begging to get them all. They were just trying to protect me… When they went for me, the guy shot them— there was so much blood — so much.” Gabe was surprised the memory still brought such feelings up in him as a man.
“That’s terrible, Gabe. I can’t imagine what that must have done to you as a kid.” Rachel offered.
“Yeah, well, not a lot of people were eager to adopt a kid with a history like mine, that’s for sure. I bounced from one foster home to the next. Anytime I would get close to a family, something terrible would happen. Evil always had a way of tracking me down, just another thing I can thank my heritage for apparently. Eventually, I decided I wouldn’t get close to anyone. That’s how I ended up in a boy’s home.” Gabe continued, surprising even himself that he was sharing all the messed up details of his past.
“I’ve asked myself all these years why I went with Uri. I think I’m just now realizing I wanted what he was selling. I wanted so bad to have a home, a family, to know people just like me. I guess I should have known they wanted something from me.” Gabe explained.
“Doesn’t everyone? I mean, I think people can still care about you, and hope to get something from you. Think about any relationship. When you fall in love do you want nothing in return? Of course not, you want the same level of commitment and love.” Rachel gently replied.
“When you fall in love the other person is not expecting you to sacrifice your life.” Gabe retorted.
“I suppose…” Rachel hesitated.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, please, we’re being honest, let’s hear it.” Gabe insisted.
“Uri told me it was your choice if you wanted to fulfill the prophecy; they would not have forced you.” Rachel said.
“That’s true. They did tell me it was my choice, but can you imagine walking the halls of a school dedicated to the training of warriors. Had you made the decision to save yourself, you’d be viewed as a coward. Honestly though, it wasn’t the prophecy that made me leave.” Gabe went quiet after he muttered the last sentence.
“The girl?” Rachel questioned intuitively.
“Her name was Sophie. You know what’s crazy? I would have died for her. I was young and stupid. Looking back, I think I had been alone in the world for so long that I made what we had into more than it was.” Gabe explained.
“For what it’s worth, I think it’s sweet.” Rachel blushed as she spoke.
“Don’t overestimate me.” Gabe snapped. He could see Rachel had a look of longing in her eyes. She would be mistaken to think he was still that boy who was so naive. “When I left Rampart I left my ignorance of the world behind. I’ve learned more than I cared to since then, and I’ve done a lot of things that would shock people. If Michael and Uri thought I was destined to be some holy angel, they were sadly mistaken. After what I’ve done, I doubt there is even a place for me in their world.”
“Come now, you couldn’t have been too terrible.” Rachel laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
“I suppose…” Gabe replied. He wasn’t sure why, but for some reason he didn’t want Rachel knowing about his terrible deeds. After he left Rampart there was a gaping hole, one he didn’t know how to fill. He was young, full of pain. It had been easy for him to give up, give into his desires; the countless women didn’t satisfy him though. As the years passed, the nights filled with empty sex with random women, he grew tired and impatient of the growing void. That was when he sought solitude. Always running, often not even learning the names of the hookers or random bar flies he slept with. It became tiresome.
“Now, Michael, he seems like a character. We haven’t met yet.” Rachel continued, interrupting Gabe’s memories.
“Michael is a tough one. I think I was angriest at him when I left. Over this past year, I’ve started realizing it wasn’t all his fault. I put him in a position he never asked to be. He was bound to let me down no matter how things ended up, it was inevitable.”
“I see.” Rachel replied, her words lingering in the air for a moment before she continued, “What’s that?”
Gabe watched as Rachel ran to a nearby set of stumps. He was unable to stop himself from smiling at the