We Three Kings

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

When we were sixteen, we were herded out of the school and into work placements. They were supposed to give us the skills to get ready for life: learn how to work, live with a schedule, etc., etc. What it really did was get us out so they could bring more kids in. After all, we were sixteen and bitter, hormone-loaded and hotheaded. We were getting big enough to fight back.

You were supposed to stay at the placement until you were eighteen. That’s how long they were obligated to keep you, anyway. I think most of us lasted about three months. Sure, there was the odd kid now and again that you would hear about who somehow got caught and shipped back, but they didn’t exactly look too hard for us if we went running.

I split the first chance I got, and Austin followed me a week later. It took Daniel almost six months to catch up with us. We didn’t bring anything with us, and we never looked back. There we were, three hardened little bastards looking for a new life. We changed our names—Austin became Mark, Daniel became Devin, and I dropped the God from my name and became Eric. I can’t even explain how empowering the tossing of that half of my name was, or how free my soul became that day. I didn’t need a God, I told myself. I didn’t need anything that “they” told me I would. We were new people, with new purpose. We massacred, burned, and dug graves for everything about ourselves that existed before that time and we looked forward as reborn men.

Funny thing about the past though. It never stays buried for long.