"The Awakening"
As he expected, it was Karisa. "Yeah, hi Tom. I . . . um . . . well, Jackson offered to take me down to Corisin today. It's a really good opertunity, so I'm going to have to cancel our date." He knew this was coming, it happened everytime the weather was rotten, which seemed to be everytime He asked her to do something. He didn't blame her too much though, she never had much patience. With four younger siblings running around the small house, patience was a requirement to keeping your sanity.
"It's ok Karisa, maybe another day." He knew she felt . . . awkward. She never felt bad, she always cared more about herself then others, but she also never seemed totally comfortable breaking the dates. Maybe that's why Tom kept asking her out, she did seem to care about him, in her own little way.
A sigh of relief was barely audible as she seemed to go back to her normal, carefree, and very talkative self. "Thanks Tom! You're the greatest! You don't know how much this means to me! I'll make it up to you, I promise. We can go out next weekend! Well, I really have to go now, Jackson is sitting here and getting impatient. I don't want to keep him waiting. Thanks again Tom!" With that she hung up.
Tom sighed heavily as he hung up as well. He had really been looking forward to this date, time to get out of his house, and away from his family, especially his step father. Corin was getting to be impossible. He and Tom were always fighting now. It wasn't always like this. In fact, it wasn't like this until about two months ago. That's when things started to go down hill.
Tom looked back at the window, with the rain streaming down. Anger and frustration built up in him. "Why does this always happen to me!" He complained to the empty room. Or at least He thought was an empty room.
"Why does what always happen Tom?" A gentle voiced asked him from behind. Tom froze. He knew that voice well, it was that of his mother. "Tom, what has gotten into you these last couple of months? You haven't been acting like yourself. You're always angry now. And you seem to take it out on your father."
That was all it took to send him over the edge, and to let his anger explode out. "HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Tom growled, and spun around facing his mom. "And what's gotten into me is that He doesn't want me to find out who my father is! He wants you to lie to me so that I can't go off and find out who my father really is!!" The look on his mother's face zapped the rest of his anger. He could see the pain on her face, and how much this was hurting her.
Very softly, "You're right Tom, but not about Corin, rather about you should know who your father really is." She moved over the couch, more because she wasn't sure she could talk to him about this and continue to stand under her own weight. "Please, come sit next to me." She patted the seat next to her as she spoke.
Tom hesitated. He wasn't sure what to do or say. He wanted to find out about his father, yet, he was unsure. Slowly, tentatively he stepped forward and sat next to his mother. She just looked into his eyes, and tried not to let the tears show.
"Your biological father never knew you. He never knew your name. It was an affair, that almost destroyed my marriage with Tarek. As far as anyone is concerned, Tarek is your father. He is the one who's on your birth certificate. He and I were engaged at the time, so it didn't look out of the ordinary for us to have you. But He was not your biological father. Your biological father was not a nice man Tom. Corin really is much more of a father to you."
"I don't care! I want to know who my father is!!" Karen knew that he meant his biological father. It hurt her deeply that the man she loved and married, the one who raised Tom, was being pushed aside so easily for a man that was mostly wanted on many worlds. "Can you at least tell me his name mother?" Tom had finally regained control of his emotions, and was now talking in a very chilling and emotionless voice.
"You really want to know Tom? Is it really that important?" She searched her sons eyes, hopeing to find some hint of emotion. Yet finding none. When he put his sheilds up, every hint of emotion was blocked. There was no love, happiness, joy, anger, resentment, just cold black eyes. Eyes like his fathers.
"Yes."
Karen sighed and turned away. "His name was---"
"McCloud to Ensign Mellows and Cadet Drake. Report to C&C." Tom sat up with a start and looked around. He was back in his quarters. It only took him a secong to get his bearings and to get back to the present.
He tapped his comn badge. "On my way Sir." Then hurried off to find out what was going on. The dream he had just been reliving soon forgotten, but it would return, and it wouldn't be alone. He was soon going to be reliving alot of his past, and rediscovering things he had long since forgotten.
THE END
by Cadet Thomas Drake.
Rain streaked down the windows. Another Saturday that was ruined. How did this have to happen today of all days. Karisa wasn't the type of girl liked to sit around in doors all day. She wanted to be out and about, and Tom didn't have a car, so he had no place to take her when it rained. Just then the phone rang. Very slowly Tom walked over and picked up it. "Hello?"
