When his father came in to see the new baby, he, too, was disgusted. He took Elias aside, and told him that it was what he deserved for sinning. The baby was a punishment from God.
The years passed. Elias grew into a man who resented his family. He despised his simple wife, who was far too involved with her children. First, there was, of course, Jason. An ugly deformed creature that only a mother could love. Then came along Diana, much later. Elias preferred Diana to Jason. At least she looked normal. But she was still a burden. Much like the rest of the family. Elias took to drinking and spending as much time away from home as he could.
Then came the summer of 1957. Pamela got a job as a cook at Camp Crystal Lake, owned by friends of the family, the Christies. One day, Elias went to the camp, to drop off Diana. Pamela sent him to look for Jason. He hadn't wanted to. He hated looking at the child of Satan, as he had privately taken to calling him. But Pamela insisted that he go spend some time with him. So he had trudged over to the lake, where Jason was swimming. There were no counselors around. The other children were teasing him, and he was crying. He swam further and further out, to get away from them. His father knew he wasn't a very good swimmer. Swimming out that far was dangerous. Elias almost cried out a warning. Almost.
He stood silent in the trees, not quite viewable to the children. If Jason drowned, would that mean that God had forgiven him? Elias thought.
Jason started struggling. It wouldn't have been noticed by anyone except Elias, since he was watching intently. He noticed the moment that Jason had distress. His head started bobbing up and down in the water. Finally, his head went under completely and stayed under. Elias waited a moment. One of the camp counselors finally wandered over, to count heads.
"Where's Jason?" she exclaimed.
Conscience hit him. He couldn't just let Jason drown.
"Go get help!" he yelled. He threw off his jacket and his shoes, and ran into the water. With just a few strokes, he reached the spot where Jason went under. He dove down into the murky depths. It took multiple dives, but he was finally able to grab Jason's arm. He pulled him out of the water. They came out on the far end of the lake, which was closer and out of sight. Jason had started sputtering as his father pulled him out, and gasped with air. The two of them sat on the far end of the lake. Jason put up his arms, to hug his father. Elias coiled away from him.
"I saved your life," he said.
"Yes, Daddy," he said.
"You owe me," Elias said.
Jason nodded.
"Run," Elias said. "Run into the forest, and hide. Only come out for me, you understand? Only come out for me."
"Mommy?" Jason asked.
"Not your mother, not the police, not the counselors, no one. Just me," Elias ordered.
Jason nodded.
"Now run. And don't be seen by anyone!"
Jason ran off, unsteady on his feet.
A half-formed idea that had begun as he watched Jason drown had grown in his mind. He could at least lose one problem. If everyone believe Jason had drowned, no one would know he had sired a monster. He could focus on Diana and Pamela. He could make Jason a shack in the woods, give him food supplies, and leave him there. If wild animals got him, even better. If not, well, at least he would no longer be his visible problem anymore.
Elias swam back into the water. He dove back down several times. Eventually, he heard Pamela's screams from the shoreline. He was joined in the water by Mr. Christie and the other trained lifeguards. But they, of course, found nothing. He was "persuaded" to come out of the water, as night fell. Someone wrapped a blanket around him. He held his arms out for Pamela, who came into them, sobbing Jason's name.
He got Pamela home, and got the camp medic to give her some sedatives. Then he went back to the woods. He found Jason hiding in the barn, which was not where he was supposed to be. Elias smacked his son hard. Then dragged him away. Elias remembered there was an old hunting cabin that no one ever used anymore.
"You will stay here," Elias said. "This is your home now."
"Mommy? Diana?" Jason said.
Elias shook his head. "You're too much work for your mother. I've decided you're going to live here from now on. I'll bring you food, but only if you stay away from your mother. She loves you too much, and she needs to focus on Diana. So you need to stay here."
"Mommy loves me?" Jason asked.
"Yes, your mother loves you," Elias said impatiently. "Now go to bed. I'll see you in a day or so."
It wasn't until a week later that he actually went back to the hunting cabin. And it had been a crazy week. Pamela had fallen completely apart. She refused to eat or sleep after the police finally told her that no trace of Jason had been found, that he must have drowned in the lake. Elias had been forced to ask neighbors to take baby Diana, because Pamela didn't even seem to register that she had a still-living child. She wanted Jason. Her silent sobs wracked her body, as she lay on Jason's bed, clutching Jason's teddy bear.
Elias had to keep calling the doctor to give her sedatives, to ensure that Pamela got some sleep. It also allowed him to go to the woods, to give Jason some things, and some food. Jason wanted his mother, and cried for her.
"It's scary out there, Daddy!" he said, pointing at the door.
"Then don't leave the cabin," Elias said.
"I wanna go home!" Jason said.
"No. This is your home now," Elias said.
Elias left, after giving Jason a hiding, to make sure he stayed where he was.
The funeral was awful. His father insisted on giving it, and since he was the family preacher, it made sense. It surprised Elias that his father tried to give Pamela some comfort, but told him, "It was probably for the best."
For a year, Elias was able to balance his life between teaching Jason how to live in the woods without being seen, and taking care of Pamela. Baby Diana suffered a little bit, from Pamela's disinterest in her. Pamela constantly mourned after Jason, wanting him back. But with a listless air, she did take care of Diana's needs.
Then came the night of horror.