《The Right Place At The Wrong Time》 Prologue "I really wish..." I snapped out of my trance after hearing Izzy''s voice, "Haha, nevermind! Forget I said anything," she dismissively laughs. This girl always had something to hide. Jeez. What''s even the point of hiding something you already started teasing on? I sigh. Come on Izzy, I''m dying to know. Might as well just spill the beans at this point. "Come on! You know you can tell me anything, right?" I reassure her. Come on, Stevie. You can definitely do this! Remember what they taught you in the Philippines. What do you do when you want someone to feel comfortable again? Appeal to their senses. "It''s just that, these past few months had been the best months of my life, and it''s all because of you. I really wish you can just stay here with me," she mutters under her breath. Did she just try to hide her words from me? ... Cute. "What do you mean? I''m always here with you, am I not?" I strike her a gentle smile. She didn''t seem to buy it, only giving me a half smile. "Oh? Why? Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" "It''s because you didn''t understand-- nevermind, I''ll be fine!" She tries to give a wider smile but to no avail, she eventually transitions back to pouting. She folds her knees and hugs them. "There''s absolutely no need to worry about me, we should focus to the task and matter at hand." She seems distressed. Did I somehow mess things up? Ugh, how in the heck did I manage to destroy such a beautiful atmosphere with such a beautiful lady? I pat her back, trying to comfort her. . . . She''s shivering? She must be cold. Understandable. It''s cold here at night. I take off my jacket and cover her with it. She turns to look at me and genuinely smiles. There we go! That golden smile we know and love. The smile so powerful that it can shine the way through this cold, cold night. Sitting on top of Haggrew Hill, facing the full moon right in front of us. I look up to the moon, she stares down again, smiling.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Wait, is she turning red? Damn, it''s that cold huh? "How many weeks have we known each other, Izzy?" "Hmm, who knows? I don''t keep count, I just enjoy the moments," she smiles as she looks up the moon with me. Her eyes glimmering under the moonlight. Her eyes look... beautiful. Really beautiful. I sigh and laugh. She looks at me like I had just insulted a whole city. "What? Why are you laughing all of the sudden?" She asks me confusingly. She doesn''t know it but I''m actually laughing at the fact that I''m really loving it here in the past. Most of it was primarily because she chose to accompany me in this journey. Having such a beautiful companion in this quest of mine, it really does make everything seem simpler. I got to remember to thank her for this, or for accepting me, a visitor from the future. It''s reassuring that Izzy believes me in my knowledge on what''s about to happen next. She calls it a "vision", I call it a superpower-- even though I got all the knowledge from all the hard work I had put on researching about this neighborhood. Honestly, once I catch that "Triggerman" and all this is finally over, I don''t even know if I want to come back to my time. I might just settle here. Yes, I''d probably miss the wonderful world of technology, but I''m utterly sure that I''d be happier here. . . . Definitely. Staying here with this beauty, life would absolutely be a dream. This beauty... "Hey, Stevie" "What, beauty-- I mean, Izzy?" What the hell was that, Steven? You almost messed things up! Stupid, stupi-- She looks down smiling, turning red once again. This cold must be too much for her. I have to do something. I rub my hands together and hold her cheeks to keep them calm, it''s the least I could do. She turns even more red, does my warm hands not work? I could''ve sworn-- "What''re you doing, silly," she laughs while still not trying to shake my hands off. "Well, you were turning red, I thought you were cold or something," I reply. "Yeah...cold," she mutters silently. It goes silent for a while. Could it be that I''m falling for this girl? No, it couldn''t be! She''s decades older and... how will we even make it work? Is it a crime to fall in love with someone from the past? Oh, she was saying something, right? Whoops. "You were saying something earlier? I''m sorry for interrupting by the way," I chuckle nervously. She takes my hands off her cheek and holds them. Suddenly, I don''t feel the cold of the night anymore. "Well, I forgot what I was gonna say, but that''s okay," she smiles at me. How cute. "Cute," Wait, did I just say what''s on my mind...? She didn''t push me away for that. I guess that''s a good sign then. "Well, you, Mr. ''I''m from the future'', your looks are very unique, I like it," she smiles. Oh, how I love that smile of hers. Her eyes close as she smiles. It''s adorable, I''m not gonna lie. Not only is it unique, Ms. Elliott, if only you knew just how much a hassle my bloodline is. It''s probably for the best that she doesn''t find out, or rather, her father not finding out, that could mean the end of me. "Also, we best get goin''! Papa might be looking for us already!" She stands up after saying these words. "Sandali!"("Wait!"In Filipino) ... What did I just say, self? Hope there aren''t any veterans around. Welp, I''m doomed, unless... Nah, I might not be, I trust her. "....sorry, what did you say? It''s too windy, I couldn''t hear," she asks confusingly. "Um, I mean-- uh, wait!" "Why?" "You haven''t explained to me yet what you told me an hour ago! The curiosity is killing me!" She just smiled and turned around, "Dense as always, Stevie. One of the things I liked about you," That''s a good thing, right? "If what you''re saying is true... And you''re really from the future... I really wish you can just stay with me here in 1927 for the rest of our lives! ... But I know you can''t." Character Sheet - First Edition This is the official first edition character sheet of ''The Right Place At the Wrong Time'' This is the version that doesn''t contain spoilers to the ending. Rest assured! The Right Place At the Wrong Time - Official Character Sheet by: LazDollarz The Right Place At the Wrong Time Timeline Present Time: November 19, 2000 - Izzaya (Formerly Coffin Lake), Haggrew - Time Travelling Day Past Time: June 13, 1927 - Coffin Lake, Haggrew - Starting Point -Steven "Stevie" Vincenzo - Main Protagonist Born: November 13, 1982 Age: 18 Parents: Tony and Judy Vincenzo Desire: To know more about the Grizzly Haggrew Murders and possibly prevent them. To ultimately save everyone that will die in the hands of "Triggerman". Eventually grows a liking in living in the Prohibition era and is hoping to stay there. Motivation: Came upon the dark past when he was forced to learn more about it in the neighborhood library, having seen that it had ties to his family name -- Vincenzo. Fear: Some inevitable circumstances will stop him from staying in 1927 to prevent the murder kidnappings and also live out his life