September 6th

The figure appeared almost instantly. Snapping into existence with a heavy looking cloak wrapped their entire body. With most of their face covered by the cloak, the brow and eye area were clearly visible. Blonde strands of uncut hair dangled lightly, dancing on the wind while the figure moved silently toward the back of the complex of homes built near Pixar Studios in Emeryville, CA.

As no one saw or noticed the figure, he carefully chose each street, crosswalk, and corner particularly, so he wouldn't cause a butterfly effect. This timeline is one of those rare timelines where the outcome isn't as clear or definite, and things can be changed by the smallest of things. The figure, a little bit taller than average, walked just a tad bit slower than most people, and was arriving at their destination.

Striding past the colorful mailbox that said Milfen Family, the hooded man stepped up to the front door, knocking four times. With the possibilities of this interaction turning out problematic, the man stood right in front of the peephole.

"Who's there?", a woman called out from the other side. The woman could hear a mumble from the other side, as if they were unable to speak English. The woman called out, "who is it?" Nervously, the woman reached for the cordless phone sitting on a small coffee table next to the front door. Again, the man standing at her door mumbled a sentence, but towards the end of his sentence, the man stated something all too familiar.

"Jonathan".

With no hesitation, the woman unlocks the door quickly, screaming out to the man as she swings the door open, "what about my son Jonathan?"

Covered from head to toe in a dark, heavy looking cloth, with his unnaturally bright blue eyes and brim of nose showing, the woman thought she may have been seeing him grin. He cleared his throat to speak. The sound coming out is scratchy and broken. "Hello Mrs. Milfen. I am here to speak with your son Jonathan." The woman looks the man up and down, noticing his left hand fully covered by the oversized robe.

When Jonathan was five, they took a family trip to Yosemite National Park. On the second day there, Jonathan got lost in the woods. The second they didn't see him, his parents, Sarah and Thomas, called the Park rangers and immediately began to search for the young child. "He's about this tall," gesturing with her right hand at her chest to the ranger, "and he has dark, brown hair", sobbing, after describing the clothes he was wearing. The authorities and Thomas tried to console Sarah while searching.

After a two and a half week search, Jonathan was found walking toward their camp. Slightly bruised and covered in dirt, the small child walked slowly through the mud. A large condor flew overhead slowly. Watching the child closely. A loud snarl released from the bird startled the search party, who gazed up at the bird and then down to see Jonathan.

Jonathan didn't speak for seven years. Barely eating, wincing with pain and fright at every sound, and covering his nose to every smell. He screamed in agony at every visible light source, covering both eyes with his hands and putting his head in his lap. Sarah and Thomas had no idea what happened to him, or what was even wrong with their child. She cried every night when he would scream out, waking from nightmares.

They took him to specialists, who ran every test and was unable to figure out why the child's senses were so sensitive. With no understanding of what was happening from anyone, they decided that the best action to take was to seclude Jonathan from everything. When either Sarah or Thomas tried to hold or console him, he cried out in discomfort. With that realization, they had no choice. Thomas created a bubble for him that catered to his senses. It wouldn't be until his twelfth birthday that Jonathan would call out, "MOM!" and she'd run up to his door to see that he felt normal enough to leave out. Crying uncontrollably, Sarah hugged her son tightly.