Home Again (1)
When six years old Daniel was kidnapped by a strange man in 1997 at the local park. the Edgars family's life turned upside down. Twelve years after his disappearance, he was found and taken back home again, and that too, turned their lives upside down.
When fifty years old Edgar got the call from the police station that his son has been found, he couldn't believe his ears. He had to make the caller repeat it over and over again to make sure that he's not dreaming. Finally, after twelve years. Twelve years ago his youngest son Daniel was kidnapped from the park and pushed into a black car in front of his own very eyes. He ran after the car as fast as he could screaming in vain but what was done was done and could not be undone.
Twelve agonizing years, not knowing if he's dead or alive. He struggled to live everyday trying to cope. He could have sunk in melancholy for a long time but he was forced to recollect himself for his elder sons Phillip and Frederick. They missed their brother so much and the big age difference between them and him made them naturally protective. When he disappeared, they couldn't help feeling guilty. Daniel was six years when he was kidnapped in October 1998, at the time Phillip was 13 and Fred was 14. Now young men in their mid twenties they couldn't believe it when their father called and told them that Daniel was found. Fred, skeptical by nature said while they were driving to the hospital ''How do we know it's him?''
He asked the question Edgar was suppressing inside him, he found myself saying ''It's him.''
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Finally we arrived at the hospital and we were received by the same officer who investigated Daniel's disappearance twelve years ago. Edgar could hear his own heartbeats thudding in his chest.
''Where is he?'' He asked.
''He is being examined by the doctors and the forensics are collecting evidence.'' He said trying to calm him down. Edgar was impatient, he wanted to see his son, he couldn't wait.
''I want to see him.'' He insisted.
''Wait Dad, let them do their job.'' Fred said pulling my arm and taking me to the nearest chair.
''Sit down.'' Fred demurred.
''I will not sit down, I want to see my son now!''
''Dad please stop it, it's just few minutes and they will allow us inside.''
Edgar took a deep breath and sank in the black leather chair, he didn't stop tapping his foot. Fred tried to kill the time and asked Officer Terry how they found him.
The police station got a call from a man in the Kane Street reporting an incident he saw in his neighbor's house. He said that he saw his neighbor who has been living there for more than ten years, hitting a teenage boy in his garden and forcing him inside the house. The police went there and raided the house when no one opened the door, they searched the whole house and found nothing but one of them thought that he can hear something in the basement. They found Daniel tied and gagged in the basement, he was badly bruised with an infected laceration in his thigh. He was in a state of shock but he could answer some of the questions they asked him. He said that he was kidnapped by that man when he was six and that his name is Daniel Edgar. The boy was taken to the hospital immediately and the police called contacted Edgar.
''And where is the bastard, did you arrest him?'' Edgar groaned clenching his fist.
''He was not there when we raided the house and he hasn't returned till now, we are watching the house closely.'' Terry curbed.
''You better find him before we do.'' Phillip said in anger.
At that moment a doctor came out from the examination room and said ''Are you his family?''
''Yes.'' The father and his sons said in one voice.
''You can see him now, but take it easy he's extremely traumatized, then after that we need to talk.''
Home Again
Re: Home Again
Home Again (2)
Edgar and his sons, Phillip and Fred stepped slowly inside the room. Daniel was sitting straight on the bed with pillows propped up behind his bony back.
Edgar and his sons, Phillip and Fred stepped slowly inside the room. Daniel was sitting straight on the bed with pillows propped up behind his bony back. He looked at their direction when he heard their footsteps. Edgar was flabbergasted, he could not recognize him. The boy looked dreadful, he was terribly underweight and there were two large purple bruises covering his jaw and left eye. His gray eyes were teary with a confused, blank and helpless look. There tubes connected to his veins and he looked enclosed upon himself. Edgar was speechless, he felt a lump in his throat and tried to hold back the tears that were fighting to gush out. All of them had contradicted feelings, happiness and agony, hope and anger, relief and nervousness.
Daniel broke the silence and said ''I thought I will never you again.''
Then they all lost their control over their overwhelming feelings, Phillip and Fred's tears streamed on their faces while their father ran to Daniel and took him between his arms and they both cried and sobbed. Daniel buried his face in his father's shoulder and said ''I'm so sorry, you told me not to go far.''