there. Triggerman might also target him. Misbelief: He can eventually live out his life in 1927 after all of it is over. Strength: He is determined to solve and prevent the murders. Weaknesses: Na?ve, and can be easily overcome by his emotions. -Charles "Ford" Mondt IV - Steven''s Closest Friend in the Present Time Born: June 13, 1982 Age: 18 Parents: Thirdy and Janice Mondt Desire: Tried to measure Stevie''s courage by daring him to go inside the old abandoned house. Motivation: Eager to help Stevie get used to his new life in Izzaya. Fear: His new friend fails to adapt to his new life in Izzaya. Misbelief: Strength: He is determined to help his friend out Weaknesses: Looks down on his family background, deeming himself higher than them. -Isabelle "Izzy" Elliott - Eventually becomes Stevie''s love interest in the past Born: November 19, 1909 Age: 17 (In 1927) Parents: Admiral/Detective Thomas Elliott and Mrs. Emma Elliott Desire: To help Stevie in his mission to save the victims of the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings Motivation: Her belief towards Stevie. Fear: She believes that Stevie will leave and never come back once their quest is over. Misbelief: She doesn''t believe that Stevie is from the future but entertains him, she believes him about the Grizzly Murders though, since she''s open to the possibilities of seeing the future through visions. Strength: Supportive, especially towards Stevie. Weaknesses: Fear of people leaving her. -Charles "Charlie" Mondt - Ford''s great-grandfather, Stevie''s rival in 1927 Born: October 9, 1909 Age: 17 (In 1927) Parents: Gen. Davy and Jane Mondt Desire: To bully and terrorize Stevie into "coming back from whence he came." Motivation: He wants to keep his self-proclaimed "spotlight" in the neighborhood and fears that Stevie was going to steal it from him. Fear: He''s intimidated by Stevie''s presence and he''s scared that Stevie will soon take his "popularity." Misbelief: He firmly believes that Stevie is there to steal his "spotlight" and become the new "talk of the town." Strength: He''s determined to achieve whatever goal he believes will help him unless proven that it will affect him negatively. Weaknesses: His emotional quotient is quite low which is definitely a bad thing considering that he acts solely based on his emotions. He''s also pretty low maintenance. -General Davy Mondt - Charlie''s Father -Jane Mondt - Charlie''s Mother -Florentia "Lori" Wagner - Charlie''s girlfriend, Ford''s great-grandmother Born: December 3, 1910 Age: 16 (In 1927) Parents: Bill and Alissa Wagner Desire: To stay by Charlie''s side till the end. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Motivation: Charlie. Fear: For Charlie to abandon her. She also fears that Charlie will get himself into trouble. Misbelief: Strength: A sweet and kind girl that is ready to support anyone important to her. Weaknesses: She puts people''s, especially Charlie''s, safety over hers. -Bill Wagner - Lori''s Father -Alissa Wagner - Lori''s Mother -Admiral/Detective Thomas Elliot - Izzy''s father Born: 1885 (Secret Reference: Comment if you know) Age: 42 (In 1927) Parents: Unknown Desire: To bring justice and safety for Coffin Lake, Haggrew. Motivation: Left the army to protect Coffin Lake for his wife and his little girl, Izzy. Fear: That something bad will happen to Coffin Lake, especially to his family. Misbelief: That the city is full of vermin looking to hurt people every chance they get, hates the mob more than anything. Strength: His sense of justice and safety is commendable. Weaknesses: Gets too focused on his job now as a detective of Coffin Lake. -Emma Elliott - Detective Tommy''s wife -Tony Vincenzo - Stevie''s Father -Judy Vincenzo - Stevie''s Mother -Charlie "Thirdy" Mondt III - Ford''s Father -Janice U. Mondt - Ford''s Mother -Charlie "Junior" Mondt II - Thirdy''s Father, Ford''s "Grampy Jun" -Bonnie V. Mondt - Thirdy''s Mother, Ford''s "Nana Bonbon" "GRIZZLY HAGGREW MURDER KIDNAPPINGS" WARNING: EXPLICIT AND GOREY CONTENT. YOU''VE BEEN WARNED! Victims: -Edward "Lil Eddie" Hertz - First victim of the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings Born: Sometime in 1915 Age: 12 Parents: Neglectful Parents. Disappeared: July 4, 1927 Found: Laying on a bench in Haggrew Park State of the body: -Gunshot wounds on the torso -Mangled body and neck -Hands and feet were cut off and their stubs were painted black and red -Card that wrote "Trigger" hidden inside the victim''s leg -Jackie Veronica Nelson - Second victim of the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings Born: Sometime in 1911 Age: 16 Parents: Rapist father, deceased mother. Disappeared: August 6, 1927 Found: Outside of a brothel State of the body: -Gunshot wounds on the torso -Naked -Mangled neck -Mons Pubis was cut open and the female reproductive system was cut out except for the vagina -Raped(possibly by several men from the brothel): Semen and lacerations found all over the vagina -Card that wrote "Trigger" found inside the victim''s breasts -Dewey Miller - Third victim of the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings Born: Sometime in 1912 Age: 15 Parents: Rich but absent parents. Disappeared: September 7, 1927 Found: Laying in the fields, found by his maid and butler State of the body: -Gunshot wounds on the torso -Mangled body and neck -Skinned -Card that wrote "Trigger" hidden inside the chest cavity -Kim & Pedro Fernandez - twins, Fourth and Fifth victims of the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings Born: Sometime in 1911 Age: 16 Parents: Immigrants from the Philippines. Disappeared: November 1, 1927 Found: Both floating over Lake Coffin State of the body: -Gunshot wounds on the torso -Mangled Body and Neck -Had all their teeth pulled out, gums and palate shredded, tongue had been cut -Cards that wrote "Trigger" stuffed deep inside their throats -Johnney "Crusty" Vincenzo - Alleged Serial Killer alias "Triggerman" - Stevie''s Ancestor - Alleged Button Mobster (Hitman of the Mob) Age: 43 Caught on: November 20, 1927 Died: November 20, 1927 - Shanked by all the inmates due to being "Triggerman" *** *** *** -Isabelle "Izzy" Elliott - Had the most gruesome death in the Grizzly Haggrew Murder Kidnappings - Had the neighborhood named after her Born: November 19, 1927 Age: 17 Parents: Admiral/Detective Thomas Elliott and Ms. Emma Elliott Disappeared: ¡ª#*&$+= @#-&, 1927 Found: Found on the foot of Haggrew Hill on November 19, State of the body: -Gunshot wounds all over the body parts -Head and limbs were sawed off and laying on top of the torso -Skinned -Hands and feet were cut off from the limbs and the stubs were painted black and red -Mons Pubis cut open and female reproductive system cut out -Had all her teeth pulled out, gums and palate shredded, tongue had been cut -Eyes were plucked out and eyelids were stapled wide open -Body parts were covered by a bloodstained tarpaulin that wrote "Trigger" Chapter 1: The Clock Starts Ticking "If I had a time machine, then I would travel back to those days where