Who knew running from Orcs, eating all my food, a hot shower and a pillow fight was enough to put a kid down for the count? I didn’t. I don’t know anything about raising kids. After Kaiden was asleep I made my way up the roof. I come up here to think at night sometimes. Mostly about what to do next.

I can get a view of the whole city. I’m not sure if I hate the city or not. Things haven’t gone great for me since I’ve been here. I’ve been working regular jobs with no success and my skills are being wasted. The one time I get some work in my wheelhouse, I get my ass handed to me by a damn super Orc. I somehow get a kid in the process and Mother Dalia thinks I’m the perfect person to raise this kid. Everything is so unnecessarily loud, even here, I’m not high enough to escape the sounds. There’s been nothing good here. Then to top it all off, I’m trapped here for the moment. Being trapped with a kid isn’t an option I ever considered.

Still, there’s more freedom to do whatever I want here. There’re so many new things I was unaware of. I’ve been here before, but being off the rails of a fieldtrip provides an entirely different view. Cell phones are wonderful, we only had land lines in various locations throughout the temple. I’ll admit, I do enjoy some joys of the city, mostly technology that’s easy to access. Despite cell phones being the easiest way to contact people, I can’t get Dalia on the phone. She gave me a list of places in the letter, but that doesn’t really help me. I don’t know if I hate the city or not.

“You know, if you really want your bed, I could sleep on the couch,” somehow Kaiden found me on the roof.

“How did you find me up here?”

“You left the window to the fire escape open.”

He takes a seat next to me on the ledge and looks out at the city. He looks at it the complete opposite way as I do. He’s almost mesmerized by it. He seems mesmerized by everything. Dalia said we’re a lot alike, but I don’t see it all. He’s got nothing but optimism for the world. Me, well sometimes I wonder if there’s a point to any of this.

“Where are your parents,” I ask him. Maybe I can drop him off with them.

“Where are yours,” he responds without missing a beat. Okay, maybe we are a little alike. I’d respond the same way.

“Dead. Now you.”

“Oh. Sorry about that. I ran away about three years ago.”

“So, when you were eleven you just ran away?”

“I was fourteen and yeah, I ran away.”

“Did the vampire pick you up right after that?”

“Nah, this old couple took me in. Mr. and Mrs. Harris were really good to me. He taught me how to use magic and she taught me how to cook and some basic first aid. They were really good people. Better than my actual parents.”

“You got any idea where to find them?”

“Probably a cemetery. They were already old when I met them and didn’t get any younger in the few months I stayed. When the vampire took me, they tried to stop him. I blacked out, but it wasn’t going well before that.”

“Sorry to hear about that. I can try to find them, see how they’re doing.”

“I was just a burden to them,” he shrugs.

“They wouldn’t have kept you around if you were a burden.”

“I know your apartment is small, but I won’t take up much space and I’ll stay out of your way.”

“It’s not about the apartment. I hate it too.”

“Just say you don’t want me around. I’m used to it. I left my parents. I left the temple. I can leave you too. I don’t stay where I’m not wanted. I’ll get my stuff and leave in the morning.”

Okay, maybe Dalia was right. We might be a lot alike, he’s got my smart mouth for sure. The feelings of alienation and isolation, I know them all too well. He doesn’t even know how to word it, but that’s what it is. He’s a puzzle piece, that hasn’t fit any of the puzzles he’s tried yet. I thought about running away a lot as a kid, he actually did it, twice. I’ll give her credit; Mother Dalia has always been good at reading people.

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what I’m going to do with you. I don’t know what I’m doing with myself most days. I’m not going to kick you to the curb. But, I’m just letting you know, life with me will probably suck.”

“Hmm…I’m cool with that. None of us really know what we’re doing.”

“True. You go get some sleep. Dalia gave me a list of stuff to do tomorrow. There’s supposed to be a green potion in your bag. Drink it.”

“A step ahead of you. My letter said to drink it.”

“What else did your letter say?”

“Said you would try to get rid of me, but not to let you. You needed me as much as I need you and that you’re not as mean as you try to seem.”

“Sounds like Dalia.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

“Yeah she really is.”

“Hey, could you tell me a story before I go to sleep?”

“A story, are you serious,” I can’t help but laugh.

“I like stories. If you can’t tell stories just say it.

“I can tell stories.”

“Doesn’t sound like it. I think you had some books. I’m sure one of those has a good story.”

“I can tell stories.”

“Then prove it.”