Fairytales BoyxBoy

Chapter One: Happy Birthday

 Fairytales

Chapter One: Happy Birthday

                It was a fairy tale story that was the start of all his problems; it was this fairy tales’ end that he would someday fear. When he was young, Richard’s mother Scarlett would tell him fairy tales every night before he went to bed. Each night telling him wonderful old stories in new light, his favorite was beauty and the beast; because of the love she had for the beast overcame a curse. The story he hated but heard most often was much like it, but with a tragic end.

                 As a child Richard’s best friend since before he was even a toddler was Jonathan. Jon’s mother Sophia would look after Richard while his parents Scarlet and Eric went out or left for work. Jonathan was a curious child; he would help look after Richard with his mother, even back when he was a toddler Jonathan helped his mother with Richard so much so that is was no wonder that when Richard first spoke; “Jon” had been his first word. Years later Richard would firmly believe that, if he didn’t like Richard before that moment, he loved him after it.

                 As a child growing up, he was always with Jon. They often were either at Jonathan’s small apartment or Richard’s big blue house, Playing their favorite game, hide ‘n go seek, and in the suburbs, there was always plenty of places to hide, like in the bushes by the Miller’s house or in the shed of a back yard, and even under the porch. They also often shared their favorite toy; a panda bear named James, whom they both had forgotten who he really belonged to. They loved the bear because it was black and white, whereas Jon had dark skin and Richard was fair skinned.

                 When Richard was old enough to start school, he was very shy. The only other child he knew was Jonathan; everyone else was too ‘weird’ as he liked to put it. The weird kids didn’t mind Richard at all at first, but then they started to tease and bully him because he was so timid. It got worse and worse at playtime, and Richard would often be seen alone in the grassy fields of the playground to avoid them.

                 It all soon stopped when accidents started occurring in the school. First, one of these children tripped next Jonathan, then someone’s shoes went missing, and then another found his backpack broken on the floor of the school, displaying dolls that the boy claimed didn’t belong to him. The cause of the accidents remained unclear to the adults, but the message was obvious to the children, ‘leave Richard alone’.

                 Years passed and life for little Richard had become wonderful. When he was almost nine, he had his loving family, a lifelong friend, and a home that was warm and inviting. He lived near a wonderful park with a playground, a small lake he could swim in, and neighbors who were always nice to him. There wasn’t much Richard could think of that he’d want, because he already had most of it.

                 That is; until his mother never came home one evening.

                 He remembers that day like it had just happened. There was a knock on the door, and Richard ran to open it thinking Jonathan had come over to play, but when he opened it, a man in a black uniform and cap stood there instead, his silver badge gleaming in the lamp light; a policeman. He stood there looking down at Richard and appeared saddened by the sight of him. He had asked if Richard’s father was home, and he replied by calling his dad over. When Eric had come to the door, the man had asked if the two of them could speak outside.

                 Richard had run over to the window to glimpse his father and the policeman speaking at the end of the yard. It was not a long conversation as Eric soon returned inside and phoned Sophia to see if she would watch him as he needed to go out and do something. After she had agreed, he put down the phone and sat down in the nearest chair looking miserable and worried.