someone had all the solutions in life." -Anonymous "We''re all travelling time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best and relish this remarkable ride." -Quote from About Time "If no one comes from the future to stop you, then how bad of a decision can it be?" -Anonymous "If you had the capability of time travel, what would you do with it?" -Steven "Stevie" Vincenzo, 2000 *** Is it worth it, altering the fabric of time itself, just to save someone? Hopefully. "Hey, dude look. Here''s another one, ''If you had the capability of time travel, what would you do with it?''" Ford laughs at the quote I just pointed out in one of the pseudoscience books we saw. He then started to point out something he found in a magazine he had just picked out, "What do you think about this, Stevie? ''If I had a time machine, then I would travel back to those days where someone had all the solutions in life,'' apparently, it was a quote from a famous movie about a gazillion decades ago," he exclaims while managing to hold in his chuckle. Look, we''re not skeptics or anything... ok, maybe just a little. But you can''t really expect us to believe in such a thing as ''time travel'', can you? It''s the year 2000! Well, yeah, a new millennium and all that, but I doubt time travel will even be close to possible, at least until about another century at most. "Hey, Earth to Stevie. Hello? Is anybody there?" ... Ford shakes his hands in front of my face while I was spacing out. "Yeah, yeah, I''m here," I tell him while swiping his hand away. "Don''t tell me your mind just went into another timeline or something?" he mockingly tells me. I look down, "There''s no way, Ford. This all sounds so impossible. There''s no way, absolutely no way!" I exclaim as I read a book about time travel with Ford in the Haggrew Local Library, "Look at this, Ford, ''Time Travel is possible by travelling from two points in space-time.'' Do you believe this pseudo-science? How is that even possible," I laugh at the quote. "A wormhole? Maybe? But how will you even form a wormhole? Aren''t wormholes unstable?" Ford questions. He''s right, you know. A wormhole is very unstable according to some scientists in the 1960s. But what is a ''wormhole'' anyway? It''s the curving of space-time and weighted upon by two masses towards each other to form a pathway connecting two ends. That is how people can ''theoretically'' time travel, given all the current information we have in this time period. Einstein entertained this idea so it must be true, right? But then again... ... I smirk as I mock the words that appeared in my mind, "As if, good luck surviving that." Ford stopped for a moment, "Hey, you might be onto something there, smartypants," he chuckles. I chuckle alongside him, "Yeah, yeah. There''s no way to stabilize a wormhole though. Tampering with a black hole?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Do you perhaps wanna cause the end of the world itself?" "Unless they can somehow make technology in this day and age to stabilize wormholes and project the pathways safely, then I might consider. But," we laugh at the words the second it ran out of my mouth, "in 2000? There''s ABSOLUTELY no way!" Ford kept laughing at the idea, "That''s some theoretical alientech idea you got there, Stevie," he gestures jazz hands while wriggling his fingers mockingly, "it''s a conspiiiiiracy!" I laughed at his mocking gesture and proceeded to copy them, "Ooooh, the government is hiding something, we''re sOoOOo onto something." We laugh even more until our gut busted. I laughed too hard that I started to lean back on my chair really far and fell back head first onto the dirty carpeted floor of the library. Ford loses it, laughing and pointing at me hysterically. I replied by laughing at myself for being such an idiot. Everyone around our vicinity started shushing us so hard that they overpowered our laugh by more than twice the volume. Wow, talk about ironic. We stopped laughing altogether. I swear, the shushing felt like it took more than a hour as I just laid on the floor, rubbing my aching head from the fall. Ford was slowly looking around, gazing at all the people shushing at us. Once the shushing finally stopped ringing our eardrums, Ford suddenly stood up from his chair and I stood up quicker than a person could blink, we started to apologize profusely to everyone, swore that we will be quiet and quickly sat back down. Now, the awkward silence of the library sounds even more deafening than the shushing earlier, added that the embarrassment was slowly killing us inside. When the awkwardness finally settled in, Ford suddenly whispered words to me, and I couldn''t thank him enough for doing so. I really have to repay all the nice things he''s ever done for me. "Ah, best two months I''ve had since...forever! Glad you moved here, Stevie," Ford looked at me with genuine happiness as he pats my back. I felt the same, so I returned his gesture, "For real, man," I told Ford as I gave him a bro hug. If someone here might be wondering what Ford and I were doing in the Haggrew Local Library considering that even though we are quite intellectual individuals, we don''t read that much. Well, it''s a pretty long story full of its very own ups, downs, tosses and turnarounds. Let me start from the top, we were actually here in the library to find more information about a murder case. But why in a library out of all places? Before I say any more, I''m obliged to give a little introduction about what the heck is happening. My name is Steven Vincenzo, Stevie is what they call me. This rowdy guy accompanying me is Charles Mondt IV, he''s preferably called Ford. We''re both 18 years of age as of now since I just had my birthday about five days ago. We currently live in a neighborhood called Izzaya which is inside a city called Haggrew. Living in this city for the past two months had been a blast, and it''s all thanks to this guy, Ford. He was the reason I didn''t go through the "shy" phase of moving into a new environment, mostly because we stuck with each other the whole time. We couldn''t really have it any other way, because frankly, there was no other way. We just had each other''s company in the past two months, and we had each other''s backs. If you couldn''t point it out already, I''m not originally from here. I was born and grew up in the Philippines, a small archipelago in the Southeast Asia. Now, before I get all nationalistic and talk about the Philippines and its remarkable history, let''s move on. Even if I was a Filipino resident, born and raised, I''m not actually full-blooded. I''m a half-Filipino, fourth-Italian, and fourth-American. It''s actually easily distinguishable from my name, Steven Vincenzo, just Stevie is fine though. My father, Tony, was actually an Italian-American man, he moved to the Philippines for some unknown reason. He met my Filipino mom, Judy, who was a doctor that, as I''ve heard, nursed his injuries one day. They eventually fell in love and had me on the 13th of November. Growing up, my father