A week had passed and I wasn't allowed to leave the hideout they had placed me in. The hideout was in the abandoned joke factory where we tried to look for Eddy's brother. I walked around the factory and saw the adults training the kids in karate. The adults were experts with the patience needed to train delinquents, I sat quietly studying the training session. The delinquents were skilled and knew proper methods of training. One of their heads turned to me. Then his head suddenly went down as a kick knocked him down. "Class is over for now, prepare for the upcoming conflict." one of the instructors said as he was heading towards me. He looked familiar but I couldn't place him. It somewhat reminded me of when I left Peach Creek after that crisis.
Five years earlier:
"The audacity, that it happened again. This time even Jimmy couldn't help me out. Eddy you got to believe me I didn't mean for this to happen." I turned to what I could only see as my only friend. "Stay away from me Sock head, you did it this time. You know what kind of therapy Ed has to be in because of you. We trusted you and you would betray us like this. Kevin was put in the hospital with his arm broken. Nazz was embarrassed when you asked her out like that. The latest invention of the mad man like you, I truly know what you intended to be innocent, but you got lost in your own glory. Hell even the Kankers are scared of you, did you see the way Marie looked at you and she used to be in love with you." he said before walking away from me. I quickly tried to grab his arm before he escaped my oncoming grasp and turned to me, "stay the fuck away from me, your nothing but trouble." he said before running off in a sweat. I turned to the entrance of the ruined schoolyard and everyone was glaring at me calling me a monster and a menace. Ed was looking at me and crying, "the one noble hero turned into the most evilist of scoundrels. Begone you fiendish person." he yelled as he ran into the ruined school. The doorway was crumbling into dust as I turned and walked to my safest refuge, my home. Everyone of my fellow students that lived near me were walking across the street and calling me an inhumane monster and freak. I stopped by the entrance of the trailer park to my dread. I hoped at least I would find joy in seeing Marie, and having her chase me around. Oddly I started to enjoy spending time near her and having her swoon around me. I guessed I was maturing and I was becoming braver.
As I reached the trailer park I noticed a couple of greasy individuals stare at me and watched me cowardly walk through their neighborhood. I stopped at the Kanker's trailer and stood there for what felt like hours before ringing the doorbell. To my surprise it was their mother who answered the door. She was in a waitress uniform and smoking a cigarette, she had a graying reddish hair that was so curly it rivaled Lee's hair. She had all three of her daughter's facial features and was staring down at me with an annoyed grin. " Who may you be, and what in the blasted hell are you here for, boy?" she said with a cheerful voice before turning nasty towards the ending. "I am Eddward and I wwwwwwouuuullld likkke toooo seeeee Mmmmmmaaarrriiiee." I stuttered and she chuckled. "Your a timed one arnt ya. I have to watch you around my dear Marie," she said while laughing to herself before yelling. "Marie get ya butt down here ya got a visator." she said, "Jeezs ma, quit the yelling we have only two floors." I heard a soft voice said harshly. She had her usual style of clothes on with her hair dyed blue with her hair flowing down towards her eyes covering them. "Edd, what are you doing here?" she asked me with fear and shame washing over her normal flirtatious voice. I just sighed and looked down to the ground, "please believe me I am not a bully what happened today was an extremely misfortunate accident." I tried to plead with her, but she just looked away from me and she looked like she was crying. "Just leave me alone." she said before rushing into the trailer. I tried to grab her arm but her mother stopped me, "you seem like a nice kid but leave." she hardly said while looking at me with tears in my eyes. She sighed, "don't press it boy, give her time. If you're the one she calls double D everything will be fine." she said before putting her hand on my shoulders and padded it before closing the door. I walked home with my head lower than I ever had it, the tears were blocking my view of the surrounding scenery. I tripped over a tree stump and twisted my ankle so bad I let out a scream. I tried to walk from the area but I kept losing balance and landing into the creek. I splashed around panicking. Before a hand reached me and pulled me out. I saw a teenager with neatly parted hair that looked like a well done businessman. He had a leather jacket on, and combat pants and boots. "Kid are you ok?" he asked as I was rubbing my ankle.
