My name is Hale.  I am 16, blue eyes, blond hair.  I am of average build and height.

My father left my family when I was 3.  My mother died 6 years later.  I was put into an orphanage at the age of 9, along with my brother who was 15.  None of the other children played with me... because they were afraid of me.  You see, my left eye is gone.  All that's left is a scar where they sealed it up.  I was told by my mom that I was born like this and that she still loved me.  My brother told me a different story.  He told me of the rage of my father.  He told me, that in the middle of the night, he would hear our dad screaming at my mom.  He told me of her bruises caused by him, of his drunken rages and threats.

He told me of the one night she was rocking me to sleep, as he burst through the door.  He took me in his arm, and taking my mom's hair in his hand, whipped her down to the floor.  He then proceeded to hit me to try to stop me from crying.  His punches weren't working so he threw me against the wall.  Right into a wall hook.  It was at that moment my brother came in with his knife he got for his birthday.  He proceeded to stab at our fathers leg, but it only made him more angry.  He somehow got my brother off his leg and began kicking him.  It was at that moment that our mom grabbed one of the logs from the fireplace and began hitting him with it, over, and over, and over again.  My brother said he blacked out halfway through it.

When he awoke, my left eye was gone, and his nose, jaw, and a few bones were broken.  Our mom was calm he said.  She always had this tranquil attitude.  No matter what happened, she was always as still as water in a lake.  Then one day, she left.  Neither me nor my brother knew where she went.  We later found out that a woman's body was found dead in the lake.  We didn't have to think twice.  We knew it was our mom.  What we didn't know was if she did it herself or if it was our father.  We didn't have anyone else but each other. 

The other kids at the orphanage made fun of me, teased me, fought me for being different.  My brother would always protect me.  For some reason, my brother was always calm about it.  Like my mother.  Me on the other hand, I was a little fire ball most times.  If I heard the tiniest bit of resentment in someones voice, I would blow up at them.  I guess that was also one of the reasons I was never chosen.  I had those around me get picked, but never me.  My brother was picked a few times, but said he wouldn't go unless I was picked with him.  It broke my heart to see him give up his dreams of a normal family life just for me.  He always said that it wouldn't feel right without me.

He died when I was 14.  He was attacked and mauled by a bear while on a hunting trip.  He was 20.  I will never forget that day.  That was when I cried.  I actually cried and let it all out.  My dad hurting my family, my mom dying, my brother dying... I felt unloved.  I felt alone.  I looked outside that day and it began to rain.  Even though we weren't allowed to be out in the rain, I still went.  I loved the feeling of the rain on my face. Then, the orphanage caretaker saw me and motioned me to him.  I spoke with him for a long time under his makeshift lean-to.  He was the only one that didn't judge me other than my brother.  I felt his caring heart.  Even though he was only a caretaker, he was happy.  I envied him.

All of a sudden it started hailing.  I had never seen hail before so I stepped out to feel them.  They were small at first, but gradually started getting bigger.  I turned to see the caretaker, but he was gone.  I then heard shouting.  I turned and to my dismay, the owners of the orphanage were commanding me back inside.  I didn't want to go.  I wanted to run away as fast as I could.  I then realized I could no longer feel the hail hitting me.  They were getting bigger but I could not feel the pain that they caused. 

I remember the husband stepping out to try to get to me, but he got hit by one of the hail and stepped back in swearing.  I didn't know what was going on but I didn't question it.  I thought that this was my opportunity to leave.  So I took it.  I took off running as far away as possible.  No destination in mind.  It was at that moment that I changed my name to Hale.