was mostly absent, only appearing every once a month due to his job. He couldn''t even be there for his famiglia at most times. That was also one of the reasons why I was worried about the time I heard about the great migration to the US because this ultimately meant that he would eventually spend even lesser time with me and my mom. Here''s how it all happened, it was the 18th of September, 2000. ~~~ Mom was cooking breakfast one morning when suddenly... A knock on the front door came. "Stevie, be a dear and check who it is for me, will you?" I complied with my mother''s request with a nod as I stood up and walked to the door. I opened it and a man in a suit and sunglasses stood at the front porch of our house. "Uh, yes? What do you want?" I asked the mysterious man. With no words spoken, he hands me a letter and leaves. I watched him step inside his black Chevrolet Corvette and drive off before coming back in. I unintentionally slammed the door hard, which made my mother worry. "Who was that? Someone that had upset you, Stevie?" I nervously smiled, "Uh no, I just accidentally slammed the door." She calmed down before asking about the letter. "Some silent man in a suit gave it to me," I told her. I hand her the letter. She looked shocked... as she opened and read it. Chapter 2: A New Beginning "What does it say? Why do you look so shocked all of the sudden, Mom?" Mom scans through the letter once more, she looks as if she''s making sure that she read the words right. She covered her mouth with one hand while the other was holding onto the letter. The suspense is killing me. Mom just looked at me while her face was still in a shocked expression. ... "See for yourself, son," she tells me as she hands me the letter. I never noticed until now that the letter was quite formal. It had a wax seal with a logo of unknown origin. It smelled of man perfume, which was considerably strong, but not too strong since it was still bearable to the senses. I opened the letter and read it out loud; Dear Vincenzo family, We are quite thrilled to tell you all about this great news. Here in our workplace, we consider everyone like family, and our very own Tony Vincenzo showed to be a valuable asset to the family. We are excited to inform you that he has received a handsome promotion from the boss, thus, we are inviting you to join him in his brand new workplace for a special mission he''s assigned on, which is located at Haggrew City, USA. You''ll be escorted by a limousine to a private airport, where a private jet will bring you to your destination. There, you''ll be living in a beautiful neighborhood known as Izzaya. The departure will be tomorrow. Get everything ready by then. Best Regards, The Big Boss. I couldn''t believe what I was reading. A big promotion that will need us to travel with Dad? How can this be? Does this mean that it will finally let me and Mom bond with Dad more, or will it make our connection with him worse? All these questions started piling in my mind as I finished reading the letter. Well, this was quite jaw-dropping, wasn''t it?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Dad actually didn''t visit this September, as a matter of fact, his last visit with us was last year, which aggravated both me and my mom to the point that we were actually convinced ...he died. Though this suspicion quickly dispersed when Dad started sending postcards instead of himself. I looked at Mom, the shocked expression of hers was eventually replaced with excitement. Her cheeks and eyebrows visibly rose. Her cheeks turned visibly red and her mouth curved into a big smile. She walked to me and hugged me in a jolly way. "We''re going to America! We''re going to America!" she kept repeating while she was joyfully hugging me tightly. I nodded and laughed nervously in response. Seeing my reaction towards the news, she stopped hugging me for a while. "What''s wrong? Aren''t you excited?" she asked confusedly. It''s not that I''m not excited or anything because believe me, I am. The only detail that really bugged me was... the high-quality service we are being provided. What kind of promotion did Dad receive? Don''t tell me, he bought a company director''s seat without our knowledge? Wait, but why do we need to live in America for that? It doesn''t make sense. But whatever, I just want to look at the bright side of things. Who am I to deny such luxury? At least Mom is happy, and Dad might spend some more time with his wife and son, ...hopefully. ... "Nope, nothing''s wrong, Mom. I''m definitely excited for this new opportunity for the family," I reassured her. Her concerned face quickly transitioned back to her joyful state. She started hugging me again, repeating the words, "We''re going to America! Watch out, America! The Vincenzo''s are coming!" or something along those lines. It''s nice seeing her this happy, who am I to ruin it for her? We ate breakfast and as soon as we finished, Mom quickly ushered me to my room. "You better pack up quick! We got a lot of baggage to bring," she cheerfully tells me as I go up the stairs to my room. Those words actually ruminated in my mind as I was packing my valuables. What about our other valuables that would be hard to bring? Do they have service for that? Are we going to leave everything here in the Philippines? I really hope we don''t have to. The next day came by quickly and the next thing we knew, some guy who looked jollier than a kid on his birthday was escorting me and Mom out of our house towards a jet-black limousine. He sported a semi-formal attire and his smile looked like it could shine in the darkness at night. He seemed friendly so I just dared myself to ask him questions, "Hey, are you a friend or colleague of Dad''s?" To this, he replied calmly, "Oh, heavens no! I could never compete. I''m just a level lower than him, but I already heard a lot of great things. Your father is a commendable man, lad!" Hearing this, a mental image of him suddenly popped into my mind. "So he''s that great, huh? I wish I could''ve seen it myself," I thought. Just as I was going to ask another question, he ushered us in the limousine and closed the door. The drive went on forever. The limousine windows were tinted too black so we couldn''t really see the outside and admire the scenery. There was nothing we could do other than just sleep on the trip. When we awoke, we were escorted out of the limousine by a completely different man. This time, he was a quiet but formally-dressed gentleman. He doesn''t seem to be a talker but I still tried to ask some questions. "Are you a colleague or friend of Dad''s?" Unfortunately, these words just fell to some deaf ears. The same formally-dressed man escorted us into the jet opening. Coming in, I hear a familiar voice that I hadn''t heard in a couple of months. Admittedly, it almost made me tear up. Chapter 3: The Start of...Something "It''s been a while, darling. I missed you both dearly," the familiar voice uttered. The man that owned the voice, the man who explicitly abandoned us for an insane duration