''Shhh...you are safe now..nothing and no one will hurt you again...nothing...I promise.'' Edgar said through his tears.
''I'm scared.'' Daniel choked.
''You are safe now.'' Edgar said holding his face between his hands. Little he does understand, Daniel forgot what the word safe means a long time ago. There were too many questions Edgar wanted to ask him but he preferred to keep inside himself for the time being. Edgar wiped his tears and recollected himself and said ''I'll go to see the doctor.''
''Are you coming back?'' Daniel asked in a weepy voice. Edgar held his hand strongly and said ''I will be back as soon as possible, your brothers are here with you, I'll have to take care of some things.'' He kissed him on the cheek and walked out.
''We're really glad to have you back Dan!'' Phillip said.
''You became too big.'' Daniel said.
''So do you!'' Fred said jokingly.
''Who is Phillip and who is Fred?'' Daniel asked innocently.
Phillip and Fred exchanged looks, Daniel blushed and said ''I'm sorry, I'm sorry.''
Fred held his shoulders and said ''Hey there is nothing to apologize for!''
''We love you man and we will take care of you.'' Phillip reassured.
The sedative made Daniel feel sleepy so he rested his head on the pillows and closed his eyes.
''Please don't leave me alone.'' He said without opening his eyes.
''We won't just sleep, you need some rest.'' Fred said sympathetically.
As soon as he fell asleep, Phillip broke into tears.
Edgar and his sons, Phillip and Fred stepped slowly inside the room. Daniel was sitting straight on the bed with pillows propped up behind his bony back.
Edgar and his sons, Phillip and Fred stepped slowly inside the room. Daniel was sitting straight on the bed with pillows propped up behind his bony back. He looked at their direction when he heard their footsteps. Edgar was flabbergasted, he could not recognize him. The boy looked dreadful, he was terribly underweight and there were two large purple bruises covering his jaw and left eye. His gray eyes were teary with a confused, blank and helpless look. There tubes connected to his veins and he looked enclosed upon himself. Edgar was speechless, he felt a lump in his throat and tried to hold back the tears that were fighting to gush out. All of them had contradicted feelings, happiness and agony, hope and anger, relief and nervousness.
Daniel broke the silence and said ''I thought I will never you again.''
Then they all lost their control over their overwhelming feelings, Phillip and Fred's tears streamed on their faces while their father ran to Daniel and took him between his arms and they both cried and sobbed. Daniel buried his face in his father's shoulder and said ''I'm so sorry, you told me not to go far.''
''Shhh...you are safe now..nothing and no one will hurt you again...nothing...I promise.'' Edgar said through his tears.
''I'm scared.'' Daniel choked.
''You are safe now.'' Edgar said holding his face between his hands. Little he does understand, Daniel forgot what the word safe means a long time ago. There were too many questions Edgar wanted to ask him but he preferred to keep inside himself for the time being. Edgar wiped his tears and recollected himself and said ''I'll go to see the doctor.''
''Are you coming back?'' Daniel asked in a weepy voice. Edgar held his hand strongly and said ''I will be back as soon as possible, your brothers are here with you, I'll have to take care of some things.'' He kissed him on the cheek and walked out.
''We're really glad to have you back Dan!'' Phillip said.
''You became too big.'' Daniel said.
''So do you!'' Fred said jokingly.
''Who is Phillip and who is Fred?'' Daniel asked innocently.
Phillip and Fred exchanged looks, Daniel blushed and said ''I'm sorry, I'm sorry.''
Fred held his shoulders and said ''Hey there is nothing to apologize for!''
''We love you man and we will take care of you.'' Phillip reassured.
The sedative made Daniel feel sleepy so he rested his head on the pillows and closed his eyes.
''Please don't leave me alone.'' He said without opening his eyes.
''We won't just sleep, you need some rest.'' Fred said sympathetically.
As soon as he fell asleep, Phillip broke into tears.
Re: Home Again
Home Again (3)
Daniel was held in abject submission for twelve years from childhood to late teenage years. Due to the abnormal conditions of captivity, he missed key developmental stages in his life, it was like he came from another planet. Everything was scary for him and all people were potential predators.
