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Do You Know The Enemy?

It's cold. The only thing Colton felt was the consuming coldness. It’s everywhere.

He rubbed his hands together but it was useless. His surroundings seemed almost lukewarm to his glacial eyes. He didn't want to end up here. He once wanted to go to school. He once dreamt of helping his parents. But those dreams were crushed the moment he saw those "big guys" in his house. His mother had told him to go hide, silly child thought they were going to play hide and seek. But, as he closed the closet door, he heard his mother scream. Little Colton wondered what was going on outside. But if he got out of the hiding place, he would certainly lose. Now, no child wants to lose on a game such as hide and seek, do they? This is serious business. At least as serious as it could get for an innocent child. Or so it would normally be the case. But who said anything about normal.

For a moment he thought maybe it was a trick her mother was using so he would get out of his hiding spot and she could catch him. He giggled to himself. Mommy would have to search for him. He wasn't going to get out anytime soon.

"I- I don't have the money yet. Please tell him, please- I need more time." his father had said. He didn't understand what was happening. Wasn't it a trick? What money? Was he finally going to receive a present for Christmas?! The holidays were nearing, and maybe his parents were saving money so they could buy little Colton the soccer ball he had wanted. He had seen himself playing on the street with the brand new toy, but he had said nothing about. He understood. Although, he did notice that lately they had had the luxury of eating three decent meals a day. Maybe daddy had gotten a better job, where he was paid more. Maybe he could ask for the present now.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he heard once again his mother's voice. She wasn't talking, or screaming. This time what he heard were his mother's cries. What could possibly make his mother cry? He didn't want to make mommy sad. Maybe he should open the door to see what was going on... A little peek won’t hurt.

"Please don't hurt her." daddy had said "I'll pay you. I swear. Just- just give me more time." 

Was someone hitting mommy? Why? She'd been a good girl. And who was hurting her? No one should hurt her! Colton wasn't going to let anyone hurt her! As this thought transformed into something much stronger than empty words, he got out of the wardrobe. He stood there looking at the room’s door for a second, deciding if he should open it or not. Finally, he opened the door quietly and poked his head through the little opening. What he saw horrified him; he wished he wouldn’t have seen something like that. No child should. There saw a big guy holding his mother by the hair and two other big guys at his sides. Colton saw that his mother's eyes were full with tears, which then fell rolling down her cheek. She must be hurting, Colton thought.   

As his mother tried to get the big guy to let her go, she connected eyes with his son. She stopped moving.  In her eyes, everything else around her stopped. She no longer felt the pain from the cut in her head, or from the bruising cheek. She could only see images of what could happen to her little boy. "Go hide," she mouthed to him. But Colton, as the courageous innocent boy he was, shook his head and took a step forward. He wanted to help. He couldn't just stand there watching those big guys hurt his mommy. "Please," she continued "hide."  

Her alarmed pleading eyes sent Colton a clear message. He didn't understand what was going on or why he had to hide; but, if mommy said so, he had to do it. Besides, she said please. And with that in mind, he went back to his hiding spot, where he could hear her mother's cries. Why would anyone want to make mommy suffer? Colton was afraid, afraid for his mother, for his father, and for him. And what was worst of all, he could do nothing. He began hiccupping, as silent tears rolled down his rosy cheeks.  

"No, please don't!" Colton's father pleaded. The sounds from the other side of the door were muffled but unmistakable. Shuffling. Then a loud cry. Dragging. Somebody kicked down what could probably the chair where Colton sat that morning eating his colorful cereal. He missed those colors. Now everything seemed like an old sad movie, all black and white.

"Shut up. You gave us no money. You gotta pay somehow." a big guy said.  

"I love you, babe" Colton's mother shouted, but it wasn't directed at her husband. Colton's father knew who she was talking to, saying goodbye. Luckily, these guys wouldn't figure out they weren't the only two people living in the house.

"Say bye-bye to your stupid little place. This is the last time you'll see this sorry excuse of a house." big guy number two mocked. Slap. A helpless cry.

"I love you too. Don't ever forget that, babe" daddy shouted, and with that said, the front door slammed. He heard a disturbing sound of laughter and a something whistling in his ear. He tried to shake it off. But it was like it was coming from inside of him. Then, suddenly, there was a moment of silence. 

The next hours were a blur for Colton. As soon as he saw through the window his mommy and daddy drive away in a white van with those big guys, he began crying. He didn't stop until the next day. His mommy and daddy weren't back. But a man in a blue uniform kicked the front door open and said he had come for him. He asked his name and carried him to a car with funny lights in its roof. They flashed red and blue. Colton thought that maybe they were going to take him to his parents. But, instead, they arrived to a school. It was a strange school. Although he had not gone to school for that long, he was sure there wasn't supposed to be beds in some of the rooms.  School was for learning, not for sleeping.

"Where are mommy and daddy?" Colton asked to the man. His voice was barely a whisper, raspy from all the crying.  

"They aren't coming back, Colton. I found them. They said they were sorry they had to leave without you. But they wanted to make sure you knew they still care about you, so they decided to leave you with these other kids whose parents had to go too." the policeman said. He wasn't lying; he had found Rosaline and Jonah Powell, Colton's parents. But when he found them it was too late, the dead bodies were found with their vital internal organs missing. It was an image he wanted to forget. Even as a policeman, who could write an entire library based on the horrible things he’d seen, he was sure the sight of these two tortured people was a memory that would haunt him. It was difficult to look the other way as the two sets of empty eyes stared back at him, accusingly asking what took him so long.

"So... They are never,” his voice croaked “coming back?" he couldn’t believe it yet. Colton had feared this while he cried. His own parents had left him behind, like he didn't matter. But what he didn't understand was why they left when they clearly didn't want to go with those big guys. He decided not to ask, but that question never left his mind.  

"No, they are not coming back. But don't worry, you'll be fine here. Look, with these other kids... It'll be fun, won't it?" the policeman tried to make this unfortunate child see something good out of the whole situation. Although, if he was going to be honest with himself, the policeman himself could not see anything good coming out of this heartbreaking event. As he comforted the little boy he wondered how many more kids were out there, alone, crying in the cold floor of a disturbed home. In his face, a watery smile waited to hear something from the boy.  

He received no response from Colton. This boy didn't want to live with these kids. He wanted his mommy and daddy. But he kept quiet. Little Colton Powell didn't say a word, and that silence lasted for over a month. Some ladies had tried to make him talk, but he wouldn't. He didn't want to talk to anyone but his parents. 

After a month, he realized his parents weren't coming back for him. He lost hope, and finally decided to speak. His monotonous responses clearly showed he was not very interested on what was happening, but at least he talked.  He grew up, and finally accepted his life as it was. He learned to live with what he had, and accommodate himself to the little opportunities that life tossed to his stained and opaque bedroom floor.

Time passed by, and he finally reached the age to get out of that orphanage. Years after leaving the orphanage, he now rested his head against the cold bars, wishing he'd chosen a different path. Maybe if he hadn't thought it would be stupid of him to let that one chance pass. Easy money, who doesn’t want that? This one opportunity was served to him in a silver platter. How could a lost boy refuse? Maybe if he had he wouldn't be locked up. It all began with basic robberies, and ended with him taking away someone else's life. At last he was shut away in jail. That's why people say, a bad beginning makes a bad ending.  

Colton wished he could get out of that prison someday, and live a good life. He once again dreamt of studying, this time he would finish his studies. He would work hard for his family and give them the life they deserved.