of time. The man who we thought had died somewhere. The man who thought that a postcard was better than his presence. . . . And I just snapped. "A...while? A while?!" I heard myself shout, "You''ve gone off to ''God knows where'' for the past 9 months, Dad!" And with that, the impending volcano inside me had just erupted. I didn''t know what had come over me that morning. Was it because of the lack of sleep? No, it couldn''t have been. I slept in the limousine the whole trip. Was it because of the anxiety of overthinking why we... just a small non-elitist family ...are being treated with utmost quality service? Possibly. Or was it because of the mere fact that he, the person who you''d never expect to ever do such a thing, had abandoned us for the past couple of months? . . . Yes, quite evidently so. I guess, what I''m trying to say is, This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ... "We missed you, dad. I missed you. Mom missed you dearly. Where the hell have you been?" With those words, and a lot more, while Mom was trying to pull me back before I even went close to Dad and beat the living hell out of him, I passed out due to exhaustion. Was all those words necessary? Did I go too far? I mean, the other option would''ve been to forget all the mean things he intentionally or unintentionally did to the family. I could''ve just greeted him and returned the gesture by hugging him to express just how much... I missed him. No... He deserved it. He definitely did. I needed closure, at least if it''s for just that moment. He needed to know just how messed up he made us feel. So, did he really deserve every last word of hatred that went out of my mouth? Well, I can''t really point to an absolute answer right now. One thing''s for sure, the deed is already done, . . . and there''s no turning back. I woke up sitting in the back of a Black Sedan. "Huh? Wh¡ª," I was still a little woozy from the exhaustion. I rubbed my eyes, since my eyes were still a little blurry. I was trying to get a clearer vision when Mom, who was sitting in the passenger seat, handed me a bottle of water. As I drank it, I looked at the person sitting in the driver''s seat. "Dad...?" I asked the driver, who I presumed to be my father. "No, not your dad, kid," said the man. Kid? I''m technically an adult, moron. I shrug it off. "Mom, who''s he? Where''s Dad?" I asked Mom. She just struck me with a look of worry, "Well, Stevie, your father has more business to attend to." Typical. I should have known. Mom, why do you always take his side, after everything he has done to us? "Your father is safe, kid. Rest assured. All you need to worry about is warming up to the lifestyle here in the US of A," the driver told me. We''re already here, huh? Well, figures. "Wait, what about our old furniture that was still in the Philippines?" I had to ask, suddenly remembering the dilemma around it. "All taken care of, no need to stress yourself on these things, you just take care of yourself, kid. Enjoy your childhood a little," the man tells me seriously while driving. Okay, this whole ''kid'' thing is starting to piss me off. Do I really look that young? Well I mean, probably, because I''m half-Asian, but calling me a kid is a bit of a stretch, isn''t it? Am I overthinking this too much? I sigh. "Why so glum, tiger?" Mom reaches for my cheek and holds it. "I''m fine, Mom. Thank you for worrying," I replied in return. "You know you can tell your mother everything, sweetie," she smiles in her gentle and motherly way. "I know, Mom," I held her hand and pressed my cheek upon it more. "No matter how old you get, you''ll always be my baby boy." I smile back in return. We arrived in front of a house. It''s a pretty standard house, like what you typically see on the television or on media online. It looked quite new, almost as if it had just been built for us. My mom and I got out of the car with our carry-on luggage to get a better view of our home, and as we did, the man suddenly rolled his window down and struck us with an unusual piece of advice, "That reminds me, Mrs. Vincenzo. Remember to not mention your last name in this neighborhood, much more in the entire city of Haggrew, got that? This goes for you too, Steven," the driver tells us. Wait, why do we have to hide our true identities? Mom seemed pretty calm about it, compliant even, but I have to ask. "Why do we have to do that?" I asked the driver persistently. He visibly sighed, looking rather annoyed. After a short pause, he finally answered my question, though short, "It''s a long story, kid. But to summarize, your surname is pretty infamous here. Just be careful, you could really attract some bad company." I understood the gist of his explanation, but I guess I just have to find the long story myself. Though I cannot deny, it made me even more curious about everything. A couple of questions started circling my mind. What''s with our family name? Was it my ancestor of some sorts? What did they do? All these questions, yet no definite answers. The Sedan drives off. A moving truck comes almost immediately, replacing the presence of the previous car entirely. A brand new lifestyle, in a brand new house, in a brand new country. What more should we expect . . . other than the peeping neighbor next door? What''s his deal? Chapter 4: The Life of Pi-e "Ah, it''s all done! We can finally rest, Mom," I inform her while catching my breath after helping the movers with the sofa. My mom, who was arranging the knick-knacks in the other room, shouted in response, "That''s great, honey! I''ll be right over." We were finally done with everything, all the rooms are fully furnished and clean. I took a seat on the sofa, still trying to catch my breath. It''s understandable that refurnishing and cleaning the house should be done as soon as possible for maximum efficiency and productivity, but damn, we got to finish all that within a day and it''s still afternoon. Looking back at everything that happened so far in this migration, it''s been one hell of a day. I''ll be damned if my life here in Izzaya, Haggrew City will be as troubling as moving in. What kind of neighborhood name is Izzaya anyway? It''s such a unique yet interesting name for a neighborhood that you''d think it''d gain a lot more traction nationwide for its uniqueness. Then again, there''s still a lot more unique neighborhood and city names that beats Izzaya in a long shot. I can''t blame the townspeople for thinking up this name though, maybe there''s a history behind it. Like a name of a witch from the pilgrim times or something. Meh. I don''t really care all that much about the neighborhood''s history. Who cares about it anyway? I''m not some history geek. All I know is, This will be my new home from now on. Though the neighborhood did look nice when I caught a glimpse of it. Maybe I can give this place a shot. Maybe take a look around some other time. For now, let me just chill and rest for a bit. The moving was quite literally, a chore. We had to wake up as early as 5 AM, lugging all the bags we could