Some early memories of a normal family life saved his life, so many things he forgot about life outside his captivity but he never forgot his devoted loving single father and his brothers.
Day after day, month after month and year after year, he lost track of time along with the hope of being saved from his seemingly unending nightmare. He was forced to submit to his captor's abominably perverse practices. His humanity, childhood and later his masculinity were disfigured for eternity for the sake of his abductor's sick sexual fantasies of a cruel creature that is hard to call human.
This abrupt transition from slavery to freedom was too much for him and a source of great confusion. He still had a long time to adapt to his new conditions which, to him were as scary and the old ones. He lost nearly all his social skills that were still undeveloped when he was abducted. He knew nothing in the world except, being used and abused. Daniel was terribly underweight and suffering from severe malnutrition.
His captor was trying to stop him from developing muscles by starving him and later castrating him which left an emotional and physical scar that will never heal by time. He suffered from a deficiency in many essential vitamins and minerals and he has never been medically checked or vaccinated during his captivity which made him susceptible to many illnesses and diseases.
Daniel also suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and was more likely to develop other psychological problems with time. All in all, he needed to be hospitalized for an unknown period of time.
When Edgar was told all that he was scorched inside out from anger and agony.
''Is there any hope that he will get over this?'' he asked with a barely heard sound.
''Kidnap victims are less likely to recover fully, you can never undo years of torture and captivity. We are hoping for a miracle.'' The doctor said formally, with no trace of emotion or sympathy or this is what seemed to Edgar at that time.
With aching heart and sagging shoulders, he strolled to his son's room. In a hurt tone he told his sons what he has just heard and the agony and anger was now multiplied by two.
''Poor Dan!'' Fred demurred.
''That was expected but it's so difficult to hear.'' Phillip said sadly.
They all stayed in the hospital that night, little was said as everyone was consumed in his own pain and shock. Shadows of predicted difficult time covered them as they fell asleep on the hospital's leather chairs.
Daniel was held in abject submission for twelve years from childhood to late teenage years. Due to the abnormal conditions of captivity, he missed key developmental stages in his life, it was like he came from another planet. Everything was scary for him and all people were potential predators.
Some early memories of a normal family life saved his life, so many things he forgot about life outside his captivity but he never forgot his devoted loving single father and his brothers.
Day after day, month after month and year after year, he lost track of time along with the hope of being saved from his seemingly unending nightmare. He was forced to submit to his captor's abominably perverse practices. His humanity, childhood and later his masculinity were disfigured for eternity for the sake of his abductor's sick sexual fantasies of a cruel creature that is hard to call human.
This abrupt transition from slavery to freedom was too much for him and a source of great confusion. He still had a long time to adapt to his new conditions which, to him were as scary and the old ones. He lost nearly all his social skills that were still undeveloped when he was abducted. He knew nothing in the world except, being used and abused. Daniel was terribly underweight and suffering from severe malnutrition.
His captor was trying to stop him from developing muscles by starving him and later castrating him which left an emotional and physical scar that will never heal by time. He suffered from a deficiency in many essential vitamins and minerals and he has never been medically checked or vaccinated during his captivity which made him susceptible to many illnesses and diseases.
Daniel also suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and was more likely to develop other psychological problems with time. All in all, he needed to be hospitalized for an unknown period of time.
When Edgar was told all that he was scorched inside out from anger and agony.
''Is there any hope that he will get over this?'' he asked with a barely heard sound.
''Kidnap victims are less likely to recover fully, you can never undo years of torture and captivity. We are hoping for a miracle.'' The doctor said formally, with no trace of emotion or sympathy or this is what seemed to Edgar at that time.
With aching heart and sagging shoulders, he strolled to his son's room. In a hurt tone he told his sons what he has just heard and the agony and anger was now multiplied by two.
''Poor Dan!'' Fred demurred.
''That was expected but it's so difficult to hear.'' Phillip said sadly.
They all stayed in the hospital that night, little was said as everyone was consumed in his own pain and shock. Shadows of predicted difficult time covered them as they fell asleep on the hospital's leather chairs.