, can we call mommy? Please?" Aiken whined.
"No."
"Why not? I want to see mommy." Aiken begged.
"What you want and what you get are two different things Aiken. You've got to learn that." Mitchell said lighting a cigarette.
Aiken hated when his father said that. That ment no. And he wanted to talk to his mommy.
"Please?!?!" Aiken whined.
"No." Mitchell said slapping his son across the face "Now quit your crying."
Tears stung at Aiken's eyes. His face hurt from where daddy had hit him. But he didn't say anything else. He went to the bed and laid down. Covering his face with his pillow he started to cry, but daddy couldn't hear him this time.
Kansas City, Kansas- March 1, 1999
Today was Aiken's 10th bithday. But there were no presents, no cake, no balloons, no cards, not even a happy birthday from his father. He was in the living room trying to watch tv over the loud moans of his father and his girlfriend Kristy coming from his fathers bedroom.
"Why can't they just shut up." Aiken said as he threw the remote against the ground. It didn't break. "Why do they have to be so loud." He said bitterly and angrily.
"happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Aiken happy birthday to me." He sang to himself. This is what had happened on every birthday since he was 6.
Aiken went to the kitchen and took a cupcake from the fridge. He pulled out a candle from his pocket and lit it with a match.
"Make a wish and blow out the candles Aiken." He said bitterly to himself.
"I wish that mom would come for me." He said. It was the wish he wished for every year.
San Diego, California - March 17, 2002
Aiken couldn't move. Mitchell (as he called his father now) had come home drunk the night before and beaten him pretty badly. No matter which way Aiken moved his body hurt. Tears welled at his eyes. He wanted to be safe again. More than anything he wanted to be safe.
He made his way to the phone. He had to do something to help himself, to stop all ths stuff his father was doing to him to happen anymore. He was getting in fights in school now because people were saying things, and Aiken hated fighting. He had seen the effects of it to young.
He dialed the easiest number. 911
"911 how may I help you?" a voice on the other end asked.
"You need to help me." Aiken said desperately.
"Honey slow down. What's your name?" a woman asked.
"Aiken... Aiken Gregory." He said hastily, he didn't know when Mitchell would be home.
"Aiken, what's wrong, what's the emergency."
"My dad beats me up a lot. And he'll be home soon. And I don't want him to hit me anymore." Aiken said hurriedly and hung up as he heard the door slam.
Aiken looked up his father was there and his fist was already in the air above Aiken's head. Aiken looked for somewhere to run anywhere in their little apartment. But nothing to get to fast enough. The blows came faster that usual, his father must have been sober then. The last thing Aiken heard before passing into unconsiousness was the cop sirens coming closer.
MARCH 25, 2002
Aiken sat up in his hospital bed, the doctors were watching him closely, but he could go home very soon. The words had been funny, going home, when Aiken had first heard them. Home ment getting the blunt of is fathers anger thrashed at him. Aiken didn't want that. But Donna, the social worker had come and said he would be staying with his grandparents for a while. His maternal grandparents.
Aiken heard a knock on the door. A couple in their late 50's came in.
"Hi Aiken." They said as they came over to him.
"Hi grandma, Hi grandpa." He said cheerfully. It was the first time he had seen them in almost 7 years, but memories of them, the ones he had not forgotten in that time, were playing in his mind.
"The doctors said you could go home tomorrow." His grandfather said.
"Really?!" Aiken said cheerfully, bad mistake cause it hurt his ribs, that were bruised, to squirm to much.
"Yep." His grandmother said. "Now lay down. You've had enough excitement today." She said kissing her grandson on the head as he yawned.
OCTOBER 21, 2002
It wasn't really the abuse that had Caused Aiken to make the call to 911. After thinking about it, his father only hit him when he was High. Aiken knew his father loved him, (maybe only a bit, but still it was love) He just loved the drugs more, and the drugs made him do things to Aiken.