bring to the limousine that brought us to the hanger. We met that overly friendly guy that idolized Dad. Then when we got to the hangar, we met that quiet and formally-dressed man. Jeez, I didn''t realized that my dad, Tony Vincenzo, had so much influence. Frankly... That''s not the kind of man I remember him to be. Tony Vincenzo was... how do you say, the most gentle person I have ever met. He used to be someone that pleased everyone wherever he goes. He made everyone smile with his gentle heart and kindness. Even though he appeared weaker than most men his age, he still tried to protect everyone he loved and cherished. And my mom, Judy, and I loved him for it. He was our hero. Our gentle giant. He used to always play with me whenever he had the chance, hang out with us in the mall as much as possible, go on trips with us,Stolen story; please report. overall a family man. He used to always help anyone whenever possible, no questions asked. . . . Then he just suddenly stopped. He became more distant. He became colder. It''s like he wasn''t the same person anymore. Ever since he... A sudden knock on the front door snapped me out of trance. "Huh? Where am I?" I was so deep in thought that, for a moment, I had forgotten where I was. I looked around and finally realized where I was. "Oh right, it''s September 19th, we just migrated into another country." Maybe it''s the jetlag, or maybe I just have a terrible habit of overthinking, but something''s not right, I feel dizzy all of the sudden. "Stevie sweetie, can you check who it is?" I heard mom call from the kitchen. Huh? Who what is? Another knock came, this time more aggressively. Oh right. Damn, I must be out of it lately. I got up from the couch and walked out of the living room. Pretty soon I was facing the front door. Another knock came with the same aggression from the previous knock. Jeez, can this person be patient for just a sec? I''m still collecting my thoughts and the aggressive knocking doesn''t help. I opt to look at the peephole first before unlocking the door for this stranger. We can never be too careful. Who knows? It might be a serial killer looking to find their new victims. Okay, it''s in broad daylight but it''s still a possibility. Just as I placed my eye onto the peephole, the person suddenly knocks aggressively again. Bam! I fell to the floor, having been startled by this person''s knocks. "You okay, honey?" My mom worriedly takes a peep from the corner of the wall from the kitchen to check on me. "I''m okay." I replied. Though my ass did take a little beating from the fall, I can just walk it off, nothing serious. I got back on my feet, brushed myself off, and attempted to peep at the peephole a second time. If this person startles me one more time, I swear... Oh. Seems to be just some guy around my age. Seems safe enough. I unlocked a couple extra locks from my front door. Huh, I just now realized how suspiciously secured our house is, is this neighborhood that scary? Well, who am I to question an extra sense of security? I opened the door, rubbing my behind from the pain of the fall. "Yes, what?" The guy nervously laughs. He''s holding what looks to be a box of some sorts. Okay, my suspicious meter is going up. He opens up and I can make up some of his words, but he stuttered too much. "Oh.. um-- haha, h-hello you! h-haha." He nervously utters. Is this guy okay? Should I call a hospital or something? This guy seems harmless, I think I can let my guard down for now. "You okay?" I asked him while having a confused look on my face. "Um, I... I-I''m sorry for interrupting your time." He tries to tell me. So far, so good, buddy. Take your time. "It''s cool, man. Take your time." I chuckle a bit to show him that I''m pretty laidback and he has nothing to be afraid of. "M-my name is Charles Mondt IV. I''m an 18-year-old. You and your family must be new here... if I''m not wrong." He tells me with a nervous chuckle in the end. "Fourth?" Damn, this guy''s bloodline must be cool or totally bonkers to straight-up call all their son the same name for four generations. "Um, yeah. I go by Ford." He replies. "Alright then, Ford. I''m Steven. You can just call me Stevie, and yes. We just moved in. I''m turning 18 in about two months, in November 13." I reply back. "Oh, advanced happy birthday then, Stevie." He replied in return. This is going good so far. Damn, it''s nice to see someone go from shy to getting a little comfortable. I offer my hand for a handshake. He struggles to hold the small box in one hand to give me a handshake. "What''s in the box anyway? You seem extra careful with it." I ask Ford. "Oh, uh-- it''s actually for your family. M-my kind gesture to welcome you to Izzaya. It''s a piece of caramel pie with nuts. Problem is, I only bought one slice, sorry about that, Stevie." He chuckles nervously. H-hold on. Caramel pie... WITH NUTS?! How the holy hell did this guy guess my favorite dessert? Oh. My. God. The sweet hard caramel top that entices your taste buds in all places of your mouth. The soft and moist caramel that, when you bite, bounces softly in your mouth but dissolves in your saliva. The added texture of the peanuts on the top that gives a crispy but savory taste that compliments the caramel sweetness. "Uh, Stevie?" "Wait for me right here, Ford.. just for a second." I nervously chuckle while holding my pointer finger up. I immediately rushed to the kitchen to my mom, Judy, leaving the front door wide open. I know, I know, I should be more careful but there''s no way Ford can be dangerous. He''s feeble, shy, and most importantly, he has pie! "Mom!" I shouted in excitement. "Oh? Who was at the door that got you very excited all of the sudden, anak(''My child'' in Filipino)?" My mom asks me with a sweet and inviting smile. "So, it''s this guy from the neighborhood, he''s around my age, and he brought caramel pie." "Yeah? We can eat it later together then!" "It''s only one slice though..." I look away. "It''s okay then, go eat it with your friend, anak." She smiles at me with that signature warm smile of hers. I rush back to Ford outside the front door. "Ford, can... " "Can?" He confusingly asks. "Can...we . . . eat it right now?" He stops and laughs. After some time, he nods. "Yes of course, that''s what I intended. There''s a bench just around here. Wanna do a little ''get to know each other'', dude?" "Cool, I''m down, as long as I get to eat that piece of pie." He laughs once more. We walk towards just the outside of our front lawn and surprisingly, there was a bench right there. Huh, how come I didn''t notice that? We sat down and then he hands me the box of pie with a small fork. "So Stevie," I didn''t pick up the fork, I just picked up the whole piece of pie and gobbled it up nicely and neatly. "Sorry, you were saying something, Ford?" "Yeah . . . Sorry in advance." "What do you mean--" Just then, my eyelids began to slowly drop without my intention. I couldn''t open them up. For some reason, I felt drowsy... Sleepy... "Ford..." It was... probably... . . . the pie. Chapter 