"Thank you, kind sir. I am joyous that you saved me." I politely answered him and he offered to use him as a crutch to lean on while we walked towards the cul de sac. "Your lucky kid I was walking this way, I was planning on going to the recruitment office in town and needed to get some air before I signed the papers." he said before looking up at the sky. "You're planning on joining the military? Be Careful, it's a dangerous thing for your future." I said while we continued to slowly walk towards home. "Kid, you must think of joining the military as something not dangerous. What is dangerous is the threats that lurk in the hearts of men, the most evil of the soul lives in everyone and you must do your part in saving those that you love from the dangers that lurk out there." he mentioned while trying to help me up from a hill that blocked the road. "But it's wrong to fight, and to kill even if your life is in danger. You must look for the bright way for both parties. Instead of conflict, we can live in peace with each other." I argued back politely. He chuckled as I reached the top of the hill. "We may have opposite beliefs but we must have to live with each other. You seem like you have a great mind but you need to learn to defend yourself or your family. The world will always be a dangerous place even if we humans don't live here anymore the world will turn to a new kind of pain and suffering. Pain keeps humankind evolving and adapting to new circumstances. Pain and sadly hatred must live in the world so compassion can thrive in the hearts of good men and women. Even if you promise yourself not to kill there are ways to defend yourself. Learn martial arts, they can teach you self control over all your fears and will build you up. And with the wisdom you achieve through the hard work you will unlock your true self." he said while looking towards the sunset. I walked up behind him and sighed. "I am too weak for any physical labor, I keep myself to my books if I need wisdom." I said before he continued to help me to the cul de sac without a word. When we arrived at my house I noticed the hatred of my neighbors eyes on me, my so-called friends just turned their backs to me as some were lowkey chanting, "freak, monster. Leave us forever." I ignored them and the teenager who helped me knocked at my house but there was no answer. "Mother and father are not home yet. They will be late for dinner again." I sighed as he just helped me to the door. "If you ever need a reason to defend yourself, try looking for martial arts," he said before leaving my yard. He looked back and waved me goodbye. "Oh year kid before I forget, the name is George Walkson." he said before I answered him. "I'm Eddward Vincent." I simply said while waving goodbye to him.
Later that night after I bandaged my ankle and wrapped it tight, mother and father came home with grief on their faces. My father kneeled before me and placed his hands on both my shoulders. "Son, I am sorry but we have to move from Peach Creek. My job commands us to move. You have the rest of tonight to tell your friends that you are leaving and may never come back." He said with a pained look on his face. "It's ok father I understand" I simply said before limping out the door. "Eddward what happened to your ankle." my mother asked before I told her I tripped in the woods. She went and hugged me. As she let go I went out the doors and noticed the moving van already here. I started to walk towards Eddy's house before his words echoed in my head. The voices of everyone echoed in my head. "Monster, freak, leave us." I sighed before walking back into the house and walked up the stairs while mother and father were working on some paperwork.
Three days later:
The start of a new school and a new life. I soon rushed out the door while my ankle did hurt but the pain subsided when I was relieved that my haunted past was behind me and no one called me a freak. As I started to walk out the door and towards central park I noticed I was being followed by some individuals and I tried to rush away but I couldn't run due to my leg and I tripped. As I opened my eyes I saw some purple dressed individuals and they started to kick me while I was on the ground. As they stopped one pulled out a knife and slashed me on my face, the blood mixed with the tears as the salt and metallic taste enveloped my senses. My vision got red and I blacked out. I soon woke up in an Hospital with my parents and the police hovering over me. I tried to speak but I couldn't find my voice. All I could do was listen to the report. "Your son is lucky to be alive, he may regain sight in his eye but he also looks like he was strangled. This seemed to be an initiation ceremony." the officer told my parents before my mother cried on my father's shoulder. "Mother, father" I spoke up hazeley and with deep breaths that tore my throat apart. "I need martial arts."