Raymond Sokolov

Ray was born on September 22, 1993 in Moscow, Russia, and grew up during the post-communism riots. His father was a violent alcoholic. Ray blames his father for the death of his brother, Levi. Levi was shot to death by riot police at a communist rally at the Kremlin in 1997. Ray's father, Vlad, handed Levi a baseball bat and told him to attack a riot squad. Levi was only seventeen years old.

Following Levi's death, Vlad fled the scene, avoiding incarceration only by taking Ray and his mother, Nataliya, and fleeing the country by way of the Russian mafia. They were given forged passports and arrived in Atlanta, Georgia. Only two months after arriving in America and acquiring American citizenship, Ray's father remorselessly divorced Nataliya and left Ray all by himself. Nataliya plunged into a deep, alcoholic depression and neglected Ray. His grandfather, who was genuinely concerned for Ray's well being, suggested that he come stay with him.

Nataliya sent him to live with his grandfather and uncle in Michigan. His uncle was a doctor in the ER, and taught Ray about basic first aid and treating injuries. His grandfather was an avid hunter, and bought Ray his first rifle as well as teaching him riflery. His grandfather gave him a small .22 rifle and took him hunting often. Ray truly loved his grand father and uncle. However, after two years, Ray's grandfather died of a heart attack, and shortly after, his uncle, ironically compared to his job, died after a car accident in the ER.

Ray went back to Atlanta, since there was nowhere else he could live, when he was eight. He inherited a large sum of money from his uncle and grandfather. He also inherited his grandfather's Remington R-25 .223/5.56mm rifle.

Nataliya inherited much more than Ray, according to their wills. She quit her job and used the money to sustain herself and her lust for nightlife and alcohol for the next six years. Nataliya was almost never around for Ray, and spent most of her time in California. Because of the pain that was caused by Levi's death, and his father abandoning him, Ray tried to forget Russian. He used to think and dream in Russian, but soon after coming to America it was replaced by english. He even got a convincing southern accent from living in the south.

On his sixteenth birthday, Ray bought a 500cc 2006 Kawasaki Ninja, and a month later he recieved his cousin Sergei's 1999 Honda Civic from the government. After Sergei was given a life sentence for murder, his possessions were distributed to his remaining family members, Ray and Nataliya, though they never spoke to him.

Soon after acquiring his motorcycle, Ray met Bob, owner of Bob's Custom Cycles. Bob gave Ray a job, and it meant that Ray wouldn't have to spend his inheritance anymore to sustain himself. Sometimes, his mother would send him money, but it was once a month at the most and was never enough for food and utilities.

Ray became a very independent, yet lonely person. Never showing any sign of weakness or strife, Ray was stricken with the grief of his brother's death, along with his grandfather and uncle's death as well. Because anyone he ever cared about had either turned their back on him or perished, Ray had depression and abandonment issues, no doubt. It wasn't uncommon for him to sometimes break down, his bottled up emotions breaking loose. He longed to see the world, and specifically, his homeland of Russia. His entire life, he had never known the true meaning of family, nor love.

For this reason, he found it difficult to talk to girls, but his good looks and motorcycle often compensated for that. He was still good natured, and tried to keep what innocence he had left as visible as he could. However, he hid his flaws and addictions, along with his problems. Ray turned to drugs and alcohol, specifically cigarettes, marijuana, beer, and Russian vodka to fill the void in his heart, but found it could only be temporary. Of course, he only did them with his closest friends, and never smoke or drank inside his house to be safe.

There was no one he trusted enough to share his dark past with. As a result, Ray became an emotional rock to cope with the pain of being abandoned by his parents, and the deaths in his family. His subconscious did it to protect himself, even though Ray himself was blissfully unaware of what he was missing out on. While there was no other sources of emotional pain in his life, there was also no happiness.

The only thing that ever kept Ray going was thoughts of his future. If he got good grades, then he could go to a good college, and never have to come home again. What gave Ray hope was riding down the country road in front of his house with no speed limits, swiftly cruising on his Kawasaki Ninja at over a hundred miles per hour. It was all he had left, and one of the only things left in life that truly made him happy. Ray had many regrets in his life, one was not running away sooner.