5: Under Pressure "Sorry in advance..." The last words I heard from a guy that I mistrusted. How can I fall for such a lowly trick? How stupid of me. The moment I heard those words, my eyelids suddenly grew heavy and my body wanted to lay down on anything. I became so overly fatigued and tired that it was distressing. As I lay the box that contained the possibly poisoned pie to my side of the bench, I quickly and sneakily picked up the fork inside. As my body got slowly heavy, I opted to fall on the sidewalk slowly so I can be out in the open as much as possible if someone might see us. Before my body touched the cemented sidewalk, I sneakily hid the fork in one of the deep back pockets of my pants and carefully made sure it was hidden. I had one last blurry look at the guy known as "Ford Mondt". You sneaky son of a bitch. You''ve outplayed me. Bravo. I must say the act was quite genius. And with these final thoughts, I slipped out of consciousness. Thud! ...went my body onto the sidewalk in front of the bench we were sitting. Darkness quickly overcame my sight... and I couldn''t see a thing. Just... Pure.... Darkness. And suddenly, thoughts just started pouring into my mind. What will happen to me? Who was he really? Was everything just an act? Will he kill me? Do I have any valuables on my person? Hmmm... Okay, I don''t have any valuables on me. So he won''t get anything from me if his intention was to rob me. Besides, My mom knows his face¡ª Wait... NO SHE DOESN''T. She didn''t see his face, in fact, she just stayed in the kitchen that time. Will I just suddenly disappear from this world? Will I be proclaimed missing and never be found again? And I will just end up in the news, as a guy that just got swept up by the water at some shore of a lake? Damn. That sounds pathetic and embarrassing. I can''t help but laugh at my fate. I have never really achieved anything in my life. Pathetic. Embarrassing. I had so much to do. So much in mind. So much plans. Dreams. Hopes.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And in the end, will it all be for nothing? Unless... he doesn''t kill me? If ever, what more does he plan to do with me? Take me for ransom? Then I have to ask for something from my absent Dad. That would be... BEYOND embarrassing. Just kill me if ever. I''ll just be a nuisance to my parents. They will need to spend a huge amount of money for me. Millions? Possibly take a loan from the Haggrew City Bank? All that hassle. What am I saying? Ah. I can see the light. Am I dead? Well, my life hasn''t been that much fulfilling¡ªwait, no. I''m waking up. Everything is still a little blurry. Ugh, my head hurts. Where might that guy be? Maybe I can ask for some Tylenol before he kills me. Ah, my vision is getting a little better. Hmmm, now to assess my situation. I take a look at my surroundings. Hmmm, I''m in some type of backyard? I''m facing backwards and I may be tied to an office chair of sorts. My hands are tied behind my back. My head can be moved around at least. Let''s see. Wait, is that... No way. That''s our house right next door! So this guy from next door thinks that kidnapping me and tying me up in his backyard is such a smart move huh? Don''t make me laugh. How amateur can you be? I can just shout¡ª my mouth is bound too? Hmmm, this must be that creep that peeked at us when we arrived. Oh right! The fork in my back pocket! How convenient can you be? Ah, sometimes I just surprise myself with my intellect and resourcefulness. Now to take it out of my pocket. Hmmm, the material that binds my hands behind my back seems to just be duct tape. Yeah, this is doable. "Ah, looks like you''re finally awake." A familiar voice can be heard from behind me. Oh no! The fork! I need to hide it quick. I flick the fork up my wrist to put it into a blind spot position. I can hear his footsteps slowly walking towards me. Wow, menacing. He suddenly turns the office seat around, revealing to me his face. Yes, that''s ''Ford Mondt'', alright. My kidnapper. I mumble in anger to play along to his sadistic scheme. "Calm down, Stevie. I''m not gonna kill you. I promise I''m not a murderer!" He mutters defensively. I slowly take out my fork behind me and started cutting at the tape. "You might be wondering, was the shy act just that? An act? Well... yeah. But my name really is Charles Mondt. I told you the truth from up until now. Do you trust me now?" Well, now he already established that he won''t kill me, obviously, and his identity. I can''t trust the guy though. Who kidnaps other people suddenly? Unless there''s something wrong with you, that''s not normal. I mutter with the bound in my mouth once more. "Oh sorry, you must find it hard to speak with that bound in your mouth. I''ll take it off if you promise me you won''t shout. I won''t kill you, I promise." He tells me while pulling the bound off my mouth Ha! Idiot. I inhale as hard as I can. "MO¡ª" And he quickly covers my mouth. "What are you, crazy??" He nervously whispers to me. Wow. Look who''s talking, Mr. Kidnapper. He then pulls out a silver knife to threaten me. "I won''t kill you but I won''t hesitate to hurt you. Now, I just have questions that you need to answer, do you understand, Stevie?" Ok, now''s the time to be obedient. One thing I hate more than anything is pain. He takes his hand off my mouth after I nod in agreement. "Fine. I''ll listen to you, you sadist." "Woah, I''m not a sadist. This is for the neighborhood." Eh? What does he mean by that? "Oi, what do you mean kidnapping me for the neighborhood? Wow, way to make Izzaya look bad, Ford." I responded. "Eh? I just... saw some provoking furniture in your house, Stevie. That''s why I laced your pie with benzodiazepines before you got back from telling your mother about the pie." "You drugged me, not cool, dude." "I''m sorry, really, I am, but I really am doing this to protect the people of Izzaya, now answer the questions I''m about to ask you." Unknowing to him, I was only buying time to cut myself free from the duct tape in my wrists. Thank you for being noisy, Ford. Now, I''m free. "We''ll see about that." I lunged at him and hit his wrists to make him drop the knife. "Ow!" He cried in pain. Woah, did I hit him that hard? I tackled him to the ground. "I swear, Ford. I''ll stab you with this fork if you don''t let me go free." I''m not really gonna do that, I''m not a sadist. "Dude, you''re already free. Let ME go! Is that the fork from the pie? Wow, sneaky," he replies. He hits my wrist and honestly, that did felt painful. "OW! What the eff, dude??" I cried as I drop the fork to the ground. He slides the fork away from us and punches me in the face to get me off him. Oh, it''s on now. He lays on top of me and lands punch after punch. I groan in pain. I give him an uppercut. "Ow! My tongue!" He groans. I kick him up to topple him over and I get on top of him and land a couple punches myself. We were basically filled with dirt and muck all over. The same cycle went on for about two times until... "FORD! What''s all the ruckus out here in the