Chapter 9

The young Edward stood in the doorframe and looked at the nearly dark room. Only the black and white TV produced a little bit of light. He could see his father with an alcoholic drink in his hand. "Dad? I'm hungry." His father didn't say anything,only grunting was a response. Edward was used to it. "Edward?-" The shaky and sick voice from his father asked. "Yes, father?" "Bring me another beer. Now!" Edward nodded and quickly went over to the kitchen. The tiles felt cold underneath his feet. Outside was even colder. The old wooden box was empty, so he returned without a bottle. "It's empty." The man scoffed. "What did you say?? I didn't hear ya. Speak up." "There's no bottles left." Edward repeated while looking on the floor. "What??!" His father stood up and threw the empty beer bottle against Edward's head. He started crying and covered his face with his pyjama. "Edward?!" A female voice; his mother, yelled through the hallway. She took a look at his face and then send him over to his room. "I'll be there in a minute, Hun."

While sitting on his bed, he heard his stomach growling and his parents fighting, again. A usual evening for him. A door was slammed shut and his mother entered his room. She carefully took out the class pieces and treated his wounds. She let out a sigh. "Hungry?" He nodded and so did she. "I'm gonna make you something, wait here." She left the room, without coming back. Edward had guessed that she was probably too tired and had laid down already. So he himself wanted to go to sleep. Before closing the curtain in front of his window, he saw something, which he'd never forget; under the big apple tree was... Something. It looked like a huge creature. Footprints in the snow were leading to it and the tree. He quickly closed the curtain and went under his blanket. He hugged his favourite plushie very tight. It took him long to finally fall asleep. Some tree branches were scratching against his window and the howling wind didn't make it easier.

He had been seven years old at that time. Only after becoming fifteen years old, he eventually understood what he saw and what had happened with his mother. Edward's father hanged his mother with a rope on the tree and the shadow imitated the 'creature'. It still followed him around every now and then. He knew his dad was guilty; not just because of the murder, but also because of the mistreatment. He ran away half year later and stayed at Susan's and her families home. They didn't mind and supported him. Edward started his police training just a year later. He wanted to help others and do the right thing. Four years later, he eventually arrested his father, who later on died in prison. At that point, he already had his own house in Alaska. On his 25th birthday, he met a nice and pretty woman in a bar. Her curly hair bounced like a spring, while they danced together. Her name was Emma. Emma Clark. They quickly became a couple and married just half a year later. And another half year later, Emma even got pregnant, with their first and only child, Connor.

Though, the happy days wouldn't last forever. Emma was a two-faced woman. After Edward became the chief of the police station in Alaska, in fall of 1974, things started to go down. At first, it was just screaming and yelling, were Edward always made sure that Connor wasn't home. He didn't want Connor to have the same childhood as himself. Then Emma started to hit Edward. Connor had been too young to understand it, so Edward always said: "Don't worry about it, it's just from my job!" Susan was worried about him a lot. Same as many other police officers from work. Edward always just said, that everything was fine. This act lasted for five long years. Five long years of abuse, stress and hiding. Edward has built enough courage up, to finally get a divorce. The only thing was, that Emma had gotten the permission, to raise Connor. He only would be able to see him on holidays. Though, that was okay. Emma didn't harm him. Christmas and Connor's birthday were always celebrated together.

In 1982, Connor was staying at Edward's house again. It was the 25th of December; Christmas eve. Connor was playing with his new and old toys in his room. Emma had already left by then. He then remembered, that his dad promised to watch a movie with him today. Connor stood up and walked with a big smile on his face, towards his dad's room. He gently knocked. "Dad!! Can we watch please watch E.T? You promised we'd do that today!" He proudly held the VHS tape in his hands. Edward didn't answer,so Connor suspected, that he had fallen asleep. Without thinking, he opened the door and stepped in. "It's way too early to sleep!–" He stopped and looked at his dad laying on the floor. "–Come on. The bed is just next to you.." He out the tape on the night stand and tapped his dad. "Dad~ wake up!" Now he started shaking his father. "This is not an excuse to break the promise!" Edward still didn't react at all. Now Connor was getting worried. "This isn't funny..." He didn't know what was wrong with his dad, so he reached for the brick cell phone, right next to the lamp on the drawer. The only number he had ever memorized, was Susan's. "Hello Edward! Did you burn your turkey or what?" "It's me, Connor! Dad isn't moving anymore and I don't know what to do!" Connor broke down in tears and Susan directly made her way to them, while calling the paramedics.

Edward was brought to the hospital. He had overdosed himself with drugs. Luckily for Edward, it wasn't enough to kill him. He fell into a coma and Emma didn't even bother to visit. She didn't even care at all. Connor stayed at Susan's house and the two visited Edward almost daily. Even some officers came over to see him. The nurses couldn't say when and if he would wake up. Connor's birthday and New year's was celebrated in the hospital with Susan's family and officer's. Connor wished Edward a happy new year.