Part 2: The wonder years
Growing up on the Air Force Base was a difficult childhood for John Alex
Arntzen. It was hard to make friends, and his uncle was often away. When
he wasn't away at private school, he would often watch TV or shoot guns
out at a shooting range. He also loved playing in the forests, or on the
fields, watching the aircrafts take off.
The days on the Air Force Base were hot and exposed. If you were
outside, it always felt like you were being watched. All the military
personal around invited no privacy. However, the nights were dark and
deserted... almost haunted.
John never had many material possessions, not even toys. He mainly cherished a watch that was said to have been his father's, and a necklace which had belonged to his mother. The necklace was of a cross. John knew what it meant... a religious symbol. He wore it all the time and tried to hold his mother's faith by attending church as much as possible.
One time when he was nine years old, John snuck into his uncle's
basement... he was always a snoop. He stumbled upon an old diary which
had belonged to his father. He read most of it, and discovered that his
father was a killer. His father's name, "Alex", became a sketchy name to
him, for that of a murderer. His hopes were that the goodness of his
name, "John", would surpass the evil of his father's. John made it a
habit to never condone murder, even though his father seemed to have his
reasons.
Having a knack for getting into trouble, and it being common for his
uncle to be abusive towards him when he acted mischievous, John quickly
read everything he could in the diary and then he split. He left it
there, and ditched as soon as possible. His uncle was asleep, and there
would be hell to pay if he was caught. John never mentioned what he had
read, not to anyone. He always thought about it, but never acted like he
knew anything.
Another time when John was outside late at night exploring the base, he saw a mysterious light moving in the sky. He believed it was a UFO, but his uncle told him that it was a top secret experimental aircraft which they are not allowed to speak of off-base. He didn't believe his uncle. He knew his uncle's work probably had something to do with it. After this, he became fascinated with stories about aliens and UFOs.
As puberty approached, and even with his teens around the corner, John
never had a love life. He never had many friends, and was never a good
student. He never knew many girls seeing as he was rarely allowed off
base. His uncle told him that he would likely be a soldier when he's
older. Sometimes it felt like his emotions and wants didn't matter.