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Description
A much younger Gerry leaned over the railing of the bridge. The river below flowed swiftly. He stared down at it almost longingly. It seemed so beautiful, he could just jump in and let the waters take him away, take him somewhere better, somewhere peaceful. He stood on his toes tilting closer to the edge.

"You going swimming?" A cheery voice asked.

He looked up in surprise, his feet slamming back against the concrete. "What?"

The girl was about his age, auburn hair pulled into cottony pigtails, cheeks sunburned, and smiled with missing teeth. She seemed oblivious to the blood running from his nose or the swelling forcing his left eye shut.

"Are you going swimming?" She asked again hopping up onto the rail and letting her legs dangle.

Gerry blinked his good eye, then shook his head. "I can't swim."

She looked back at him. "I could teach you."

He scowled as much as his battered face would allow. "Why are you being nice to me?"

She shrugged. "Nobody likes me either."

"Why?"

She smiled. "They're scared of me. Of what I can do."

"What can you do?" He asked, a warble in his voice.

The girl's slate colored eyes sparkled slightly . "I can-" The memory warped like damaged celluloid.

Gerry was suddenly in his old room a teenager. He pressed his ear to the door listening to his parents argue down the hall.

"What are we going to do?! If the council finds out he'll be banished at best, at worst-" His mother wailed.

"They don't do that anymore, Helen. No one is going to hurt him, not for a little mistake." His father said calmly.

"Ranjay, don't tell me you believe he did this to himself! Gerald is a good boy! He would never!"

"That's not-"

"I bet it was that horrible Bell girl. I never liked him hanging out with her. I bet she did this to our baby!"

Gerry tested the doorknob again as if it would be magically unlatched, but it was still locked tight and probably blocked from the outside.

"That poor girl has been through enough; she and Gerry have been friends for years. You shouldn't accuse her without proof."

"Proof?! They never found her step-father. That man was far too dedicated to abandon her!"

"Calm down Helen, please. I'm sure he can hear us."

She burst into sobs. "How do we even know that's still him in there? How do we know!?"

"Stop it! He's our son! I contacted some people that will help us."

"Not the council! They'll-"

"No, outsiders, but they specialize in this sort of thing. They will make him better." He cleared his throat. "They'll fix him."

Description
A much younger Gerry leaned over the railing of the bridge. The river below flowed swiftly. He stared down at it almost longingly. It seemed so beautiful, he could just jump in and let the waters take him away, take him somewhere better, somewhere peaceful. He stood on his toes tilting closer to the edge.

"You going swimming?" A cheery voice asked.

He looked up in surprise, his feet slamming back against the concrete. "What?"

The girl was about his age, auburn hair pulled into cottony pigtails, cheeks sunburned, and smiled with missing teeth. She seemed oblivious to the blood running from his nose or the swelling forcing his left eye shut.

"Are you going swimming?" She asked again hopping up onto the rail and letting her legs dangle.

Gerry blinked his good eye, then shook his head. "I can't swim."

She looked back at him. "I could teach you."

He scowled as much as his battered face would allow. "Why are you being nice to me?"

She shrugged. "Nobody likes me either."

"Why?"

She smiled. "They're scared of me. Of what I can do."

"What can you do?" He asked, a warble in his voice.

The girl's slate colored eyes sparkled slightly . "I can-" The memory warped like damaged celluloid.

Gerry was suddenly in his old room a teenager. He pressed his ear to the door listening to his parents argue down the hall.

"What are we going to do?! If the council finds out he'll be banished at best, at worst-" His mother wailed.

"They don't do that anymore, Helen. No one is going to hurt him, not for a little mistake." His father said calmly.

"Ranjay, don't tell me you believe he did this to himself! Gerald is a good boy! He would never!"

"That's not-"

"I bet it was that horrible Bell girl. I never liked him hanging out with her. I bet she did this to our baby!"

Gerry tested the doorknob again as if it would be magically unlatched, but it was still locked tight and probably blocked from the outside.

"That poor girl has been through enough; she and Gerry have been friends for years. You shouldn't accuse her without proof."

"Proof?! They never found her step-father. That man was far too dedicated to abandon her!"

"Calm down Helen, please. I'm sure he can hear us."

She burst into sobs. "How do we even know that's still him in there? How do we know!?"

"Stop it! He's our son! I contacted some people that will help us."

"Not the council! They'll-"

"No, outsiders, but they specialize in this sort of thing. They will make him better." He cleared his throat. "They'll fix him."