"Dude hurry up. Are you coming to the tracks or what?" Toby Metclaff called to Aiken.
Toby was Aiken's new "Friend" the kid was bad and had a reputation for doing weed and stuff. But Aiken had fallen into the wrong group. He didn't know any better. After living with Mitchell for so long he had become immune to drugs. They didn't seam like a big deal to him. He had friends that did it, but he never would.
"I'm coming Tob. Wait a minute." Aiken said as he took some money out of his grandmother's purse.
"Are you sure you won't get caught doing that?" Toby asked.
"Almost sure." Was Aiken's answer as they ran out.
All Aiken was really doing with the fights and all was testing his boundaries. He had never had them before really, and the destructive actions were to see how fat he could push before his grandparents would snap. Aiken knew they would eventually.
That night Aiken came home late to find his grandparents sitting around the Kitchen Table. A man was with them. It looked like both of them had been crying.
"Wha... What's going on here?" he asked.
"Aiken, this is Katherine Scarbrow. He runs a school called Mount Horizon. It's a school for teens that have problems just like yours. He's willing to take you with him." Amy said compassionatly.
"Problems, you don't know about my problems so just shut up." He yelled to both of them.
"Now Aiken settle down, don't talk to your grandmother like that." Kevin said.
"Why not? You guys don't know. You didn't even look for me and then I just drop in and you expect me to just be all hunky dorie? I DON'T THINK SO!" Aiken said screaming at both of them, the words he had kept so long from them spilling out like fire from his mouth.
"Is that what you thing? That we didn't look for you?" Amy asked.
"That isn't true Aiken. We looked all over for you." Kevin said.
Aiken shook his head. It couldn't e true. His father had lied to him. It was just to wrong.
"Aiken are you okay?" a voice called. It was Katherine.
Aiken looked up from the envelope.
"What?" Aiken said shaking his head awakening himself from his flashbacks.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Katherine asked conserned.
"I think I want to read the letter now." Aiken said, he had had it in his posession for over a week now.
"Do you want me to stay with you?"Katherine asked not sure if this would be a personal thing or if Aiken would need him.
"Stay." Aiken said wripping open the envelope. "It's post marked October 13, 2005, last week."
"Dear Aiken,
My therapist for drug rehab said I should apologize for all the things in my past. He said you mainly. But I don't think I should apologize to you. I didn't want to have you in the first place. Katie wanted you, not me. I only took you away from her to cause her pain for divorcing me.
I'm not sorry for the drugs, I had a right to do them, I'm an adult and I can do anything I want whether you like it or not. And I'm not sorry for hitting you either. It was your fault for being a wicked, evil child. Just like your mother. I thank god for the day you were taken away. Because then I didn't have to deal with you any more. I'm sorry if this letter isn't what you wanted but I don't care. I hate you.
Mitchell Gregory"
Tears fell from Aiken's eyes as he fought back angry words he was thinking.
"I'm sorry Aiken." Katherine said,
"I HATE HIM. I HATE HIM AND I WISH HE WERE DEAD. I WISH HE HAD DIED A LONG TIME AGO." Aiken screamed ripping the letter into pieces and more pieces until there were only little fragments left and Katherine gripped his hands stopping him from doing it anymore.
"It's okay Aiken, It's okay." He said pulling Aiken into a hug so he wouldn't struggle anymore. The boy was crying now.
"You can put it all behind you know Aiken, it's all behind you now." Katherine said searching for words to comfort the teen.
THE END
NOTE: Sorry to make the letter so mean. But I wanted Mitchell to sound like Purely evil. You see he ruined Aiken's life, well the pre-horizon ones. If Aiken hadn't been kidnapped then he never would have had to come to horizon. I also wrote the letter as I did so I wouldn't have to bring up Aiken's past again and when I did everyone would know what happened. Now he can concentrate on graduation and being a senior leader.
FEEDBACK PLEASE