Salvatore Moreau wasn't always a monster.
Or at least, he wasn't at first.
Coming from a family of fishermen, his home was on the Moreau Reservoir, a place that Salvatore's parents took great care of. No doubt because it was their main source of income, as well as their pride and joy.
Two large windmills could be glimpsed in the distance, along with a small fish refinery on one side.
Fishermen and workers alike came and went to and fro around the place.
Surrounded by a long, wide dock, with the water bordering the entire complex, the Moreau Reservoir in its best days was an absolutely beautiful and lively place.
The family was well regarded by the community, being considered by the villagers, especially the workers, as good people.
Despite that, they had a secret, rather something hidden in plain sight.
An intense hatred for their only son.
Such was the hatred, that they were ashamed just to have him around, being rejected mainly because of his appearance.
Salvatore was a chubby young man, with strange tastes.
Due to the little affection and interest of his parents towards him, he ended up being a social laggard.
Insecure and displaced, he spent his time lying on the dock, with the water touching his feet, just there, silently, watching the fishermen.
A day in which everything was being the same as always, something he did not complain about, as he adored the everyday. Repeating the same thing at every instant was a passion that no one understood more than he did.
A voice behind his back called out to him.
-"Hey".
Cursing inwardly, he removed his feet from the water, and turned his body toward the culprit for disturbing his special moment of the day.
-"What do you want?". He asked in disgust to the young man in front of him.
The young man paid no mind to the tone, and simply smiled. That was another piece of advice from his mother, always address people with a smile, as well as respect.
-"I'm new here...".
-"And where do I come in?". Moreau interrupted him.
-"Excuse me?".
-"What you heard. If you're talking to me, it's probably to ask me for something. They always do that". Added the chubby boy quietly.
Jason smiled in response and averted his gaze to one of the large mills, looking at it appreciatively. While Salvatore was speechless. He was attacking him with all his anger and disgust, and still wouldn't leave him alone. Either this young man was an idiot or a kamikaze.
Jason finally spoke, after a while of enjoying the beautiful view.
-"It's beautiful". He said.
-"I don't understand". Moreau replied.
-"The place. My mother had told me it was beautiful, but I never thought it would be so beautiful". Jason began, his eyes sparkling at the beautiful sight.
-"The great Moreau Reservoir, owned by the family of the same name. Very nice people, I'm told". He added.
-"I wouldn't be so sure". Salvatore replied quietly.
-"What do you say?".
-"Nothing".
Silence ensued between the two young men, then a voice from the refinery came through.
-"Boy!".
Jason turned instantly, pointing to himself.
-"Yes. You. Come here!".
The young man immediately ran off toward the refinery. But he stopped halfway, remembering something, and turned around.
-"See you!". He waved, shouting from his position to the chubby boy, just before he disappeared from the boy's sight.
-"You're Jason? The new kid?". The attendant asked the young man in front of him.
-"Yes sir".
-"Good. Follow me, I'll show you what you'll be doing". He led him on, stopping dead in his tracks instantly.
-"Ahh, and one more thing".
-"Yes?". Young Jason asked, not understanding.
-"Stay away from that one". He said, pointing at the chubby boy sitting on the dock.
-"I don't understand, sir. Why?".
-"Why boy? Ha. If you want to continue working here, I would recommend you stay away from the boy. He's a bad influence, plus...".
-"I don't understand".
-"Look Jason... The boy you talked to, he's the son of the owners of the reservoir. Salvatore Moreau".
Jason's eyes widened immediately, but doubts were sown in him.
-"What's wrong with that?".
The man looked from one side to the other with suspicion, until he noticed that no one was listening to them.
-"Listen kid, I'm only going to tell you this once. Mr. and Mrs. Moreau hate that young man, he's an outcast and a straggler. If they see you with him, I assure you that you won't last another day here". The manager advised him.
Jason nodded his head, and looked decisively at the young man in the distance, he wanted to meet him, and above all things he wanted to help him. No one should be alone.
With those thoughts in his head, he finally followed the attendant.
-"Hello".
-"You again...". Moreau replied with disdain.
-"You've come to mock, haven't you?". He continued.
-"Why would I?". Jason asked skeptically.
-"Because everyone does...". Replied the chubby young man lowering his gaze.
-"I'm not everyone". Jason said quickly, with a small smile, to immediately offer him his hand.
-"We haven't introduced ourselves properly, yet".
-"I'm Jason".
Moreau eyed him suspiciously, looking for any ulterior motives in the young man in front of him. Finding nothing he ended up letting go for the moment, so far the boy had treated him with respect, as an equal. Precisely what Salvatore longed for most, to be treated like everyone else.
Still hesitant, he squeezed the young man's arm, in a friendly gesture.
-"I am Salvatore Moreau, though you probably already know that, rumors here are spreading fast".
-"Yes". The young man in front of him allowed himself to reply.
-"Even knowing that, I'm here, aren't I?". He added with a faint amused smile.
-"Yes". Salvatore smiled a little.
-"At least you don't treat me with indifference. As if I don't exist...". He added, with a wince.
-"Hey". Jason stopped him by patting his shoulder.
-"Come on, come with me, I haven't been given the full tour yet, and what better than doing it with someone who was born and raised here". He continued.
He was deliberately lying, and that Salvatore knew well. That aside, he thanked him profusely for trying to brighten his day, maybe, maybe this was what friends did for you. Moreau allowed himself to think, as he began to guide the young man to his side.
Two young men were sitting with their backs to the refinery, talking to each other as if nothing mattered to them.