backyard?" An elderly voice called out from the back porch of their house. Ford and I stopped on our tracks, stunned. He pushed me off him. We both stood up straight and brushed ourselves off from the filth. "Sorry nanny, did we wake you?" He nervously laughs, "My friend and I were just roughhousing in the yard a little." The elderly woman that had just stepped out of the back porch readjusted her glasses, "And who might you be, young man?" She asked with a warm smile. I was thought to always respect the elderly especially when at someone''s house, so I went up to the elderly woman, held her hand and pulled it gently towards my forehead. This is a sign of respect in the Philippines that I had grown accustomed to. "Good evening, nanny. I''m Ford''s friend from next door," I look at Ford with a menacing look, "I didn''t know Ford has a very lovely grandma, my name is Stevie, it''s very nice to meet you, nanny!" "How polite, Stevie, you and my grandson enjoy now! Please, stay for dinner," she tells me while still sporting a warm and wholesome smile. She then started to come back inside, and I went back to Ford''s side. I can see that we were both thinking of the same thing. "Truce?" We both say at the same time, not knowing that this friendship had just began. "Oi," I was trying to ask, "why do you even have a knife on your person, Ford?" Ford walks to the knife and picks it up. "It''s fake," he laughs hysterically. I can''t help but laugh with him. Honestly looking back, that fight went from serious to not really. I think this is a moment of bond that will never disappear. But I need to reassure him that I''m not a threat to the neighborhood that he thinks I am. "Hey, what question were you gonna ask?" I ask him. "Oh," he looks at me square in the eyes, "are you a Vincenzo?" Chapter 6: Answer or Die "That reminds me, Mrs. Vincenzo. Remember to not mention your last name in this neighborhood, much more in the entire city of Haggrew, got that? This goes for you too, Steven," "It''s a long story, kid. But to summarize, your surname is pretty infamous here. Just be careful, you could really attract some bad company." Those words were the exact words that the driver of the Black Sedan that brought us to our house. Seemed kind of shady and random to say something like that, but it does make you curious. Infamous to the point that it attracts bad company? That''s too sketchy to ignore, and kind of terrifying to think about. "Oh, are you a Vincenzo?" Ford wanted to ask me this question, but not in a normal way. He even went and kidnapped me just to intimidate the answer out of me, if ever. He also said that I could be a potential threat to the neighborhood. What''s the connection between my last name Vincenzo and Izzaya Village? Before I can answer this question, I need to decide what answer to tell Ford. This might decide what kind of life I''ll live in this new environment. . . . "Rhetorically speaking, what if I was?" I answered with another question. "Well, frankly Stevie, now is a different story from moments ago." He replies back with a stern facial expression. "What do you mean, dude?" I ask him once more, with more persistence. "Well, let''s sit here on the table at the back porch," he gestures to follow him, "well, come on, join me, Steve-o." I follow him onto a small beach table with chairs on the back porch and we sat down facing opposite each other. "Ah, that''s more like it. Not like earlier when I was stuck on the office chair," I jokingly state. He chuckles a bit, "Sorry about that." "Anyway," he continues, "well, let''s just say I got an intel from someone that I should inspect the new neighbor coming in next door, and that I should bring a knock-out drug, such as benzodiazepines and a piece of caramel pie from a local bakery in Haggrew City. It seemed so specific, but I had this sense of... connection with the person, even though I never met them, it just felt right that I should follow, that it was my decision to even do it."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Who could''ve¡ª why..." I was at a loss of words by what he explained to me. "I''m sorry, man. I don''t have the slightest idea who he was, but I did know why he wanted me to do it. He told me that they might be a Vincenzo." There it goes again, my last name being thrown out like a bad omen. At this moment, I had to ask him. "Hey, if I can ask, what''s so bad about the last name Vincenzo, anyway?" I confronted him. "Before I answer that, can you confirm your answer to my question first. I mean, I couldn''t care less anymore at this point, you''ve proven yourself to not be an evil person at heart and even if you are a Vincenzo, you don''t know anything about it." He rebuts. Ah, he wants an honest and concise answer. "Yes, my name is Steven Vincenzo." A few seconds of silence pass by... . . . Then he sighs deeply. "Okay, I can accept that. Nice to meet you formally, Stevie," he smiles while sticking out his hand to me. "Likewise, Ford," I smile in return as I shake his hand. Then he lets go of my hand and puts up two fingers. "Two." Two? "Two what, Ford?" I confusingly ask. "Two months, and I''ll tell you about what Vincenzo is in our village," he firmly says. I nod in agreement with his answer. After all, what''s two months of waiting for an answer rather than piecing out the answer myself which might take longer? Since that driver told us those words, the mystery had been bugging my mind. What does it really mean to be a Vincenzo in Izzaya? "Stevie?" Mom''s voice from near us was echoing, I look around and there she was, looking around the front and backyard of our house, "Stevie! There you are. You must be the boy who gave my Stevie a piece of his favorite flavor of pie, thank you." "It''s Ford, ma''am. It''s a pleasure to meet you," Ford replies as we walk closer to the fence separating my house and theirs, where Mom was standing. "Ah yes, Ford, darling. So the two of you are neighbors, how neat," my mom smiles. My mom turns her attention to me, "Well, Stevie, it''s time for dinner!" "Sure, Mom. I''ll be right over," I reply in return. I turn to Ford, "Hey, man. Tell nanny that I won''t be able to able to stay for dinner, but I will be able to visit another time." "I''m sure she''ll appreciate that, man," Ford replies. As I turn towards the door that leads out of the backyard, Ford suddenly calls me which makes me look towards his direction once again, "Hey, Stevie. It was really cool to meet you, dude." I smile and replied, "Yeah, likewise, mate." With those words, I walk to the small door that led to the front yard and went on my merry way towards our house. ~~~ That was how my first encounter with Ford went. Basically he drugged and kidnapped me thinking I was a threat to the neighborhood, but instead of anger and vengeance, I felt curiosity. "This guy seemed interesting," I thought, so I decided to hang out with him. Overall, I''d say halfway through the two months, I even forgot about the curiosity and just overall enjoy my hangouts with the guy. Oh! There was this one time.