-"So...why don't you do something?". Jason asked.
-"Do what? I can't do anything, no matter what I do they will always hate me". Defeatedly exclaimed the young man next to him.
-"Sal...". Jason soothed him.
-"Mother always tells me that things are settled by talking".
-"Pff, you again with your mother. You know, not everyone has a great family, let alone a mother who loves you". Moreau groaned with disdain.
Jason just laughed, he loved it when Salvatore spoke his mind, without any fear of retaliation.
But on the other hand he couldn't help but feel bad for his new friend, maybe yes, he had been privileged to be able to count on his mother, but he also allowed himself to remember, he too had fallen from grace, and at a very young age.
Eva. He thought, with a sad grimace.
Salvatore on the other hand, had a revelation. His eyes sparkling madly, thinking about something his friend had said.
A few days later, Salvatore's parents died, and he, being their only son and heir, had to take responsibility for the family business.
With too much on his hands, he decided to ask his friend for help, he would help him, of that he was absolutely sure.
Moreau would later tell himself that this was both the best and the worst decision he had ever made.
On the one hand, the employees were happy, business was good, and the reservoir had never generated as much as it did now. And the culprit was only one person, Jason.
The workers loved him, he was such a generous and gentle young man, with good manners, someone who always listened to them attentively. He was a gem.
But on the other, Moreau from that, he began to feel a growing resentment inside himself, he envied his friend, he had everything, a loving mother, people accepted him and he was extremely loved.
He hated him, hated him because he represented everything he would never be, Jason had everything he did not.
With that, another twisted idea rocked in his mind.
He went behind Jason's back, before the now renowned Mother Miranda, protector of the village, and admired by all with one wish in mind.
He vowed to do whatever it took, he would comply with anything, anything, to have what Jason had.
Mother Miranda attended to him and listened attentively, just as her son did in it, but with different goals. While her son's were kind, theirs were completely perverse, she would do anything for Eve.
She mentally smiled at young Moreau's speech, and what it implied.
Self-pity, acceptance. This young man seeks it all. A great subject to take advantage of.
He would be another good test subject, but not only that, this one would be different, he would be her pawn, someone who would do anything for her, and without even questioning.
From that day on, Moreau entered Mother Miranda's growing family, but, as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold.
She infected him with the Cadou, and his body did not accept it, so he ended up suffering the consequences of all his previous actions.
The experiment went very wrong, and the once young Salvatore Moreau, was now a deformed half-fish being, a grotesque being who does not master his mutation, he cannot change at will.
Jason was impatient, Salvatore had summoned him, telling him he wanted to talk to him about something important, and he didn't show up.
Finally the wait was over when a person entered the empty refinery.
The person, at first glance was a large and robust being, his body was all covered in black, but still the odd hump on his back was noticeable.
-"Hey mister". Jason said hurriedly.
-"Don't be afraid Jason. It's me". Spoke the being, and Jason froze in place.
-"Salvatore?".
-"Himself. Hello brother". He replied, approaching with open arms.
-"This... What, brother?". Jason stuttered, the thing in front of him frightened him, that was in no way his friend.
Moreau's face suddenly darkened, and he pointed a finger at it.
-"Don't look at me like that. Don't be cruel!". He exclaimed, covering his face.
-"I don't understand!". Jason groaned in exasperation.
-"You don't deserve to be his son! I should be!". Moreau suddenly shouted.
Jason opened his eyes, only to squint them quickly, putting two and two together.
-"Where is she?". He asked seriously.
-"Who?".
-"Mother Miranda". Jason spat.
His mother had not been the same since her "ascension" to what she called godhood.
Moreau on the other hand, immediately gave him a dirty look, something in his eyes had changed.
-"I won't tell you".
-"It doesn't matter". He said simply, making his way over.
-"I won't let you go. I won't let mother suffer". Moreau growled, his voice hoarse, as he began to lose his clothes, and gradually transformed into something even worse.
-"What?". Asked the young man incredulously at what he was seeing.
-"I can't control it". Moaned a trembling Moreau.
-"What's wrong? What's going on? Sal?". This time he asked fearfully.
Moreau at his friend's strange nickname snapped out of his insane state, and for just a brief second, Jason could see his friend through the thing he had become.
-"Run. Run Jason!". He exclaimed, in a whisper.
-"I won't be able to stop, I won't be able to take it anymore. I've... I've made a mistake". He continued, notoriously in pain.
Jason looked at him worriedly, and with a hint of doubt, until Moreau cried out once more in a contorted voice.
-"Now! Jason run!".
With that, Jason shot out of there, running at full speed, until he finally reached the entrance of the place, in front of the big dock.
From there, he could see the refinery being ripped apart by a giant sea monster, which immediately sank into the water.
Jason couldn't believe it.
What had his mother done?.
He knew she spent all her time in her lab, only god knew what.
This had to be her fault.
With nothing else to do, he had no choice, he would have to break into her lab and face the hard and twisted truth.
Salvatore Moreau finally gave in to his transformation. And he was happy, come on, just a little.
After the departure of Jason, his great rival in his love for his mother, he was finally relieved, no one would take his place as Mother Miranda's son.
Those who were not at all happy were the workers at the reservoir, who overnight were out of work, as the Moreau Reservoir in just one day had become a ghost of its former self.
The whole place was wrecked, the water was green, and on the walls, there were strange sticky and poisonous things.
Whoever was brave enough to dare to enter, ended up being the object of the new twisted experiments of Moreau, Miranda's new right-hand man in that matter.
And so, Salvatore Moreau finally became the monster that only his parents saw.
